From a letter from Fr Doyle to his father, 25 July 1917: We shall have desperate fighting soon but I have not the least fear, on the contrary a great joy in the thought that I shall be able to make a real offering of my life to God, even if He does not think that poor life worth taking. God accepted the offering of Fr Doyle’s life three weeks …
Life
July 23, 2010
Fr Doyle in the pulpit during his last homily, July 1917 In the lead up to the anniversary of Fr Doyle’s death on August 16, we shall recount some of the events of those last days on the anniversary of their occurrence. If we have a record of these events they will mostly replace the regular thoughts for each day. Today there is a lengthy quote from O’Rahilly’s biography about …
July 21, 2010
St Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church Feast of St Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619), Doctor of the Church “I will give thee hidden treasures.” Isaiah 45. 3. Jesus has treasures which He hides from those who love Him not and do not seek Him. To His favoured ones, His faithful servants, He opens wide the storehouse where they lie and pours His graces forth unmeasured. He is a hidden …
July 20, 2010
Believe me, I feel intensely for you, my child, for I know what you have suffered in the past and how violent the attacks of the tempter have been. But this very thing ought to be a big joy to you, since it shows how much the evil one fears what you are going to do for our Blessed Lord and poor perishing souls. If you were not a dangerous …
July 19, 2010
St Ignatius Loyola I was greatly struck and helped yesterday by these words of the Imitation: “My child, let Me do with you what I will; I know what is good for you”. They gave me courage to place myself without reserve in God’s hands. How happy I feel now that I have done so and made my sacrifice. COMMENT:Fr Doyle is of course referring here to the famous “Imitation …
July 18, 2010
The Seven Works of Mercy, 1504, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The reformation of one’s life must be the work of every day. I should take each rule and duty, think how Jesus acted, or would have done, and contrast my conduct with His. COMMENT: Fr Doyle’s words today are direct and relevant for us all. The daily reformation Fr Doyle recommends must be immensely practical. We do not reform our lives in …
July 17, 2010
I have come back from the missions with feelings of joy and gratitude, for these last three missions have been blessed in a wonderful way. God seems to take a special delight in seconding my efforts, just because I have hurt Him so much in the past and have been so really ungrateful. It is one of the big humiliations of my life and makes me thoroughly ashamed of …
July 15, 2010
Saint Francis in Meditation Francisco de ZURBARÁN c.1635-39 Copyright The National Gallery 2010 The soft chimes of the angelus bell mark the fall of evening. Another day is gone. Another precious day, our measurement of God’s most precious gift, time, has passed away and is swallowed up in the vast gulf of the irrevocable past. Another day has passed! Another stage of our journey towards our final end is traversed. …
July 12, 2010
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Sunday, July 4 Apart from being the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, or the 6th Sunday after Pentecost (depending on which calendar you use) and Independence Day (if you are on the other side of the Atlantic), it is also the memorial of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Amongst other things, Blessed Pier Giorgio was renowned, as a very young man, for his heroic charity towards the …
June 28, 2010
St Oliver Plunkett July 1 Feast of St Oliver Plunkett As a child I was convinced that one day God would give me the grace of martyrdom. When quite small I read and re-read every martyr’s life in the twelve volumes of Butler’s Lives of the Saints, and longed and prayed to be a martyr, and I have often done so ever since. As years went on, the desire grew …
June 28, 2010