It is with sadness that we announce the death of our brother, Brendan O’Mahony OFM Cap. Brendan served as Provincial Minister of the Irish Capuchin Friars from 1976 to 1982 and for thirty-four years Brendan was Professor of Philosophy in UCC.   The funeral Mass for Br Brendan O’Mahony takes place in Holy Trinity Cork…

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Loving Correction We have reached a section of Matthew’s Gospel which deals with practical moral issues that occur in our lives.   Today’s reading (Matt18:15-20) is about the delicate matter of how to correct somebody who is going off the rails.  Facing another person is one of the toughest parts of loving care.  Genuine love includes…

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In Times of Darkness In today’s Gospel (Matt 15:21-28) a troubled mother pleads with Jesus to cure her tormented daughter.  We are surprised to read that he answered her not a word.  It’s so unlike Jesus.   But he knew what he was doing.  He was drawing out deeper depths of her faith.  A passage from…

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Greetings and blessings on the Feast of St Clare! Clare was an inspirational woman and continues to inspire many today. We send good wishes to the Poor Clare’s and Capuchin Poor Clare’s on their feast day. This icon of Clare is by Cecilia Lawrence and here’s what the Artist writes about it: ‘This is my…

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Loneliness, Hunger of the Heart Today’s Gospel (Matt 14:13-21) throws light on loneliness which is another name for the hunger of the heart.  A popular film years ago was called “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”. One form of loneliness is the grief experienced after the death of a loved one.   On hearing of the…

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Taskforce of the Kingdom The mission of Jesus was to establish the rule of God, the kingdom of God, on earth.  The taskforce for the continuation of his mission would be the community of believers known as the Church. Today, in Matthew 13:24-43, three parables show how this Church is a mixture of human frailty…

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Be not Afraid Once upon a time … not too long ago … it took courage of a sort not to go to church in holy Ireland.  People who did not go to church were regarded as odd, or maybe worse.  They swam against the social tide which equated church attendance with respectability.  How things…

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The Ascension of the Lord Some of the doors that have kept people locked in have been opened in recent days.  But there is still a long wait until all doors will be opened.   Religion has a huge role to play in sustaining hope by remembering the bigger picture of life. We are celebrating…

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