Dr Kevin McCarrollAs the winter sets in, we brace ourselves not just for the long dark days and cold weather but the seasonal spike in winter-related illness – the surge in colds and flu as well as several health conditions triggered or worsened by cold weather such asthma, cold sores and circulatory problems. So what if anything…
Category: Your Faith
One ‘yes’ after so many ‘no’s’ is a precious thing
Wendy GraceI’m single and I really want to meet someone but am terrified about asking someone out on a date…
Finding God and peace among your peers
Courtney McGrailChristine Lavin The first time I attended a Youth 2000 retreat, I went alone. I knew no one and I remember tagging along behind a girl who had started chatting to me on the bus. As I dodged between the people shouting greetings and running into hugs I felt my nerves dissolve a little. I…
Faith in the Family
Bairbre CahillHave you ever walked a labyrinth? I walk the garden labyrinth in Manresa, the Jesuit retreat house in Dublin every time I visit. Now a labyrinth is not a maze. It is not a place to get lost or find oneself in a dead-end. A labyrinth is usually a path on the ground – the…
Time to get busy to welcome the season of Advent
Erin FoxThis Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent which means it’s time to gather fir branches, holly and ivy for the Advent wreath, and for a big wreath to hang on the front door. Advent wreaths are usually the first Christmas decorations to go up, followed by the tree. They symbolise the exciting count down…
A literary legacy
Katherine Daniels describes how continuing her late husband’s work has helped his goodness live on
Dad’s Diary
Autumn is deepening. The last few brave flowers bloom through carpets of rusty leaves. Stark branches reach towards the glowering skies. The night surprises us, arriving early, and uninvited – a cold and unwelcome guest. Yet even the cold night is made warm and welcome by the fire, which we gather around each evening. All…
Learning to love afresh
Anne Joyce describes how her mother’s Alzheimer’s led her to a new way of loving
Building a domestic Church
Maria ByrneSince early childhood, I always associated November and its darker days with the Holy Souls in Purgatory. My parents put a lot of emphasis on praying for the dead with specific mention of loved ones who’d passed on to the next life. While they carefully explained the finer points of how to gain indulgences, I…
Time to tidy things up in the garden
With the last of the summer flowers in the garden wilting away, it’s now the time to help mum and dad or your grandarents with tidying in the garden. Along with the flowers disappearing, and the trees losing their leaves, you will probably notice fewer insects, birds and other wildlife around the garden. Clearing the…