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Pope John Paul II

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Today, April 2, the Church commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the death of St. John Paul II in 2005, whose feast is celebrated on October 22. He was canonized by Pope Francis along with St. John XXIII in 2014.  The article below is taken from the website of t he Saint John Paul II National Shrine   SAINT JOHN PAUL II Introduction “Everyone knows John Paul II: his face, his characteristic way of moving and speaking; his immersion in prayer and his spontaneous cheerfulness. Many of his words have become indelibly engraved in our memories, starting with the passionate cry with which he introduced himself to the people at the beginning of his pontificate: ‘Open wide the doors to Christ, and be not afraid of him!’ Or this saying: ‘No one can live a trial life; no one can love experimentally.’ An entire pontificate is condensed in words like these. It is as though he would like to open the doors for Christ everywhere and wishes to open up to people the gate that leads t...
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Love and Marriage

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So, this year my dear spouse and myself will have been married for 46 years. Overcome by an overwhelming romantic feeling, I searched the internet and, unusually for HJ, had a special card printed ready to surprise her. 
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How The Irish Saved Civilisation

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Saint Patrick ( Pádraig) i s venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Church of Ireland, a part of the Anglican Communion, and also in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where he is regarded as “equal-to-the-apostles” and as the “Enlightener of Ireland.” The "sons of Patrick" There is much written about Saint Patrick and many studies. The most readable and engaging account, if somewhat romanticised, is Thomas Cahill’s book,  “How The Irish Saved Civilisation” .  He writes: Ireland played the central role in maintaining European culture when the dark ages settled on Europe in the fifth century. As Rome was sacked by Visigoths and its empire collapsed, Ireland became  “the isle of saints and scholars”  that enabled the classical and religious heritage to be saved.   I rish monks preserved the faith by building Holy shrines, copied the manuscripts of both pagan and Christian writers, including Homer and Aristotle, and preserved these while l...
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Unity through Communion

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The painting below is by Anja Rozen, and was drawn when she was a 13-year-old school student in Slovenia in 2022. It’s title is “Unity”: "My drawing represents the land that binds us and unites us. "Humans are woven together. If someone gives up, others fall. We are all connected to our planet and to each other, but unfortunately we are little aware of it. We are woven together. Other people weave alongside me my own story; and I weave theirs." The poster is being used for a call to global interdependence; to recognise the need to care for the earth and for one another. It’s popularity is growing with all the conflict playing out across our world at the moment and the climate challenges we face.  One admires the skill and vision of this child as an intuitive and innocent call. A call for collaborative decision-making processes within our divided world and for greater unity with an emphasise on collective action, dialogue, and shared responsibility.  Whilst this...
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Many Mansions

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“In my Father's house are many mansions;  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you”.     Protestant Heaven vs. Catholic Heaven Gates of Heaven Three men arrive at the gates of heaven.  St. Peter asks the first man,  "Religion?"  The first man replies, "Catholic"   St. Peter looks down his list and says, "Go to room 24. But be very quiet  as you pass room 8." St. Peter asks  the second man, "Religion."   The second man replies "Methodist."   St. Peter looks down his list and says, "Go to room 14. But be very quiet  as you pass room 8." St. Peter asks  the third man,  "Religion."   The third man replies, "Episcopalian."   St. Peter looks down his list and says, "Go to room 21.But be very quiet  as you pass room 8."   The third man then says to St. Peter, "I can understand there being  different rooms for different religions, but why must we be  quiet w...
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