What kinds of things help induce mysticism in our lives? I was asked that question recently and this was my immediate, non-reflected, answer: whatever brings tears to your eyes in either genuine sorrow or genuine joy; but that response was predicated on a lot of things. What is mysticism? What makes for mystical experience? In…
September still seems like a time of new beginnings to me. I’m sure it’s a legacy of my school and college days, when early September marked a return to work, and an advancement to the project of a new academic year. The mornings are fresh and I feel keen to leave behind the lethargy and…
There is a clematis in flower along our fence, big, rich, flouncy purple flowers. The sepals are feathery with a darker purple rib running the length of them. At the heart of the flower are stamens, purple merging to an almost lime green. Next to it is a hydrangea. Lilac-fading-to-white florets surround a head of…
Everyday Philosophy The Unitarian Church on St Stephen’s Green used to have an eye-catching poster: it said something like: “We ask the big questions: we don’t preach answers.” They’re not the first to claim that as a badge of honour. Being more comfortable with questions than with answers is, for many, a mark of intellectual…
Despite the challenges, returning to the classroom is the right thing for children writes Ruadhán Jones It’s difficult to gauge the impact Covid-19 has had on young people, but the likelihood is that it will not be positive. While the physical threat the virus poses children is slim, the effects on mental health and wellbeing…
We are really struggling with managing our finances especially since our income has been affected during the Covid-19 pandemic. What advice to you have to help us to get back on track? The first thing to do is to sit down and budget. This requires an open communication with your spouse so you can both…
The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason. T.S. Eliot [pictured] wrote those words to describe how difficult it is to purge our motivation of selfish concerns, to do things for reasons that are not ultimately about ourselves. In Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral, his main character…
Personal Profile The battle for life in Ireland is a vicious one, but there are those out there looking to soften the hard edges it’s being fought with. Carolyn O’Meara is one of them, and she’s seeking to do so through her work with Gianna Care, an organisation that seeks to aid women experiencing crisis…
Always time to go and make some scarecrows This scarecrow making workshop in Dublin is expected to be fun for all the family and results in the creation of your very own scarecrow created from upcycled materials. All that’s needed is a bit of creativity and the Rediscovery Centre will provide all of the material…
There’s a fine line between disordered eating and an eating disorder writes Ruadhán Jones Many of us might have felt the urge to padlock fridge and cupboard doors over lockdown. Boredom, stress and the ready availability of food were a tricky trio to overcome. But while that kind of eating might be frustrating, it wouldn’t…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Bairbre Cahill
Ben Conroy
Ruadhán Jones
Wendy Grace