2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
The Gospel of John is like a vast ocean: it can be contemplated on the surface or in depth. From the shore, the rippling waves, the unfolding of the sails, the reflections of light and color fascinate. But the most intense emotions are for those who have a chance to gear up and go down to the bottom, where the most unexpected and varied forms of life…
Vatican commission members: Women served as deacons for a millennium
Women served as deacons in Europe for about a millennium in a variety of ministerial and sacramental roles, according to Phyllis Zagano, an author and professor of religion at Hofstra University, and Bernard Pottier, S.J., a faculty member at the Institut D’Études Théologiques in Brussels, in an interview this week with America.
Baptism of the Lord (C)
Today’s Gospel opens with a significant finding, “the people were in expectation.” It is easy to imagine what they are waiting for: the slave expected freedom, the poor a new condition of life, the exploited laborer hoped for justice, the sick healing, and the humiliated and raped woman the recovery of dignity.
Epiphany of the Lord
The Magi thus personify all those who believe, those who long for God, who yearn for their home, their heavenly homeland. They reflect the image of all those who in their lives have not let their hearts be anesthetized.
A rabbi and a sister suggest a Judeo-Christian New Year’s resolution
“Been there, done that” hasn’t killed the annual New Year’s resolution ritual, despite a failure rate of close to 90 percent. In fact, more people are making them today than a century ago. All sorts of resolutions remain perennial favorites, including those that relate to health, personal advancement and doing more good for others.
Mary, Mother of God
The council taught us to look upon Mary as a “figure” of the Church, that is, as the Church’s perfect exemplar, as the first fruits of the Church. But can Mary be a model of the Church even as “Mother of God,” the title with which she is honored this day? Can we become mothers of Christ?
The unbearable lightness of post-institutional Christianity
The Church of Vatican II embodied by Francis — characterized by mercy, synodality, a church for the poor — needs institutions. It also needs Catholics who are not afraid of the institutional dimension of the Church and that are willing and able to maintain and develop that vision of the Church.
Feast of the Holy Family (C)
Faced with the often inexplicable and incomprehensible events there is only one correct attitude: “To keep all these things in our hearts,” as Mary did and ponder them in the light of the Word of God. It was not also easy for her to understand and accept the path to which God wanted his son to tread.
From collegiality to synodality: Pope Francis’s post-Vatican II reform
Bergoglio is a product of conciliar Catholicism and at the same time the first post–Vatican II pope. Synodality is the most important institutional reform of Francis’s pontificate. The role of the Bishops’ Synod has changed, and synodality at all levels of the church has been encouraged as never before.
Nativity of the Lord
God is always among us as one who is young. St Augustine wrote that God is younger than all else. We have become older than our God. This means that God always retains that fresh vigour of youth, the vitality and playfulness of one who is always ready to begin anew.
Fourth Sunday of Advent (C)
Elizabeth feels enveloped in great astonishment — don’t forget this word, astonishment. Astonishment. To celebrate Christmas in a fruitful manner, we are called to pause in “places” of astonishment. And what are these places of astonishment in everyday life? There are three…
At COP24, countries agree concrete way forward to bring the Paris climate deal to life
After two weeks of crunch negotiations – with overtime – the almost 200 parties gathered in Katowice, Poland, for the United Nations COP24 two-week climate change conference, adopted on Saturday a “robust” set of implementing guidelines for the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed at keeping global warming well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
Oral Literature: How the first river was made
A long long time ago, when God made this earth, He chose the mighty elephant to be king of the world. The elephant and his subjects roamed through the dark … Continua a leggere
Third Sunday of Advent (C)
We feel that this question — “What shall we do?” — is ours also. Today’s liturgy tells us, in the words of John, that it is necessary to repent, to change direction and take the path of justice, solidarity, sobriety: these are the essential values of a fully human and genuinely Christian life.
First Advent Sermon 2018 – God is!
In the Church we are so pressed with tasks to perform, problems to confront, and challenges to respond to that we risk losing sight of, or leaving in the background, the “porro unum necessarium,” the “one thing is needful” of the gospel (Lk 10:42), which is our personal relationship with God.
Oral Literature: Why the Monkey Still Has a Tail
Once upon a time the monkey and the rabbit made a contract. The monkey was to kill all the butterflies and the rabbit was to kill all the snakes.
Martyrs of Love, 19 Algerian martyrs beatified on December 8
The decree of beatification of 19 “martyrs” killed in Algeria in the 1990s, including the seven monks of Tibhirine and the former Bishop of Oran Pierre Claverie, was signed on Friday 26th January. “Each of them was an authentic witness of Christ’s love, of dialogue, of openness to others, of friendship and fidelity to the Algerian people”.
Second Sunday of Advent (C)
The traditional prophets helped their contemporaries look beyond the wall of time and see into the future, but John helps the people to look past the wall of contrary appearances to make them see the Messiah hidden behind the semblance of a man like others.
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary made her life beautiful. Not appearances, not what is fleeting, but the heart directed toward God makes life beautiful. Today let us look joyfully at her, full of grace. Let us ask her to help us to remain youthful, by saying ‘no’ to sin, and to live a beautiful life, by saying ‘yes’ to God.
OGF 12/2018 Henri Nouwen – A Spirituality of Waiting
I would like to look at two aspects of waiting. One is the waiting for God, and the other is the waiting of God. We are waiting. God is waiting.
First Sunday of Advent (C)
With the First Sunday of Advent, a new liturgical year begins. The Gospel that will accompany us in the course of this year, Cycle C, is the Gospel of St. Luke. The Church takes the occasion to invite us to stop for a moment and reflect and ask ourselves some essential questions.
Cdl. Müller on abuse crisis and its link to homosexuality in priesthood
Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (2012-2017), has granted LifeSiteNews an interview in which he discusses in depth the problems of the current clerical sex abuse crisis.
The Vatican’s agreement with China looks even worse now
Two months out, the China-Holy See provisional agreement on episcopal appointments is proving to be yet another tool for Beijing to suppress the Chinese faithful. And its damage goes even deeper than the Chinese government’s selection of Catholic bishops, as critical as that is for the hierarchically structured Roman Catholic Church.
Solemnity of Christ the King (B)
It has always proved difficult to hold these two prerogatives of Christ together — majesty and humility — deriving from his two natures, divine and human. The man of today has no problem seeing in Jesus the friend and brother of all, but he finds it hard to also proclaim him Lord and recognize Jesus’ royal power over him.
Oral Literature. The tortoise and the drum
One day, the tortoise was walking along a forest path when he came across a palm tree that had plenty of palm kernel fruits. The tortoise was hungry and the fruits looked juicy and ripe to eat, if only he could reach one of them.
Vocation Story. My life in exchange for life
An altar boy accompanies the priests of his parish in their safaris to the outstations and enjoys every moment of that ministry. He begins to believe that it could be his path of life and makes up his mind: “I will be a Comboni missionary”. Today, as a priest, he would not change his life for all the gold of the world.
Africa polluted by used cars from Europe
The crisis of diesel car sales in Europe and the depreciation of those in circulation are accentuating the phenomenon of “environmental dumping” affecting Africa and is destined to worsen air pollution levels in the cities of the continent which already causes the deaths of a quarter of a million people.
Gospel reflection for the XXXIII Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
We must, I think, completely change the attitude with which we listen to these Gospels that speak of the end of the world and the return of Christ. We must no longer regard as a punishment and a veiled threat that which the Scriptures call “the blessed hope” of Christians, that is, the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The calm before the storm
Anticipating a reforming pope’s radical plan to curtail the Roman Curia. It’s not clear how radical the changes will be. But the relative, though uneasy calm that currently hovers over the Vatican is surely only the prelude to a document that is likely to cause one devil of a storm.
Gospel reflection for the XXXII Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
We might call this Sunday the “Sunday of the widows.” The story of a widow was also told in the first reading, the widow of Zarephath who gave up all she had left to eat (a handful of flour and a drop of oil) to prepare a meal for the prophet Elijah.
A Panorama of the Catholic Church all over the World
To 31 December 2016, the world population was 7.352.289.000 with an increase of 103.348.000 units compared with the previous year. On the same date, Catholics in the world numbered 1.299.059.000 units with an overall incewase of 14.249.000.
Gospel reflection for the XXXI Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Truly, loving God, more than a commandment, is a privilege, a concession. If one day we find him, we will not cease to thank God for commanding us to love him and we will not desire to do anything else but cultivate this love.
Cardinal Zen: “No goodwill” from China. The Vatican is badly mishandling China situation
HONG KONG – The recent agreement between the Vatican and China is a step towards the “annihilation” of the Catholic Church in China, Cardinal Joseph Zen, former bishop of Hong Kong, wrote in a New York Times op-ed published on Wednesday.
Uganda: A Traditional Karamojong Wedding
The Karamojong are an ethnic group of agro-pastoral herders living mainly in the north-east of Uganda. We look at their traditional wedding.
Gospel reflection for the XXX Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Bartimaeus is someone who does not miss an opportunity. He heard that Jesus was passing by, understood that it was the opportunity of his life and acted swiftly. The reaction of those present — “and many rebuked him, telling him to be silent” — makes evident the unadmitted pretension of the wealthy of all times.
The Synod of Bishops: Missing the forest for the trees
Just like the two previous Synod assemblies on the family, Pope Francis has made this current assembly on youth yet another necessary juncture on the road towards radically reforming structures of ecclesial governance and effecting a “conversion” of the papacy itself.
Republic Of Central Africa: A Church With Open Arms
Some dioceses have had their priests killed and churches destroyed but nevertheless they take in the homeless and the needy. The Episcopal Conference promotes interreligious dialogue and seeks to get internal and international political institutions moving. The testimony of Mons. Juan José Aguirre, Bishop of Bangassou.
Gospel reflection for the XXIX Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
After the Gospel on riches, this Sunday’s Gospel gives us Christ’s judgment on another of the great idols of the world: power… Our minds — the thoughts of the heart — can become a kind of throne on which we sit to dictate laws and thunder against those who do not submit to us
