“Ash Wednesday” by Christina Rossetti

At the very beginning of this yearโ€™s Lenten season, weโ€™re going to read a short poem by Christina Rossetti (1830โ€“1894), the celebrated English poet and writer of devotional literature.  Her two-part poem โ€œAsh Wednesdayโ€ brings into focus the meaning of this important day in the church calendar. The poem is simple, but it's not exactly …

Book review: “Loss and Gain” by John Henry Newman

John Henry Newman was one of the intellectual giants of the Victorian era. Born in London in 1801, he led a long life filled with intellectual curiosity and deep concern with matters of faith. Originally an Anglican priest and theologian based in Oxford, he famously converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845, continuing his ministry as a …

Book review: “The Complete Monica Noble Murder Mysteries”

If youโ€™re a fan of TV shows like Midsomer Murders, youโ€™ll love this book series by Faith Martin. Itโ€™s mostly because of the cold, grey and uninviting January weather that Iโ€™ve only wanted to stay in latelyโ€”a book in one hand, a nice cup of tea in the other. And this winter Iโ€™ve been very …