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?