-
The Gift of Prayer
Prayer is a funny thing. Sometimes it seems to come to us relatively easily, while at other times it requires of us the greatest effort. At one point it is filled with delight and joy and illumination – yet at other points, it can seem we are calling into the void, and it leaves us cold and untouched. I suppose this might be one of the reasons many people can find prayer difficult – there is not always an obvious return. But then, neither should there be; if our purpose in prayer is nothing more than what we receive back at the affective or sensual level, then we have missed…
-
Latter-Day Simeons
There’s a man who comes to the Church on Saturday afternoons, at least an hour before the evening Mass begins. After lighting a little candle, he then goes and sits toward the back, gazes at the Tabernacle and prays until Mass begins. There is another man who comes in the morning and he does much the same as the first man. And there are the women, too. The ones I am thinking of come along to the Eucharistic Holy Hour on Sunday afternoons and spend that hour simply being in the presence of the Lord, praying silently and placing everything before Him. These people – and countless others like them…
-
A Hardened Heart
I am working my way through the early books of the Old Testament, beginning with Genesis and currently reading the story of Moses in Egypt, recounted in the book of Exodus. One of the predominant themes in these ancient scriptures is that of the people – and various individuals – pointedly refusing to listen to the God who is revealing Himself as ‘The Lord’. My readings this morning were continuing the story of Moses and the plagues of Egypt. Pharaoh is giving the people of God a very hard time and The Lord is not at all happy about it. And so, through the person of Moses, The Lord is…
-
The Eyes Of Christ
One of the features I notice most often in images of Christ is that He is often looking out of the canvas and straight at us. Now I understand that this is no doubt intended to convey a sense of personal watchfulness in our regard, the sense that the Lord is looking not only at us but out for us. All very consoling. The thing is, when we are filled with a sense of horror at our personal failures and sinfulness, our abject misery and our complete and utter lack of anything of worth, then the last set of eyes we want gazing at us are those of the Lord.…
-
The Simplest Devotions
You could be forgiven for thinking that in order to be Catholic, a degree in theology is necessary and a doctorate is the ideal. I see a lot of people who proudly display their academic and intellectual credentials when describing themselves online, along with various acronyms after their names which attest to their affiliation with religious orders of one sort or another. I’m delighted at their prowess, of course, and very happy they have attained something that means so much to them. But I find that they generally don’t have a great deal to say to me. Perhaps this is mainly because I am entirely non-academic and have not the…
