Kenya’s first Cardinal, the Servant of God, Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga, who is being considered for Sainthood, has been hailed as “a great gift to the Church” in the East African country and the world. In his message on the Tuesday, September 6 memorial of Cardinal Otunga, the Vice Postulator for the course of the Cardinal’s…
If I may gloat, I am a member of the Mother Teresa Parish in India’s Delhi Archdiocese. I knew the Saint of Calcutta as a journalist in her lifetime, even argued with her on her position on abortion, and defended her in print when the editor of the country’s biggest English language newspaper sought to…
Augustine’s faith was essentially a thinking faith, endeavouring to bring together the belief of his heart and the abilities of his mind. This is well illustrated by the fact that his favourite verse from scripture was a [mis]quotation from Isaiah 7:9, ‘If you do not believe, then you will not understand.’ Faith seeks understanding: faith…
There is a lovely quotation, attributed to St Augustine, which says that, ‘The sacred scriptures are our letters from home’. They certainly were for St Ignatius. And what do we do when we get letters from home (however that is now defined in our digital age)? We take them somewhere quiet so we can be…
Living in Vézelay is a very special grace: we are all there – discreetly, but surely – welcomed by Saint Mary Magdalene! And for a brother or a sister of the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem, this daily communion with the saint takes on particular significance and consistency, especially on Sunday mornings: our fraternities do not…
One key aspect of being in the image of God comes from how Edith followed the Carmelite Rule with its instruction to “ponder the Lord’s law day and night and keep watch in prayer” (cf. Psalm 1:2; 1 Peter 4:7). The notion of pondering the law evoked for her the lifelong study of the Hebrew Scriptures within…
Speaking off-the-cuff, the Pope said Charles de Foucauld’s spirituality helped him personally when he was studying theology. “He helped me overcome my crises and find a more simple, less Pelagian path of Christian life which is closer to the Lord.” The Pope concluded his speech by inviting the group to focus on St. Charles’ joy,…
Indian Christians are delighted after the country’s first lay Catholic, Blessed Lazarus, popularly known as Devasahayam, was declared a saint at the Vatican. Pope Francis canonized Devasahayam along with nine others during a Canonization Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 15 as celebrations were held at several churches across India, especially in the southern Indian states…
Born in 1881, Titus Brandsma was a Dutch theologian, journalist, and author, as well as ordained Carmelite priest, who forcefully opposed and spoke out against the anti-Jewish laws the Nazis were passing in Germany before World War II. In January 1942, when Germany invaded the Netherlands, he was arrested. The Nazis told the Carmelite priest that…
Titus Brandsma is a person of many talents. As a priest, he was inspired by Teresa of Avila, Carmelite and Saint. He had an extremely positive attitude to life. As a thinker, philosopher, and mystic, he made an intellectual contribution to the social debate. As professor at and Rector Magnificus of the Catholic University of…
In the run-up to the forthcoming canonisation of Charles de Foucauld on May 15th I was asked to write an article on his influence on missionary thinking, spirituality and practice for the Dutch language periodical Tijdschrift voor Geestelijk Leven. What follows is a two part translation into English. F.E. Personal experience. Like most missionaries of my…
In the run-up to the forthcoming canonisation of Charles de Foucauld on May 15th I was asked to write an article on his influence on missionary thinking, spirituality and practice for the Dutch language periodical Tijdschrift voor Geestelijk Leven. What follows is a two part translation into English. F.E. Charles de Foucauld – Monk-Missionary In…
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