Christianity
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A hymn for the Fourth Sunday in Lent – “By the wellsprings of the Barrow” (87 87 D)
A congregational hymn in DCM for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Continue reading
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A hymn inspired by Joshua 24:15 – “Along the hawthorn-bordered fields” (DCM)
Across hawthorn hedges and quiet rivers, this hymn invites us to choose Christ’s way—walking together in unity, baptismal grace, and shared table beneath Ireland’s listening skies. Continue reading
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Compline hymn – “Beneath Your wings, O Holy One” (Common Metre)
A hymn rooted in the Irish landscape inspired by the ancient compline psalm 91. Continue reading
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A Feast of Grace Unseen: a Eucharistic hymn – “Along the bog-road, dawn alights” (Common Metre)
Inspired by Isaiah 52:3, this hymn imagines Christ’s Eucharistic grace along an Irish bog road, where creation pauses as redemption unfolds. Continue reading
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A hymn of daily thanks – “For mornings soft with gentle light” (Common Metre)
A hymn expressing gratitude for modern medicine, reflecting daily thanks for life, love, courage, and the comfort it provides. Continue reading
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A Hymn for St Patrick’s Day – “O God of Patrick, Still Our Guide” (Common Metre)
A congregational hymn for St Patrick’s Day celebrating the missionary witness of Patrick and the Christian heritage of Ireland. Continue reading
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The Empty Chair: A Liturgy of Absence.
Christy’s absence in the dialysis ward creates a profound sense of loss, highlighting the bond with caregivers and shared memories. Continue reading
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A Hymn for the Quiet Keeping – “Christ, Keeper of our quiet days” (Common Metre)
The congregational hymn, “Christ the Keeper” emphasizes God’s peace, healing, and confidence in faith, celebrating Christ’s victory over darkness. Continue reading
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A quiet milestone in Kildare
A lovely thing happened today. One of my hymns was sung in St Brigid’s Cathedral, written at the kind invitation of Rev Philip McKinley. There’s something very moving about hearing words that started out quietly on a page finally becoming part of the living prayer of the Church. After the service, I had the chance… Continue reading
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Where the Veil Wears Thin: Perpetua and Felicity – “Where earth and heaven brush as one” (Common Metre)
Perpetua and Felicity inspire with their courage and faith, embodying hope and trust in God despite adversity and suffering. Continue reading
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A quiet hour by the Shannon – “By Shannon’s holy, flowing tide (Common Metre)
St Mary’s Cathedral in Limerick is depicted as a sacred space where faith, memory, and community intertwine, inspiring continuous worship. 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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From Desert Paths to Living Water: A Lenten Invitation – “By stony paths in desert lands” (88 88 D)
The congregational hymn reflects on spiritual thirst, Christ’s grace, and our Lenten journey from doubt to faith, inviting renewal and reconciliation. Continue reading
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Braided Grace—A Hymn on Psalm 129 – “Long have burdens pressed upon us” (87 87 D)
Despite suffering and oppression, God’s enduring faithfulness and promise bring hope, resilience, and strength to His people. Continue reading
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One Faith, One Hope, One Lord: A Hymn for Unity
The hymn prayerfully calls for unity in the Church, invoking the Holy Spirit to heal divisions and reaffirm faith in Christ. Continue reading
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A Hymn of Soil, Saint, and Sacrament – “Here the fields of Erin whisper” (87 87 D)
This hymn celebrates Christ’s presence in creation, uniting diverse traditions in peace and reconciliation through Eucharistic imagery and Celtic spirituality. Continue reading
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Singing Psalm 98 in an Irish Key
“Sing to the Lord a new song…” Psalm 98 is not shy. It is tidal. It calls rivers to clap their hands and hills to sing for joy. It insists that creation itself is caught up in praise—not as backdrop, but as choir. In the Anglican tradition, Psalm 98 can be used at Evensong as… Continue reading
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Writing a Hymn—and Learning Stabilitas Overnight
This hymn didn’t emerge in a chapel. It came overnight. In silence. In storm. In the unbuilt monastery of the mind. “Wild winds rise fierce across the plain,My refuge be.” The imagery came quickly. But the deeper formation came slowly—as most Benedictine things do. I’m part of a Benedictine community without walls. We are dispersed… Continue reading
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Unknown Paths, Rising Hills: Writing a Hymn for the Second Sunday in Lent (Year A) — “You call us out to unknown paths” (CM)
You call us out to unknown paths You call us out to unknown paths,Like Abram long ago;Through mist along the Barrow’s bends,Your pilgrim people go.You lift our eyes to rising hills,Where skylarks greet the dawn;Your keeping shade, like hawthorn’s bough,Stands guard till night is gone.Not by our striving, strength, or claimBut gift of grace alone,You… Continue reading
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🌿 Morning Reflection for 25 February
Inspired by the appointed readings and psalmody The morning opens gently, the way dawn often does in Ireland—grey first, then slowly revealing colour. The psalms speak of trembling bones, weary eyes, and the long nights when the pillow is wet with tears. Anyone who has ever lain awake listening to the rain on a Kildare… Continue reading
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