As a child, I was taught that I had a guardian angel, a real angel given me by God to accompany me everywhere and protect me from danger. I remember a pious holy card given to me by my mother, showing a young boy playing dangerously close to the edge of a cliff and an…
The Sunday Gospel Jesus was setting out on a journey, a road that would ultimately lead him to Calvary as the suffering, serving Messiah. Are his followers prepared to overcome self-centred ways to follow him? Today’s second reading tells us that the Word of God is alive and active, as sharp as a sword, like…
Children’s Corner Some people rather hot temperatures while others prefer cold, it’s a matter of personal preference at the end of the day but a scientific mind might want to explore how hot and cold temperatures react with certain substances. Our bodies are made up of more than 60% water, so why not have a…
Danish artist takes the money and runs A Danish museum loaned an artist 534,000 kroner (over €71,800) in cash to recreate old artworks of his using the banknotes, but he ended up pocketing the money and sending blank canvasses with a new title: “Take the Money and Run”. Jens Haaning, a Danish artist, was commissioned…
The return to offices, colleges and schools means more presentations, so it’s a good idea to practice public speaking, writes Jason Osborne Whether it’s in front of a large audience or before a small team of colleagues, most of us have to speak before groups of people at some time or other. The pandemic mitigated this…
Everyday Philosophy How open-minded should a Christian be? On the one hand, open-mindedness is generally a good thing. Being open to the possibility of learning new things, and to the possibility that one is mistaken, is a mark of a healthy mind. It’s also a sign of humility. Openness to being wrong is an acknowledgement…
Gerard Gallagher Without a doubt, restrictions and measures employed during the Covid-19 pandemic have had a lasting impact on our parishes and our families. For 18 months we were unable to physically gather in our parishes. It was the same with families, many were unable to meet during this period. Clearly the Church missed the…
Every year when I come back from holidays after a time of refreshment and family time, we often return with really bad post-holiday blues. How can I avoid them this year? This is totally normal and natural. You work hard all year, you save, you spend hours daydreaming about your two week holiday. Yet…
Personal Profile Fr Sean Coyle and Fr Donal O’Hanlon are retired Columban missionaries who are now based in Dalgan Park, Co. Meath. Both spent the vast majority of their ministry in the Philippines, where they encountered both tragedy and fulfilment in the turbulent state. The two priests were involved in the Legion of Mary before…
In Walker Percy’s 1971 novel, Love Among the Ruins, his central character is a psychiatrist named Tom More. Dr More is a Catholic who is no longer practicing his faith, albeit he still believes. This is how he describes his situation: “I believe in God and the whole business but I love women best, music…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Chai Brady
Ben Conroy
Wendy Grace