Cardinal Vincent Nichols Advent is a time of prayer. It invites us to focus our prayer on the threefold coming of Christ. His first in the manger, his second, in his return and his third into our lives. We look to the examples of prayer we see in the lives of Mary, Zechariah, Simeon and Anna and the example of St John the Baptist and the Magi. Their beautiful canticles, prayers, exhortations and gestures help us contemplate the two great mysteries of faith: the Incarnation but also the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The great mystery of faith lies in the distinctive truth of the Incarnation ..read more

During November we are encouraged to remember and pray for prisoners, people in prison. Actually, they are not the only people in prison, the governor, the prison officers and support staff, admin, cooks, cleaners and so on, they all are people in prison and we remember and pray for them all. The chaplaincy is a crucial part of any prison – but what role does it really play, and how important is it to the running of a prison? Can you imagine knowing that you might have to spend the rest of your life in prison. Imagine a wide, concrete, windowless corridor; it is soul-less, and draughty, and u ..read more

The monumental campaigning of Martin Luther King, Jr., for civil rights in the 1950s and 60s was inspired by his faith. His eloquent rhetoric challenged the racism systemic in society and ushered in a time of societal and personal reform. Civil and human rights remain at the vanguard of all social action, but Dr King’s witness shone in the darkness as a witness of hope and change. On 5 December 1955, a barely-known pastor stood at the pulpit in front of a crowded church in Montgomery, Alabama. ‘We are here this evening for serious business,’ he began, in a deep, powerful voice that seemed old ..read more

Albino Luciani, the ‘Smiling Pope’ was also known as the ‘September Pope’ and throughout Italy as ‘Papa Luciani’. He understood his vocation to be about winning and attracting people to the gospel of joy with his innate happiness and infectious smile. His smile wasn’t that of a grinning cat or a superficial ‘Facebook Smile’, no, his joy came from a deep oasis within him of real joy and genuine happiness bestowing on us all the smile of God. Pope John Paul I ‘talked the talk and walked the walk’ of the hymn ‘This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine’. He was christened the ‘Pope of the ..read more

We are stewards of God’s good gift of creation – called to care and protect it, not damage or harm it. Climate change, rising sea levels and global warming are an existential and a real and present danger. Never has our vocation to be Stewards of the Earth and of Creation been greater or more urgent. If you want to feel humble, go and stand atop a mountain. From there, look out over the vastness and beauty of nature: the hills, the rocks and the trees, which are far older than us, the rivers and lakes glinting in the sun and the hundreds of thousands of species of flowers. God made all this ..read more

Christianity is often viewed as a sombre, dour religion that takes itself very seriously. In fact, says Freya Kormoczy, many of our saints were a laugh a minute, and historians think Jesus had a great sense of humour. Sitting in a cold church listening to a serious priest deliver a serious sermon about serious sins is a common stereotype of Christianity. In some religious communities (as we all know) it fits the bill but, on the other hand, many Catholics have a cracking sense of humour and love to laugh. Why wouldn’t they if they have a relationship with God? What greater source of joy is the ..read more

Every birth is a little miracle and Maryanne Dowle, a parishioner from St Thomas More, Coventry, shares her dramatic story of the birth of her son George proving that miracles do happen! When my waters broke at 20 weeks, I was told that the next 12-48 hours were critical, and the most likely outcome was stillbirth. Facing isolation and total bedrest, alongside weeks of sick leave, I was anxious about the future. My consolation was the registrar’s words that night: ‘miracles do happen’. Surviving the first 48 hours was the most relief I’ve ever felt. From that moment, I prayed through each day ..read more

In his encyclical Laudato si, Pope Francis propsed an ecological conversion, a recommitment to be good and faithful stewards of God’s wonderful gift of creation. The Bible reveals God as the good Creator, the Intelligence behind Intelligent Design, the Lord and the giver of life on earth. Our only response: ­awe, wonder and praise! At the beginning of the Bible we find stories of creation. The Holy Spirit was active: ‘The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.’ (Genesis 1:2). The Hebrew word for ..read more

Awareness and full faith in the resurrection of Jesus only dawned on the disciples gradually and progressively. What was key to this coming of faith was that they were open to the various signs – pointers, if you like, leading them to full resurrection faith: the empty tomb (far from a convincing sign!!), the folded burial garments and the rolled away stone. These strange and perplexing things were a doorway into a great mystery. The disciples (and we too) sensed that they were on the threshold of something wonderful and life changing but they did not yet have a full Easter faith. A process ne ..read more

Fine Cell Work is unique in Britain’s prisons: for hundreds of inmates, it provides the only way to earn money from within a prison cell. It’s also, explains Joanna Moorhead, about a great deal more besides. The warehouse air is chilly, but what’s missing in warmth is more than made up for in the extraordinary visual display of vibrant colours and intricate craftwork on display. On every shelf and in every cubby-hole there’s another beautiful, meticulously-made item: here an exquisitely-worked, red and green floral-patterned cushion cover; there, a geometric footstool with all the colours of ..read more