Particular numbers have a profound symbolic importance across all religions, and none more so in our own Catholic tradition than the number three. If I had ever been so crass as to suspect that this was just a handy means of calibration, then in the last few days I have glimpsed the error of my ways.First of my three significant moments came with my 15-year-old daughter’s Confirmation. She had been somewhat reluctant about embarking on the preparation. I have told readers before about how her outrage that women are not allowed to be priests shapes her view on the relevance to her life of the Catholic Church, but once she had started on the Confirmation process, she moved smoothly and without noticeable dissent to the point of picking a saint.Her choice was Etheldreda, the seventh-ce
09 July 2015, The Tablet
Forgiveness can mean many things; it is a slippery notion to pin down
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User Comments (1)
Dear Peter, your article resonated all the more than our oldest daughter used to do ballet with yours and that we too are impressed by the older children ability to challenge positively. Your words on forgiveness are also very well thought. Yours. JM