Those ‘three things’
The pilgrimage into faith, hope and love is often long and mysterious, and the path to the end point uncertain. But we journey together, supporting each other along the way.
Finding deep spiritual connection in the middle of ordinariness
I have always been particularly drawn to the traditions of Holy Thursday evening. As we gather in community, we encounter deep connection, humility and service alongside frailty, vulnerability and betrayal.
When enough is enough
When did housing become a commodity and a wealth project? Have we forgone part of our humanity to become economic actors more intent on maximising wealth than maximising social interactions?
The Labyrinth
While walking the labyrinth crossed barely any terrain geographically, it traversed the rugged landscape of my heart and soul in a spirit of embracing honesty and peace, writes Rita Glennon.
The beggar who loved to sing
Bill Farrelly’s reflection ‘The beggar who loved to sing’ was highly commended in The Good Oil 2025 Writers’ Award, which has the aim of encouraging both emerging and published writers.
God has brought me here: a pilgrim of hope
Life’s challenges have not broken me; they have shaped me as a pilgrim of hope – someone who keeps walking, step by step, towards God’s promises, writes Sonia Elizabeth Gomez.
Rediscovering patience
Drawing on the history of our early Christian church, perhaps a formation in patience is the first step towards the countercultural conversion that underpins all radical change, writes Patricia Gemmell.
Voice to the Voiceless: a pilgrimage of hope and justice across continents
What began as a documentary idea focusing on the rehabilitation and rehumanisation of incarcerated people soon became something far more personal: a long journey of advocacy, accompaniment and relentless hope.
The Good Oil encouragement award: 'Holding on to hope'
Helen Bachmann’s entry ‘Holding on to hope’ received the Encouragement Award in The Good Oil 2025 Writers’ Award, which has the aim of supporting and encouraging emerging and published writers.
Once you choose hope, anything is possible
In this Year of Jubilee, we are asked to be Pilgrims of Hope, supporting others who are experiencing war, hunger or poverty or hardships of any kind, writes Pat O’Gorman.
An enlarged life
A life well lived is a normal human aspiration. But the challenges of everyday life can overwhelm us and seriously deflect our pursuit of a good life, writes John Haren.
The day I first met my mother
At Carrie’s funeral, her daughter speaks with simple clarity: “When my sister and I first met my mother, what I remember were the smiles, and the hugs. My beautiful mother.”