Godzdogz

Hopefully by now you are slightly tired of Lent. (If not, give up something more next year?) And that is entirely the point of it: we have not observed Lent for its own sake, but to prepare us for today, to be able to confront that empty tomb, and as John did, have the response of faith. Just like chocolate, or whatever else it may be, we have not given up Alleluias all this time for mere fun’s sake – but instead so that we can now more truly say, Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia, Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia! Read more

It is common to think of Holy Saturday as the great silence. The pregnant pause after the traumatic events of Good Friday and before the ecstasy of the Resurrection. Holy Saturday is not merely a peaceful, quiet time where we see the reign of the tomb but a time of hidden explosive action. On Holy Saturday we remember the harrowing of Hell. Read more

The events of Good Friday should leave us desolate. To truly enter into the events of Good Friday, even though we know the good news of the Resurrection of Our Lord from the dead, we must feel something of that desolation experienced by the disciples that first Easter, when all seemed lost.  Read more

The Canadian psychologist, Jordon Peterson, has been in the news a lot recently. His latest book, “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos” has dominated Amazon’s top purchase list for almost two months now. Among some of the 12 rules he presents are the following.  Read more

Given the grim, painful aspects of Christ’s Passion and their reminder to us of the darkness of human sin, it can be easy to approach Holy Week as something heavy and draining, emotionally. Read more

Palm Sunday marks the opening of the most dramatic, most important, and most holy time of the Christian year, for we celebrate the great mystery of our salvation sacramentally entering the events of the Sacred Triduum.  Read more

Given that Lent is a time for greater focus on repentance, examining our consciences with renewed honesty is essential to obtaining that goal. I don’t know about you, but allowing myself to be more open about my own faults often feels scary. The process of getting to that state of honesty can feel a bit like dragging myself to the doctor’s office. In light of this, I have found it helpful to think of an examination of my conscience as being analogous to exploring my physical health with a first-rate medical doctor. In my experience, a good medical doctor is someone whose competency and empathy make me willing to tell that doctor anything I need to about my health, even things I might normally feel embarrassed about, because I believe that doctor is sincere and capable of giving me the right kind of care. Correspondingly, it can be helpful to think of examining one’s conscience as working with an outstanding doctor – the best doctor in existence.  Read more

Caryll Houselander was born in Bath on the Feast of St Michael the Archangel, 1901. Entering the Church at 7 years old, (hence calling herself ‘a rocking horse catholic’ in distinction to a ‘cradle catholic’), she became a writer, a poet, a mystic and a counsellor to many, particularly children, at the height of the blitz.  Read more