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Gathered As Church
A couple of evenings ago, our diocese held a Synod event at Carfin Grotto. The weather wasn’t the best as there were various weather warnings in place thanks to Storm Babet. And this almost certainly reduced the numbers of people who were present that evening from across the diocese. Alongside this, there were anecdotes of some parishes not having been told anything about the synodal event taking place; and at least one parish – whose priest is perceived as being not in favour of the Synod taking place – was said to have arranged a service at the same time that evening, seemingly as a counterpoint to what was taking…
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Fatima – Echo Of The Gospel
With the death of the last Apostle, the “public revelation” of Jesus Christ, His life, His Gospel, His teaching and His mission, was definitively closed. Since then, nothing has been – nor can it be – added to that public revelation, which was full and complete in Christ. However, the Church also places before us instances of what it calls “private revelation” – any potential instance of such revelation is very carefully evaluated by the Church, who alone can determine whether or not it is authentic. Speaking at Fatima in 1982, Pope John Paul II said that “The Church has always taught and continues to proclaim that God’s revelation was…
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A Consecration Renewed
Almost exactly one year ago – it will be a full year in two days’ time – our Holy Father Pope Francis consecrated the world (with specific reference to Ukraine and Russia) to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This was done in response to the terrible war being inflicted upon Ukraine by Russia, a war which continues yet. The Pope was careful to remind us that this was – “a spiritual act. It is an act of complete trust on the part of children who, amid the tribulation of this cruel and senseless war that threatens our world, turn to their Mother, reposing all their fears and pain in Her…
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Altar of the World
The appearances of Our Blessed Lady at Fatima in 1917 are unanimously agreed to be of such importance that Fatima has often been called “the altar of the world”. For anyone who is not familiar with the detail of these appearances, the full story of Our Lady of Fatima is recounted here. Despite this, these – and all similar and approved – appearances fall into the category of ‘private revelation’, which is far beneath that of the ‘public revelation’ of the life and works of Our Lord, recorded by the Evangelists in the Gospels. Private revelation adds nothing to the core of our Catholic faith – rather, it points us…
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In Her Heart
The Church places before us the figure of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as the perfect model of the Christian life – for each one of us and indeed for the entire Church herself, whom She typifies. And we remember Her very specially on this first day of the New Year, when we celebrate the feast of Mary, the Mother of God. The Second Vatican Council reminded us that – “Mary, a daughter of Adam, consenting to the divine Word, became the mother of Jesus, the one and only Mediator. Embracing God’s salvific will with a full heart and impeded by no sin, She devoted Herself totally as a handmaid…
