Crannóggy Island

These thoughts were triggered by an advert on TV about cost-savings cremations. According to the Catechism of Catholic Church: The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy; it honours the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit. A farewell to the deceased is his final "commendation to God" by the Church. It is "the last farewell by which the Christian community greets one of its members before his body is brought to its tomb.” The Byzantine tradition expresses this by the kiss of farewell to the deceased: By this final greeting "we sing for his departure from this life and separation from us, but also because there is a communion and a reunion. For even dead, we are not at all separated from one another, because we all run the same course and we will find one another again in the same place. We shall never be separated, for we live for Christ, ...

“You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.   Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.   All these are the beginning of birth pains.”   (Matthew 24:6-8) The world seems to be a very dangerous place just now – environmentally, politically, socially, and economically. We are witnessing the decay of Western culture based on Christian virtues and values. How should we react? Is this decay an indication that the end of history is at hand? Well, maybe, or, maybe not.  Augustine in the  The City of Man and the City of God   teaches us that “the end is nigh’ thinking is erroneous. All empires pass away and ours is no different. Christians are a pilgrim people and no matter what may befall our land and our institutions, these earthly societies are not God’s abiding Kingdom. The City o...

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“If the world grows too worldly, it can be rebuked by the Church; but if the Church grows too worldly, it cannot be rebuked for worldliness by the world.” ( G. K. Chesterton)  As the election season approaches and we look at the political choices facing us, we ask: What should our priorities as Christians be? Can faith and politics serve one another in 21st century Britain?  Let’s consider the ‘Burkean’ case for "conservatism" and wedding itself to the Church of England. In his  Reflections on the Revolution in France ,   Edmund Burke makes a passionate case for the Church of England: The consecration of the state, by a state religious establishment, is necessary also to operate with an wholesome awe upon free citizens; because, in order to secure their freedom, they must enjoy some determinate portion of power.  To them therefore a religion connected with the state, and with their duty towards it, becomes even more necessary than in such societies, where th...

 A very Happy New Year to all commentators and readers. “Here’s to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old;  here’s to the things that are yet to come and to the memories that we hold.” From popes down to the homeless, each of us is an individual creation made and loved by God. We are all unique. We will all be judged individually. And, as Christians, we will be held to a higher standard as we proclaim that we are part of the Mystical Body of Christ. No matter how we lived our lives, the common denominator for all of us will be:  How much we loved each other. Here are some points to consider as we focus on loving God and our neighbour in the New Year: Never forget that you are God’s individual creation and a gift He has bestowed on the world. Be humbled because He has you in the palm of His hand. Without Him you are nothing. Be happy with who and what you are. God made you and loves you. If you feel you need to change, you can do it. Just ask for His help...

Pope Francis: Dear Brothers and Sisters,  Merry Christmas! The eyes and the hearts of Christians throughout the world turn to Bethlehem; in these days, it is a place of sorrow and silence, yet it was there that the long-awaited message was first proclaimed: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” ( Lk  2:11). Those words spoken by the angel in the heavens above Bethlehem are also spoken to us. We are full of hope and trust as we realize that the Lord has been born for us; that the eternal Word of the Father, the infinite God, has made his home among us. He became flesh; he came “to dwell among us” ( Jn  1:14). This is the good news that changed the course of history! The message of Bethlehem is indeed “good news of great joy” ( Lk  2:10). What kind of joy? Not the passing happiness of this world, not the glee of entertainment but a joy that is “great” because it makes  us  great. For today, all of us, with all our sh...