In last week’s Irish Catholic, Fr Martin Delaney wrote a beautiful tribute to his late parents as he looked back on 40 years of his life as a priest. It was a powerful testimony of what we are reminded of in every celebration of baptism – that parents are the first educators and influencers of…
Jesus invites us to give and not count the cost, writes Fr Chris Hayden ‘Zero-sum game’ is a term used in gaming theory and economics, to describe a situation in which one person’s gain is perceived to be another person’s loss. Sports and games are, pretty much by definition, zero-sum, because the victory of one…
A priest I know shares this story. Recently, on their priests’ retreat, the retreat director began his opening presentation with these words: we take for granted that most people are going to hell. Then he tried to ground this assertion by quoting Jesus: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad…
Q: I’m a Catholic who loves the traditional Latin Mass. I’m completely against the recent episcopal consecrations that happened against the pope’s warnings, but I used to be supportive of the SSPX and have regularly attended Mass at their chapels at different points in my life. How do I know if I’m excommunicated now? A:…
Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Romans 8:26-27 Matthew 13:24-43 There is scarcely a question more frequently asked than this: Why does God allow evil? Why does He permit injustice to flourish, the innocent to suffer, the wicked to prosper, and cruelty to scar the lives of countless people? If God is all-powerful, why does He not…
Any of us who has ever suffered a grievous loss, a terrible illness, a physical or mental handicap that consumes us, knows the pain of such loss. Why did my brother have to die? Why do I have this disease or this limitation? Yet at the same time, many of us know that losing someone…
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field The Gospel Matt 13:24 Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; Matt 13:25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed…
Gospel realism does not try to sand away the hard edges of life says Fr Chris Hayden On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Britain. Three days later he told his cabinet that he had “nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Later the same day, he repeated those…
In July 15 each year, the Church celebrates the Feast of St Bonaventure, the Franciscan Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Bonaventure was born in 1217 in the Italian town of Bagnoregio. As a young man he came in contact with a new community gathered by a certain Francis of Assisi who died shortly after…
History has not been kind to the valiant daughter of Magdala. Dismissed, tarnished and relegated as an afterthought in Christ’s journey by individuals within the secular world, this is a travesty for the memory of Mary Magdalene, whose loyalty to Jesus in his direst time of need was only eclipsed by that of Our Lady…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Fr Dominik Domagala