Tag Archives: Spirituality

St. Francis of Assisi whose feast day it is today (4th October) believed that everything in the natural world was a gift from God and deserved to be appreciated and valued.  Because of this, Francis in his ‘Canticle of the Sun’  refers to the sun, wind, air, and fire as his brothers, and to the moon, stars, earth, water, and death ...

In the editorial of the special  50th Anniversary magazine of GROW Ireland it states: “The GROW we have today owes its existence to a vast number of people who have given themselves with a complete and awe inspiring generosity and dedication.  We begin by saluting you”. One such person whom we know very well is Sr. Gertrude Howley. This year ...

As the National  Ploughing Championships begin in Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co. Carlow in these days we are reminded of the vitality of  our daily relationship with nature and of the inter-relatedness of all life; whether ‘walking lightly on the Earth’ or working in and for this ‘Our Common Home’.  Through this  experience we have the opportunity to ‘keep pace’ with the ...

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo was born in England in 1943 and named Diane Perry. She and her older brother were raised in London by her mother, after her father’s death when Diane was 2 years old. Mrs Perry was a spiritualist who held séances in the family home, and Tenzin Palmo credits this as being a strong and positive influence on her ...

A spirituality of desire makes us appreciate that we are all mystics in the sense that the interior space that is in us is a privileged place of encounter with God.   In our lives and in our prayer practice, we often unconsciously live out two different types of spirituality:   1) A spirituality of duty is focused on following the ...

The message of the Resurrection was first entrusted to Mary of Magdala according to John.  She stayed with him during his crucifixion and was a primary witness of his resurrection.  But images of her throughout the ages and still today portray inaccurately. Nowhere in scripture is Mary of Magdala identified as a public sinner or a prostitute.  Yet, even in productions ...

Etty Hillesum was a vital, life-giving presence in the midst of darkness and evil.  Through the months in the concentration camp, as her contemplative heart attended to her inner life more and more, she developed a deep sense of solidarity which her people, and she found she longed to care for the weakest and most vulnerable. She interrupts the scoffing ...

This Friday, 28th June we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.   This can be a Feast Day that seems somehow ‘old fashioned’ and out of date with where we are at in society today.  That might have something to do with some of the imagery that we have grown up with surrounding it. However, in these days ...

As we prepare to celebrate the Feast day of the Sacred Heart we are reminded of Nano Nagle’s devotion. Nano contemplated the heart of Jesus and encountered the unconditional love of God that compelled her to reach out with love and compassion to those made poor by the systems of the day. At this time in our history we are ...

May 24th marks the fourth anniversary of the launch of the Encyclical Letter by Pope Francis ‘Laudato Sí – On Care of Our Common Home’, in May 2015. “When we speak of the ‘environment’ what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it.” (LS#139) Through all of the media at our disposal we ...