Religion

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33rd Sunday in ordinary time: The middle road
Today’s readings: Proverbs 31, 10-13.19-20.30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5, 1-6; Matthew 25, 14-30. There were times in the history of Christianity when Christians were persecuted for being Christians. There were also times when they were persecuted for...
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Is this the Midas touch?
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Quotes and news
Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said: “Nowadays the poor are often called socially unprotected people, and society regards them as a problem. Politicians often try to use or buy these people, so they can build...
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32nd Sunday in ordinary time: Lessons of life
Today’s readings: Wisdom 6,12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4,13-18; Matthew 25, 1-13. Wisdom is the one thing that makes our life most sensible. It makes us resourceful, alert to what’s happening not only around us, but mostly inside us. It is something...
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When the sun danced in the sky
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Quotes and news
“Simply untrue” and “utterly false” were two of the comments by Vatican officials as they strongly denied reports that a commission was set up to examine the possibility of an “ecumenical Mass” which would allow Catholics and Protestants to...
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31st Sunday in ordinary time: When religion is ‘fake’
Today’s readings : Malachi 1, 14 - 2, 2.8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2, 7-9.13; Matthew 23, 1-12. There are times in the history of all peoples and cultures that are turning points and that mark radical shifts in the thinking and beliefs of entire peoples.
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Poor translations of the liturgy
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Quotes and news
In a video message to participants in the 48th Social Week for Italian Catholics, Pope Francis talked about the different types of work, including that which degrades, humiliates or exploits people. Some of the examples he gave were slavery, the...
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30th Sunday in ordinary time: Love, the soul of the city
Today’s readings: Exodus 22, 20-26; 1 Thessalonians 1, 5-10; Matthew 22, 34-40. When France was perpetrating acts of violence against the inhabitants of its colonies, Albert Camus wrote: “I wish that I lived in a country where it was possible to...
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A corrupt soul breeds indifference
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Quotes and news
The Catholic bishops of Nicaragua said that the country is going to municipal elections next Sunday without solving the problems they had highlighted in their statement of September 26, 2012 . The bishops appealed to the people to vote and become...
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29th Sunday in ordinary time: First, good citizenship
Today’s readings: Isaiah 45, 1.4-6; Thessalonians 1, 1-5; Matthew 22, 15-21. The divide between religion and politics, Church and society, has been commonplace since the inception of Christianity as a movement impacting on society and on the...
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‘The poor will always be with you’
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Quotes and news
The persecution of Christians is worse than at any time in history, according to a new report issued on October 12. The report, entitled ‘Persecuted and Forgotten?’ concludes that the persecution of Christians 2015-17 reached its highest ever...
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28th Sunday in ordinary time: The standpoint changes the perspective
Today’s readings: Isaiah 25,6-10; Philippians 4,12-14.19-20; Matthew 22,1-14. The Scriptures today reflect the epochal change under way in our times. We, the Christian West, always thought we are the centre of God’s universe, while other peoples...
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The joy of simplicity
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Quotes and news
‘May the voice of Jesus return in Europe’ was the theme of the final message of the plenary assembly of the Council of European Bishops Conferences (CCEE). The conference gathered in Minsk, Belarus, from September 27-October 1 and relaunched the...
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27th Sunday in ordinary time: The architecture of life
Today’s readings: Isaiah 5, 1-7; Philippians 4, 6-9; Matthew 21, 33-43. ‘Aesthetics’ is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty and taste. It is related to our capacity of judgement where sentiment and taste are concerned.
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Enemies of the people