St Hilary of Poitiers Feast: January 14th Patronage: Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church St Hilary was born into a noble family and became Bishop of Poitiers, hence his name. Not originally a Christian, he converted to Catholicism when he tried to find a deeper meaning to life. St Hilary fought against those denying […]
St Hilary – Saint Of The Week Read More »
‘Look Mum, look!’ cried Miss 4 animatedly, ‘there’s baby snails in the tulip!’ I rolled my eyes skyward and made a mental note to spray the garden for slugs and snails. In the meantime Miss 4 had been joined by Miss 2 and they oohed and ahhed over the ‘cute’ baby snails, campaigning to
‘Marriage is not purely a human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes… Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures.’ (Catechism
Marriage Is More Than Just A Human Institution Read More »
The sacrament of Confirmation is the third member of the ‘sacraments of Christian initiation’, the others Baptism and the Eucharist we have dealt with in previous posts. The sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace (cf. CCC 1285) because through it we are bound more closely to Christ and his
The Sacraments Part 4: Confirmation Read More »
Through the four original experiences (including Original Sin) we learn something important about our bodies: Original solitude tells us that our bodies are symbolic; we have a body, like the animals, but are relational like God. The visible and invisible are united in us. Our bodies symbolise something beyond us; they point to God.
Further Meaning In The Original Experiences Read More »
Marriage as a lifelong covenant – Fr Tony Percy explains covenants as ‘an agreement or bond that is freely established between two parties’. When man and woman come together in the Sacrament of Marriage and consummate their bond sexually, they are entering into a covenant. They accept each other as well as freely giving
Seeing Sexuality Through The Eyes Of JPII Read More »
The word Mass is from the Latin word Missa, meaning “sending forth”. And if we consider Mass in these terms it takes on a dimension that so many of us are perhaps ignorant of, or like to forget sometimes. Mass is all about communion. We are a communion of persons who unite their prayers
One of the most tiring gags of the secular world is the use of the term ‘Immaculate Conception’ to explain an unexpected pregnancy. Even within the Catholic laity there is a general misconception about this term and what it means. Those who do not understand its meaning attribute the term to the conception of
Mary: The Immaculate Conception Read More »
It’s Sunday morning and you’re on your way to Mass. You go about your usual morning ritual and arrive at the Church a few seconds before the opening hymn begins and taking your place you fulfil your weekly obligation, watching the clock until this chore is complete. Does this sound like you? Sadly, we’ve
Focus On The Journey Too Read More »
‘And to the man he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns
The Assumption Of Mary Read More »
