Michael Longley, poet, 1939-2025
Printed in tribute to Michael Longley 27 July 1939 – 22 Jan 2025. May his gentle soul rest in peace. Ceasefire 1Put in mind of his own father and moved…
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Presider’s Page for 2 February (The Presentation of the Lord – Candlemas)
It’s forty days since we celebrated the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Today we remember his Presentation in the Temple. This feast is also called Candlemas; candles are blessed because today Jesus was revealed in the Temple as the light of all peoples.
Séamus Ahearne: ‘It was unbelievable. I was naked, I had no hair, and I had a number on my arm.’ Anita Lasker-Wallfisch. She played the Cello.
Burns Day. Thursday was the 25th January. It was Burns Day. I should have been in Scotland for a Burns Supper. His wit, his carelessness, his take on the foibles…
America Magazine: JD Vance suggests U.S. bishops only care for immigrants to protect ‘their bottom line’
Maria Wiering – OSV News, January 26, 2025 (OSV News) — Vice President JD Vance questioned the motives of the U.S. bishops’ criticism of President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies…
Jim Cogley: Reflections Tues 28th Jan to Mon 3rd Feb 2025
Tues 28th Jan – The Curse of Perfectionism When we think back on the religion of our childhood much teaching centered around the pursuit of perfectionism. As a child serving…
National Catholic Register: How Many Roads? Bob Dylan’s Path to Faith and Encounter With John Paul II
The Prodigal Poet’s lyrics explore themes of salvation, damnation and the eternal quest for truth. By Luke Larson Last December’s Oscar-nominated film A Complete Unknown tells the story of how the budding…
Seán Walsh: The Trap
A little bit of drama… THE TRAP EMPTY SPACE… ARENA. “IN THE ROUND” OR A STAGE IN A HALL… 0R TO ONE SIDE IN A CHURCH… JESUS IS NEITHER SEEN…
Brendan Hoban: Finding hope in Francis’ opposition to Trump
Western People, 21.01.25 It’s a busy time. Hard to keep up with everything. First, a new government with more of the same though garnished with some unexpected dressing in the…
Online Posting Delay – apology
Apologies for delays in postings the last couple of days. We were ‘stormed out’ and are still without power in many parts of the west. In prayerful thanks to all…
Séamus Ahearne: “All our discontents about what we want, appeared to me, to spring from the want of thankfulness, for what we have.” ― Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
Some days ago, two of us agreed – how lucky and blessed we were, in our politicians in Ireland. We were contrasting them with the American scene. However on Wednesday,…
Gerry O’Connor CSsR, ACP Leadership Team weekly homily – 3rd Sunday of the Year
Gerry O’Connor CSsR, ACP Leadership Team weekly homily – 3rd Sunday of the Year – 26 Jan 2025 – ‘Inauguration’
Washington, USA: Homily by The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde in the presence of President Trump
The Episcopal bishop of Washington preaching at the inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral yesterday (Tuesday). Her final words were addressed directly to President Trump to have mercy…
Brendan Hoban: Israel is losing the sympathy of the world
Western People 14.1.2025 Some years ago on a bracing sunny day I visited Auschwitz concentration camp on the outskirts of Krakow in Poland, where more than a million Jewish men,…
Irish Independent: Parish priest’s ‘five-minute tribute’ solution for eulogy ban is ruled out: ‘We’ve had horror stories’
Sarah Mac Donald A parish priest’s appeal to the country’s bishops to issue one standardised guideline on funeral eulogies that can be applied consistently in every diocese has been ruled…
Fr Albert McDonnell, Diocese of Killaloe: The Counties and Dioceses
My mother grew up in Ennistymon which is in Kilfenora diocese. Except Kilfenora diocese hadn’t really existed for over two centuries having merged with Galway diocese. She enjoyed sharing memories…
Jim Cogley: Reflections – Tues 21st Jan – Mon 27th Jan 2025
Tues 21st Jan – The Power of Words Not so long ago in postings we looked at the power of words to create our reality. This is a theme worth…
Séamus Ahearne: SOME (MEN/WOMEN) SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE AND SAY ‘WHY?’ I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE AND SAY ‘WHY NOT?’ George Bernard Shaw.
THE NEWS: Romi Goner, Doron Steinbrecher, Emily Damari were released. 90 Palestinians were let out. The bombing stopped. The sheer awfulness of that war is frightening. The lack of proportionality…
Seán Walsh: Here’s the Thing!
Here’s the Thing! “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matt 6: 6) Unseen – but there for…
Presider’s Page Sunday 26 Jan 2025
The Word of God is the focus this Sunday, read by Ezra the priest in the Old Testament reading, and by Jesus in the Gospel. By his Word, God reassures…
Presider’s Page for 19 January (Ordinary Time 2)
There are echoes of the Christmas season in today’s liturgy, particularly in the Gospel story of the wedding feast of Cana, in which God’s glory becomes visible in Jesus, as it did at his Epiphany and Baptism. (Today is also the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.)
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