These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

Friday, Week XXII, Ordinary Time, Saint Monica, August 27

“Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt 25:1-13)

The Parable of the Bridesmaids is a marvelous reminder to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. As the ancient Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom reminds us: So that we may have “a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.” Today is the feast of Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine whose feast day is tomorrow. As she lay dying she told her son, “Remember me always at the Altar of the Lord.”