John D. Sheridan was known to older generations of Catholics for the many writings that spanned the years from the 1940s to the 1970s. In “The Hungry Sheep” his analysis of changes brought to Ireland in the wake of the Second Vatican Council are deeply insightful. If this book had been widely read by Catholics at the time, it is likely that lay people would have been alerted and prepared for what was to come. They would also have had … Read More
Having spent the three weeks of Septuagesima in meditating upon our spiritual infirmities and upon the wounds caused in us by sin, we should be ready to enter upon the penitential season which the Church has now begun. We have now a clearer knowledge of the justice and holiness of God, and of the dangers that await an impenitent soul; and, that our repentance might be earnest and lasting, we have bade farewell to the vain joys and baubles of … Read More
This new series of articles focuses on themes in Holy Scripture. We often hear in the readings during Holy Mass words such as vocation, seed, silence, victory, temple, anger… These words create part of a biblical vocabulary and have profound spiritual meaning. Their unity is expressed throughout the 73 books of the Bible, which is composed of 46 books of the Old Testament where the coming of Christ is prepared and prefigured, and 27 books of the New Testament where … Read More
“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.” (Rev 8:3-4) Smells and Bells:Most Catholics are familiar with the expression “smells and bells” which is invoked to describe the use of incense and … Read More
“Every liturgical celebration because it is an action of Christ the priest and of his Body which is the Church is a sacred action surpassing all others.” There exists a great amount of bewilderment about what is licit and what is illicit in the celebration of the sacred liturgy. When we see a young child taking up the collection during Sunday Mass it might be hard to see anything wrong in this. However according to the General Instruction of the … Read More
“Thou standest amid cherubim and seraphim and other exalted spirits of high rank.” Nurturing a sense of the supernatural Spiritual reality in times past, was nurtured by the Catholic environment. While most noticeably in churches, the sense of the supernatural also existed in the minds and hearts of the faithful. It is hard to keep this in mind now when the secular world intrudes into the sacred, as it so often does. Churches, especially the newer buildings, no longer have … Read More
Christ’s boundless Charity “The proof of His boundless charity that Christ the Lord left to his Bride the Church, namely, the inexpressible and supreme gift of the Eucharist, requires us to deepen our appreciation of this great mystery and to share ever more fully in Its saving power. Accordingly, the Church, in its pastoral zeal and care, has repeatedly made practical laws and timely statements of doctrine aimed at furthering devotion toward the Eucharist, the summit and centre of Christian worship”. (Immensae Caritatis 1973, Sacred … Read More
