Some web browsing...........

 
Some web browsing for you to look over while having that cuppa Barry's and the last few mincepies ;)


Pope Francis related articles:

• Radical Pope, Traditional Values - The New York Times
• How Pope Francis Is Changing Our Definition Of Success - Forbes
• 2013 - The Year of Pope Francis - Vatican Radio
• A very Franciscan Christmas after all - John Allen
• “Let us embrace those in difficulty” - The Pope appealed against indifference and selfishness in this year’s “Te Deum” During the solemn celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica the Pope reflected on the year that is about to pass and pointed out the priorities for next year

The Scandal of Christmas - The Plough

David Quinn: Packed Mass shows what the church must do: turn believers into belongers
 
The First Five Years - How the church can support young priests in a secular age - America magazine
 
Changed, Not Ended - A view of religious life from a young sister - America Magazine
 
Post-Clerical Catholics - America Magazine

Singing hymns at atheist services makes as much sense as celebrating one’s elbow - The Irish Times

 
What do you preach to a church full of Jews on Christmas?

  

Strength of Faith: A letter to a student with no ‘spiritual experiences’ - The Jesuit Post
 
Quiet Nothingness - "There are times in our prayer lives that we feel God is absent, or we struggle to feel or hear God in prayer. Those dry periods of prayer are incredibly challenging, especially when trying to discern. It is not until the dry period of prayer ends that I understand the value of what feels like God’s silence"
 
Dame Catherine Osbourne (aka Digitalnun) posted some very thought provoking pieces over at iBenedictines during the Christmas including this one on New Years Day 2014

Message to a heartbroken widow: embrace your grief - The Irish Times

Goodbye 2013 - Sr Louise reflects on New Years Eve

A reflection on the role of hospitality in our modern world - "The independent rootlessness of emerging adults presents potent opportunities for the practice of hospitality." - Blessed are the homesick: Hospitality for mobile Millenials

Holocaust History - as told by a survivor - The New York Times

Can Muslim lands learn to tolerate Christians? - Washington Post

Some nostalgia:

I’ve discovered that I am suffering from an inability to get rid of things

An ordered existence - Why do men leave the world behind for monastery life? Conor Pope gets some honest answers when he spends two days with the monks in Glenstal. Video for the article here.