102 years ago today, the Titanic sank with the loss of 1,514 lives. A lot of the media coverage of the anniversary, in Ireland at least, tends to mention Fr Francis Browne S.J., and rightly so. For those who do not know, Fr Browne (or Br Browne, as he then was) was a passenger on board the Titanic as it sailed from Southampton to Cobh. He was due to …
Ireland
April 15, 2014
With great earnestness recommend to His mercy the poor souls who are in their agony. What a dreadful hour, an hour tremendously decisive, is the hour of our death! Surround with your love these souls going to appear before God, and defend them by your prayers. COMMENT: Today is the feast of St Joseph. We traditionally pray to St Joseph for many things – work, fidelity to one’s vocation, …
March 19, 2014
I beg of God whom I love to grant me that I may shed my blood with those strangers and captives for His name’s sake, even though I be without burial itself, or my corpse be most miserably divided, limb by limb, amongst dogs and fierce beasts, or the birds of the air devour it. I think it most certain that if this happens to me, I shall have …
March 17, 2014
I shall be giving a lecture entitled “Hero of the Trenches: The Life and Spirit of Fr Willie Doyle SJ” on Thursday March 20 at 8pm in Lismullin Conference Centre near Navan, County Meath. Details may be found here: http://www.lismullin.org/seminars-forums/heritage-series I look forward to meeting any readers of the site who can make it.
March 8, 2014
St Peter Damian, Doctor of the Church The great light of this retreat, clear and persistent has been that God has chosen me, in His great love and through compassion for my weakness and misery, to be a victim of reparation for the sins of priests especially; that hence my life must be different in the matter of penance, self-denial and prayer, from the lives of others not given this …
February 21, 2014
Fr John Sullivan SJ I hope every single one of you will have broken every resolution you made in the retreat before the end of the week, and if not then, at least in a fortnight. It will do you good and humble you provided you get up and begin again and do not flop down and lie there on the broad of your back, saying “It’s no use, …
February 19, 2014
I saw many interesting places and things during my weeks of travel. But over all hung a big cloud of sadness, for I realised as I never did before how utterly the world has forgotten Jesus except to hate and outrage Him, the fearful, heart-rending amount of sin visible on all sides, and the vast work for souls that lies before us priests. My feelings at times are more than …
February 18, 2014
Ellen Organ – “LIttle Nellie of Holy God” Kneeling there I asked her what God wanted from me, when I heard an interior voice clearly repeating, “Love Him, love Him.” The following day she seemed to rebuke me, when leaving the cemetery, for the careless way I performed most of my spiritual duties, and to say that God was displeased with this and wanted great fervour and perfection in …
February 2, 2014
I would like you to note down in a little book the following things. Every day read each item over and put a little cross after it so that you may have constantly before your mind what you have to do and your faults. 1. Number of aspirations made. Number should be increased slowly but steadily. 2. Number of acts of self-denial. Same remark. 3. Fighting against worry, anxiety, …
February 1, 2014
St Charles of Mount Argus When January 5 does not fall on a Sunday like this year, it is the feast of St Charles of Mount Argus, a Dutch Passionist priest who spent about 30 years of his life in Dublin, dying here in 1893 at the age of 71. He greatly loved by the people of Dublin, primarily because of his humility and simplicity. He was not a …
January 5, 2014