Last night Fr. Theo and I decided to visit separate Indo-Fijian families in the same settlement about five miles from town. We borrowed the parish van. I dropped him off at the family which was hosting the mandali (prayer meeting), promising to pick him up later that night. I drove about a mile further and climbed a steep
April 2, 2018
Veidrala village lies on the Northen coast of Nakorotubu in Ra, Fiji. The village had 85 houses before cyclone Winston and the deadly storm damaged 80 and left only five where the villagers took shelter.
April 2, 2018
May Christ, the Living One
who came back from the dead,
fill your heart with blessings this Easter
May he share
the joy of His presence
with you this Easter
to guide you
in all your ways.
Amen.
- Columban Fr. Pat Sayles
April 1, 2018
May the Lord bless you this Easter Time:
Bless you with faith,
guard you in doubt;
Bless you with hope,
uplift you in despair;
Bless you with love
keep you from fear;
Bless you with peace,
calm you in trouble;
Bless you with mercy,
help you forgive;
Bless you with joy,
comfort you in sorrow
March 31, 2018
Like Mary in tears at the empty tomb
with the stone rolled back,
wondering where You were,
so in life we can be downhearted
even desperate for Your help,
Your presence, Your grace in our lives,
not knowing how to find You.
And there You were Lord, nearby,
and when Mary recognized You
her tears turned to joy.
March 30, 2018
O Jesus, Who by reason of Your burning love for us
has willed to be crucified
and to shed Your Most Precious Blood
for the redemption and salvation of our souls,
look down upon us here gathered together
in remembrance of Your most sorrowful Passion and Death,
fully trusting in Your mercy;
cleanse us from sin by Your grace,
sanctify our toil,
March 29, 2018
Lord, help me to show
compassion towards others,
as You show compassion to me;
help me to be forgiving towards others,
as You are forgiving to me;
help me to be considerate towards others,
as You are considerate to me.
March 28, 2018
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding
And my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.
Amen.
March 27, 2018
O Lord Jesus, in order that the merits
of Your sacrifice on the Cross
might be applied to every soul of all time,
You willed that it should be renewed upon the altar.
At the Last Supper, You said:
"Do this in remembrance of me."
By these words
You gave Your apostles and their successors
the power to consecrate
March 26, 2018
Lord, this Easter
I ask You to bless my home,
to make it a place
where Your goodness dwells,
where Your presence can be felt.
I ask You to protect my home,
to make it a place
where my loved ones
can find peace and security
knowing You love them.
Amen.
- Columban Fr. Pat Sayles
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.