Tag Archive for ‘prayer’
To Listen is to be Silent
When I undertook my counsellor training, one of the core skills we were trained in was listening. It was drilled into us on a daily basis. While hearing and listening are used interchangeably, there is a subtle difference. Hearing is generally regarded as passive, while listening is active. We can hear someone without actually actively […]
Thursday 8th December
The Immaculate Conception of Mary Genesis 3:9-15,20; Psalm 98:1-4; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12; Luke 1:26-38 Saying Yes after prayer The Gospel zooms from heaven, into our universe, into a town of Galilee, to a young girl, Mary. We enter the drama of God wanting to find a way for humanity to “conceive and bear a son” […]
‘The Word was made Flesh and Dwelt Amongst Us’
Part 1 of 4 I was at a place recently where the Angelus was prayed daily. It took me back to my childhood education with the nuns and the habitual, holy nature of prayer which they instilled in me. Habits in a Catholic life are a comfort and can be of immense benefit to the […]
Tuesday 8 March
Psalm 34; Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 6:7-15 The perfect prayer The prayer of the Our Father: I sometimes turn the Our Father into a personal prayer. Instead of saying Our Father in heaven, I might say Hi Dad from Heaven, the most wonderful being, full of love and goodness. You are such a wonder and a […]
Marist Vocation Year
Addressing Marists on the anniversary of the death of Venerable Jean-Claude Colin on 15 November last year, the Marist Superior General, Fr John Larsen SM officially opened the Marist Year of Vocations. In a video presentation, Fr Larsen welcomed viewers “to our Year of Vocations for Marists throughout the world, and to everyone who shares […]
Society of Mary Final Professions and Ordinations
Four men took perpetual vows as members of the Society of Mary at a ceremony in Rome on 2 October 2021. They are, from left to right, Jaime Martinez Perez (Mexico), Yves Beranger Tuma (Cameroon), Cameron Mota (Papua New Guinea), and Iosefo Amuri (Fiji). The photo was taken at the shrine of Fourvière in Lyons, […]
Friday 1 October
St Therese of the Child Jesus (M) Baruch 1:15-22; Psalm 79; Luke 10:13-16 The wonder of prayer St Therese gives us a most beautiful description of prayer: “Prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned towards heaven, a cry of recognition and love, embracing both trial and joy.” Here is […]
St John of the Cross
The Living Flame of Love Part 3 of 5 The next major work of St John of the Cross and his last, is called The Living Flame of Love, a poem, only twenty-four lines long, and his commentary. It tells the story of the fulfilment of love, the spiritual marriage, the final transformation by God. […]
The Empty Chair Exercise
rom Sadhana, A Way to God, 1978 By Fr Anthony de Mello SJ (1931-1987) I developed this exercise as a result of hearing the story of a priest who went to visit a patient in his home. He noticed an empty chair at the patient’s bedside and asked what it was doing there. The patient […]
Tuesday 27 July
Exodus 33:7-11, 34:5-9, 28, Psalm 103, Matthew 13:36-43 A model for prayer Moses’ encounters with God and his ongoing intercession for his people are inspirational. He speaks with God as with a friend, intimately, authentically, honestly and face to face, yet never diminishes his recognition of the unfathomable glory of God. We hear that God […]
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