Mar 3, 2021 | Miscellany, The Spiritual Life
I recently read a post on social media which disturbed me. The writer was responding – critically and, I felt, with more than a hint of arrogance – to something someone else had written. He said this – “Catholicism is a set of doctrines”....
Feb 26, 2021 | General, The Spiritual Life
While the whole of Lent leads us toward the events of Good Friday and all that will follow, the Fridays of Lent are a special day of reflection upon the Passion and Death of the Lord. The Church sets aside many days – and months – of the year for our...
Feb 22, 2021 | Church, The Spiritual Life
“I offer this simple book as an aid to prayer in the journey through Lent.. ..let us accompany each other with prayer.” – Father Michael Kane, Parish Priest, Saint Augustine’s Church We tend to think of the lockdown in a very negative way...
Feb 18, 2021 | The Spiritual Life
The season of Lent generally begins with a great sense of spiritual expectation. We have probably considered what we are going to ‘do’ for Lent and our hopes are high. At that moment, we fully expect that this Lent will be a time of deep spiritual renewal;...
Feb 18, 2021 | The Spiritual Life
PRAYER Ask the Blessed Virgin to help you to pray. She is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and will obtain from Him that grace. Be mindful that the soul needs prayer as the body needs air; prayer connects God and man. Set aside a little time every day to pray. Make this...
Feb 17, 2021 | Church, The Spiritual Life
The penitential season of Lent begins today. As Catholics, we are called to fast, to pray and to give alms – all with the intention of repenting for our sins and turning back to the Lord who loves us. Lent will last for forty days and will culminate with the...
Feb 16, 2021 | The Spiritual Life
‘Have mercy on me, O God, in Your kindness. In Your compassion, blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt And cleanse me from my sin.’ – Psalm 51 The prayer of contrition which is the substance of Psalm 51 very much sums up the...
Feb 1, 2021 | The Spiritual Life
“Jesus and His disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. And no sooner had He left the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came out from the tombs towards Him.”- Mark 5:1 Today’s Gospel is a curious one when...
Jan 31, 2021 | The Spiritual Life
“He does not break the crushed reed nor quench the wavering flame” – Isaiah 42:3 Sometimes, we might be tempted, when we look carefully upon ourselves and all that we are, to see only our woundedness, our brokenness. All of us – every single...