Reflection for Pentecost Sunday (B)
As we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the season of Easter reaches its final climax. This Sunday we celebrate and experience the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the whole church and on all those who call themselves disciples and followers of the risen Lord.
Mapped: The world’s most (and least) religious countries
Five countries tie for the title of most: Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, Sri Lanka and Yemen, with 99 %
The least religious countries: China, Japan, Estonia, Sweden, Norway…
China surpasses them all, with only 7%
Le nuove regole vaticane per i monasteri di clausura femminili
Emanata la nuova Istruzione Cor Orans. Tra le novità: se le suore sono meno di 5 perdono il diritto ad eleggere la superiore (e possono essere chiusi). Oggi le monache di clausura sono 38mila.
Our Lady in China
0ne of the characteristics of Chinese Catholics is their deep and affectionate devotion to the Virgin Mary, expressed in the Marian shrines spread throughout the country. Some of them are particularly significant, such as the Sheshan sanctuary in Shanghai…
Reflection for the 7th Sunday of Easter – Ascension of Jesus (B)
As we mark and celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, the saying, ‘all good things come to an end’ never sounded more suitable or appropriate.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (10)
Reflections on the Litany of the Virgin Mary
by Blessed John Henry Newman.
Mother of the Saviour
Here again, as in our reflections of yesterday, we must understand what is meant by calling our Lord a Saviour, in order to understand why it is used to form one of the titles given to Mary in her Litany.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (9)
Reflections on the Litany of the Virgin Mary
with Blessed John Henry Newman.
Mother of the Creator.
Mary is the “Mater Creatoris,” the Mother of the Creator.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (8)
Reflections on the Litany of the Virgin Mary
by Blessed John Henry Newman.
The Wonderful Mother.
Mary is the “Mater Admirabilis,” the Wonderful Mother.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (7)
Reflections on the Litany of the Virgin Mary
with Blessed John Henry Newman.
Mary is the “Mater Amabilis,” the Lovable or Dear Mother.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (6)
Mary is the “Mater Intemerata,” the Sinless Mother.
Another consideration which has led devout minds to believe the Assumption of our Lady into heaven after her death, without waiting for the general resurrection at the last day, is furnished by the doctrine of her Immaculate Conception
OGF 5/2018 Radcliffe – The Rosary
Each Ave Maria suggests the individual journey that each of us must make, from birth to death. It is marked by the biological rhythm of each human life. It mentions the only three moments of our lives which we can know with absolute certainty: that we are born, that we live now, and that we shall die.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (5)
Reflections on the Litany of the Virgin Mary
by the Cardinal Newman
The Most Pure Virgin.
By the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin is meant the great revealed truth that she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, without original sin.
Reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter (B)
John says today, “Wherever there is love, there is God”. He does not say, “Wherever there are Christians, there is God” or “Wherever there is a Christian church, there is God”. But, wherever there is a person filled with real agape-love for others, God is there.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (4)
Reflections on the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
with the Cardinal Newman.
Mary, Mother of Christ.
Each of the titles of Mary has its own special meaning and drift, and may be made the subject of a distinct meditation.
Comboni Priest witnesses Church attack – at least 19 killed
Father Moses Otii, Comboni missionary and parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in the country’s capital Bangui, told that about 120 parishioners were injured during the violence, which included grenade attacks, on Tuesday (1st May).
The worst news: A video inspiring thoughts and action
It blatantly states that the United States federal military budget goes towards lobbyists and corporations, not troops. Instead of pouring a trillion dollars into nuclear weapons let’s pour that trillions of dollars into our communities.
The news of the month: War to plastic
It is the world’s first machine to clean up the planet’s largest mass of ocean plastic. The system, originally dreamed up by a teenager, will be shipped out this summer to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California, and which contains an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (3)
Reflections on the Litany of the Virgin Mary
by the Cardinal Newman.
Mary is the “Sancta Dei Genetrix,” the Holy Mother of God.
As soon as we apprehend by faith the great fundamental truth that Mary is the Mother of God, other wonderful truths follow in its train.
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (2)
Reflections on the Litany of the Virgin Mary
by the Cardinal Newman.
Holy Mary.
God alone can claim the attribute of holiness. Hence we say in the Hymn, “Tu solus sanctus,” “Thou only art holy.” By holiness we mean the absence of whatever sullies, dims, and degrades a rational nature.
May with Mary
The Rosary is a prayer for the home, and a prayer for the road. It is a prayer which builds community and also which propels us on our journey…
Reflections on the Litany of Mary (1)
The Litany of The Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Litany of Loreto, is a popular prayer of supplication, once prayed in processions to atone for sins and to prevent calamities. Pilgrims at the famous Marian Shrine in Loreto, Italy used it in the 16th century, and it was approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V.
Reflection for the 5th Sunday of Easter (B)
When Jesus calls God the vinedresser, he is describing God in terms of his relationships and attitude as well as his actions in the lives of his followers and disciples. Just as the vinedresser his totally committed to the vine and the grapes, God is totally committed and dedicated to each of us.
A technique from the Desert Fathers to control our negative thoughts
The Desert Fathers developed recommendations to heal the “sicknesses of the soul.” Among these recommendations was that of controlling our thoughts, achieved thanks to one method in particular: guarding the heart.
Full Text of Seven German Bishops’ Letter on Holy Communion for Protestant Spouses
The German bishops voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal at their Spring plenary meeting in Ingolstadt on Feb. 20, and the letter’s signatories affirm that out of the 60 bishops present, “13 voted no, including at least seven diocesan bishops.”
Indigenous Peoples’ Cosmo-vision advocacies for nature
Indigenous peoples’ views of nature are incompatible with the extractive model, which is based on excess and limitless profit-seeking that drives to prey on natural resources and threatens the future of all human kind.
Egyptian mosque bill could pit government against top religious body
Cairo, known as the city of a thousand minarets, actually has over 3,000 mosques, and the country as a whole is home to over 100,000 Muslim houses of worship. Over 80,000 of these are controlled by the country’s Ministry of Religious Endowments…
The Charismatic Identity of the Comboni Missionary Institute in the Rule of Life
Fr. John Converset:
In the Rule of Life I find four basic dimensions of the charismatic identity of the Comboni Missionary Institute and its members. These mutually complementary dimensions of our identity are inseparably intertwined and overlap …
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
In the diversity and the uniqueness of each and every vocation there is a need to listen, discern and live
this word that calls to us from on high and, while enabling us to develop our talents, makes us instruments of salvation in the world and guides us to full happiness.
Reflection for the 4th Sunday of Easter (B)
TODAY IS KNOWN AS GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY because, in each year of the liturgical cycle on this 4th Sunday, the Gospel is always taken from the 10th chapter of John where Jesus speaks of himself as the “good shepherd”.
Syrian prelate says airstrikes based on ‘lies’ and ‘Satan’s language’
If “we have to choose between being killed by those men from ISIS or have a strong man who we call a dictator leading us, there’s no choice.” The alternative to al-Assad, he deadpans, is death.
Reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Easter (B)
The announcement of the resurrection of Christ is effective and credible only if the disciples can, like the Master, show people their hands and their feet marked by works of love.
Gaudete et Exsultate: key quotes
Pope Francis has written another Apostolic Exhortation, this one on the universal call to holiness, called Gaudete et exsultate — “Rejoice and be glad!” — which takes its title from the words of Jesus in the sermon on the mount.
Here is a selection of quotations.
Reflection: Syria – The Little Boy In The Suitcase
Nobody knows where the man with the leather suitcase is headed to but we all know that he carries the most precious thing he still has: hope. That child is the hope and the deep yearning for peace in Syria.
Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Easter (B)
It is often said of one who shows some distrust “You’re unbelieving as Thomas.” Yet, in hindsight, he seems to have done nothing wrong: he only asked to see what others had seen. Why demand only from him a faith based on word?
An Easter Sermon from St. John Chrysostom
Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God? Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival! Is there anyone who is a grateful servant? Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!
Pope Francis at Chrism Mass: To be… street Priests!
This is God’s great choice: the Lord chose to be close to his people. Thirty years of hidden life! Only then did he begin his preaching. Here we see the pedagogy of the Incarnation, a pedagogy of inculturation, not only in foreign cultures but also in our own parishes, in the new culture of young people…
OGF 4/2018 – The Easter Faith
This is part of a beautiful article and inspiring meditation titled “Risen Time: Easter as the Source of History” by Fr. Jose Granados, where he situates the paschal mystery in relation to the historical faith of Israel and in relation to the human experience of time and matter.
Arms Transfer Increase
In its latest report the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said that, globally the volume of international transfers of major weapons in 2013–17 was 10% higher than in 2008–12, a continuation of the upward trend that began in the early 2000s.
Father Cantalamessa’s 5th Lent Meditation 2018
We need to begin with healing the root, which is the “heart,” because everything that defiles a person’s life comes from the heart (Mt 15:18). Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” (Mt 5:8). They will truly see, they will have new eyes to see the world and God
Reflection for Palm Sunday (B)
Generally, when we read the story of the passion and death, we look at Jesus and the suffering he had to endure. But it is worthwhile, at least once, to also look at the disciples and see how they reacted to the cross and how the cross impacted on their lives, for the cross is the measure for comparison!
Joseph, a word from the deep Silence
Joseph is certainly not the man portrayed by a certain iconography. Surrounded by mystery, within a family that he loved and where he felt loved, identified with his vocation of protecting the Author of Life, exercising his profession competently, he was… A HAPPY MAN, a son of his Son’s Resurrection! (Luke 20:36)
Latin America: “Taking On The Missionary Discipleship Of The Gospel Implies Guarding Creation”
A new pastoral letter from the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), entitled “Missionary Disciples, custodians of the common home”.
Father Cantalamessa’s 4th Lent Meditation 2018
In outlining the traits, or the virtues, that should shine in the life of those who are reborn in the Spirit, St. Paul, after speaking about charity and humility, now speaks of obedience in chapter 13 of the Letter to the Romans
Reflection for the 5th Sunday of Lent (B
In a sense, this Fifth Sunday of Lent is a synthesis of all the motifs we will see during the celebrations of Holy Week. The text from Jeremiah sums up the results of the New Covenant signed by the blood of the new and final Paschal Lamb.
A History Made Of Names
The work we are doing as Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries in the concrete situation of migration is essentially accomplished by networking with associations, organisations and movements, both ecclesial and social, involved in this area in recognising and defending the rights of immigrants and refugees.
U.N. Warns Humanitarian Disaster In Southeast Congo
According to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, an upsurge of violence in south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is set to cause a “humanitarian disaster of extraordinary proportions”.
Father Cantalamessa’s 3rd Lent Homily 2018
Humility can be discussed from different perspectives, which we will see the apostle do, but in its most profound meaning humility belongs only to Jesus. The truly humble person is the one who strives to have the heart of Jesus.
Reflection for the 4th Sunday of Lent (B)
Today’s Gospel reading is taken from the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus as reported in the first chapters of John’s Gospel. Jesus takes Nicodemus where he is on his journey and leads him further. Exactly what He does with us when we come to Him in our own darkness.
Huge taxes, land expropriated: Archbishop Welby, Cardinal Nichols denounce Israeli ‘threats’ to Christian community
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, have expressed their deep concern to the Israeli government over threats to church lands which caused the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
South Sudanese Bishop Paride Taban Wins Prestigious Four Freedoms Award
South Sudanese Bishop, Paride Taban, will receive the Freedom of Worship Award, one of the Four Freedoms Awards presented every other year in Middelburg, the Netherlands. This year’s awards will be presented in Middelburg on the 16th May.
Reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (B)
In our fragment from John’s Gospel, the context is different from that of the Synoptics. Although it is set at the time of Passover, it does not take place in Jesus’ “last week,” just before his death, but at the very beginning of his ministry.
Book of Exodus (4) Where Real Freedom Begins
Empires have always tried to use work to black out the dreams of freedom, gratuitousness and celebration in the souls of the workers. Exactly for it being the number one friend of man, work lends itself to be manipulated and used against workers
Eritrea: a “North Korea of Africa”
«Eritrea is the country with less freedom in the world ». These words come not from someone who opposes president Isayas Afeworki or from the hated government of Ethiopia, instead they come from an official United Nations paper.
