My homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) as preached during the 5pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52. "Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus, seeking Jesus' compassion and presence. His request - to see again - stand in direct contrast to that of… Continue reading Homilies: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Month: October 2018
Review: Terra Incognita
Terra Incognita: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie My rating: 4 of 5 stars A great yarn and wonderful mystery are encapsulated in the story of the medicus Gaius Petreius Ruso on the very boundaries of the Roman Empire in northern Brittania. With murder and mayhem, intrigue and personal danger to… Continue reading Review: Terra Incognita
Review: Medicus
Medicus: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie My rating: 4 of 5 stars A wonderful introduction to a new series, new characters, and a new setting. Set in Brittania during the Roman occupation (well most of the island anyway), this series follows the adventures of a Legion medicus (i.e. doctor) recently… Continue reading Review: Medicus
Reaching for Rome
Another very good article from Massimo Faggioli on the continuing phenomenon of the splits both within the Catholic Church in the United States, and between some American Catholics - of the neotraditionalist persuasion - and Rome (by which is meant the Roman Pontiff, his Curia, and so on). Written with a firm understanding of history… Continue reading Reaching for Rome
Review: Labyrinth A-Ω
Labyrinth A-Ω: An introduction to the how, what, and why of labyrinths and labyrinth walking by Clive Johnson My rating: 3 of 5 stars An interesting introduction to the history, reality and practice of labyrinths and labyrinth walking. I have been attracted to the spiritual dimension of labyrinths since the concept was first placed in… Continue reading Review: Labyrinth A-Ω
Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Last Day
The last day of our pilgrimage dawned overcast and raining which, in one sense, was most appropriate given that our group of pilgrims had started to disburse during the very early hours of the morning. By the time we boarded the coach that was taking us from Belfast back to Dublin, we were down to… Continue reading Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Last Day
Review: The Lopez Affair
The Lopez Affair by Ann Swinfen My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another volume in the ongoing tales of Dr Christoval Alvarez, physician of St Thomas' Hospital, and sometimes coworker of the (by now) late Sir Francis Walsingham. This section of Kit's tale follows the unfortunate development that surrounds the husband of one of her… Continue reading Review: The Lopez Affair
Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Fifteenth Day
A relatively early start today for our first (and only) full day in Belfast. And that was because we weren't staying in Belfast, but heading in the general direction of Downpatrick, the place where St Patrick (along with Sts Brigid and Columba) is reputed to be buried. There was something profound about heading to a… Continue reading Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Fifteenth Day
Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Fourteenth Day
Arising from slumber in Derry, we made an early start for our drive to Belfast. Roadworks required the occasional detour, but that did not deter our merry bunch of pilgrims: we were on the coach and ready to go (or 'on and gone') for a 9am departure. The trip was uneventful, and we arrived in the… Continue reading Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Fourteenth Day
Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Thirteenth Day
Having experienced the beauty of Knock yesterday afternoon, we awoke to cloudy weather and a light misty rain. That, however, did not deter us from boarding our coach - after a hardy breakfast - and heading in a generally northerly direction. Our destination at the end of the day is the city of Derry or… Continue reading Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Thirteenth Day
Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Twelfth Day
We started our day still in the city of Galway, and although we had an 'early' start to the day, we spent most of the morning in and around Galway. We had the opportunity to wander and ramble and explore the inner city until just after lunch, and so we did, each going their own… Continue reading Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Twelfth Day
The New Clericalism
Much has been much in recent times within the Church about the scourge of clericalism. And much of what has been written on that subject is entirely valid and represents something to be expunged from the life of the Church for the sake of the Church moving forward. Unfortunately, sometimes the charge of 'clericalism' is… Continue reading The New Clericalism
Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Eleventh Day
What happened to the tenth day I hear you ask? The answer is, I'm afraid, that I was out for the count. I woke up in the morning feeling so dizzy I could neither sit nor stand. Thankfully it was a day when I was able to stay in the hotel room, to lay down… Continue reading Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Eleventh Day
Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Ninth Day
Today, we set out from our hotel in Tralee towards the Dingle peninsula. Our first stop was to the village of Dingle itself, where we not only had the opportunity to explore the township for a couple of hours (including lunch) but also got to experience the local food festival which was in full swing… Continue reading Ireland Pilgrimage 2018 – The Ninth Day
The Inevitability of Liturgical Reform
Something interesting in a post on the PrayTellBlog today as part of its ongoing series of quotes from Pope Paul VI in preparation for his upcoming canonization. Paul VI, asked by his philosopher friend Jean Guitton why he would not concede the 1962 missal to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and his followers who rejected the liturgical reform:… Continue reading The Inevitability of Liturgical Reform
