Lection Divina is an ancient and powerful way of praying with scripture. It is so simple that it can be used every day. Yet it is also powerful, drawing forth deep riches from The Word of God. Following five steps, preparing, listening, reflecting, responding and acting on The Word, this prayer is like a dialogue
Microcalligraphy, or micrography, is a Jewish form of contemplating scripture developed in the 9th century. It uses minute hand-scribed passages of the scriptures to trace the outlines of an image. Two forms are commonly used. The first uses geometric or decorative patterns to organise the text into a non-representational work. In this form, the pattern
The fear of an unplanned pregnancy is one of the prevailing realities of modern coupledom. No matter how much we love babies, how much we trust in God’s providence, almost every couple will at some time have tasted the anxiety of possible pregnancy at the wrong time. For some couples, the anxiety may be
For parents, the art of accompanying their children begins at the child’s birth. Simple, daily interactions establish the most important ingredient: an emotionally close and trusting relationship. Awkward moments I still remember the time when our young son started talking in detail about his recent, medically -required circumcision at the dinner table, when a friend
Confirmation is the completion of the graces received at Baptism and from the earliest days of Christianity was closely linked to the Sacrament of Baptism. The Letter to Hebrews lists the first elements of Christian instruction is the waters of Baptism and the Laying on of Hands and invoking of the Holy Spirit. Anointing the
Developed by Gary Chapman, the Five Love Languages, is a simple framework that can teach us how to love more effectively. The theory is simple and powerful. Love is like a language. People ‘speak’ love in different ways, some through words of affirmation, others through thoughtful gifts, acts of service, quality time or touch.
Things go wrong. Disasters happen. We fail. We mess up. No matter our age or talent, we all face adversity from time to time. Learning to respond with optimism and self-mastery can be the difference between a productive, joy-filled life and one mired with hopelessness. A persistent pessimistic mind-set is also a risk factor
May is the month of Mary. Why not plant a Mary’s Garden this month, as a sign of devotion and to create a place of beauty and reflection? Whether we give it a whole acre of space, a single lushly planted pot on a balcony, we can pray in our Mary’s garden with our children
By Francine Pirola We all strive for happiness. One would think that it would be a fairly simple project: minimise pain and maximise pleasure. Turns out, it’s not that simple and instinct often leads us in the wrong direction. We expect that money, comfort, possessions and power, for example, will deliver happiness and that more
"Let the little children come to me" Francine’s Story “Have you ever been to Mass with a restless toddler or unsettled baby? I have. Plenty of times. As a daily Mass-goer and mother of five, I’ve lost count of the number of times. While I took reasonable steps to contain their boisterous behaviour, I wanted
