The ‘O Antiphons’ are one final burst of Advent before Christmas, writes Ruadhán Jones Today marks the beginning of the final octave of Advent, the last eight days before Christmas. Today also marks the beginning of the ‘O Antiphons’, a series of antiphons which lasts until December 23. These ancient antiphons have been sung in…
Medical Matters The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by British authorities early this month truly marks a great triumph for science and not just in the battle against Covid-19. Scarcely could anyone have imagined that at the start of the year the hopes of the world would rest on the approval of a vaccine for…
Personal Profile The Catholic Church and healthcare have a long history, with the Church being one of the largest patrons of healthcare efforts in the world. It is into this history that Peadar Hand has inserted himself, a young, practicing Catholic and a nurse. Asked where the desire to enter healthcare came from, he cited…
Our childhood Christmases are too few. Before the age of three, children know too little to truly appreciate Christmas. After the age of 11, or so, they know too much, as they veer recklessly towards their teenage years. This means that we have perhaps eight pristinely innocent childhood Christmases. We parents must do what we…
Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s a pious axiom that doesn’t always hold up. Sometimes the bad time comes and we don’t learn anything. Hopefully this present bad time, Covid-19, will teach us something and make us stronger. My hope is that Covid-19 will teach us something that previous generations didn’t need to…
Laudato Si’ Advent is one of my favourite seasons where we are encouraged to embrace waiting and hope. If 2020 has taught us nothing else, it has certainly shown us what it is like to wait! Perhaps it has also reminded us of what it is like to hope, to hope for an end to…
Minister for Health announces the allocation strategy for COVID-19 vaccines The strategy prioritises those over the age of 65 living in long-term care facilities, frontline healthcare workers who are in direct patient contact and those aged 70 and over. Minister Stephen Donnelly also announced that there should be no barrier to people accessing a vaccine,…
Two weeks to go, Ruadhán Jones suggests some treats you can prepare in advance Christmas is a time to celebrate. We have good reason to, for our Saviour is come! While there is a strong ascetic tradition in the Church, there is another which sees the Earth’s bounty as a sign of God’s love. The…
Mindful Living On each Sunday of Advent we light a new candle in the Advent Wreath. The candles represent hope, peace, love and joy reflecting the fruits of the Spirit as described by St Paul in Galatians 5:22. Because meditation helps to awaken us to the spirit within, these fruits, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…
I should actually be on a plane now, rather than sitting at my desk writing. If it were not for Covid-19 I would be on my way back from Kentucky, having attended the wedding of my God-daughter. As it was, we watched the wedding streamed live on Facebook so that friends around America and family…
Ruadhán Jones
Dr Kevin McCarroll
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Bairbre Cahill