Saint Brigid is, perhaps unexpectedly, at the forefront of the public’s mind, what with her feast day becoming the occasion of a public holiday this year. However, many have chosen to focus instead on the pre-Christian goddess of the same name – some going so far as to say that there was no historical St…
Woodeene Koenig-Bricker Advent has its wreath, its candles, its hymns – all of which culminate in Christmas. Lent has ashes, fasting, Stations of the Cross – and the Resurrection. It’s easy to be energised and excited about the Faith during the High Holy Days. But Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church? It’s just so, well,…
Sometimes when chatting with those of different denominations, or even with those of no faith at all, Catholics are asked why they confess their sins to a priest. Confessing sins directly to God is usually understood easily enough, but something about sharing our sins with another person in order to receive forgiveness is puzzling to…
To fall in love! We use the expression to cover many things. You can fall in love with a baby, a sports team, a city, a job, or another person. However, we reserve the prime analogate for this expression for one thing, emotional infatuation, that intoxicating feeling we first get when we meet someone who…
Matthew’s Gospel is our source of light for most of this year. Where has he led us so far? When the voice of John the Baptist was silenced, it was time for Jesus to leave his workshop and home, and to proclaim his mission. He announced it in one short sentence. “Repent, for the kingdom…
Pilgrimage is an age-old Christian tradition for a reason, writes Zac Davis So many significant moments in my spiritual life are tied to sights, smells, sounds and emotions felt on a pilgrimage: The deep sigh after walking all the way up from the train stop to the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. My jaw…
I’ve already looked at several films from the Vatican’s list of 45 significant films. This week, I will add Monsieur Vincent. The 1947 French film is a picaresque account of the life of St Vincent de Paul, founder of the Daughters of Charity. As Catholic film critic Deacon Steven Greydanus puts it, there are many…
Paula of Rome was truly a woman of the world. Born to a prominent, wealthy Roman family in 347 AD, she married a senator, Toxotius, with whom she had five children. A person in such a position would have wanted for nothing, and indeed, Paula didn’t. Until the age of 32, Paula lived a life…
The Wisdom of Pope Francis The different religions, based on their respect for each human person as a creature called to be a child of God, contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society. Dialogue between the followers of different religions does not take place simply for the sake of diplomacy, consideration or…
The famous quote goes something along the lines of, “The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world that he did not exist”. If the topic of this week’s ‘Questions of Faith?’ column caused you to cringe or laugh, you’re doubtless not alone in that. Whatever about the existence of God, the existence…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Ruadhán Jones