Happy Christmas, Happy Anniversary

By David Torkington -
Otto_Greiner_Betende_HändeThe Year 2015 is the anniversary of what was perhaps the greatest of the reforming councils. In the same year that Magna Carta was set to reform the political and social institutions in England, the Fourth Lateran Council was set to reform the political, social and spiritual institutions in the Catholic Church. Its unprecedented success was due to the new mendicant orders – the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Carmelites and the Austin Friars, led by saints like St Francis of Assisi, St Dominic, St Anthony of Padua, St, Thomas Aquinas, St Angela of Foligno and so many others. They all inspired the clergy and laity alike to turn back to prayer to enable the Holy Spirit to work through them to return Christendom to the simple Christian spirituality that had once inspired and then transformed a pagan empire into a Christian Empire a thousand years before. Back to prayer was the message that they all both preached and practised so successfully. So that their example should inspire us to do likewise today, I offer this practical blog to you, to be followed by others in the forthcoming year.... read on
 

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