We Crave To Meet Our Lord Face To Face

There is a longing within every Christian soul that words rarely manage to capture. It is the deep, aching desire to meet Our Lord face to face. 

We imagine that moment when the veil is lifted and we finally see the One who made us, the One who loved us into existence, the One who carried us through every hardship. 

That desire is written into us because God Himself placed it there. When we feel the tug of heaven, it is the tug of home. We know that heaven is where we belong because heaven is where He is.

Although this encounter in its fullness is reserved for eternity, there are moments even now when we draw astonishingly close to Him, closer than we allow ourselves to grasp. These moments are not only spiritual but profoundly physical, because the God who took flesh in Bethlehem still gives Himself in flesh and blood. 

An easy prayer to remember...

 
"Almighty God of grace and light,
please bless (name here or description of person) and hold them tight. 
Grant them peace along their ways
and keep them safe both nights and days.

A prayer that can help us to pray unceasingly? Well, maybe.

When we read the Scriptures, one of the commands that often makes us pause is St Paul's exhortation to the Thessalonians: "Pray constantly" (1 Thessalonians 5:17, RSV-CE). The words are simple — but the challenge is great. How can we possibly pray without ceasing when life is full of work, family, obligations, and interruptions?

The saints across the centuries have taught us that unceasing prayer is not necessarily about being on our knees every second of the day. It is more about cultivating a spirit of prayer — a readiness of heart that continually turns to God. St Augustine put it beautifully when he said, "Your desire is your prayer; if your desire continues, your prayer continues." Prayer, then, is more than words. It is the lifting up of the heart to God.

But sometimes we need words — and simple words at that. In our weakness, our minds wander and our hearts grow distracted. A small, memorable prayer can become like a companion that helps us stay attuned to God's presence in the midst of daily life.

Here's an easy prayer; simple and yet profound:

Green dinosaurs wearing Santa hats but not a crib in sight - A reflection on the true meaning of Christmas

It was supposed to be a simple, cheerful visit to a local well-known garden centre. You know the kind — enormous, bustling, and bursting with Christmas spirit even before the first frosts have properly set in. 

Rows upon rows of glittering baubles, dancing reindeer, and tinsel that sparkles under soft festive lighting. The familiar scent of pine mingles with mulled spice candles, and for a moment you can almost hear the faint echo of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” in the air. 

But as I wandered deeper into the displays, something began to dawn on me — a quiet, unsettling realisation.

Among the mountains of merchandise and mechanical snowmen, there was not a single crib. Not one.

Why can't we just... wait?

The Age of Now... Click and collect in 1 hour. Next day delivery. Pizza delivery within 30 minutes. Express delivery within 4 hours. Fast food. Fast fashion. Why can't we just... wait?

Our modern world has turned speed into a virtue. We can have almost anything instantly—whether it is a meal, a gadget, a garment, or entertainment streamed in seconds.

Convenience is now seen as a kind of right.

And yet, as Christians, we know that the most important things in life are not available "on demand." Love takes time. Virtue takes effort. Holiness takes a lifetime. Salvation is a journey of patience, perseverance, and trust in God's timing.

So why can't we just… wait?

Five Quiet Miracles We Might Miss Each Day

Have we ever stopped mid-rush, wondering if God is truly present in the little moments of our day?

When life feels hectic and noisy, we might be tempted to think that miracles only happen in grand, extraordinary ways. 

Yet what if the most beautiful miracles are actually happening quietly around us — in the unnoticed, the overlooked, the everyday?

This reflection invites us to slow down and open our eyes to five simple but profound miracles that may be passing us by.

These aren’t the flashy, headline-grabbing signs from heaven; they’re gentle reminders of God’s love quietly weaving itself through the fabric of our daily life.

Jonah – The Opposite of Jesus?

There is a strange comfort in the Book of Jonah. 

Most prophets in Scripture shine with courage, obedience, and clarity of mission. 

Jonah does not. 

He runs from God, he resists God's will, he complains even after witnessing miracles, he sulks when mercy is shown, and he never truly softens in the narrative. 

Jonah stands out as the prophet who simply does not want to be one. 

His story feels familiar because it mirrors our own reluctance, our own fears, and our own instinct to run when God calls us into something costly.

An easy prayer to remember...

 

"Peace be with you", our Lord tells us,
 as He grants His peace to me and you,
Lord help me live this peace You give,
in all I think.. and say... and do. 

When a Talking Carrot Becomes a More Recognisable Symbol of Christmas than a Crib

There was a time when December meant Nativity plays, Advent calendars filled with scripture verses, and the simple joy of seeing a small crib placed in the window or on the mantelpiece.

Yet, as the years have gone by, something has quietly shifted. For many, Christmas has become less about Christ and more about commercials — less about the Word made flesh and more about a talking carrot in a supermarket advert.

Saint Wiborada of St Gall – The Hidden Flame of Solitude and Scripture - PLUS FREE GIFT!

There are saints whose names echo through the centuries — Francis, Thérèse, Dominic, and Clare — and then there are others, so hidden that even devout Catholics might never have heard of them. 

Yet, in the quiet corners of heaven, their intercession burns just as brightly. 

One of these hidden flames is Saint Wiborada of St Gall, a woman of prayer, silence, courage, and an almost fierce love for the Word of God.

She lived and died in the tenth century, in what is now Switzerland, during a time of uncertainty and fear. Yet her legacy reminds us that holiness does not always stand on a grand stage; sometimes it kneels in a small, stone cell — praying unseen, loved by God alone.

Lord, guard Your priests, Your chosen few...

 

Lord, guard Your priests, Your chosen few, With hearts aflame and faith made new. Protect their hearts, their words, their way, And keep them close to You each day.

As I love God so much, I find it hard to offer up my pains and troubles to him

There is a strange and quietly painful contradiction in the Christian life that we don’t often talk about. It’s this: sometimes the deeper our love for God becomes, the harder it feels to bring Him our sufferings.

It sounds illogical at first. 

Shouldn’t love mean we share everything? 

Shouldn’t a child run to their loving Father when they are hurting? 

Yes, of course - and we know this in our heads. But in the depths of our hearts, many of us who are striving to live closely with Christ, especially in the Catholic tradition, can feel an invisible wall when it comes to offering up our own pains.

We hold back, not because we don’t trust God, but because we love Him so much that we simply don’t want to cause Him any more sorrow.

An easy prayer to remember...

For the souls in purgatory suffering there,

the cleansing furnace which they bear,

Father quench those flames for their pain to cease,

and lead them home... to Heaven... and peace. 

Praying for the souls in Purgatory

For the souls in purgatory suffering there,

the cleansing furnace which they bear,

Father quench those flames for their pain to cease,

and lead them home... to Heaven... and peace.

The 24/7 Catholic Monthly - 1st November 2025 - All Saints and All Souls

Welcome to the November edition of The 24/7 Catholic Monthly. 

This month, the Church turns her gaze toward heaven and eternity. It is a time of joyful honour and solemn prayer.

 The glory of All Saints Day meets the compassion of All Souls Day, reminding us that we are all on a journey—pilgrims bound for glory, with the communion of saints cheering us on.

November is the month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, a time to remember those who have gone before us, and to lift them in prayer and love. It is also a month to renew our own longing for heaven. The saints show us what we are called to be. The souls remind us to live well, and die in grace.

What If?

Imagine that we are told — with absolute certainty — that tomorrow is our last day on this earth. Not a warning, not a guess, but a certainty. We know that when the sun sets tonight, it will be the last time we draw breath, the last time we hear the voice of a loved one, the last opportunity to embrace, to pray, or to repent.

If we truly believed tomorrow was our final day, how many of us would hesitate to go to Confession today? How many of us would allow pride, embarrassment, or fear to keep us from this beautiful sacrament of mercy and healing?

He stays close to us, wanting us to obey him so that we can spend eternity with him.

He never leaves our side for long. His presence is constant — a whisper in the quiet, a shadow at the edge of thought, a suggestion just when we're weakest. 

He doesn't always reveal himself in obvious ways, but he's there, patient, persistent, persuasive. 

He seems to know us better than anyone else, and at times it feels as though his will for our lives might even align with our own desires. After all, he speaks in the language of comfort, ease, and self-justification — and who could resist something that feels so familiar, so reassuring, so much like what we already want?

He tells us that obedience to him will bring us peace. That if we follow his lead, we will find freedom from guilt, acceptance from others, and the joy of doing what feels right. His voice rarely shouts — it murmurs. It adapts. It bends itself to suit our mood and moment....

The Golden Glow Of Autumn In Our Blessed Mother’s Garden

There are the days in October when sunlight feels almost sacred — when it lingers longer than expected on every leaf, softening the edges of the world. It is as though Heaven itself leans a little closer to the earth. 

This is the golden glow of autumn — that brief and holy time when creation bows gracefully toward its rest, clothed in splendour before surrendering to stillness.

In such light, even the simplest corner of the parish can seem touched by eternity. Behind Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in New Milton lies a quiet space that seems made for this season — Our Blessed Mother’s garden, wild yet peaceful, small yet filled with meaning.

It is not the kind of garden you find in glossy books or perfect rows. It is the kind of place where beauty whispers, where holiness hides among fallen leaves, and where anyone weary in soul can sit for a while and simply be.

Were the ‘Good Ol’ Days’ Really That Good? - What the Bible Tells Us About Harkening Back to Days Gone By

It’s easy to become wistful about the past. Whether it’s black-and-white photographs of smiling families around the dinner table, memories of high street shops bustling with familiar faces, or the sense that “things were simpler back then”, many people—especially as they grow older— tend to reflect fondly on the so-called “good ol’ days”.

We find ourselves longing for a time when moral values seemed more widely shared, when church pews were full, and when children respected their elders. 

In many cases, there’s a sense of spiritual loss as well—especially in the face of today’s secular culture, where God is often sidelined in public life.

But here’s the question: were the “good ol’ days” really that good? More importantly, what does Sacred Scripture say about nostalgia, longing for the past, and the temptation to believe that we’ve lost something irreplaceable?

Let’s take a deeper look.

The 24/7 Catholic Monthly - 1st October 2025 - Month of the Holy Rosary

Welcome to the October edition of The 24/7 Catholic Monthly. 

As autumn settles in, the Church offers us two spiritual treasures to warm the soul: the Rosary, a meditation on Christ through the eyes of Mary, and the Little Way of St Thérèse of Lisieux, a humble path of trust and love.

In this month, we are called to childlike confidence and contemplative simplicity. The Rosary and the Little Way are not relics of the past—they are lifelines for today.