Thursday, December 18, 2025

Long Live Buckfast Abbey

I begin this reflection from the beautiful and prayerful grounds of Buckfast Abbey, not far from the coast at Brixham, where I have been...

Preaching the Primacy of the Family

It has always been difficult for the homilist to preach on the feast of the Holy Family. In the old days, the priest would...

Saint Caecelia and What Church Music Should Be

As the patroness of Church music, and music in general, Saint Caeceilia has her work cut out for her. A young virgin martyr in...

Truth Under Assault

The Denial of Truth We live in an era where the denial of not only the ability to discern what is true from what...

The Relentless God

WERE YOU startled by what you heard in the reading of Moses holding back the anger of God? It certainly provides a picture of God...

Anne Bolyen’s Apparent Demise. But ’tis Really So?

Anne Boleyn lost her head on this fine spring day in May, 1536, put to death by the decree of her own quasi-husband, Henry...

Saint John Henry Newman’s Philosophy of Education: Part 2

(This is the second article in a series on Newman's philosophy of education. For the first reflection, may be found here). Newman recognized that knowledge...

Discouragement in Prayer

Discouragement has to be one of the most debilitating feelings. It's not so much depressing as it is zapping of any kind of energy...

In search of lost time

Nothing really changes much anymore. In contrast to popular assumptions, the pace of actual cultural innovation and renewal, even with regard to what undeservedly...

Our Lady’s Good Counsel

Our Lady of Good Counsel - Mater Boni Consilii - is one of the many titles of the Virgin Mary, this one dating back...