There comes a time in life when it’s time to stop writing your resume and begin to write your obituary.” I’m not sure who first coined that line, but there’s wisdom in it. What’s the difference between a resume and an obituary? Well, the former details your achievements, the latter expresses how you want to…
Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an essential text for understanding Catholic teachings and faith. Whether you’re familiar with Catholic teachings or exploring them for the first time, this catechism is an important tool for knowing and understanding the Christian faith. In this series, we will explain its central…
Q: I recently took a six-week theology class, and the priest teaching it was emphatic that most don’t make it to Heaven. First, we must be without mortal sin. So, all those who forsake Mass or the Holy Sabbath would not be eligible. I have also heard other well-known priests state the same thing. One…
A recent event at the National Concert Hall commemorated the centenary of the death in 1924 of Giacomo Puccini through his Messa di Gloria. An early work, the piece still has considerable merit to its credit. However, I felt the respectable performance under visiting conductor Carlo Rizzi with tenor and bass soloists – Gwyn Hughes…
Dear Editor, Discussions about legalising assisted suicide raise serious concerns about the protection of the vulnerable and the potential consequences. If assisted suicide becomes law, the elderly, the sick, and people with disabilities may face subtle pressures, both social and economic, to choose death rather than life. A culture will emerge where individuals are made…
The Sunday Gospel Deacon Greg Kandra 1 Kgs 17:10-16 Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 Heb 9:24-28 Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44 The story of this encounter in this Sunday’s gospel is often referred to as ‘The Widow’s Mite’, a mite being the smallest of coins. But it could be the lesson of ‘The Widow’s Might’. Here,…
Living the Camino Back Home, by Brendan McManus SJ and Katherine O’Flynn FCJ (Messenger Publications, €9.95 / £8.95) Here is a book which can be seriously said to fill a pressing need. Books about the Camino and the experiences of those walking it, for their various reasons – which are not always quite as “religious”…
The Vatican introduced an anime-style mascot named Luce to represent Catholic pilgrims in the 2025 Jubilee year last week and within a week the character has already become a viral internet sensation. In less than seven days, hundreds of memes and fan art renditions of Luce (pronounced Lu-Chay) popped up on social media websites such as Facebook,…
Honour thy Father and Mother’ is an instruction that comes to us from on High. But it is not just a Catholic or Christian demand. Until recently it had been timeless and universal. It was an instruction that was central to the proper organising of society. It was often taken as a given, an objective…
The Solemnity of Christ the King, instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, emerged amid a post-war Europe facing political disruption, where ideologies like fascism, socialism, and communism were spreading, challenging traditional structures and values. This feast was intended to reaffirm the kingship of Christ as an authority above all worldly powers, reminding the faithful…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Renata Milán Morales
Peter Costello