TransitionLiszt’s Variations on a Motif by Bach from 1862 came about in tragic circumstances: the composer was dealing with piercing personal grief. Liszt found the motif he chose to develop in the achingly beautiful sinfonia of Bach’s cantata Weinen, Klagen, Read More
AuthenticityStephen Lloyd-Moffett’s book about Bishop Meletios of Nikopolis challenges the reader wholesomely. Here’s an example: ‘The older generations, although they lost the correct conviction, maintained a compulsory surface of decency, but one which could not be imposed upon the youth. Because Read More
A Remarkable ViewOne could be forgiven for thinking this the portrait of a languid lady bored with her needlework yet not quite having the energy to pick up a book, preferring instead to daydream. In fact it is the right half of Read More
Justin MartyrIt should make us think that Justin Martyr was decapitated for the sake of his faith during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, that most philosophical of emperors whose sayings you can find on websites called things like ‘Inspiring Thoughts for Every Day’ where readers adorn them with cute little pink hearts and shooting-star emoji. It is possible, then, to talk volubly and well about the meaning of existence yet, at the same time, to run a totalitarian system with little room for freedom of thought and conscience. The story of Justin’s martyrdom is touching. He accounts for his faith with pregnant utterances. When the inquisitor asks him to worship the emperor at least a little bit, Justin says: ‘No sensible man descends from pity to impiety!’ On behalf of himself and his four companions, he declares: ‘Do with us what you like, but we are Christians, and we will not sacrifice to idols.’ A like clarity is found in many early acts of martyrs. Justin, though, had a clearer understanding of his faith than most. He was a philosopher by training. He knew the currents of his day, a hodgepodge of truth-claims not entirely unlike the one we confront in the chaos of our time. Justin considered this reality analytically and steadfastly. Having become a Christian, certain that the Word made flesh is the hermeneutic key to all things, he tried that key everywhere. If Christ is the Word whereby all things came into being, he thought, he must have left a trace on all that is. Then it should be possible to seek an impression, an image, a reflection of the Word in improbable places. That is how Justin came to formulate the lovely notion of the logos spermatikos, the ‘word sown abroad’. It presupposes the Gospel’s parable of God as the Sower. The Word is generously sown throughout the universe in order to nurture humankind. We must gather in its harvest carefully, wisely. Justin’s conviction that God’s goodness can be sought, and potentially found, in all created things, in any sincere quest for truth, gave him strength to stand firm in the final trial, his heart on fire with a love that knows no boundaries. Icon of St Justin, whose feast occurs on 1 June, by Theophanes the Cretan. Wikimedia.
Living within LoveJesus said to them, ‘I will ask you a question, only one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man? Answer me that.’ And they argued it out this way among themselves: ‘If we say from heaven, he will say, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?” But dare we say from man?’ – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John was a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ Christ’s words (Mark 11.27-33) to the chief priests, elders, and scribes touch a question specific to the circumstances in which they were spoken. But they carry timeless resonance. If we take them to heart, they challenge us, now, to ask: ‘What are the coordinates by which my judgements are formed? What do I hold to be true?’ In so far as I face these questions squarely, I may find myself enlightened, and possibly a little humiliated, by them. For I may find I’m not, in fact, living terribly coherently — that I’ll affirm something as being axiomatic in one setting only, just next door, to forget all about it. When we come to Mass, we enter the church quietly and reverently genuflect. We stand and kneel according to the rubrics. We come to holy communion whole-heartedly saying ‘Amen’ to the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. But do we then recall, once we step back into Soho, or wherever it might be, that we are in effect a walking tabernacle, supremely blessed bearers of a supremely graced Presence? ‘Keep yourselves within the love of God’, writes Saint Jude. Those are profoundly encouraging words. They tell us that we can in fact subsist within that love. God’s love has been poured out on us. All we need to do is to let it act, collaborating with it, enjoying it. We shall also need, of course, to abandon all sabotage, be it conscious or unconscious, of the kind we commit when we leave God’s love behind for the sake of self-love. And after all, there’s not much delight to be found in that airless room. Why not rather be joyful and free, astounded to be loved, and so made able to love? Follower of Maarten van Heemskerck: Christ among the Pharisees, on sale at Sotheby’s.
TransitionLiszt’s Variations on a Motif by Bach from 1862 came about in tragic circumstances: the composer was dealing with piercing personal grief. Liszt found the motif he chose to develop in the achingly beautiful sinfonia of Bach’s cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (‘Weeping, Wailing, Cares, Trembling’), structured by descending semitones. Liszt developed and stretched it in all possible directions, seeking expression for the height and depth, length and breadth of deep emotion. The theme of wailing is not given the last word, however. The final transpositions lead into a proclamatory development of the F Major chorale (‘What God does is well done’) that concludes the Bach cantata. A disposition of determined faith could hardly have been made more explicit. The Variations are a bravura piece, fit to end a recital programme. This evening, at Wigmore Hall, Alexandre Kantorow, one of our time’s finest musicians, began with it, yet managed to maintain a rising curve. It was extraordinary. This interpretation by Balázs Fülei, though very different from Kantorow’s, is also excellent.
AuthenticityStephen Lloyd-Moffett’s book about Bishop Meletios of Nikopolis challenges the reader wholesomely. Here’s an example: ‘The older generations, although they lost the correct conviction, maintained a compulsory surface of decency, but one which could not be imposed upon the youth. Because the youth want authenticity! And when looking at the inauthencity of their elders, they rebel. Truly, they rebel. We, as Christians, and I, as a priest and spiritual father and bishop, say to all of them: “Attain authenticity, internal authenticity, because only this will help you attain all others. Not a façade, not a mask.” The young always have something deeper. They seek authenticity. And it is a shame that they have been found without a guide.’ As the Lord said to Abraham: ‘Walk before me and be entire [הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים]’ (Gen 17:1).
A Remarkable ViewOne could be forgiven for thinking this the portrait of a languid lady bored with her needlework yet not quite having the energy to pick up a book, preferring instead to daydream. In fact it is the right half of a large canvas portraying ‘Christ and the Virgin in the House at Nazareth‘. The lady isn’t whiling time away. She is intently watching a young man occupied with handiwork: seated on a stool plaiting a crown of thorns, he has stung his finger, drawing blood. Once you see what the topic is, the lady looks different, full of foreboding. You notice the tears running down her cheek. This painting, which belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art, is now on display in the National Gallery’s wonderful exhibition Zurbarán. Few painters affect me as deeply. As Charlotte Higgins wrote in a review: ‘It’s impossible not to think about the very act of painting when looking at this work. Painting as an act of devotion, wonder and prayer. Painting as a means of seeing the divine. Painting as a way of imparting visions that hover between the real and the unreal, the illusory and the tangible.’
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Today is the day when many people will ask us, "How was #CloyneLourdes2026?" The truth is, it's hard to put into words. Lourdes is more than a place; it's an experience. It's the friendships formed, the kindness shared, the faith renewed, Read More 2 Likes
Today June 3rd is the Feast of St. Kevin, who founded the monastery at Glendalough (Valley of the two lakes) Co. Wicklow. In the 6th Century. St. Kevin pray for us🙏🏻 4 Likes
✨CORPUS CHRISTI 2026 ✨ The Corpus Christi Procession will take place following 12 noon Mass this Sunday, 7th June. Once Mass has ended, we will process out of the Cathedral, across the road and into the Garden of Reflection. We invite Read More 1 Likes
