Is it right to fear God? What is the difference between a destructive fear and a “holy trepidation”? An Advent homily by Fr Stephen Wang: Look around you at the chapel walls. Look at the […]
Spirituality
The dense mystery of the Breviary: the experience of a young seminarian
My breviary was a farewell gift from my mother and my sister. They presented it to me the night before I left for seminary. I had been told that this was the essential kit that […]
Five Reasons to Discern Your Charisms
It’s been a couple of weeks since the Called and Gifted Workshop we held in the Diocese. It was truly a blessed time – many, many people have spoken about how blessed they were by the event. […]
The sound of silence
In loco isto dabo pacem. In this place I give peace. This is the motto of Pluscarden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the Highlands of Scotland. At Pluscarden, the peace that God offers a distracted, […]
How to set the world on fire, despite your weaknesses, through the power of the Holy Spirit
The call to be a missionary disciple, to cast fire on the earth, is a call to heroism. The problem is that most of us are not heroes. So does that mean we have to […]
Seven habits of highly effective Catholics
I am sure there are many people of a certain age who remember the title of a very popular book, Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. Well I would like to put […]
The heartbreaking absence of God
So many people feel the absence of God in their lives, because of their struggles with faith, their inner darkness, or the sense of helplessness and abandonment that can come through experiences of great suffering. […]
When life is full of loose ends, incomplete projects and half-fulfilled plans
Someone gave me this beautiful prayer sometimes attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero about how incomplete and fragile our work for the Kingdom always is. I hope you find it encouraging. In memory of Oscar Romero (1917–1980) […]
A Foyer de Charité retreat for 18-40 year olds
A Foyer de Charité retreat for 18-40 year olds at Micklepage What are the Foyers? The Foyers de Charité are Roman Catholic communities which have been formally recognised by Rome since 1986. Within them, lay men and […]
Evangelisation: the miracles God can work through us when say Yes and put our trust in him
In this series of posts, “From the Mission Field”, I am sharing some inspiring stories: people open to the Holy Spirit, allowing him to do amazing things in their corner of the world. May these stories […]
The vocation to love, part 6: remembering Dorcas
I began this series of posts, you may remember, by talking about the Vatican II’s radical idea that every single Christian is called to a unique and irreplaceable mission. I then had a look at […]
A priestly vocation – to be an ambassador for Christ
On the day of my ordination, 14 September 1996, I gave people a prayer card. It’s what newly ordained priests often do. On it were written four words: Pray for Martin Boland and above this […]
Vocation, truth, and being true to one’s name
Vocations Sunday is coming up this weekend (11 May). Let me take a slightly angular way into this. In a recent interview Swedish singer Lykke Li (of “Sadness is a blessing” fame) finished with what was […]
Spiritual reading for Eastertide
I’ve just finished a beautiful book of talks and meditations by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, called Images of Hope: Meditations on Major Feasts. It’s one of those traditional compilations that brings together someone’s […]
Between the fire and the water, an Easter homily, by Fr Stephen Wang
A homily from the Second Sunday of Easter, reflecting on the Easter fire, the baptismal font, the presence of Jesus in the Upper Room, the Canonisation of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II, […]
The vocation to love, part 5: Vocation as conversion
We are all familiar with the conversion of St Paul – one of the most memorable moments in the history of the Church. Artists have had a field day with it, adding a colourful fall […]
The vocation to love, part 4: The call of Mary
Luke’s Gospel begins with two stories of vocation: of John the Baptist through his father, Zechariah, and of Mary to be mother of Jesus. John is a link between the Old Testament and the New. […]
Taking religion seriously and moving beyond an ‘unreflective atheism or agnosticism’
In a recent article, Charles Murray advises that an important aspect of living a fulfilling life is to take religion seriously. “Start by jarring yourself out of unreflective atheism or agnosticism”. Now that we’re alone, […]
Notes for Holy Week
~ 1 ~ Well, everyone, welcome to Holy Week. Some words before the Palm Sunday Procession struck me: “Let us commemorate the Lord’s entry into the city for our salvation, following in his footsteps, so that, […]
Does God have favourites?
A homily from Fr Stephen Wang about the mystery of how God calls some people to faith and to particular vocations.
Is it good to base your faith on spiritual experiences?
A homily by Fr Stephen Wang about the place of religious experience in the Christian life, given at Newman House Student Chaplaincy.
