The following is a brief extract from a reflection written by Fr. Yannick Essengue, SJ called ‘Hear Creation’s Cry’ as part of the Laudato Si’ Movement’s monthly prayer guide for May 2024. You can read the full reflection at this link HERE Also included below are some beautiful and inspiring questions for reflection. All these days, we walk with the ...
Read More »Spiritual Reflection
Brigid, breath of faith
We are at the cusp of cross-over into Spring Days, and ever growing Light, that from the Creator’s hands brings awakening Life to all it touches. It is not a coincidence that this ‘breath of Nature’ brings to our consciousness all kinds of grace-filled connections that inspire new life and hope. In Ireland we are moving towards the feast day ...
Read More »Peace on Earth
The International Day of Peace (IDP) is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never has our world needed peace more. This year’s theme is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals. It is a call ...
Read More »Brigid – a woman of peace
St. Brigid of Ireland, Brigid also spelled Brigit or Bridget, also called Brigid of Kildare or Bride (Irish Bríd) was born, according to tradition in Fochart, near Dundalk, County Louth. She died c. 525, in Kildare. Her feast day is February 1. She is remembered as virgin and abbess of Kildare, one of the patron saints of Ireland. Little is known of her life but from legend, myth, and folklore. According to these, she ...
Read More »Speaking with the heart
Speaking with the heart ~ “The truth in love” (Eph 4:15) After having reflected in past years on the verbs “to go and see” and “to listen” as conditions for good communication, with this Message for the 57th World Day of Social Communications (21 May 2023), the focus by Pope Francis is on “speaking with the heart”. (See full text HERE) ...
Read More »The Presentation of Mary
The early annals of the Presentation Congregation record that the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple was the date chosen by Nano in 1782, to receive two young women into the novitiate. Nano’s choice of this day for this ceremony, indicates that this Feast had a special place in her spirituality. Following Nano’s death, her fledging Congregation ...
Read More »Do not lose heart
I was at a recent funeral of a friend of mine who was an avid fan of the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh. But more than that, a person who saw in Patrick Kavanagh the life of the farmer, poet and mystic completely intertwined. Someone who communed so readily with God through Nature, and who through his words could open this ...
Read More »Our Lady of Sorrows
The title, Our Lady of Sorrows, given to Mary the Mother of God, focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of her son. Traditionally, this suffering was not limited to the passion and death event; rather, it comprised the seven ‘dolors’ or seven sorrows of Mary, which were foretold by the Priest Simeon who proclaimed ...
Read More »Prayer to Mary
The Angel of the Lord announced that you would love And creation was overjoyed And smiled in the walnut trees and danced in the flowers. And you, Mary, simple woman, woman of the people You said “yes” to the novelty of the Kingdom And the whole earth became pregnant with verses And dreamed of justice and distilled delicacies. “Behold the ...
Read More »A beautiful bridge
Pope Francis has spoken many times about the value and gift of inter-generational relationships and on the meaning and value of old age as well as on the contribution of young people to our understanding of today’s world. In his continuing catechesis on the meaning and value of old age in the light of God’s word, Pope Francis reflected on ...
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