Many of the readings in the early weeks of Lent have reminded us of God’s call to break the rod of oppression, to feed the hungry and care for the homeless poor, to learn to do good and to love our neighbour. I know people who live their lives faithful to this but they may…
In 1986, Czechoslovakian novelist Ivan Klima published a series of autobiographical essays entitled, My First Loves. These essays describe some of his moral struggles as a young agnostic seeking for answers without any explicit moral framework within which to frame those struggles. He’s a young man, full of sexual passion, but hesitant to act out…
Italian landslide pushes hundreds of coffins into the sea An estimated 200 coffins tumbled from their places in northwest Italy when a landslide destabilised a 100-year-old cliffside cemetery last week. Video emerged on social media which showed emergency response workers in boats searching for the coffins in the waters of Camogli, near Genoa. Two chapels…
Sweet Treats These biscuits are quick to make and taste so much better than the shop-bought version! Traditionally they are sandwiched with strawberry jam but you can try anything – apricot, chocolate spread, whatever you fancy. Ingredients Makes about 10 sandwich biscuits – 175g unsalted butter – 100g icing sugar – 1 medium egg yolk…
A good night’s sleep is the firm foundation upon which to build an effective Lent, writes Jason Osborne Sleep remains a mystery right at the heart of our daily existence. We know we need it, and we have some sense of what goes wrong when we don’t get enough or when it’s of a poor…
Personal Profile Canon Brendan Murray’s career as a priest began in 1957 and has spanned six decades of momentous change on the island of Ireland, some for better, some for worse. “I grew up in a different age from the present one, where religion was accepted simply as a matter of fact,” Fr Murray tells…
A Parent’s Perspective I was chatting with my family about what we are all doing for Lent this year. My 10-year old son was adding more and more tough penances onto his list including daily cold showers, giving up all sweets and treats, saying more prayers and a schedule that even the most saintly would find challenging.…
Children’s Corner Ireland has been using the euro currency for almost 20 years so it’s no wonder that some of our coins have become so dirty they’re almost unrecognisable from their former shiny splendour. If you have lost hope in them, never fear, there’s a fun way of giving them a good polish without the…
In his autobiography, Nikos Kazantzakis shares how in his youth he was driven by a restlessness that had him searching for something he could never quite define. However, he made peace with his lack of peace because he accepted that, given the nature of the soul, he was supposed to feel that restlessness and that…
The world is a poorer place. My beautiful mother Anne has died. She had been in hospital for an operation and sadly contracted coronavirus in there. For the first week of the illness, we held out hope, since she remained cheerful and vibrant as ever. Yet we knew that a grim moment of truth was…
Bairbre Cahill
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Ruadhán Jones
Maria Byrne
Chai Brady