SpiritualReflection
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A hymn celebrating the Eucharist — “Upon the hill where grasses bend” (DCM)
At the table, heaven draws near: ordinary bread, quiet grace, and Christ present among us—sending us back into the world bearing peace, love, and holy presence. Continue reading
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A hymn of the New Covenant — “In whispered winds You speak again” (CM)
In whispered winds You speak again 1.In whispered winds You speak again,Your covenant made new;Not carved on stone of Sinai’s height,But written deep and true.2.You trace Your promise on our heartsLike sunlight on the dew;As meadowsweet in summer fields,Your mercy rises too.3.The shadows flee the morning light,The ancient rites give way;The tent of cloth and… Continue reading
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“At Evening, God Has Spoken”: A Vespers Hymn on Psalm 110 (76 76 D)
110 has long been one of the traditional psalms of Sunday Vespers. My new hymn, At Evening, God Has Spoken, reflects on that ancient text through the quiet landscapes of the Irish midlands—heathered hills, the Barrow’s waters, and the stillness of evening prayer—resting in Christ our High King through the night. Continue reading
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The hum of lines
I wrote a poem this week called The Hum of Lines. It is not a bright poem. It sits in the quiet room. It listens to the machine. It hears the slow, steady movement of blood through borrowed pathways. Dialysis has a soundscape. The hum of the pump. The soft alarms. The rhythm that is… Continue reading
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In the Thin Place of Forty Days
Rooted in the landscape, spirituality, and imaginative tradition of the Irish midlands, the text interweaves the great biblical “forty” journeys—the flood, the exodus, Sinai, the wilderness, and the risen Christ’s forty days—with the sacred geography of Kildare and its surrounding boglands. Drawing on Celtic Christian imagery and the rhythms of creation, it invites worshippers to… Continue reading
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Rule. Dawn. Praise.
This hymn and stained-glass image are inspired by Chapter 13 of the Rule of Our Holy Father Saint Benedict, in which he sets forth the reverent ordering of the Divine Office at Lauds on ordinary days. Rooted in the rhythm of psalmody, canticle, Gospel praise, and litany, the work reflects Saint Benedict’s vision of a… Continue reading
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Andrew, this is you.
Some love stories are written in grand gestures. Ours has been written in endurance. This Valentine’s Day, I honour fifteen years of partnership with Andrew—and ten years of civil marriage later this year—not because the dates fall now, but because love that has lived this much deserves to be named whenever the heart nudges. Our… Continue reading
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Silence. Suffering. Steadfastness.
A day of uneasy memory, quiet courage, and layered history. On 30 January, NeuroDivine holds space for complexity, conscience, and the land’s long remembering—and offers a new hymn rooted in Leinster’s fields for those who honour your servant Charles with tenderness rather than triumph. Continue reading
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Brigid. Pat. Sarah.
From Brigid’s fire to today’s Church, a hymn of gratitude and hope, attentive to calling and the Spirit’s movement in an Irish Church still becoming Continue reading
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Andrew. Richard. Niamh.
Home woven in three strands: partner, creatures, grace Some prayers begin in silence. Others begin in the small, ordinary movements of a home—the click of the kettle, the soft thump of paws on the stairs, the familiar presence of the person who shares your days. This new hymn grew out of that kind of holiness:… Continue reading
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Machines. Mercy. Meaning.
In the long, measured hours of dialysis, I began to notice how healing is carried not only by machines and medicine, but by the people who sit beside us, the families who steady us, and the landscape we carry within. This hymn‑poem grew from that stillness—a way of naming the courage found in ordinary care,… Continue reading
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Rain. Silence. Mercy.
When silence becomes praise and mercy meets the rain-soaked soil, even the overlooked find their place in the liturgy of being seen. This week’s reflection honours the quiet dignity of showing up—without performance, without apology. Continue reading
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Carried—Blessings for Those Who Hold and Are Held
In clinical spaces, care often moves quietly—through gestures, glances, and the steady presence of those who stay. Carried is a page of blessings and thanksgivings written for nurses, patients, chaplains, carers, and companions. It honours the unseen labour of tending, the grace of being tended to, and the sacred rhythm of mutual care. Whether offered… Continue reading
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Thirst, Wisdom, Presence
Reflections on longing, exile, and the liturgy of care inspired by the texts of Psalm 42, Wisdom 10:15–11:10, and Mark 12:18–27 There are days when the soul feels like a bog in winter—still, sodden, waiting. Psalm 42 speaks into that ache: “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” It doesn’t rush to fix the… Continue reading
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Revealed, Forgiven, Belonging
A reflection on trust, wisdom, and the courage to be seen. Readings: Psalm 31; Wisdom 8:21–9:18; Mark 12:13–17 These readings invite us into two intertwined rhythms: the steady pulse of trust under trial and the careful discernment that keeps us aligned with divine justice. The psalmist’s cry for rescue— “In you, my refuge; let me… Continue reading
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