Food for the Soul

Brian D'Arcy is well-known as a Catholic priest for his newspaper columns and radio broadcasts. This collection is a real gem, full of wisdom and humour. Only this morning, I was recounting one of his stories about an Irish group in Rome, much to the amusement of my Pilates class. It is evident that Pope Francis is a real breath of fresh air and is saying many of the same things that Father Brian was castigated for as recently as 2010. He jokes that the Pope might himself be silenced by the Vatican if he is not careful. There are two or three articles on him, including a commentary by Hans Küng, who has himself been silenced on a previous occasion. Many of the pieces are very short so the book is ideal for dipping into. I was struck by his pieces on Franz Liszt, Oscar Romero, Cardinal Martini and Rabindranath Tagore. He also writes movingly about the late lamented John O'Donohue, surely the most lyrical voice to emerge from Ireland in the last 50 years. Father Brian's writing style is simple and direct, a great deal of pastoral advice as well as spiritual insight. I cannot recommend it highly enough.