Pilgrim progress- a disciple on a journey!

The experience of struggling for breath is frightening. Be it caused by sickness, respiratory problems, anxiety, panic attacks or changes in altitude, when it happens, there is an overwhelming sense of gasping for that single breath of life. Something we take for granted, to breathe…yet when it’s removed from us or impeded, we see that it is literally a matter of life or death. We try to calm down by focusing on our breathing or others may encourage us by simply saying: ‘Breathe.’   We inhale, we exhale…life continues. Today we celebrate the great birthday of the Church, the Solemnity of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit, the powerful Breath of God, his Ruah, descends upon each one of us, the Church, the world, to ‘renew the face of the earth.’   Without the Spirit, our life as disciples would be life-less, lacking energy and struggling to breath. Just as we watch and are attentive to our physical breath, so too must we have that same attentiveness to our spiritual breathing.   So

St. Brendan heads on his voyage Today the Church in Ireland celebrates the memorial of St Brendan the Navigator. St. Brendan travelled tirelessly to evangelise and establish monasteries following his ordination to the priesthood at age 28. The sixth-century monk frequently sailed the high seas to spread the Gospel throughout Ireland as well as to Scotland, Wales and Brittany in the north of France. According to a 1,500-year-old Irish tale, however, St. Brendan embarked on one particularly epic journey in the winter of his 93-year-old life. Here, he is said to have set out onto the Atlantic Ocean with sixty pilgrims searching for the Garden of Eden! Regardless of what we think or believe about St. Brendan's voyages, they have a lot to teach us! As a symbol for life’s pilgrimage, I return to my roots. I think of those Celtic monks who sailed out to sea in coracles, little boats, without a rudder for steering. The coracle was not just a boat, it speaks of much more–of journey

Light of Faith-Abraham Hunter   "Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th' encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me." (John Henry Newman). Recently I have decided to re-read the encyclical ‘Lumen fidei’ (Light of faith), written by both Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. For me there was a common thread: the concept of the faith journey. I could hear the words of the melodic ‘Lead, kindly light’ playing in my mind as I read- ‘one step enough for me…’ This prayer of Cardinal Newman is one which has been set to music and found its way into the Roman Breviary and is one with which we often conclude our Evening Prayer with. It is interesting to read the text of Lumen fidei and see those passages which typically are of Benedict’s style and those which are of Francis’. Such is the creativity of the Holy Spirit which allowed these two shepher

Every first Sunday of the month, we have a desert day in our community: a day of silence, solitary prayer and reflection. I see it as my day to recharge! It’s the day where I recharge my spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological batteries in God’s presence. It is a day we try to spend in silence. Our Rule of Life reminds us: “we appreciate silence as a precious gift which prepares the way for an authentic relationship with God and among ourselves. In recollection, we draw the strength of clarification, of purification and consecration on what is essential” (Rule of Life, 66) Therefore, it becomes the opportunity to look back over the past month and see where the Lord has worked on me, challenged me, moulded me. I see where I have fought with Him, resisted Him, doubted Him, most importantly I see how I have loved Him and how He has and continues to love me, despite my flaws and weaknesses. I re-orientate my gaze, my emotions, and my thoughts. I look through the baggage which I

  "It's madness to hate all roses because you got scratched with one thorn, to give up all dreams because one of them didn't come true, to give up all attemptsbecause one of them failed. It's folly to condemn all your friends because one has betrayed you, to no longer believe in love just because someone was unfaithful or didn't love you back, to throw away all your chances to be happy because something went wrong. There will always be another opportunity, another friend, another love, a new strength. For every end, there is always a new beginning. And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential, is invisible to the eye."  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry   The Little Prince, 1943

"The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you."  This verse from St. John's Gospel was proclaimed in today's liturgy, Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter. Over these days, we will hear much about the life-giving relationship which exists between the Father, the Son and the Spirit as we live these days of Eastertide and journey towards Pentecost and beyond. Over the past week, I was gathered at a Conference for Canon Lawyers in Galway, many of whom are advocates especially when it comes to the matrimonial and penal law. Whilst this is not my specific area of canon law, I am constantly reminded of the important of the role of an advocate. They must safeguard the party’s rights by arguments regarding the law and facts. Canon law also determines the characteristics which advocates must possess in order to carry out this role. So how does this relate to the Gospel? How is the Holy S