MSI Press Blog

  From Concluding Prayer: “In your love kindle in us the fire of the Holy Spirit who so filled the heart of Philip Neri.” Because today is the Memorial of St. Philip Neri , the Church places this petition before us with deliberate intention. The saint’s life becomes the interpretive key for understanding what we are asking God to accomplish in us. The meaning of the Spirit’s fire In the language of Scripture and the liturgy, fire signifies the active presence of the Holy Spirit—purifying, strengthening, and transforming. It is the fire of Pentecost, the fire that enlightens the mind and enlarges the heart. When the Church prays for this fire, it is asking for the Spirit’s interior work: the reshaping of the person according to Christ. The request begins with “In your love…” This is not ornamental. It establishes that the Spirit’s fire is not self‑generated fervor. It is God’s initiative, God’s charity, God’s work within us. Philip Neri as today’s model of the Spirit’s action P...

  War and natural disasters create atrocious living circumstances not only for the people caught in the vortex but also for their pets, who are not used to foraging for themselves, have not built up the skills for survival, and are met with austere conditions too frequently too overwhelming to support their efforts to stay alive. Ukrainians are devoted to their pets; having to leave them behind may look like desertion but in a blitzkrieg style war can be the only option to helping ensure a fleeing family itself survives -- and is likely gut-wrenching. Many families are scooping up their pets. Some cannot, and their pets are now on the streets. Network for Animals is stepping in and doing the best it can to take care of animals left behind. It needs help. Help = money. Any amount; US dollars stretch farther there than here. Network for Animals is registered in a number of countries, including Brazil, the USA, and UK, as a reputable charity, and contributions are considered tax deduc...