Poetry

The Laurel and the Lantern: A Reflective Journey Through Britain's Poets Laureate at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth, on Friday, 18 September, will examine how writers from Wordsworth and Tennyson to Betjeman, Ted Hughes, Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage have captured the spirit, struggles, beauty and aspirations of their age. Presented by Rt Rev Dom Paulinus Greenwood OSB, Dr Jo Russell and She... Read More

Craig RA Hesketh's poems, and is perhaps timely given the publication of Magnifica Humanitas and the Holy Father's observations as follows: 150. Today, the convergence of automation, robotics and AI is rapidly transforming the very structure of work. It is said that this will bring great improvements for everyone. In reality, however, the "new ways" of working are not necessarily better, for "whil... Read More

The Wood between the Worlds I lit a candle. Not for peace- not yet- but for the man who called himself the Bread of Life, now broken, butchered, starved by the world that never knew him. He who claimed, "I am the Resurrection and the Life," now swallowed by the darkness of death. The one who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," is lost in silence, shut behind stone, as I, too, am hidden... Read More

Maundy Thursday: Towel and Sword Night gathers early. The room is dim. Bread on the table. Wine holding the last light. Outside, boots on stone. Empire still turns. Now too: Propellers in the dark. A drone circling above sleeping roofs. The long whistle of a bomb. Glass becoming rain. A child waking into fire. Inside, a bowl of water. He stands, slips off his robe, and takes up a towel. No one spe... Read More

Spikenard and Ash She moved like silence in a room full of eyes, broke the jar like a prophet breaks the sky. No words, Just oil - and the scent of burial. The men coughed, like they'd inhaled scandal. She poured a year's wage on his worn feet, and wiped them with her dignity undone. And the church- still, at times, finds itself in the crucible of pain and suffering. There, it pours itself out- in... Read More

Fig Tree It looks alive. Leaves out, green enough to signal blessing. God on our side, favour resting, certainty thick in the air. From a distance it all looks like it's working. A people fluent in Scripture, a faith wrapped tight around a nation, prayers spoken with the confidence of power. Chosen, they say. But chosen for what? There was once a promise; blessed to be a blessing, a light for the... Read More

Somewhere on a pavement is a shadow of we know not whom. Someone who survived just long enough to take the heat when a flash brighter than a thousand suns flared in the Hiroshima dawn, gobbling greedily the oxygen of the early morn and eliminating the lives, names, hopes of generations when Oppenheimer's Death, the Destroyer of Worlds, came calling. Somewhere on our soul is the shadow of these eig... Read More

The UK's leading MP has launched a book of poetry drawing on Mass readings - pledging to give half the proceeds to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Sir Edward Leigh, the 'Father of the House' - so named as the longest-serving member of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament - conceived of 'Another Country' during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown five years ago. The book of v... Read More

Dr Swee Ang, Catholic orthopaedic surgeon, author and founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians, writes: My God, my God Why do You forsake Gaza? The broken heart of Gaza cries out to you from the abyss of darkness, death, despair and desolation. Do you not hear the cries of the mothers Weeping for their children Bodies crushed under the rubble Incinerated to ashes, torso torn apart Eyes mingled wit... Read More

The Sanctuary Foundation have released a video to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, just weeks before the end of the Second World War. Bonhoeffer was deeply concerned about those suffering because of war. He not only helped those who were fleeing, but also challenged the Nazi regime about its xenophobic stance against immigrants living in their country. Six mill... Read More

On 21 March, we celebrate World Poetry Day, a tribute to the power of words, rhythm, and emotion, a timeless art form that transcends cultures and languages. Poetry has the ability to inspire, heal, and unite, offering solace to the soul and a window into the human experience. Among the many poetic voices, John Bradburne stands out as a poet of deep spirituality, contemplation, and mysticism. His ... Read More

Together with his seasonal greetings this year, the Catholic Independent Crossbench Life Peer, Lord David Alton, has shared a selection of beautiful Christmas carols and poems in his Christmas email. Lord Alton writes: Wishing you the happiest of Christmases and a peaceful and productive new year. Enjoy: John Rutter's Shepherd's Pipe Carol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ug0YxAJ2IM & https:/... Read More

Do not fear that I am missing in the chaos and the rubble. I was born there. It is my home. My parents told me of the arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted. A whim of a dictator. Do the numbers change when people move? Soldiers marching by screaming:" Move Now!" Brandishing whips and swords. Who cares if a few die on the way? Less to count. Less to revolt. Do not fear that I am ... Read More

Canon Robin Gibbons writes: Traditionally the Sunday before Advent was called 'Stir up Sunday' words taken from the opening phrase of the Collect. Families would gather to stir together all the ingredients for the Christmas Pudding, often making a silent wish as they did. The mixture was then put aside to await the long boil for Christmas Dinner! Stir up in us Lord of joy Our good Host of that ... Read More