(Usus Antiquior/Extraordinary Form) Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Double II Classis) – Sunday, 11 October 2026 : Introit and Collect

Introit

Daniel 3 : 31, 29, 35 and Psalm 118 : 1

Omnia, quae fecisti nobis, Domine, in vero judicio fecisti, quia peccavimus Tibi et mandatis Tuis non obedivimus : sed da gloriam Nomini Tuo, et fac nobiscum secundum multitudinem misericordiae Tuae.

Beati immaculati in via : qui ambulant in lege Domini.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

All that You have done to us, o Lord, You have done in true judgment, because we have sinned against You, and we have not obeyed Your commandments, but give glory to Your Name, and deal with us according to the multitude of Your mercy.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Largire, quaesumus, Domine, fidelibus Tuis indulgentiam placatus et pacem : ut pariter ab omnibus mundentur offensis, et secura Tibi mente deserviant. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Being appeased, o Lord, grant to Your faithful in abundance, we beseech You, both forgiveness and peace, that they may both be cleansed from all offences and with a quiet mind give themselves to Your service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Friday, 9 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. John Henry Newman, Priest and Doctor of the Church, and St. John Leonardi, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today through the Scripture readings all of us are called to embrace God’s love and His path, and to believe in Him wholeheartedly, just as we heard how in the early Church and throughout the Lord’s ministry, there were all those who refused to believe in the Lord and preferred to keep to their old beliefs and their previous ways of the Law, and these disagreements had even led them to accuse the Lord Himself wrongly of a heinous sin and evil. However in doing that, they actually become serious hindrance to the good works that the Lord has carried out within the community of God’s people. Their stubbornness should serve as timely reminders for us that we should not continue to resist the Lord’s efforts to reach out to us and all of His wisdom and truth that is far greater than our own.

In our first reading today, we heard of St. Paul continuing with his address to the Church and the faithful in Galatia in Asia Minor, where for the past few days of our Scripture passages, we have heard how St. Paul chastised the faithful for their lack of faith and for believing in the misguided teachings of those who placed the Law above that of faith, and those who sought to divide the Church and lead the faithful astray. This is likely because in Galatia, as were in other cities and places where the first Christian communities appeared, many of the believers were from the Jewish diaspora, the Jewish people scattered throughout the world as they had been for centuries. It was to this people that St. Paul ministered to and directed his Epistle towards.

And among the Jews, some of whom became converts to the Christian faith, there were those who belonged to the Pharisees and believed in their tenets and way of living the faith. The Pharisees were very rigorous in their enforcement of the many rules and regulations, tenets and all which numbered no less than six hundred and thirteen, if not more, in how the Jewish people ought to live their faith. And the issue lies in the fanaticism in which these people carried on their beliefs, and their attitude in enforcing this belief on others made it problematic for the Christian faithful. That is because the Jewish customs and practices were often seen as contrary to the accepted customs and practices in many parts across the Mediterranean world at the time.

Those same people, the early Christian converts from the Pharisees and their supporters, also held strongly the view that the Jewish people were God’s sole chosen people and that they were far superior to the other peoples and races, and that they alone were worthy of God’s grace and blessings, His salvation and glory. They looked down on the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people, mainly the Greeks, Romans and other local populace that did not follow the laws of Moses preserved by the Jews and especially by the Pharisees. And they also demanded that the Gentiles who converted to the faith ought to adopt the Jewish laws and customs in their entirety, and that they ought to be circumcised and follow all the cultural traditions of the Jews, which essentially would have forced them to abandon their own customs and culture. And all these became significant source of friction between the members of the Christian community, that St. Paul wanted to resolve.

In our Gospel today, we heard the Pharisee accusing the Lord Himself of colluding with the devil, with the prince of demons Beelzebul when He miraculously drove out evil spirits from a person. Many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were so adamant in their opposition against the Lord that they were unable to look beyond their narrow-mindedness and stubbornness in insisting that their way was the true way and others like the Lord were wrong and even blasphemous. The Lord then immediately pointed out the flaw in their argument and said that it did not make sense for the demons and the evil spirits to be divided among themselves and fighting against each other. For if that was the case, then the dominion of Satan and all of his forces would have been torn apart, and the truth was that, the evil one and all of his allies, all those wicked spirits desiring our downfall, are always ever united in their desire and aim to bring about our destruction.

The Lord knew this full well, and just as St. Paul did in his response to the happenings in Galatia, both of them were saddened by what they saw as the divisions sowed by the devil in the community of the faithful. And thus, the Lord used the example of how the devil’s dominion would have collapsed and fallen apart if all of its members were divided against each other to point out that this will happen to us unless we seek to overcome the divisions among us and seek true unity in Christ. It is when we allow ourselves to be swayed by our own ideologies and preferences, ambitions and desires that we end up forgetting what it truly means for us to follow the Lord and commit ourselves to His path. We end up doing things for our own selfish desires and ambitions instead of doing God’s will.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings serve as a powerful reminder for us not to be easily misled by the devil and all of his forces, as they attempted to sow divisions and dissensions among us. We have to keep in mind what St. Paul said, that God has called on all, Jews and non-Jewish people alike, to follow Him, and that there should not be any distinction between them, for everyone is equal before God and is equally beloved. That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, our challenge lies in how we should strive for unity in our Christian community, and hold firmly to the faith which we have received from the Church. We must not allow the forces of evil from successfully dividing us and destroying the unity within our Church. And we should be inspired by our holy predecessors, whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Denis and his companions in martyrdom, St. John Henry Newman, the famous theologian, as well as St. John Leonardi are good examples for us in how we should be faithful to God.

St. Denis was the Bishop of Paris at the time of the late Roman Empire, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius, who was infamous for his particularly brutal persecution of Christians, in which even the Pope at the time, Pope St. Fabian, was martyred together with many other Christian faithful. St. Denis himself presided over the Christian population that was targeted by intense persecution, and despite the difficulties, laboured hard to preach the Good News which successfully converted many among the pagans, and which brought opposition against their efforts. Eventually, St. Denis, the bishop of Paris and two other clergy were arrested and then sentenced to death by the governor. They were executed by beheading, but miraculously, after his head had been cut off, St. Denis was still alive, picking up his severed head and preaching a sermon as he walked down for miles from the place of his martyrdom, and eventually stopped at a place where he died, in which now stood the great St. Denis’ Basilica built and named in his honour.

Then, St. John Henry Newman was the renowned theologian from about over a century ago, hailing from the nineteenth century England, where then the Catholic Church had just emerged from centuries of persecution and oppression by the state Anglican church, and St. John Henry Newman, who was born in that era, baptised as an Anglican and then ordained as an Anglican priest. That time, during the period known as the Oxford Movement within the Anglican church, there were quite a number of clergy and laity who began calling for a rediscovery of the Catholic traditions and practices which the Anglicans had abandoned during the Reformation period. St. John Henry Newman was one of those who were drawn to this movement, and eventually it led to him resigning his position and post in the Anglican church, deciding to join the Catholic Church, and became a Catholic priest.

As a Catholic, St. John Henry Newman continued to pursue the theological studies and efforts he had done as a prolific theologian and writer, which brought him to the attention of many people not just in England but also throughout the rest of Christendom. His efforts in rejuvenating and supporting the cause of the Catholic Church in England which eventually led to the emancipation and liberation of Catholic worship in that country led to the Pope, then Pope Leo XIII to recognise his efforts by making him a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. Henceforth, he was remembered for his Cardinal title and as a prominent English churchman, and more so for all the various writings and theological works that he had committed and done throughout his life as a servant of God and His Church.

Meanwhile, St. John Leonardi was a renowned and holy priest, who was the founder of the Order of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca, remembered for his devotion to God and also to Mary, the Blessed Mother of God. Through St. John Leonardi, many people came to be converted, after having been touched and inspired by his tireless efforts in reaching out particularly to sinners. He made popular the Forty Hours Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and was instrumental in the Counter-Reformation effort in deepening the faith and spirituality of many among the faithful. St. John Leonardi faced difficulties and oppositions in his efforts and works as well, from those who were wary of his works and were skeptical of him, much like how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often ridiculed, opposed and went against the Lord and His works. Nonetheless, St. John Leonardi remained firm in his conviction and desire to help others and to lead more and more souls to the salvation in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by their examples, and after discerning the message of our Scripture passages today, let us strive to be more faithful as Christians, in genuinely loving God and devoting our time, effort and attention, in all things to glorify God by our lives. May the Lord, our loving God, bless us all and guide us in our journey, and help us all to remain united in faith, and not be divided and scattered by the falsehoods and dissent planted in our community by the evil one. May God be with us all, His Church, now and always. Amen.

Friday, 9 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. John Henry Newman, Priest and Doctor of the Church, and St. John Leonardi, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Luke 11 : 15-26

At that time, some of the people said, “Jesus drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put Him to the test, by asking Him for a heavenly sign.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.”

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.”

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters. When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands, looking for a resting place; and finding none, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds the house swept and everything in order. Then it goes to fetch seven other spirits, even worse than itself. They move in and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Friday, 9 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. John Henry Newman, Priest and Doctor of the Church, and St. John Leonardi, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Psalm 110 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Alleluia! I thank YHVH with all my heart in the council of the just, in the assembly. The works of YHVH are great and pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are His deeds, His righteousness endures forever. He lets us remember His wondrous deeds; YHVH is merciful and kind.

Always mindful of His Covenant, He provides food for those who fear Him. He shows His people the power of His arm by giving them the lands of other nations.

Friday, 9 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. John Henry Newman, Priest and Doctor of the Church, and St. John Leonardi, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Galatians 3 : 7-14

Understand, then, that those who follow the way of faith are sons and daughters of Abraham. The Scriptures foresaw that, by the way of faith, God would give true righteousness to the non-Jewish nations. For God’s promise to Abraham was this : In you shall all the nations be blessed. So, now, those who take the way of faith receive the same blessing as Abraham, who believed; but those who rely on the practice of the Law are under a curse, for it is written : Cursed is everyone who does not always fulfil everything written in the Law.

It is plainly written that no one becomes righteous in God’s way, by the Law : by faith the righteous shall live. Yet the Law gives no place to faith, for according to it : the one who fulfils the commandments shall have life through them. Now Christ rescued us from the curse of the Law, by becoming cursed Himself, for our sake, as it is written : there is a curse on everyone who is hanged on a tree.

So the blessing granted to Abraham, reached the pagan nations in, and, with Christ, and we received the promised Spirit, through faith.

Wednesday, 7 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, in which we remember Mary, the Holy Mother of God, in her aspect of her gift to us in the rosary, the beads that we usually use in our prayers, composed usually of fifty beads that are interconnected together, and represent the chain of prayers that all of us have been given so that we may be able to find our path towards the Lord. Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary has always shown us God’s wonderful love, through her own compassionate and loving attention towards each and every one of us, God’s beloved people. God entrusted to His beloved mother, all of us to be His own children, so that we may be under her care and protection.

This event of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary had its roots in the victory of the forces of the Lord at the great Battle of Lepanto, in which the combined forces of Christendom stood its ground against the mighty forces of the Ottoman Empire, which at that time, was greatly expansionist and aggressive, in trying to subjugate Christian realms and God’s people. Hence, after having suffered from many important setbacks, the forces of the Christian rulers were gathered and assembled under the leadership of the Pope, then Pope St. Pius V, who urged Christian rulers to gather their forces and stop the forces of the Ottomans, and hence, a mighty fleet came to meet the Ottoman fleet at the bay of Lepanto in what is today part of Greece.

Pope St. Pius V commanded all of Christendom and urged all Christians everywhere to pray for the success of the forces of the Christian nations, and advised everyone to pray the rosary, asking for the intercession of the Blessed Mother of God, the Angels and the saints, to help the forces of the Lord’s faithful against those of their enemies. In the end, during the great battle, which went miraculously for the forces of Christendom, ended up in a great and triumphant victory against the forces of the enemies of the people of God, their oppressors and all those who have refused to believe in the Lord. It was told according to tradition and eyewitnesses on both sides of the battle that during the battle, a heavenly vision of great army of Heaven, led by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, the Angels and saints were fighting on the side of the faithful against the Ottomans.

Thus, upon the great victory, the Pope declared a great celebration and dedicated this victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the title of Our Lady of Victory. However, soon after, this celebration and dedication was renamed after the title of Our Lady of the Rosary which we celebrate up to this day. This is also a reminder of the powerful nature of the rosary prayer, in invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, in helping us all to find our way towards the Lord and His salvation and grace. We must not underestimate the use and the power of the rosary, which had indeed helped countless souls in finding their way back towards God. The rosary has been instrumental in helping so many people to rediscover their faith and also prayer habits, and reconnecting many of them back to God, through His Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary.

The rosary itself, also sometimes known as the Dominican rosary, came to be in its present form from the practices of the Church fathers in praying over knotted prayer ropes, which our brethren in the Eastern Churches still used till this day. Initially, those ropes were used to say the Jesus prayer, or the entire a hundred and fifty chapters of the Book of Psalms, which then evolved into the rosary in its present form, in the prayers offered to God through His Blessed Mother, the Pater Noster or the Lord’s Prayer, the Ave Maria or Hail Mary, and the Gloria Patri or the Glory Be prayer. These were presented to St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans, in a vision which the saint received from the Mother of God, who passed on to St. Dominic, the gift of the rosary.

Ever since then, the rosary has become a truly powerful spiritual weapon and sacramental, helping many of the people of God to remain firmly rooted in their faith in God. Back then, the practice of saying prayers like Ave Maria or Hail Mary had been commonplace, and the rosary helped to give this popular practice an anchor through which more and more people could practice this devotion and deepen their relationship with God through His Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary. Therefore, today, as we celebrate this great Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, let us all renew our devotion and commitment to God which we made through spending meaningful and good time in praying, in deepening our relationship with Him and in honouring His Blessed Mother at all times.

This is why today, we should renew our practice and make the good habit of praying to God, and especially through the use of the holy rosary. Through the rosary, each and every one of us have been led to the Lord via the patient and loving hands of our blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary. The rosary has helped us to redirect our attention and focus back towards the Lord, and away from all the distractions, evils and the temptations of the world, all of which threatened to lead us down the wrong path into our downfall and destruction. We should always strive to fulfil God’s will, as well as obeying His Law and commandments at all times. Through the faithful devotion and genuine prayer of the rosary, all of us should grow ever stronger in our faith and love for God. At the same time, we should also pray the rosary and other prayers with genuine attention and focus on the Lord, and not merely reciting the prayers without meaning or proper intention.

May Our Lady of the Rosary, the Most Holy Mother of God, our protectress, guide and inspiration continue to pray for all of us sinners, and may she, our loving Mother, continue to intercede for us, that we may be strengthened in our faith and lives by the Lord. May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us, in all of our every efforts and endeavours, and in our every actions, so that we may indeed be good role models and inspirations to one another, and to all those whom we encounter in our daily lives. May God be with us always, now and forevermore, together with His Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary. Amen.

Wednesday, 7 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 1 : 26-38

In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

The Angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call Him Jesus. He will be great, and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the kingdom of David, His ancestor; He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and His reign shall have no end.”

Then Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy Child to be born of you shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child; and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.”

Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the Angel left her.

Wednesday, 7 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

Wednesday, 7 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 1 : 12-14

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olives, which is a fifteen minute walk away. On entering the city they went to the room upstairs where they were staying. Present there were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alpheus; Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James.

All of these, together, gave themselves to constant prayer. With them were some women, and also Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

Tuesday, 6 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the reminder that each one of us are called to change our ways of life, and to embrace God and His path once again if we have once erred and not adhering to the way of the Lord. Each one of us are reminded that God has kindly reached out to us, calling on us all to embrace His love and mercy, and for us to walk once again in His path. As long as we are willing to listen to the Lord calling on us, then we are likely to be on the right path, and as long as we are willing to open our hearts and minds to welcome Him, we are likely going to find the Lord in the end, waiting for us to return to Him.

In our first reading today we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Galatia in which the Apostle spoke about his experiences and conversion from being one of the greatest enemies of the Lord, His Church and the faithful people of God, the great scourge of Christians, to be one of the Lord’s and His Church’s greatest champions and defenders, in his amazing conversion experience and in being called and chosen by God. God Himself had called St. Paul on his way to Damascus, supposedly to crush the Church and persecute the Christians there, but he himself emerged as a Christian in the aftermath, and from then henceforth, this renewed man of God embarked on a faithful mission in obedience to God’s will.

What we have heard in our first reading today through the experiences which St. Paul shared with all of us, we are all reminded that God is calling on us all to follow Him, and He is the One Who is making us worthy and changed us, led us and guided us to the right path. We are reminded that there is hope for everyone, even for the worst sinners and the greatest offenders as long as they are willing to allow God to lead them once again down the right path. Just as St. Paul has shown us, that he listened to the Lord’s call and embraced Him wholeheartedly, learning about the errors of his past ways, and then henceforth, labouring for the glory of God ever after, glorifying God by all of his every efforts and deeds in various places and communities.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the exchanges between the Lord Jesus and His friends, the sisters Mary and Martha, both of whom welcomed Him as He came to visit their house. Martha was busy preparing for the welcome, presumably preparing the meals and other things to properly and hospitably welcome Him. Meanwhile Mary was focused wholly on listening to the Lord as He spoke and taught her of His truth. We know of this story surely where Martha told the Lord to ask her sister to help her out, as she was busy preparing everything by herself, only for the Lord to remind her that what her sister was doing, was right, because she welcomed Him into her heart, and did what she could to welcome Him by focusing her attention on Him and not otherwise.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard of the story of Martha and Mary, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to return our focus onto the Lord our God, and for us to refocus our lives upon Him. Each one of us are reminded that we should not end up being so preoccupied and even distracted by our many attachments and by the many temptations all around us that we fail to focus our attention on the Lord, and instead, we may end up intentionally or unintentionally getting further and further, and more distant from the Lord and His path. Martha for example had good intentions, but unfortunately in her desire to satisfy her own desire in serving the Lord, she got lost into it so much that she forgot to welcome the Lord into her own heart as she was distracted by all those things.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Bruno, a holy man of God, whose life and actions can serve as a great example and inspiration for each and every one of us, in how we can and should live up to our faith in the Lord. St. Bruno, also known as St. Bruno of Cologne, was the founder of the Carthusian Order, and was a dedicated servant of God, in his many missions and contributions to the Church and the Christian community, in all of his works, as a great teacher of the faith and as a guide for many younger men and women of God, some of whom later on became great disciples of the Lord in their own way. He carried out many good works, and in his humility, he refused to become a bishop when he was about to be made one, as he renounced all the glory of the world, and all secular concerns and worldly attachments.

Instead, he continued to devote himself to his missions and works, and eventually gathering many followers who would become the foundation of the Carthusians, a group of faithful Christians and servants of God, dedicated to the life in service of God, in prayer and ministry among the people of God, living a worthy and good life, in accordance with God’s Law and commandments. The Lord has inspired many to follow in the footsteps of St. Bruno, and many were touched by the faith and commitment that this holy man of God had done. All of us should also therefore commit ourselves in the same way as St. Bruno had done, and do our part, in ensuring that our own actions and deeds may become truly worthy of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be committed anew to the Lord, living our lives ever more worthily in each and every moments, and let us all be exemplary in our whole actions, words and deeds, so that we may indeed be the good role models and examples for one another. May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, and may He empower all of us so that we may be the shining examples and role models for our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow men and women, all around us, just as St. Bruno and other innumerable saints, like St. Paul the Apostle in all of his dedication and efforts, all the holy men and women of God, had inspired us by their lives. Amen.