Pause for Prayer

“Latin is the official language of the Church. Why isn’t every Mass in Latin?” I hear this query regularly, especially as I work for Vatican Radio.   
I have the possibility of attending Mass in Latin several times each week as the 07.30 Mass at the radio is in Latin, with the readings in different European languages.  [...]

As I sat in the garden, the wind blew a plastic bag across the grass.  I knew that, sooner or later, I would have to go to fetch the bag and put it in the dustbin, but, for a few minutes, I enjoyed watching it. 
The bag was almost like a live thing.  The wind would [...]

Clare was very ill.  In fact she was so ill that she was confined to bed when the Sisters brought her the news that the Saracen invaders were approaching Assisi.  They were afraid.  What could they, as defenceless women, do to protect themselves from a violent death? Perhaps the Sisters were a bit like children, running [...]

The blue police lights flashed urgently at the end of the road last night as a friend and I emerged from St. Peter’s where we’d been doing the English commentary for yet another Papal ceremony.  This time it was for Vespers from the basilica of St. Paul’s outside-the-walls, where, with the Benedictine monks who have [...]

For some unknown reason, the Yahoo weather forecasts for Rome and for  Vatican City are entirely different. Considering  Vatican City is only about 400 acres in size, I can’t find a satisfactory explanation as to why Rome was to expect storms today, and
Vatican City merely showers. 
Arriving at work this morning, St. Peter’s looked [...]