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READING & MEDITATING ON GOD’S WORD One of the brothers at Glenstal Abbey describes reading Scripture as entering “the text of meeting”. He makes a useful play on the phrase “tent of meeting”. In the text, we are met and enter an encounter. I remember sitting at my kitchen table as a boy with a […]

SAINT PATRICK In school assemblies we often reflect that Patrick was an unlikely patron saint for Ireland. Apart from having an initially negative experience of this land, he was also quite hesitant about himself. As you can see later, he struggled with his lack of fluency and learning, which he saw in others. However, Patrick […]

FASTING & SELF DENIAL Benedictine monks take obedience as one of their vows. A brother from Glenstal Abbey once described obedience as a type of fasting; fasting from having to have a say on everything, from always being right, from my way being the best way; fasting from having the last word, or from pre-judging […]

PRAYER Lord teach us to pray. The disciples implore Jesus to teach them how to pray. We might remember that this was from a group of people who had been praying since they could speak. As devout members of their faith community, they would have begun each day, and continued in prayer. Perhaps what we […]

REPENTANCE In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength Isaiah 35 (From Holy Baptism : The Decision) Do you reject the devil and all proud rebellion against God? I reject them. Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil? I renounce them. Do you repent […]