On a dusky fall evening, I take a walk down a familiar neighbourhood street. Ahead of me, a small deer looks my way at the same moment I spot him. Freezing, I realise he’s being followed by seven companions. They dash across the street and disappear into a backyard. I gaze into the yard, where…
Daily Mass readings are now available in Irish through the Catholic lay association Evangelizo. The Irish language is among the seventeen other languages available for over half a million speakers worldwide. Bishop of Down and Connor Alan McGuckian welcomed the initiative: “Reading the Scriptures in Irish, or indeed in any language, is an extraordinary way…
In Our Day: An Oral History of Dublin’s Bygone Days, by Kevin C. Kearns (Gill Books, €24.99 / £18.99) Back when the world was young I had “a friend next door” who always referred to “the olden days”, not referring to the Middle Ages, but it transpired to the days when his parents were…
The visit of the relics of St Bernadette continues to gather thousands of faithful across Ireland, with a recent stop drawing parishioners from the dioceses of Tuam, Elphin, Killala, Achonry, and Kildare and Leighlin. Many travelled from across the country, drawn by the opportunity for devotion, reflection, and prayer. At St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina, in…
In the torment of the insufficiency of everything attainable we come to understand that here, in this life, all symphonies remain unfinished.” Karl Rahner wrote those words and to not understand them is to risk letting restlessness become a cancer in our lives. What does it mean to be tormented by the insufficiency of everything…
Today, October 10, is World Sight Day. This year, this important international day focuses the world’s attention on the importance of eye care in young people and inspiring children everywhere to love their eyes. World Sight Day is an opportunity to highlight the importance of protecting our eyes and vision, raise awareness of vision impairment and…
The battle between good and evil is a reality in life and a staple source of plots in fiction. The struggle is particularly prominent on the Lord of the Rings universe. The second season of the spin-off Rings of Power (Amazon Prime, Thursday) came to an end last week. I stuck it out to the…
About four years ago, I received a telephone call from a priest who invited a friend and I to a meeting. The priest didn’t actually say what the meeting was about – he just wondered if we might be interested in learning about his mission. We travelled to the Donegal border, and the priest introduced…
Sunday Gospel Wis 7:7-11 Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 Heb 4:12-13 Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27 Think it’s easy to gain eternal life? Think again. That message lies at the heart of this Sunday’s Gospel, the familiar story from St Mark about a rich young man who approached Jesus with a sincere question – but who got…
Q: Why did God send Lucifer down to Earth to live and rule amongst his beloved creations? A: I don’t think we can say that God truly sent the devil – also known as Lucifer, or later as Satan – down to Earth in quite the way your question envisions. While the devil was cast…
Renata Steffens
Peter Costello
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Brendan O’Regan
Martina Purdy