|
Written by Anuli Igboaka
|
|
Tuesday, 22 January 2008 21:32 |
|
Tired and worn out from a busy day at work, I fret about what I’m going to eat this evening, when I will get a chance to check my emails or whether I ought to give that a miss and just head straight to the gym. I remember all the patients I saw at the hospital during the day and think about their treatments. By the time my mind becomes focused again in the present, an hour has passed. I worry about the fact that I only have four more hours left of the evening before I ought to sleep if I am to be alert during the ward-round tomorrow. I manage to cook some food to eat, but by the time I finish that I only have three more hours till bedtime. I get a phone call from a friend after which I am one hour closer to bedtime. With two hours remaining I ask myself, ‘Should I kneel and say a prayer to the Lord?’. I convince myself that it will be better to do so in an hour because then I can fall asleep directly afterwards. So I’m left now with an hour to spare. I find anything and everything to distract myself – books, mobile phone games, even staring into space, anything… |
|
Last Updated on Friday, 30 January 2009 07:09 |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Fr Damian Cassidy
|
|
Monday, 29 October 2007 12:27 |
|
A way of prayer that has shaped me ~ Carmelite Spirituality. What shapes you? I am fascinated by the ‘things’ and attitudes that shape people and their view of the world. We can name people in our own personal histories who have influenced us in such a way that our life changes because of our engagement with them. Our responses to events also shape future attitudes. This might sound a bit psychological, but it is good to have a knowledge of self that acknowledges those things that influence us. A major influence in my life is a spirituality that is centuries old, with origins in the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. I received much of my faith formation under the influence of the Carmelite Order. In many ways Carmel has been the major influence in my life. |
|
Last Updated on Monday, 29 October 2007 12:28 |
|
Read more...
|
|
Written by Fr Damian Cassidy
|
|
Tuesday, 18 September 2007 21:15 |
|
 Prayer for many people is a stumbling block in life. We pray when we gather as a community for the Eucharist, for popular communal prayers such as the rosary. But when it comes to our personal experiences of prayer we are often dissatisfied or too busy. We fill silences with words and are often lost is the realm of ‘listen Lord your servant is speaking!’ I say we, but I guess it would be more honest to say ‘I’. I have problems with prayer. I know the theory, I have been formed in an ancient spiritual tradition and, thankfully, I have had deep experiences of God’s presence and comfort in times of prayer. But these are the heights, but what of the routine? How can prayer become real and life changing for each of us? A more important question – What of the times in my prayer life when it seems that God does not hear or is apparently disinterested in my plight? As I reflect on my own prayer life, I hope that you will find some echoes with your own experiences.
|
|
Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 October 2007 11:54 |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pray 