Father Kubicki???s Prayer Reflection

In the gospel at Mass today, we see the story of the great catch. Jesus says: “put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Peter obeyed the Lord’s command and lowered the nets catching so many fish that the nets began to break. Peter responded; “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Agatha, who dedicated herself to a life of virginity. She remained steadfast to her vow and to her Faith even during terrible tortures and in the face of death.

Today, the Church honors the memory of St. John de Brito. He was Portuguese and was born to an aristocratic family. When he was 15, he joined the Jesuits and after he was ordained, his dream of becoming a missionary was fulfilled when he was sent to India.

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of Jesus which is also called Candlemas Day, because the candles used in our worship are traditionally blessed on that day. Today we honor an early Church martyr - St. Blaise, and we take some of those candles and we use them to bless throats.

It has been 40 days since Christmas and today we celebrate the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.

We have a long gospel at Mass today and it tells the story of how Jesus raised the daughter of a Synagogue official named Jairus back to life after she had died. But sandwiched between that story is another one, the story of a woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for 12 years and finally received healing after secretly touching the hem of Jesus’ robe.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Bosco. He was such a kind and good humored man that in some of the photos we have of him, you can catch the hint of a smile, as well as a twinkle in his eye.

When we pray, we shouldn’t be listening for a sound or a voice. God rather speaks to us in the silence of our hearts. We just have to give God the time, and then listen to the thoughts that arise as we ponder his word as it comes to us in the Bible.

The first reading at Mass today which continues the Old Testament’s story of King David’s grave sins of adultery and murder has a story from the prophet Nathan which speaks about a rich man who wanted his poor neighbor's lamb so he could make a meal of it for a visitor.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas. He is the author of Tantum Ergo, which is often sung at Benediction and other Eucharistic devotions. St. Thomas Aquinas was commissioned by the pope himself to compose hymns that would renew people’s faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Angela Merici. She was flesh and blood but angelic, just like her name because of her goodness and her desire to do God’s will. She was orphaned when she was 15 and joined the third order of Franciscans. Along with others, she founded the first religious order devoted to the education of young girls – the Ursuline Sisters.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Paul’s closest collaborators – Saints Timothy and Titus.  In the New Testament, St. Paul wrote three letters to these great saints.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis De Sales, who when he was 18, was tempted to despair. He was obsessed with the thought that he had lost the love of God. He decided to make a pure act of love.

At today’s Mass during this Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, we have a wonderful second reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. It’s from chapter 12 where St. Paul compares the Church to a body.

Yesterday was the feast day of a martyr of the early Church – St. Agnes, who was only about 14 years old when she died for the Faith. Her name comes from an ancient word for ‘Lamb.’ She, like the one for whom she gave her life, was truly a Lamb of God.

Thousands of people are gathering today in Washington DC for the March for Life. Today is the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion – Roe vs. Wade. Though many of us cannot be there in person, we can still join in prayer to overturn this decision.

Do you remember your confirmation name, the patron saint whom you chose when you received the Sacrament of Confirmation? Maybe you were an adult, or maybe you're an Eastern Christian and you were confirmed when you were baptized as a Christian.

Yesterday, we began a very special period of prayer. Every year from January 18 until January 25, Christians around the world join in an intense prayer for unity that in the words of Jesus in the Last Supper, that they all may be one as the Father and the Son are one.

In the first reading at mass today from the first book of Samuel, we have the story of how God rejected King Saul, and chose to replace him with a most unlikely of persons – David, a mere youth who’s only occupation had been a shepherd.

Today, the Church honors St. Anthony of the desert. He is so named because he left everything to live as a hermit in the desert of Egypt. Many consider him the father of monastic life.