Tuesday 29 September 2020.
Today is the Feast Day of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels. Angels are created beings of God and live in the presence of God. At important times in the history of God saving humanity, the Archangels have been given key roles in bringing an awareness of God’s will to people and to bring assurance of God’s love and protection for all.

We pray today that through God’s Holy Angels we will be confident in responding to God in our lives.

Hail Mary…..

Wednesday 30 September 2020.
St Jerome lived across the end of the Fourth Century and the beginning of the Fifth Century. A great writer and teacher, perhaps his greatest achievement was the translating of the Bible into Latin. This brought everyone a step nearer to being able to access and read the Word of God.

God speaks to humanity and to each person through the Bible. To deepen our understanding of God and his call for us, we should try and include reading the Bible on a daily basis as part of our pattern of prayer. There are many online sites which give short passages for each day of the year.

We ask Mary, our Mother, to pray with us for our intentions.

Thursday 1 October 2020.
Last year, Scotland was given a great blessing with the visit of the relics of St Therese of Lisieux, whose Feast we celebrate today. Therese wanted to be a holy person and be a saint but she felt that this was too great a task for her. However, she did not allow herself to be put off and devoted herself to her little way. In doing little things out of love of God, Therese grew in holiness and indeed soon after her death was proclaimed a Saint.

From St Therese we learn how we can be holy. Whatever, we do either great or small we do and offer our actions to God. In this way we will change ourselves and begin to change our World.

Hail Mary……

Friday 2 October 2020.
When you read about the lives of saints it is clear that prayer is very important for holiness. In prayer we spent time with God. Each Friday you have the opportunity to spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration from 12.20 to 1.00pm in the Oratory. We would encourage you to give a few minutes of your Friday Lunchtime and spend in quiet prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Hail Mary….

This afternoon, Canon Baillie celebrated the Mass of the Feast of Saint Ninian for staff and pupils. In his homily, Canon Baillie spoke of our Catholic Faith being at the centre of all that we do in our school and the beautiful Oratory which represents what is our school’s rationale.

Canon Baillie welcome Iconographer Dr Irina Bradley who had completed a specially commissioned Icon of Saint Ninian for the school.<img

This Month’s ‘Art of the Month’ from Monsignor Monaghan is on the theme of vocations as we celebrate Vocations Awareness Week.

The school chaplains often hint that Jesus is inviting some pupils to ponder
if God is calling them to the Sacred Priesthood. Holy Mass is often offered
for that intention. However as a young fellow of the world, it must be
tempting to set the notion aside and think, “Who, me? Surely not” In his
painting, The Call of Matthew, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio who lived
as the 16th century turned into the 17th, has the future Apostle and
Evangelist, pointing to himself as if to say, “Who me?” On the 21st
September we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Matthew who was a tax
collector for the Romans before he was called by Christ. The painting along
with The Inspiration of St Matthew and The Martyrdom of St Matthew can
be seen in the Church of St. Louis of the French in Rome, not far from the
famous Piazza Navona. A feast of art, indeed. The titles of the church are so
beautiful and sonorous. In Italian, San Luigi dei Francesi. In French, Saint
Louis des Français and in Latin, S. Ludovici Francorum de Urbe. Your
language teachers might take umbrage with me if I did not add….and in
Spanish, San Luis de los Franceses. At first glance one might wonder if the
scene is indoors or outdoors as we notice the gloom of the canvassed
windows which give a shady, slightly sinister appearance. The cross in the
window in counterpoint to the rich coins on the table. The beam of light
highlights Matthew pointing to himself while the pointing finger of Christ
reminds us, perhaps of the finger of Adam in the Sistine Chapel by that
other more famous Michelangelo (Buonarroti). Notice the bare feet and
ancient robes of Christ and of St Peter, which contrast with the foppish
16th century clothes of the crooked accountants. The vastly different
modes of dress point to two worlds with the miraculous interrupting the
daily drudge. The Divine is about to enter Matthew’s everyday life and
bring about a spiritual awakening. Look carefully at the painting and be
inspired. Contemplation of Matthew’s Call can bring you to God and that,
surely, is the point of sacred art. With that in mind, perhaps you should ask
the question again. “Who, me?” the answer might well be, “Yes, you!”.
Monsignor Monaghan