Tag Archives: Reflection

The Christmas of our lives is beginning again and again, in each moment, as we rediscover Jesus with us at each unfolding. Each moment a realisation, a one-off event of welcome and joy to this Divine Presence – God with us always.  Once born amongst us, the seemingly ordinary events take on a resonance and light far beyond ourselves if ...

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 continued to ...

October 2nd 2024, the Feast of the Guardian Angels marked the opening of the Second Plenary Session of the Synod: A Path of Listening.  On this, the second plenary session of the Synod there is a vibrant presence of religious life there, together with the voices of Sisters from around the world marking this significant ‘synodal’ journey in the life ...

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 ...

Venerable Nano Nagle, founder of the Presentation Congregation died on the 26th April 1784. In her book Nano Nagle: Woman of the Gospel Sr. Pius O’Farrell includes a eulogy to Nano, attributed to Sr. Ursula Kavanagh: “What will become of the innocent orphans, hundreds of whom she drew from vice and ignorance? What will be come of the sick, naked ...

At the tomb on Easter morning, Mary of Magdala recognises Jesus at the sound of her own name, ‘Mary’. She responds with the fullness of love and faith. In all her vulnerability, at this moment, having gone to seek out Jesus, Mary receives her apostolic calling from Jesus.  He tells her not to remain there but to: “Go, find my ...

The fact that this year Ash Wednesday falls on St. Valentine’s Day is a simple reminder, if one were needed, that Love is all about the Heart! The 13thC mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg in her writings The Flowing Light of the Godhead expresses the reality of a lifelong Love and yearning for intimacy of relationship with God, and how this ...

Circumstances of a chance ‘chink of ‘insight’ from a moment’s encounter planted this seed of prayer: ‘trust in the slow work of God’.  It seems both apt for this particular day, the ‘World Day for Consecrated Life’ (when we pray in particular for all discerning and wanting to respond to the plan of God for their lives) and also an ...

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 ...

At the end of the last year, almost buried in the momentum of preparation for Christmas, Pope Francis sent his greetings, and a very powerful message to the young people present at the 46th European Meeting organised by the Taizé Community [28 December 2023 – 1st January 2024] on the theme “Walking together”.  Here are a few of the many ...