The Lighter Side
To the lighter side we go once again, with some stories to take the seriousness out of the week. Read More »
‘Over the pope…there still stands ones own conscience’
I have to admit that I was a little surprised when I came across this quote by the then Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI:
“Over the Pope as the expression of the binding claim of ecclesiastical authority, there still stands one’s own conscience, which must be obeyed before all else, if necessary even against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority.” (Doctrine of Vatican II, vol. V, commentary on p. 134.)
I’ve yet to read the quote in full context, and intend to do so over the next couple of days. But it is definately an eye-opening line of thought as it presented.
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” ~ Dale Carnegie
I said goodbye to a lot of my friends yesterday as I found out they were no longer employed at my place of work. Read More »
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…” - I John 4:18
I don’t know about many of you, but it is really easy to be scared these days. In a world where war is not just something happening between nations across the ocean but between neighbors down the street, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of hiding under the blanket with our headphones and books, blocking out the world. How do we live a life of love when all around us Wall Street crises threaten our financial security, the divorce rate is at least half the rate of those getting married in a given year, and over 67% of Americans in 2006 were unhappy in their job situation? These American statistics and events give a brief glimpse into many of the social issues plaguing our world. Living a life of love means living a life without fear, living a life fully dependent on God’s goodness and mercy, living with complete trust that God will provide and protect.
John’s letter continues to say that fear has to do with punishment, so one who fears is not perfect in love. John hits it right on the nose - we punish ourselves by being afraid. We paralyze ourselves, and don’t believe in our true goodness and our limitless potential. We do not trust that God can work miracles, move mountains, and do all manner of great things in and through us by his perfect love. But humans are flawed. We try to do so much on our own. We try to be the strong ones, the brave ones, the intelligent ones, and we try to do this all on our own. We do not understand that setting high expectations is good, but counting on ourselves alone to achieve them is only going to set us up for failure. By committing ourselves to follow in God’s footsteps, we will not fail. We will continually be working for his greater glory, whether there are setbacks or detours or a straight-arrow path!
I didn’t meant to get so philosophical. I am not the most up-to-date on current events, but I do come across questions and quotes like this that get me thinking about society and how people, especially young adults, live and think and interact. We’re all about questioning and searching - trying to identify our life’s ambition, trying to figure out what we want to do with our lives and where God fits in. If we weren’t seekers, we wouldn’t be God’s people, striving to live a life of love.
A new beginning…dun dun dun…!
Good evening from Abu Dhabi. I’m on my way to Lesotho, Southern Africa, for ten months.
I hope to write a few blogs from there….I hope.
This is just a warning. If you are one of the sane millions who prefer not to read my rants then shut down now. If you’re crazy enough to read, then good luck.
My plan is to write some blogs about village life in Lesotho and what messages are in such a life for us as Christians. That’s the plan, so stay tuned.
“Naomi was such a very special little girl who brightened up our days. - Paul Schleising
How much would it take to “lose it”? How much would it take to have a moment of madness and as they say “snap” and do something that was totally irrational and against our nature. That was my thought when I read the story of Joanne Hill. Read More »
A path with pain
Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo receives ample press coverage each July - the last Sunday of the month, ‘Reek Sunday’ marks the call to ascend the holy mountain for tens of thousands of people. Even on any given weekend, hundreds of pairs of feet, booted and bare, make their way to the summit.
Similarly, pilgrimages to Lough Derg and along the Camino de Santiago receive plenty of positive focus in the media. In a time where religion and all that goes with it are lambasted as faded relics of the past, are pilgrimages carving their way into popular culture? Read More »
We’ve got a big problem - George W Bush
It seems like America is hurt, the public have been subject to financial woes over the last few years and now with the rescue package to “bail out” Wall Street failing spectacularly, one must wonder what is next.
Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind. –John F. Kennedy
In war I have often wondered how one side can revel and gloat in a situation that has turned to their advantage; especially when it involves the loss of lives. Read More »
Health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of: a blessing that money cannot buy. - Izaak Walton
€245 million is not just a figure on could shrug off and say it does not matter and yet the HSE appears to be doing just that.
