Blog

Here are some sentences taken from a poetic image-filled November-Advent reflection from the Sojourners website, by Catherine Woodiwiss.
Padraig McCarthy

Mick Forgey reports in the National Catholic Reporter on Tony Flannery’ s involvement in the National Conference of the reform movement ‘Call to Action’ in Memphis, Tenn.

Chris McDonnell reflects on the Rosetta Mission and the landing of Philae on the Comet 67P.
‘We cannot begin to understand the enormity of the God in whom we believe. We can only appreciate those moments of blinding transformation when he illuminates our lives….’

Sean O’Conaill asks ‘who is to address the question of the church’s relevance to the wider spiritual and moral crisis of Irish society?’

The richness of a parable is that it can carry more than one implication. This is true also of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.
Padraig McCarthy

“the Congregation for Divine Worship try to micro-manage the Church around the world and often fail to understand or misinterpret local custom and tradition.”
Brendan Hoban in the Western People continues to wonder how curial officals fail to see it is their own institutions that are in need of reform instead of tinkering with what is actually still working in the church.

Information on Tony Flannery’s speaking tour of the United States

Brendan Hoban reflects on five years of ACP.

“Now falls the evening on our assembly. It is the time when you willingly return home to find themselves at the same table, in the depth of affection, the good done and received, meetings that warm the heart and make it grow, the good wine which anticipates in the days of mankind the celebration without sunset.”
Padraig McCarthy

Redeeming Blood

On Sunday 14 September we heard the story of the fiery serpents, and the bronze serpent set up by Moses as instructed.
Pádraig McCarthy

Brendan Butler shares some concerns about the Synod on the family.

Brendan Hoban in his Western People column invites and challenges us to come up with realistic solutions to the ever growing shortage of priests in Ireland.

Mark Langham contends in the Tablet blogs that the notion that more senior figures might spend only part of their career in Rome would surely broaden the outlook of the Curia.

News on recent remarks by the Ombudsman for Children, and on a report from Australia. Pádraig McCarthy

Brian Eyre suggests a radical way of looking at parish, getting back to the roots of Christian community.

Invitation received to conference in Rome

Have we some keys to the discussion at Caesarea Philippi?
Pádraig McCarthy

Brendan Hoban tells us in his Western People column that bishop of Rome “Francis is 78, and might be dismissed as ‘an ageing, disillusioned priest’ – but he knows the score. I would argue that Francis and the ACP are singing out of the same hymn-sheet, even if others seem determined to drown out our voices.”

It is usually only a deep personal crisis of some kind that can – through heartfelt prayer – shake us free of the delusion that our value depends upon what others think of us