OXYGEN

31 Jul – Memorial for St Ignatius of Layola, Priest
St. Ignatius (1491-1556) was wounded in the leg by a cannonball at the siege of Pampeluna on 20 May 1521, an injury that left him partially crippled for life. During his recuperation the only books he had access to were The Golden Legend, a collection of [...]

30 Jul – Memorial for St Peter Crysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
An adult convert, St. Peter (406-450) fought paganism and heresy, enforced reforms, and built several churches and ornate altars in his see. A preacher with outstanding language skills, he was given the name ‘Chrysologus’, referring to his ‘golden word’. 176 of his [...]

29 Jul – Memorial for St Martha
Jesus liked to stay at the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, his friends at Bethany, when he was in Judaea. One of these visits has ever remained dear to Christian memory. On that occasion Martha, busily serving the Master, asked Him to persuade Mary to help her. Jesus [...]

28 Jul
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Exodus 33:7-11;34:5-9.28
Moses used to take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp, at some distance from the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who had to consult the Lord would go out to the Tent of Meeting, outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people [...]

27 Jul
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Exodus 32:15-24.30-34
Moses made his way back down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, tablets inscribed on both sides, inscribed on the front and on the back. These tablets were the work of God, and the writing on them was God’s writing engraved on the tablets.
Joshua heard the noise [...]

26 Jul – Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Christ Who Feeds Us
We celebrate today the new Elisha who feeds his people and makes us one body, one spirit, in himself.
- The Sunday Missal
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2 Kings 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalisha, bringing Elisha, the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in [...]

25 Jul – Feast of St James, Apostle
St. James (died 44) was the first Apostle to be martyred. He preached in Samaria, Judea, and Spain. His work in Spain, and the housing of his relics there, led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish.
Like all men of renown, many stories grew up [...]

24 Jul – Memorial for St Charbel Makhluf, Priest
St. Charbel was a Lebanese monk, born in a small mountain village and ordained in 1858. Devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he spent the last twenty three years of his life as a hermit. Despite temptations to wealth and comfort, St. Charbel taught the value of [...]

23 Jul – Memorial for St Bridget of Sweden, Religious
Coming from a noble yet religious background, St. Bridget (1302-1373) was friend and counsellor to many priests and theologians of her day. As chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Blanche of Namur, she counselled and guided the Queen and King Magnus II. She was harassed by others at [...]

22 Jul – Memorial for St Mary Magdalen
There is actually very little solid information about her, and both scholars and traditions differ on the interpretation of what we do know.
She was a friend and follower of Jesus. Filled with sorrow over her sin, she anointed Christ, washed his feet with her hair. He exorcised seven [...]