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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The Way, the Truth and the Life Many of us are disappointed that very few of the restrictions on our movements have been lifted.  Return to any normality will take time.  Long term worries remain about unemployment, closure of businesses, national and personal finances. Can we draw any hope from the Gospel for this Sunday,…

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Cocoon Do not expect cocooning To be easy. It is not a time of rest But of rebirth. They used to think That the Caterpillar Merely slept there, Awaiting the wonder of wings. This is not true. To cocoon means The breaking down of self, Of letting go of all that may be considered Caterpillar….

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Discerning a Vocation in a time of Lockdown The path of finding one’s vocation in life, a path traditionally known as discernment, would usually include a lot of travelling. The one who is wondering if the Capuchin Franciscan life is for them would normally visit the friaries regularly, meet with some of the brothers there,…

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Christ is Risen I like the story about an ageing flower-lady with an outdoor stall.  Her clothes were old and shabby, her face weather-beaten and wrinkled. A regular customer asked how she was always in good form.  “It’s my friend Jesus”, she replied. “Good Friday was the worst of days.  Three days later, Easter Sunday,…

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