Mindful Living John Main wrote a simple prayer which is recited before the start of meditation and which reads as follows: “Heavenly Father, Open Our Hearts to the silent Presence of the Spirit of your Son. Lead us into that mysterious Silence where Your Love is revealed to all who call.” Last month we began…
I’ve been thinking a lot about vocations lately. We are all aware how many of our priests have had to cocoon during this pandemic because their age puts them in a vulnerable position. Commentators have suggested that this time has given us a glimpse of where the Church in Ireland may be in the coming…
Currently, the Government recommends wearing cloth masks – it does not require medical grade masks or respirators. The Government considers medical masks and respirators as vital supplies and are not intended for use by the public in the community. They want to try and make sure that medical face masks are kept for health care…
Coronavirus: pandemic has ‘catastrophic’ impact on families The coronavirus pandemic has had a “catastrophic” impact on many families, a counselling charity has warned. Relate chief executive Duane Farrell also said conflict between parents was already leading to “huge distress and mental illness” among children. Mr Farrell said lockdown had created a “perfect storm” of difficulties.…
A Parent’s Perspective Some years ago, I invited a woman to get involved in some pro-life activities. She’d been very involved in campaigning in the past but was adamant that her days of active involvement were over. I think she felt that as the aches and pains of advancing age took their toll, she didn’t…
The littlest person in our house turned two this week. Just a year ago, she could barely walk or talk. Now, she can not only walk, but she can dance, jump and run. She can not only talk, but she can sing, shout and make jokes. Just two years ago, we beheld for the first…
Children’s Corner Tornados are one of the world’s scariest natural phenomenon but they are also hugely interesting and much can be learnt by observing them from a scientific perspective. Fortunately in Ireland these powerful vortexes don’t develop on the scale they do in other countries. To make a tornado, you need just the right mix…
Live more at Lismore Castle Gardens Exploring and playing outdoors is proven to be beneficial to children’s development and there’s a lot to be said about doing this while learning about places with rich histories. Lismore Castle Gardens & Gallery in Co. Waterford have announced they are “delighted” to welcome back visitors via a new…
Everyday Philosophy If there’s one thing philosophers hate, it’s scientism. This is, roughly, the claim that ‘science can answer all the meaningful questions that there are to ask’ or ‘the scientific method is all you need to acquire all the knowledge about the world that there is to acquire’. Philosophers hate this for a predictable…
As I suspected, returning to Mass after three and a half months was an emotional experience. I went down to the cathedral here in Letterkenny, the 8am Mass, mask on, hands sanitised, social distancing in effect. So it wasn’t like any Mass I’ve ever been involved with before but it was good to be there.…
Bairbre Cahill
Maria Byrne
Chai Brady
Ben Conroy