Thought from Fr. Colm - 8th February 2026

Shine and Season

You are the salt upon the earth,

A quiet gift of humble worth,

That seasons hearts with grace and care,

And draws the lost to love’s repair.

You are the light the night can’t hide,

A beacon burning deep inside,

Set high so wandering souls may see

The path to truth, the way to be.

So let your kindness brightly glow,

In every place your feet may go;

For when your life reflects His flame,

The world will glorify His name.

Unknown

Thought from Fr. Colm - 1st February 2026

Alternative Beatitudes

Blessed be the dreamers, for they know how to hope.

Blessed be the mothers, for they know the value of life.

Blessed be the faithful, for they know the power of prayer.

Blessed be the wanderers, for they know the ways of the world.

Blessed be the silent, for they know how to truly listen.

Blessed be the teachers, for they know the joy of a child.

Blessed be the lost, for they know how it feels to be found.

Blessed be the joyful, for they know the importance of laughter.

© Amy Frazey  

Thought from Fr. Colm - 25th January 2026

There is a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say. It is an impatient, inattentive listening, that despises the brother and is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person.

This is no fulfilment of our obligation, and it is certain that here too our attitude toward our brother only reflects our relationship to God.

It is little wonder that we are no longer capable of the greatest service of listening that God has committed to us, that of hearing our brother's confession, if we refuse to give ear to our brother on lesser subjects. Secular education today is aware that often a person can be helped merely by having someone who will listen to him seriously, and upon this insight it has constructed its own soul therapy, which has attracted great numbers of people, including Christians. But Christians have forgotten that the ministry of listening has been committed to them by Him who is Himself the great listener and whose work they should share.

We should listen with the ears of God that we may speak the Word of God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community