26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
The third child exists, but we are not that child. Only “the Son of God, Jesus Christ—Paul writes—was not ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ but with him, it was simply ‘yes.’ In him, all the promises of God have come to be a ‘yes’”. He is the one who always said: “Yes, Father, this was your gracious will”.
Season of autumn and autumn of life
I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud.
So I like best of all autumn, because its leaves are a little yellow,
its tones mellower, its colors richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow.
Libro dei PROVERBI – Introduzione
Il libro dei Proverbi appare come un’opera composita, che è stata elaborata in tempi diversi e nella quale confluiscono proverbi di varie epoche e provenienti anche da fuori Israele. Esso può essere considerato come il primo corpus sapienziale, una sorta di antologia letteraria della sapienza di Israele
African Witnesses: Father Kiggundu, In Defence of the Truth
On January 16, 1973, at Rubaga, in a packed cathedral, the funeral service for Fr. Clement Kiggundu was held. In concluding the homily, the Archbishop of Kampala, E.K. Nsubuga, said: “If you opened the coffin and saw what remains of him, you would be shocked.”
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
The parable is the clearest and provocative denouncement that can be imagined of the religion of merits taught by the spiritual guides of Israel (and supported by many even today).
Witnesses: Kiwanuka Benedict, “Ready to risk my life”
The Ugandan politician Benedict Kagima Mugumba Kiwanuka was one of the early leaders in the independence movement in the country. He was murdered by Idi Amin. His courageous contribution makes him a pioneer of the democracy and human rights in Uganda.
A must-read – Francis’ Government: What is the driving force of his pontificate?
I invite you to read this interesting article of Fr. Antonio Spadaro. An answer to the question: What kind of government does Francis exercise, and how do we interpret it in the light of these seven years?
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
The obligation to forgive was restricted to the members of the people of Israel and was limited. No more than three times—the rabbis affirmatively agreed—on the fourth, one had to resort to legal remedies.
Witnesses: Sean Devereux, A Modern Martyr
He was a 28-year-old aid worker who was gunned down in Somalia in 1993. He had worked on missions in Liberia and for the UN in Somalia. A passionate opponent of the illegal arms trade he was killed by bullets from a foreign rifle.
A Special Power Of Loving: Mother Teresa’s Letter On Women
There is a little-known letter written by this diminutive powerhouse that I want to share with you. It’s timely not just because of her approaching feast day, but also because this month marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of its writing.
Witnesses: Cardinal Van Thuan, Freedom to Pray
Cardinal Van Thuan was arrested in 1975 and spent 13 years in prison, nine of them in solitary confinement in Hanoi. He used his time not only for personal prayer but also to write a reflection that continues to inspire.
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
The truth that does not produce love, but causes anxiety, creates dissension, hatred, and resentment is a lie. The truth that kills is evil; it comes from the evil one, “who has been a murderer from the beginning. He is a liar and the father of lies”
Brazil: Hélder Càmara, The Bishop of the poor
“I believe in the force of the truth. I believe in what is called a moral liberating force.” Dom Hélder Càmara, Archbishop of Olinda and Recife was one of the great prophets of the Catholic Church.
From Distraction to Dedication: An Invitation to the Center
For some time we religious have wondered about our life in the Church and the power and attraction of our witness. One does not need extraordinary insight or deep analysis to realize that what we call “religious life” has lost something of its impact in the Church and outside its walls. Where have we gone wrong?
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Three imperatives characterize the radicality of a choice that does not admit delays nor second thoughts:“Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow me.” Three imperatives characterize the radicality of a choice that does not admit delays nor second thoughts:“Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow me.”
Why Can’t We Stop!
We are overscheduled, tense, addicted to hurry, frantic, preoccupied, and starved for time. Cramming as much as possible into our Blackberries and to-do lists, we battle to make the best use of every spare minute we have.
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Even God is “jealous” because no one more than him is enamored of the human being. A disciple is one who has understood that he is unique, as unique as the person to whom one falls in love, to whom one trusts and for whom one is willing to do anything.
Rest and spirituality
A providential suspension in our daily routine is a valid occasion to relax physically and to nurture the spirit. It can be also an opportune time to cultivate the inalienable demands of spirituality…
Notre-Dame’s rebuilding: The battle over the future of the cathedral
After Notre-Dame Cathedral had been saved from the flames, French politicians and architects seemed determined to modernise the structure. So how is it that the authorities have decided to rebuild Notre-Dame as it was before? Agnès Poirier explains what happened behind the scenes – and why the French media are calling it “the building site of the century”.
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
The evangelist relates the dialogue between Jesus and the woman. He sounds almost delighted to emphasize the increasingly harsh tone of the Master’s responses. In front of the woman’s request for help, he takes a dismissive attitude: not worthy of a look, not addressing her even a word (v. 23). Then the apostles, a little annoyed, intervene…
Witnesses: Shabbaz Bhatti, A Voice That Cries in the Wilderness
Shahbaz Bhatti was the Pakistani federal minister for minority affairs. He was shot dead driving from his mother’s Islamabad home. His assassins have never been brought to justice. He was a committed Catholic.
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
“Come to me now—the Risen Lord repeats to every disciple. Do not be afraid of losing your life. If you hesitate, death will make you afraid. If you trust my word, the waters of death will not scare you, and you will cross over and catch up with me in the resurrection.”
Brazil: Close to the People
Brazil is the country struck hardest by Covid-19. Comboni Father Saverio Paolillo has sent us some reflections on rethinking our lifestyles.
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Jesus asks the disciples to give him what he has, even if it seems little to him. Five loaves and two fish—seven pieces of food—are the symbol of totality. Nothing is held back; the generosity should have no limits.
Fury in German Church over Vatican parishes document
Cardinal Woelki was almost alone in defending the Vatican document, which other bishops have attacked for “clericalism”.
From the House of Fear to the House of Love
Henri Nouwen, in his writings, frequently asked this question: “How can we live inside a world marked by fear, hatred, and violence and not be destroyed by it?”
When What Is Precious Is Taken from You
Perhaps the reality that is hardest of all to accept in life is the unalterable fact that everything that is precious to us will, in some way, eventually be taken away.
Zimbabwe: In Search of the Lost City
Grand Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s largest and most complex archaeological sites. Its origins and decline are mysterious, and we visited it.
Our global crisis has brought one conception of life to an end — what comes next?
The rapid and uncontrolled spread of COVID-19, despite its low lethality rate, has brought out the anxiety of death and shaken the illusion of industrialised, individualistic, and aging societies, which believed themselves to be unshakable — even immortal. No one on the planet can feel safe from the risk of contagion.
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
There is but a behavior to assume in front of this gift. Whoever finds it out should not hesitate, be perplexed or doubt. If one hesitates, he loses precious time, a favorable opportunity may escape and not return. The decision must be taken urgently; the choice cannot be delayed. One cannot miss the appointment with the Lord.
Vatican issues new guidelines for parishes: 5 things you need to know
The Congregation for Clergy on Monday published new guidelines for the world’s parishes, which aim to encourage parishes to think of themselves as missionary communities of evangelization.
Witnesses: Vandana Shiva, Safeguarding Biodiversity
One of the major international personalities who strives for the safeguarding of biodiversity and who is against the monopolising of the planet’s resources, especially water, is the Indian activist Vandana Shiva.
Vatican publishes handbook for bishops and religious superiors to guide response to abuse allegations
The handbook contain the most up-to-date legal norms and best practices that bishops and superiors of religious orders should follow whenever they receive an allegation of abuse of minors by clergy or come to know of such abuse.
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
With three other parables, Jesus gradually reveals the mystery of the kingdom of heaven. The first—that of the wheat and the tares (vv. 24-30)—gets an explanation. This is a preacher’s sermon at the time of Matthew. The two other parables—that of the mustard seed and the leaven (vv. 31-33)—are told to emphasize the irresistible force of good.
Cardinal Pell: My Time in Prison
There is a lot of goodness in prisons. At times, I am sure, prisons may be hell on earth. I was fortunate to be kept safe and treated well. I was impressed by the professionalism of the warders, the faith of the prisoners, and the existence of a moral sense even in the darkest places.
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Jesus tells this parable in a difficult moment of his life. In Nazareth, he is cast out, in Capernaum, he is taken as mad, the Pharisees want to kill him, and the disciples abandon him. It just seems that all his preaching has fallen in vain. The conditions are too unfavorable; his word seems destined to die
Everyday Life as Sacrament
For Christians, ultimately the whole world is holy and everything in it, especially the physical, is potential material for sacrament.
Lost is a Place Too
In her book, Survivor, Christina Crawford writes: “Lost is a place, too.” That’s more than a clever sound bite. It’s a deep truth that’s often lost in a world within which success, achievement, and good appearance define meaning and value.
Sr. Thea Bowman: “To be black and Catholic means that I bring myself, my black self”
She was the granddaughter of a slave, an advocate for racial justice, and the first African American woman to address the U.S. bishops’ conference. Two years ago, her sainthood cause was opened.
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Jesus is presented as meek and humble of heart. These are the terms that we find in the Beatitudes. They do not indicate the timid, the meek, the quiet, but those who are poor and oppressed, those who, while suffering injustice, do not resort to violence.
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
The second of the five discourses of Jesus found in the Gospel of Matthew develops the themes related to sending of the disciples to a mission. Today we are offered the concluding passage.
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
This Sunday’s Gospel contains a number of ideas but they all can be summarized in this apparently contradictory phrase: “Have fear but do not be afraid.” Jesus says: “Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear rather him who has the power to make both the soul and the body perish in Gehenna.”
Von Balthasar – Heart of Jesus, the heart of the world
THE VERY FORM OF THE CROSS, extending out into the four winds, always told the ancient Church that the Cross means solidarity: its outstretched arms would gladly embrace the universe. According to the Didache, the Cross is semeion epektaseos, a “sign of expansion”, and only God himself can have such a wide reach
Naming the Present Moment & A Retreat Opportunity
Putting proper names to what is happening inside our experience is the place where we can read the language of God.
Solemnity of Corpus Domini (A)
Today, to each of us, the word of God says, Remember! Remembrance of the Lord’s deeds guided and strengthened his people’s journey through the desert; remembering all that the Lord has done for us is the foundation of our own personal history of salvation. Remembrance is essential for faith, as water is for a plant.
Ethiopia marks World Environment Day aiming to plant 5bn trees
Marking World Environment Day, Ethiopia’s President launches a project that aims to plant 5 billion tree seedlings amid the enduring Covid-19 pandemic that has led to the drawing of parallels between the global health crisis and climate change.
Witnesses: Annalena Tonelli, Mother Teresa of Somalia
An Italian lawyer and social activist, she volunteered to the service of the poor and sick for 33 years in Africa. At an early age, Annalena Tonelli (1943 – 2003) was attracted by the example of the radical Christianity of Blessed Charles de Foucauld and, in an extraordinary way, imitated his example.
Trinity Sunday (A)
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost”(v. 16). It can be considered the summit reached by the biblical revelation on the meaning of creation, life and human destiny.
The Nubian people: between Egypt and Sudan
The legacy of the time of the Pharaohs of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty is being ransomed after the silence caused by intentionally misrepresented history. Now, researchers and institutions are recovering the splendour of the Nubian civilization.
One Spirit – One Source of All
Someone once said that the law of gravity and the law of love ultimately have the same source and are both driven by the same spirit, the Holy Spirit.
