In September 2017 our class celebrated 50 years since we first came to Dalgan Park, Ireland, to follow what we all believed at the time was a call to missionary priesthood in the Society of St. Columban. The reunion was a joyful and uplifting experience. I also left pondering whether I had met a prophet in the form of my classmate Enri.
February 1, 2020
Lord, In the midst of Winter,
when the days are cold and wind can pierce
remind us of the warmth of your love.
When days are short, dawn comes late,
and dusk arrives early remind us that in the darkness
your light still shines.
February 1, 2020
I am a butterfly
Know that I like
Flying among colorful flowers
But now, I won’t do like this
I offer to you…My lord.
January 31, 2020
O glorious Saint John Bosco,
who in order to lead young people to the feet of the divine Master
and to mould them in the light of faith
and Christian morality didst heroically sacrifice thyself
to the very end of thy life
and didst set up a proper religious Institute destined to endure
and to bring to the farthest boundaries of the earth thy glorious work,
January 30, 2020
Father, Your Love never fails.
Keep me from danger
and provide for all my needs.
Teach me to be thankful for Your Gifts.
Confident in Your Love,
may I be holy by sharing Your Life,
and grant me forgiveness of my sins.
May Your unfailing Love turn me from sin
and keep me on the way that leads to you.
Help me to grow in Christian love.
January 29, 2020
Breath in me, Spirit of God,
that I may think what is holy;
drive me, Spirit of God,
that I may do what is holy;
draw me Spirit of God,
that I may love what is holy;
strengthen me, Spirit of God,
that I may preserve what is holy;
guard me, Spirit of God,
that I may never lose what is holy.
January 28, 2020
Creator of all things,
true Source of light and wisdom,
lofty origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of Your brilliance
penetrate into the darkness of my understanding
and take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of both sin and ignorance.
Give me a sharp sense of understanding,
a retentive memory,
January 27, 2020
When people ask me about my job, I still hesitate with my answer. I find that I don’t fit in with a conventional category of any job listing. Even within our own Catholic tradition, many clergy find it strange when I answer that I am a lay missionary, along with my family. In this missionary journey I have met people from different walks of life, many background and diverse beliefs.
January 27, 2020
O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
January 26, 2020
God, our Father,
You redeemed us
and made us Your children in Christ.
Through Him You have saved us from death
and given us Your Divine life of grace.
By becoming more like Jesus on earth,
may I come to share His glory in Heaven.
Give me the peace of Your kingdom,
which this world does not give.
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.