Similar Posts
Presider’s Page for 3 August (18th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
God’s Word calls us to recognise the transience of life, to keep our eyes on what is lasting. Penitential RiteWe gather to ask God’s help and to praise God for…
New Year: New Lockdown: New Opportunities: Lumen Dominican Centre online supports – “Fill your minds…”
We are an Adult Education Centre, located on the Dominican Campus in Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin, and our website is https://www.lumenop.ie/ On our website you can read our Mission…
Séamus Ahearne: MAY THE NOURISHMENT OF THE EARTH BE YOURS. MAY THE PROTECTION OF THE ANCESTORS BE YOURS. AND SO MAY A SLOW WIND, WORK THESE WORDS OF LOVE, AROUND YOU; AN INVISIBLE CLOAK TO MIND YOU. (John O Donoghue.)
THE COLOUR OF AUTUMN These days. The wind. The rain. The last hurrah of the trees. The colourful leaves are attention seeking. It is quite beautiful. I sometimes miss out…
Synod Update: Newsletter 3 available…
Link to Newsletter No 3: https://mailchi.mp/synod/synodassemblynewsletter-issue-03-en
We Are Church: Zoom presentations on 2nd April and 9th April with Tina Beattie
Upcoming Events in We Are Church Ireland Tina Beattie (Talks: Wed. April 2nd and 9th 2025) After many years as Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Roehampton in London,…
The Way – a new ezine from the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference
Welcome to a special issue of our Ezine, the first to come from theway.ie which is the new platform set up by the Irish Bishops Conference which is taking over from catholicnews.ie Theway.ie is…


Christmas Eve
I stood before plastic faces painted cream
With a touch of red and each head bowed to a dry straw floor
And each face frozen in time. I see wise kings,
Benevolent to children , safe men in bright plastic
Positioned before a child wrapped in straw ,
Tiny arms forever reaching out to whoever calls.
There is a Shepard standing with sheep frozen in time.
They followed from the hills safe in his care
And know nothing of the unfolding story.
It is winter aroud the wooden stable
And silent as the empty cardboard box
Which held the crib, cold as the attic from which it came ;
The dry straw , still yellow in old age is strewn
On the stable floor with stray strands sticking to a tufted carpet.
There is a cow and a donkey whose body heat
And warm breath are reported to bring comfort to the newborn child.
I see now those sleeping in city doorways :
lonely doorways where kings never tread,
where few touch their outstretched hands
and bitter winds wrap broken bodies.
I look again at a plastic child with arms outstretched.
Mary Christmas to all !
Greetings and Blessings from Bavaria, south Germany.
Fr. M. S.
Have a Christ-Filled Christmas and a Grace-Filled New Year
Pray for us – we are now public in support of the global lawsuit ‘youth v. gov’ in a region heavily reliant on the fossil fuel industry so this is heavily political subject matter.
Merry Christmas! In 2019, let’s rise to new levels in this elaborate dream.