Preparing for Lent. 

Ash Wednesday, getting off to a good start. 

God wishes to be gracious with us. 

Accompanying him firstly through prayer and also through sacrifice (fasting) and giving of ourselves to others (alms giving).

A meditation by Fr Tom Dowd

God’s works are beautiful because He is Beauty. On the anniversary of the founding of the women’s branch and of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, we rejoice in the beauty of what God is doing. We remember that to sanctify the world is to beautify the world, and to be apostles is to share God’s beauty in daily life.  Meditation from Fr Donncha o hAodha for 14 February. 

The Feast of the Angelic Doctor is a great opportunity to reflect on the relationship between faith and reason. A meditation by Fr James Hurley, curate of Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Dublin

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity encourages us to pray that all may be one and be part of the communion which Christ desired for his Church. A meditation by Fr Patrick Gorevan.

The 9 January is the birthday of St Josemaria: the driving-force of St Josemaria’s life was to embrace God’s will, as the then-Cardinal Ratzinger reflected in the homily he gave on 19 May 1992, at a Mass of thanksgiving for the beatification of St Josemaria

As God used a star to guide the Magi to Bethlehem, so he uses each one of us as a light to guide family members, friends or colleagues to himself. A meditation by Fr Gavan Jennings. 

God freely chose Mary to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus. Mary freely responded to this invitation. Her spiritual motherhood extends to all the baptised. As God's adopted children, we can learn from Mary how to bring Christ to life through grace, catechesis, and our prayers for peace. A meditation by Fr James Hurley, curate of Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Dublin. 

In the final days of Advent the Liturgy expresses longing of God in a very intense way. This is firstly God’s amazing longing for us, then our longing for him, and also the yearning of so many people all around us for the Redeemer. A meditation by Fr Donncha o hAodha.

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception we ask that we too may respond to divine grace, as we see Mary do, joining in the struggle to overcome evil and live in Christ.