Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Some people’s lives seem to epitomise the suffering of millions, but also to shine with a Christian response to it.  One such person was Maximilian Kolbe, 1894 – 1941, a Franciscan priest of Poland, and publisher extraordinary. Maximilian was born at Zdunska Wola, near Lodz, where his parents, devout Christians, worked in a cottage weaving...

The Church responds with a resounding ‘Yes’ to that question, as we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15thAugust. (Usually her feast day is on the 16th.) An ancient name for this day is the transition of Mary – her crossing over to eternal life – or the assumption of Mary. But her story begins...

Justice Want a coffee? If you go down to the sea today, beware! Donatella Versace Sourdough and your toaster The scammers will come after you Men, keep your shirts on! Fewer wasps Why used-car dealers are smiling this summer Is it windy? Forget the barbecue A hidden danger of junk food Your dog’s DNA could...

From Isaiah 42: ‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold…A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.’ I often...

Have you done something bad which haunts you?  Does the memory of it still follow you through each day – and keep you awake at night?   If so, then Laurence Loricatus (c. 1190 – 1243) is the saint for you.  He was born at Facciolo (Apulia) and as a youth he killed a man. After...

Drinking three cups of coffee a day is good for you. A recent study has found that it can cut your chance of dying from chronic liver disease by up to half. On average, coffee drinkers seem to have a 21 per cent reduced risk of developing chronic liver disease, and a 49 per cent...

Some people are pushy and a bit grasping.  They get on your nerves.  Pray that they go on to find God’s will for their lives, for then all that pushiness is put to good use. Take Jeanne Delanoue.  She was born at Saumur in 1666, and grew up small, authoritarian, and quite frankly, a bit...

The popular summer pastime of paddling our feet along the shoreline has become risky, due to a rise in venomous stinging fish along the British coast. The weever fish may be only six inches long, but the venomous spines along its dorsal fin can inject fast-acting poison into your foot if you step on it,...

Support Safeguarding Sunday  The Queen on York Minster Key role for faith communities The new way of choosing candidates for ordination Are clergy paid enough? Christian Aid launches emergency Global Hunger Appeal Conflict growing in Ethiopia Tearfund draws attention to the misery of Tigray From corporate executive to FGM campaigner Church Commissioners report strong long-term...

How will you become a better person than you are now?   Have you ever denied yourself in order to try and please God?  No matter what your dedication, it is unlikely that your efforts will ever have outshone those of Rose of Lima (1586 – 1617), who in 1671 became the first saint of America,...

Donatella Versace was once famous for being “the human avatar” for the megabrand her brother Gianni created. But nowadays she has some words of wisdom for women who feel they must ‘keep up’. “I’ve realised that wanting to be perfect is like an illness. So now I say to myself, ‘well done’, even when I...

York Minster is to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year with a statue of the monarch, placed in a niche high on its medieval west front. The figure of the queen will be slightly larger than life, and she will be holding the historic symbols of monarchy: the orb and sceptre. She will be...