Some web browsing.......

Well now that the New Year has finally arrived and people are settling back into their usual routines, it is time to get back to our normal routine here at Sacred Space 102fm. Given that Ireland still celebrates Epiphany on January 6th we will have some posts later in the week around it, including the Epiphany Announcement and some thoughts and reflections for you to have a look at.

To start off the New Year we begin with a round up of some interesting links and reads we came across over the Christmas and thought you might like to have a look at:

First off we have the links to the various talks and messages of Pope Benedict XVI during the various celebrations:

• One of the things that grabbed media attention was Pope Benedict XVI's participation with BBC 4 on their "Thought for the Day" programme. You can find the text here or listen to the recording here.
• Homily for Midnight Mass - "The King embodies hope"
• Urbi et Orbi message (you can see the video and read the various languages!)
• "Love is the force that changes the world" - The Popes Christmas Day lunch with the poor of Rome at the Vatican
• And finally Pope Benedict XVI's message for the Celebration of World Day for Peace 2011.

There is a lot to think and reflect on in these messages if you have the time.

For those of us in Ireland, we have had a stressful bit of time during the last few weeks with excessive snow and ice and now water supply problems; but Nonie over at Hope in a time of worry has some interesting thoughts about the whole issue of having hope. Take a run over and have a look, bounce her stats and say hi from us.

Eric Sammons has a big challenge for us - Read the Bible and Catechism this year. St Jerome said that ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ and in an age when people think they know what the Church teaches about various things but more often then not have it wrong, maybe we should dip in and out of the Catechism and see what is actually taught! Eric provides a link to a guide to take you through the year if you are interested.

In case you hadn't noticed, some of us here on Sacred Space 102fm are big fans of Elizabeth Scalia over at First Things who blogs as the Anchoress. We don't always agree with her by the way and some times her pieces have a very USA focus - but heck that is only natural, she is from the USA - but she had some interesting pieces during the Christmas including Surrender unto surrender

There was an interesting liturgical review from of all places the Washington Post during the Christmas focusing on the different styles of liturgy under the last two papal masters of ceremony with some reaction around the blogosphere with an interesting one from Tim Muldoon about the role of tradition. Given the whole issue of the new translation of the Mass into English and the role of liturgy, it is something which we will discuss again here in 2011.

Tim also blogs over at Patheos.com and notes that "Underneath the multiple layers of cultural memory associated with the Christmas season lies a striking theological claim. The author of the gospel of Matthew writes it this way: "They shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us'" (1:23). What does this claim mean today?" Continue reading here.

Again we have had another attack on our fellow Christians in a predominantly Muslim country by extremists. Fr Stephan Wang has various links to the story over the Christmas including to Aid to the Church in Need. At the same time, Rome Reports has a short piece about the 23 missionaries who died under violent circumstances in 2010. Please pray for all persecuted Christians who are in fear of their lives for their faith around the world and pray for missionaries who daily risk their lives to proclaim the gospel.

The issue of time and creating space to be with God was taken up by a few bloggers around New Years day:

• Time, Eternity and a Blessed New Year
• For 2011, unwrap the silence
• A Sanctuary in Time
• The videos on Youtube of the BBC series "The Big Silence" from Worth Abbey
• And an interesting look at the role of prayer beads across all the major world religions.

 For those of you that might be looking for some spiritual reading into the new year, the 2011 Letter from Taize.

The blog Clerical Whispers has posted an interesting article from "The Furrow" about a young priests view of the life of the church in Ireland.

The Irish Catholic newspaper makes the point that despite all their moral superiority over all corners of Irish society, the Irish media also suffers from its own form of clericalism.

An entertaining and challenging piece: 12 Things I Wish I Knew at 25: Spiritual Learning's on My 50th Birthday.

Did you discern a New Years resolution?

It is not all doom and gloom when it comes to the issue of religiosity and its role in society, but it also poses new challenges.

And finally some more good news from the Irish Dominican Province to start off the New Year with three diaconal ordinations.