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Later this month Christians all over the world will commemorate probably the most unlikely saint in the Bible, Mary Magdalene. There was something in her background that has always fascinated people. All we are told about her ‘past’ is that Jesus had cast ‘seven devils’ out of her, but on that slender if intriguing evidence...

Some porters were hired to carry a group’s possessions on a trip through the jungle. The pace quickly increased until the head porter called a halt: ‘We’ve come so far, so fast we need to take a break and allow our souls to catch up with our bodies!’ How often do we feel like this?...

A garden is a mystery It makes me question ‘why?’ The plants I nurture with such care Just shrivel up and die? While seeds that I don’t know about All vigorously thrive And grow like fabled beanstalks From cracks within my drive! By Nigel Beeton

It is easy to understand the popularity of Mary Magdalene over the centuries: she is the patron saint both of repentant sinners and of the contemplative life. Jesus drove seven demons from Mary, who came from near Tiberius in Galilee.  She became His follower to the bitter end.  She followed Him to Jerusalem and was...

The popular trend for installing a boiling water tap in our kitchen is leading to a rise in scaldings, according to recent NHS Digital data. The number of people, including young children, who have suffered serious burns due to their own boiling water taps has risen significantly in the past three years.   In 2016-17 there...

‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.’ (Augustine). We all have deep longings in our lives that we seek to satisfy, however Jesus points out that we can only be truly satisfied by God Himself: ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst...

If you own a dog, you won’t be surprised to learn you are far more likely to go out walking than your neighbour who doesn’t have a dog. (Especially on rainy winter days!) Now the University of Liverpool has found that 87.3 per cent of us who own dogs exercise for 150 minutes a week,...

Fake news is not new. Perhaps one old example is the assertion that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Back in the 6th Century, Pope Gregory is said to have confused her with two other women in the Bible. Medieval Bible scholars also attempted to name an unidentified sinful woman who had washed and anointed the...

When all thy mercies, O my God, My rising soul surveys, Transported with the view, I’m lost In wonder, love and praise. By Joseph Addison

Here is a curious thing: even just one cup of coffee a day can reduce the risk of an elderly person falling – by up to a third. A recent study of thousands of older patients from the UK and Spain has found that even small amounts of coffee are enough to make them steadier...

James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee and fishermen from Galilee – the ‘sons of thunder’, as the gospel writers describe their impetuous characters and fiery tempers. James stands out on three accounts: he was one of the three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ.  Jesus took him, along with Peter and...

Oh, you gotta get a glory In the work you do; A Hallelujah chorus In the heart of you. Paint, or tell a story, Sing, or shovel coal, But you gotta get a glory, Or the job lacks soul. Anonymous