Religion
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Sustainability
Today’s readings: Proverbs 9, 1-6; Ephesians 5, 15-20; John 6, 51-58. The challenge for Christians living today is how to rise to the occasion without giving in to temptations of pessimism or apocalyptic reading of whatever surrounds us. At every...
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A tremendous challenge for all
Two main characteristics of post-modernity are secularism and relativism. These are diametrically opposed to the faith of the Church for whom two main characteristics are religiousness and God’s law. The Church also believes that only in God’s way...
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Quotes and news
Delegates taking part in the assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), which comprises most US female religious, authorised their officers to continue their dialogue with the Vatican without compromising its “authentic...
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Past and present
Today’s readings: 1 Kings 19, 4-8; Ephesians 4, 30 – 5, 2; John 6, 41-51. The more we realise how fragile life is, how rapidly our biological existence rises and declines, how open we all are to risks that instantly dump us in anxiety and loneliness...
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Towards a higher form of life
The wonders of human progress never stop surprising us. Homo erectus… homo faber… homo sapiens. It all started when man no longer crawled on all fours but stood up on his own two feet. He became the pride of creation. Homo erectus… standing up with...
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Quotes and news
People who consider themselves religious form the majority of the world population. According to a study conducted by the Gallup International Association 59 per cent of those surveyed described themselves as religious, 23 per cent said they are not...
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A pilgrim Church
Today’s readings: Exodus 16, 2-4.12-15; Ephesians 4, 7. 20-24; Jn 6, 24-35. Exodus is always a most powerful metaphor that addresses directly the anxieties of people across the board and at all times. In the Exodus accounts there is a condensation...
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A monster within
William Shakespeare, the great English playwright, offers a magnificent definition of jealousy. Through the jealous character of Iago, Shakespeare illustrates the mortal bites of jealousy: “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d...
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Quotes and news
The US State Department annual report on the state of religious liberty in the world lists eight “countries of particular concern” on the issue. These are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan. The list of the...
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Filling the gap
Today’s readings: 2 kings 4, 42-44; Ephesians 4, 1-6; John 6, 1-15. Sustainability is a buzz word today. It has been for quite some time now, particularly in the post-World War II times, when the issue of population growth and the limited resources...
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They shall become one flesh
There is a growing tendency nowadays to deem it fair to consider all domestic arrangements as being ‘families’, and consequently to define ‘marriage’ in a wider sense than merely that between a man and a woman. Do the Christian Scriptures have any...
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Quotes and news
Going to Mass together and setting aside time each day to talk to each other are two simple practices that can help Catholic couples strengthen their marriage and be examples to others, Pope Benedict told married couples by means of a message sent...
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Adequate response
Today’s readings: Jeremiah 23, 1-6; Ephesians 2, 13-18; Mark 6, 30-34. Today’s reading from Mark marks the beginning of the second part of this gospel. In the first part, Jesus remains in his own environment facing the difficult queries coming from...
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Rest: not an option but a command
At this time of year when temperatures soar and the heat drains away our energy, a holiday is the first thing that comes to mind, and with it the desired rest. And yet what is it that we are seeking and yearning for when we think of holidays? “A...
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Quotes and news
Sister Pat Farrell, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the main organisation of Catholic nuns in the US, defended her organisation which is in conflict with the Vatican. During a radio interview, Sr Farrell insisted that...
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Loyalty to whom?
Today’s readings: Amos 7, 12-15; Ephesians 1, 3-14; Mark 6, 7-13. The loyalty of the Christian believer cannot be perceived as on the same level of loyalty to the party in politics or loyalty to the rules of a club. Toeing the line in Church life is...
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Rediscovering Europe’s soul
For many of us, the EU, especially with the inclusion of the eastern European nations that had been separated from us by the Cold War, is a dream come true. The EU has had a positive impact on our country by funding essential infrastructural...
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Quotes and news
Mgr Charles Scicluna, in an interview with the Italian Catholic magazine Jesus, said that about half the world’s episcopal conferences have established policies for handling abuse problems. The Vatican prosecutor said that due to a number of...
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The truth of prophecy
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 2, 2-5; 2 Corinthians 12, 7-10; Mark 6, 1-6 One of our major worries today whenever we analyse our culture is what we judge as an overtly adamant refusal, particularly on the ethical level, of the values of Christianity or...
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God is Love
The information given a few weeks ago by psychiatrist Anton Grech that in his practice in Malta he is encountering a considerable number of children – more than he used to in the UK – who are developing anxiety because of fear of hell, provides a...
