17th January 2020
Asia
Timothy Radcliffe OP: On Christian Unity
Yves Congar OP, the greatest ecumenist of the twentieth century, discovered his theological vocation when he was a young Dominican friar and was overwhelmed by studying John 17, where Jesus prays that the disciples may be one as he and the Father are one. Congar called it ‘the apostolic prayer of Jesus for Christian unity’ and he gave his entire life to heal the divisions … Read more
Retired Pakistani Bishop in Canada Works for Persecuted Christians
Former Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, who moved to Canada shortly after his retirement in 2011, celebrates 60 years of priesthood on Jan. 16. He became a Canadian citizen in 2016. “We live in a dark and dangerous world that is threatened by climate change, wars, economic hardships, and large-scale migrations. In the past seven years, the problem of asylum seekers has grown acutely,” the … Read more
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18 – 25 January on Theme: ‘They Showed Us Unusual Kindness’
On 10th February many Christians in Malta celebrate the Feast of the Shipwreck of St Paul, marking and giving thanks for the arrival of Christian faith on these islands. The reading from the Acts of the Apostles used for the feast is the text chosen for this year’s Week of Prayer. Hospitality is a much needed virtue in our search for Christian unity. It calls … Read more
‘The Bible is the Book of the Lord’s People’ – Pope Francis Announcing Sunday of the Word of God
In his letter, Pope Francis wrote, “A day devoted to the Bible should not be seen as a yearly event but rather a yearlong event, for we urgently need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures and of the risen Lord, who continues to speak his word and to break bread in the community of believers.” “We need to develop a closer … Read more
Holy Land: Visiting and Supporting the Local Christian Communities
This annual visit was set up over 20 years ago at the invitation of the Holy See with the aim of visiting and supporting the Holy Land’s local Christian communities as they experience the political and socio-economic realities of living in Israel and Palestine. During their stay, the bishops will be based in Ramallah with an overnight visit to Gaza, where they will celebrate Sunday … Read more
A Dot Painter’s View of Life’s Journey
ACCOMPLISHING: The Dutch title is ‘voltooiing’, accomplishing instead of accomplished, finishing instead of finished. The picture shows the life of a person, the dark circle (starting at the bottom, right), going through various communities, situations in life, relationships, the red circles (love). The red lines are the children who are going their own way, who have their own interests. The thin black line going round … Read more
The Philippines: Black Nazarene Procession an ‘Outpouring of People’s Longing for Good’
Wherever the people’s devotion came from, whether it’s liturgically sound or not, there is no stopping them from offering prayers and giving thanks to the suffering Jesus. Through the years, many have attested, and believed wholeheartedly, to the miraculous power of the image of the Black Nazarene, from granting personal petitions to healing the sick. There are those who have accused devotees of bordering on … Read more
