Dale Francis offers some dos and don’ts for parents who experience the pain of seeing their adult children leave the church, sometimes to join another church or religious group.
Anne Power recounts her experience of deepening in prayer and meditation and discovering that this was bringing her back, after many years away, to the Catholic Church of her youth.
Henry Peel OP describes the death and funeral of Daniel O’Connell. After an extraordinary life working for justice and freedom, O’Connell died on his way to Rome in May, 1847.
Some movies do it, some movies don’t. Michael Paul Gallagher SJ identifies what is required for movies to contribute to our reflections on the meaning and mystery of our existence.
St Ignatius read the “Life of Christ” allowing his imagination to situate him among the people and places where the events were taking place and encouraged his followers to develop a similar contemplative attitude in prayer. This enables the follower to develop an interior knowledge of the Lord. Brian O’Leary [...]
Every year confirmation is celebrated in parishes throughout Ireland. This book will help parents understand the theology and the ritual of the sacrament. Its author, John-Paul Sheridan, is diocesan advisor for primary school catechetics in Ferns diocese.
The pope’s intention for this month is: “that all baptised people grow into a mature faith, and manifest it by the choices they make in their lives”. Conal Ó Cuinn SJ illustrates the stages we go through as we grow in maturity of faith.
“In the sacrament of reconciliation we have a special instance of the Lord’s gracious invitation to approach him with confidence in our difficulties.” Fr Bernard McGuckian answers some of the queries of an inquirer.
Séamus Greene is Director of the National Parents and Siblings Alliance. Thirty years ago his daughter was born with a severe disability which it was difficult even to categorise. Little did he know that she was to become the centre of his and his wife’s life, and how much she [...]
Over 30 per cent of the verses of St Mark’s Gospel is taken up with stories of miracles. The Latin word ‘miraculum’ means something that causes wonder. James McPolin SJ says the miracles of our day are those which speak to our world of liberation, of human dignity, health, justice [...]
In what it has to say about Mary Vatican II inserted a special chapter into the Constitution on the Church “Lumen Gentium”. By this it was signalling that it wished Mary to be seen as a prototype of the disciples of Jesus. Philip Fogarty SJ develops this spirituality.
Ambrose Tinsely, OSB edits this review of memories of Sr Eucharia Keane RSM
This book gives a balanced and entertaining introduction to the controversial story of how the Bible came to us – its original languages and various translations. It also tells why the books included were accepted and others were not. Henry Wansbrough OSB is a leading international authority.
This book, edited by Louise Fuller, John Littleton and Eamom Maher, examines the changed, and changing, face of Irish Catholicism, Irish identity and the Irish socio-religious landscape at the beginning of the third millennium.
Desmond Knowles, parish priest in Dromore diocese, presents this collection of straight-forward homilies followed by prayers of the faithful for Cycle A. Easily understood by a regular Sunday congregation.
We include here a short note on the steps on the road to canonisation.
Fr. Philip Gibbs SVD tells how two women from Papua New Guinea’s Enga province coped with injury and loss during tribal warfare.
In this article from 1997, Sr Teresa McCormack identifies defects in the Irish school-leaving public exams and argues that the system is in serious need of reform.
In this step-by-step exercise book Anthony de Mello SJ uses gentle physical exercises, scriptural contemplation and humorous symbolic stories to teach us how we can experience true happiness.
Patricia Carroll OCSO draws our attention to Aelred of Rievaulx, a Cistercian saint and spiritual writer who specialised in writing about friendship as an image of the relationship between God and each person.
‘Kairos’ is a Greek word meaning ‘right or opportune moment’ and is used in theology to describve a time with grace potential. Contrasting with ‘chronos’, meaning ‘ordinary or chronological time’, ‘kairos’ means holy or God-given time, laden with meaning and choice. Kairos signals new possibliities, repentance, renewal and action. Tess [...]
Sé intinn an Phápa do Mhí Bhealtaine 2008 ná: Go mbaine Críostaithe leas as an litríocht, na healaíona agus as na meáin chumarsáide chun luachanna an duine dhaonna a chosaint agus a fhorbairt. Scríobhann Críostóir Ó Floinn an t-alt seo chun an intinn seo a léiriú.
As today, 10th September 2008, is World Suicide Prevention Day, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has republished its recent pastoral letter “Life is for Living – A Reflection on Suicide”. This pastoral letter was published to mark the Day for Life in October 2004.
Deo Ladislas Ndakengerwa tells us about his role as policy and campaigns officer at the Irish Refugee Council.
In a world where religion is given a bad press, Sarah Johnson provides a practical ‘toolkit’ for parents who want to give their children a happy and healthy childhood where God is honoured. She shows how faith brings perspective to life and provides a sane and viable alternative to atheistic [...]
Finbarr Tracey SVD, pays tribute to Fr Mick Melvin, SVD, Director of Kairos Communications, who died last September (2008).
Again this year the Cloyne Commission for Liturgical Formation, in conjunction with Fr. Patrick Jones of the National Centre for Liturgy, editor of the Liturgical Calendar for Ireland 2009, has produced a beautifully coloured and comprehensive liturgical wall calendar.
It displays at a glance all the liturgical feasts and saints days for the [...]
Anthony Krivak’s beautiful memoir of his eight years as a Jesuit becomes a long retreat in its own right as he tests all his desires against the pledge to do all “for the greater glory of God”. It becomes a pattern for our own spiritual search, for our own prayer [...]
Sean O’Rourke tells his experience of sharing prayer with his own young children.
Dear Father, What has happened to Corpus Christi? When I was young it was a beautiful Feast-day. It was always a Thursday and a Holy Day of Obligation so we had a free day from school, giving us a chance to wear our First Communion dresses. As I recall it, [...]
