These last twelve days for me as a British subject have been very strange ones. We have continued our ordinary lives, while all about us in the public sphere, momentous and solemn things have happened. The death of our Queen, the instantaneous transferral of symbolic...
No little baby needs a ‘trigger warning’, not even a baby lost to miscarriage. But I do want to give a note here that I cover some very gritty realities of miscarriage in the following article, especially discussing burial...
There are wonderful times in our lives when God answers a prayer. Maybe it is something we have been praying for years; maybe it is something we never thought would be answered. Maybe the answer was beyond our wildest dreams, better than we ever could have imagined....
Ever need help with your studies? For many students, there are times when motivation is hard and studying is full of stress. The Church has recognized certain people as saints, stating with confidence that they are in Heaven and able to intercede on our behalf before...
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, mountain-enthusiast, student, fun-lover and passionate Catholic, was born in Italy in 1901 and died when he was only 24. Born to a wealthy family, he used his privileged position to secretly support the poor. For all intents and...
I wish I had always known God’s loving tenderness. I have been a Catholic all my life but it was only a year ago that I discovered a God who loves us with such magnitude that not only is He powerful, He is also tender, as a terrified new father, who stands in by the...
Some time ago I wrote Part One of this article and then promised a Part Two. I stalled on writing the second part, and for that I’m sorry. I hope this follow up has been worth the wait. Identifying with the Elder Son in the parable of the Prodigal Son is a very real...
The parable of the Prodigal Son is arguably one of the most well-known parables, and it is easy to see why. Despite its short length, the story is packed with drama. We can feel all the familiar emotions in it. We understand the rebellion of the younger son and his...
Depending on where in the world you live, you might have noticed that a certain Royal Wedding took place over the weekend. And even if you didn't watch it, you might have noticed that what got trending immediately wasn't just the dress, or the cute kids, or the kiss,...
There is much in society to worry us, both at home and abroad. We can easily fall into despair at the many overwhelming and insurmountable issues. But we are called as Christians never ever to despair and never to lose hope. Which is why I love this latest initiative...
It's unlikely that the online popularity of Jordan Peterson has escaped your notice recently. But in case you've never heard of him, here's a quick explanation: he's a psychology professor from the University of Toronto whose vlogs, interviews, and a recently...
The Winter Olympics are upon us and there is no shortage of amazing stories from the 2018 Games already. But USA Today takes us down memory lane with their article on an Olympic speed-skater from 1998. And it is well worth the read because it is a warm and positive...
The civil war in Syria is now into its seventh year and the country that once was known for its beauty and history is now synonymous with suffering and violence. In all the news coverage of the last seven years, it has been harder and harder to remember the individual...
If you were to walk through the narrative of the Nativity story, you’d know it pretty well, right? That’s not a trick question, because I agree, we all know it very well. But what if the reason why we know it so well isn’t just because we’ve heard it year in, year out...
I’m sorry that we used such a click-baity title because really we just want you to have the best Christmas possible. So here are 7 ways you (might) be doing Christmas (a little bit) wrong. But better still, here are 7 ways to make your Christmas holier, happier and...
One of the wonderful things about both the Advent and Christmas seasons is the abundance of beautiful hymns and carols. They’re made more special by the fact that they can only be sung once a year! But even so, we can still be overly familiar with some of the more...
I love C.S Lewis’ book ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’, and I think I love it more as an adult than when I read it as a child. If you haven’t read the book, I want to say: please read it! It is a subtle yet powerful allegory of Christianity, set in an...
It's very often not the case that we simply don’t care about our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters across the world. The problem is often that we feel helpless and overwhelmed by the terrible situations they are in, and we don’t know what we can do to help...
In the last few months I’ve really tried to embrace silence more often. To put my headphones down, turn off Netflix, logout of Instagram, and just be still. To pray more often, without distractions. To my surprise, it is not that easy. I don’t think I’m the only one...
I’m not really interested in art. I know that sounds terrible but what I mean is that most pieces of fine art leave me cold. I can appreciate their beauty. I can appreciate the enormous skill it took to create them. I can be humbled by the genius of the artist. But...
A few weeks ago I sat down and watched a UK program called Old People’s Home for Four Year Olds. It followed the real life scenario of a daycare center being introduced into a home for the elderly. While this is apparently more common in America, it was the first time...
I don’t have an answer to “if there is a God, why is there suffering?”. It is a question I repeatedly struggle with, but it is a question that I do try to engage with. In recent years I have had a few extremely painful experiences that have left me asking exactly...
Womanhood is hard to define, even more so in a culture that suggests that there is no inherent difference between being male and female. What does womanhood mean? Is it less or more than manhood? Is there a distinct difference? Ascension Presents recently published a...
Although I barely listen to any pop music, even I couldn’t fail to notice this single that has spent seven weeks in the UK charts and made it to number one two weeks in a row here in Britain this summer. Dua Lipa’s track “New Rules” is undoubtedly catchy, but it’s the...
The world has watched in horror this last week as Hurricane Harvey unleashed its destruction on Texas, Houston in particular. The suffering and devastation it has left in its wake has been horrendous and very frightening. However, as the famous Fred Rogers quote goes,...
Ruth Kennedy (nee Baker) is 30 and lives in England with her husband. She loves running, wild camping and writing, and thinks there is almost nothing better than the feeling of satisfaction after a day out in the mountains. She is a graduate from the University of Wales and holds a First Class Honours Degree in Creative Writing. Her faith means everything to her.
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