Catholic pilgrimage

Pope Francis concluded by praying to the Lord to give us “the Christian identity, that which You have: give us your Spirit; give us your way of thinking, of feeling, of speaking: that is, Lord grant us the anointing of the Holy Spirit”.

Hi my name is Mark Baird I was born in the small town of Rotorua, New Zealand. My book is a series of reflections, these are meditations where the reader thinks about what has been written and how it relates to their journey with Jesus. It enriches a person’s faith and develops a stronger character. It is not a personal diary. I want my book to by handbook that can be used at prayer groups or meditations however the long term plan is to form a Society that offers the poor an opportunity to live in a community. As part of the Columban Catholic formation program the novice seminarian completes a St Ignatius 30 day retreat. This is what my book is centred on. Fr Jim Norris handwrote his notes in six notebooks and passed them on to me. I knew after reading them that they were very special, not because of any glamourous adventure or deep theological treatise but the easy flow of a thinking mind. My book is guide to the faithful who are wanting a deeper understanding of Jesus...

Daily Catholic Quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola : The Integrated Catholic Life™

Brothers & Sisters This daily post is a short explanation from me and a piece of the Fr Jim Norris book, it is a reflection on the St Ignatius exercises. We use Fr Jim’s notes as a way to grow in love and understanding of Jesus. We are not a business and everything is free. https://www.facebook.com/FRNORRIS?ref=hl "Since we are creatures of God we are by the natural law bound to: •     Adore Him, praise Him and bless Him for all His wisdom and perfection in nature, in ourselves, other man in Himself. He is infinite perfection. •    Thank Him for all He has done for us, for all He as our Creator has given us: talents, good home, education, vocation. etc. This is but natural. •    Petition Him for strength for help in various ways. He is our Creator, we depend utterly on Him. •    Make reparation for sin- the abuse of His creatures, for all our deviations from His plans, from His Holy Will and so make acts of sorrow, co...

Brothers & Sisters This daily post is a short explanation from me and a piece of the Fr Jim Norris book, it is a reflection on the St Ignatius exercises. So instead of doing a very high level of theology we use Fr Jim’s notes as a way to grow in love and understanding of Jesus. We are not a business and everything is free. "Your nature had as it were a definite bias towards evil. Now as you grew older you forgot your dignity as a child of God and you squandered your inheritance, the beautiful gifts of Baptism by serious sin. Not only once but again and again. You can see that as a result of your evil nature and repeated habit of sin your correct view of things has been changed. Your mind is perverted, sin means little to you and your soul is darkened and blunted. To clean the soul and give it the correct natural view on creatures needs much effort and prayer and grace. You have fallen from your pedestal as a brother of Jesus Christ into the mud and to get back again needs muc...

Brothers & Sisters in today's reflection let us contemplate grace how beautiful it is and blessed we are, thanks be to God. "Grace is glory in a smile, glory is grace at home. Grace is a supernatural gift. What actually it is more or less is a mystery. e.g. electricity. We can see merely it’s effects. It makes the soul beautiful. It is the dew that produces beautiful flowers in the garden of the soul. It strengthens the soul making it Christ like. It acts in the nature of a light, enabling us to live by a pure faith. In a sense the mystery of grace is more marvelous than the Incarnation. In Mary God became man, in Mary men become God through grace. Mary being the Mother of divine grace and the mediatrix of all graces." Ad majorem Dei gloriam. Issuu publishers. 2014.