Fr Joshua J. Whitfield Jer 33:14-16 Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 1 Thes 3:12—4:2 Lk 21:25-28, 34-36 Aside from being one of the fathers of monasticism, St Benedict is also one of the more profound spiritual doctors of Advent. At least I have long considered him thus. I think of him every Advent…
Fr Chris Hayden An old preacher’s story tells of a group of people walking by a rapidly flowing river. They notice a man in the torrent, crying for help. One of them jumps in to save him. Moments later another stricken individual appears, and another member of the group jumps in to help. This…
Michael R. Heinlein Learning to wait is an important skill to acquire. I am reminded of its importance almost daily as I help my young children come to understand it – and, of course, in that process come to understand it more and more in my own life, too. “Patience is a virtue” I heard…
Rohith Kinattukara Smartwatches have been in the market for quite some time. Some would argue that, the first so called smart watches were introduced to the public during the 80s with the Seiko Data 2000, or even the famous Casio calculator smartwatches that were extremely popular for its unique looks and functionality. However, the modern…
Greg Erlandson “Why do men become beasts?” The question was asked by South African Archbishop Buti Joseph Tlhagale. He was warning men that they will be held accountable for the treatment of women. “The Son of God will make us pay for all the things we have done, or not done,” the archbishop said. He…
Hollywood can’t resist a good love story, but how do you make a movie about divine love and the most famous woman in the world? With great difficulty. Netflix has just spent US$70 million, making a film, simply entitled Mary. The film recounts the events around the birth of Jesus, through the eyes of Mary,…
Sometimes you expect a lot from a programme and are disappointed, sometimes you expect little and are pleasantly surprised, sometimes you want so badly a programme to be good and it lets you down. I had a variety of these feelings in relation to the three programmes under review this week. Our Divine Sparks (RTE…
Letter from Asia Nirmala Carvalho (CRUX) According to Japanese Cardinal-elect Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, the political situation in Myanmar “is still not stable,” when marking Myanmar Day on November 17. Bishop Celso Ba Shwe of Loikaw was present at the event. He had to abandon his cathedral in Kayah State due to the fighting…
Justin McLellan (CNS) Doubling down on the centrality of synodality in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said that it is now up to local churches to accept and implement proposals from the final document approved the Synod of Bishops on synodality. Approved by the Pope, the synod’s final document “participates in the ordinary magisterium…
Monasa Narjara (CNA) On November 21, Brazil’s Federal Police charged Fr José Eduardo de Oliveira e Silva of the Diocese of Osasco in São Paulo state as part of a group of 37 people that includes former President Jair Bolsonaro on suspicion of plotting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, plotting a…
Martina Purdy
Brendan O’Regan