Follow @UrFhasaidh At least once in the year I like to get away from the world and retire to the peace and quiet of a Cistercian monastery that has made me welcome as a visitor for the past number of years. There is nothing grand or spectacular about this simple farmhouse community. It is a … Continue reading Coughing and Spluttering through Silence
Meditation is Pointless
Follow @UrFhasaidh One of the most popular misconceptions of the Christian faithful is that they are forever praying. In my own experience I have found this to be rather far from the truth. Being woken at four o’clock in the morning by my Muslim roommates at an interfaith conference some years ago I was asked, … Continue reading Meditation is Pointless
Opening Salvo of Spiritual Artillery
Preparing for the celebration of Easter it strikes me once again how out of tune much of our liturgical music is with the great message that Christ has risen. Through the unfolding passion narrative of Holy Week Christians are immersed in the funerary rites of the messiah who is, to them, both priest and victim. … Continue reading Opening Salvo of Spiritual Artillery
Making Sense of the Chaos
People who come to religion desiring an end of suffering or the turmoil of real life do so in vain. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth,” said the Nazarene, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Through the ages the lives of the saints have … Continue reading Making Sense of the Chaos
Dropping in on a Friend
Earlier today, when coming up the hill from the Phoenix Park to James’s Street, I bumped into the family of a new friend. This new friend and I met while I was in St. James’s Hospital, and over the length of my stay we got to spend a good bit of time together. What a … Continue reading Dropping in on a Friend
Facing my Fears
Pain relief is one thing, the side-effects of the medicine is quite another. Thank goodness for morphine. When it comes to sheer physical pain opiates are the way to go, but the effects that the drug have on the mind are colourful to say the least. Depending on one’s state of mind morphine takes its … Continue reading Facing my Fears
Random Public Journal 