By Deacon BARRY MELLISH

Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim though this barren land.

We are all on a pilgrimage – our journey through life in a world which can be very barren, particularly if you are a refugee fleeing the wars that are raging throughout the world.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster

You may or may not have noticed that this has been Marriage Week. And the internet has been awash with a plethora of ideas to boost one’s marriage and the marriages of others. Bravo to the US Bishops in particular for their innovative “What have you done for your marriage?” quiz and other digital ideas.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster

The other day I came across a rather witty set of questions entitled “The Charles Schulz Philosophy”, written by the creator of character Charlie Brown and the Peanuts comic strip. I am paraphrasing them here below and somewhat Anglicising them, but if you’ve never seen them before, read them through, answering them in your mind.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster

The Jubilee Year of Mercy has begun and we must all try our best to embrace the many special channels of grace and beauty and blessing that are unmistakably going to come our way from the Father’s loving heart for each one of us.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster 

We all know that line of scripture about God choosing what is foolish in the world’s eyes to shame the wise. Well, I think in these rapidly passing days of Advent towards Christmas (especially as we’re now technically in a state of war – albeit very remotely – in Syria), we need some simple, innocent, uncomplicated joy to remind us that, whilst we take the Faith seriously, we ought not to take ourselves too seriously.

Mary stands before us as a sign of comfort, encouragement and hope. She turns to us, saying: “Have the courage to dare with God. Try it. Do not be afraid of him. Have the courage to risk with faith. Have the courage to risk with goodness. Have the courage to risk with a pure heart. Commit yourselves to God. Then you will see that it is precisely by doing so that your life will become broad and light – not boring, but filled with infinite surprises, for God’s infinite goodness is never depleted.”

Fr TOM McHUGH

Doors and doorways are a powerful symbol in the human imagination. Not many years ago, young members of a family were given a key to the front door on their 18th birthday, marking a point of maturity and responsibility. Doorways are places of encounter — marking arrivals and departures, welcomes and fond farewells.

By MAUREEN MULLALLY-CLARKE

One morning, at the English Mass on our unforgettable Pilgrimage to Medjugorje, I could not help noticing the mother calming her disabled son with a gentle pressure on his arm when his desire to communicate — or to pray? – resulted in his becoming too noisy a participant in the Eucharist celebration. Every time she did this, he turned to her with an unforgettable look of pure love and joy, willingly obeying her.

By EDMUND ADAMUS, Director, Office of Marriage and Family Life – Diocese of Westminster

Yes it’s that time of year where little by little, many households are a hive of activity preparing for a return to schools, colleges and institutions of learning. But as this tsunami of new, yet familiar, demands sweeps over us, let’s not forget that ultimately the home is tasked and graced to be THE school of many things: It’s a school of love, faith, virtues, humanity, dignity, communion, fraternity, hospitality, friendship, moral courage, frugality but abundance (not wanton luxury) when appropriate, elegance, joy and above all sacrifice.

By Fr TOM McHUGH

Children love stories; so do adults. We enjoy telling stories and listening to them, too, and we love to hear a good story again and again. Our storytelling takes many forms — a mum or dad reading a story to their child at bedtime, with the favourite story  requested yet again. Try to skip a few lines and you will be called back on track!