Peter asked Jesus how often he ought to forgive his brother, but he answered his own question by suggesting that he should forgive seven times. According to Rabbinio tradition a man must forgive his brother three times. So Peter thought he was going very far by suggesting seven times with eager self-satisfaction that it would […]
In the previous episode, the missionary and his companions flew into Lafon with nerves jangling, hoping to find out what had happened to Father Joseph while trying not to make matters worse. They were met by armed soldiers and Commander William Nyoun, but Bishop Paride calmly softened the tension with warmth, stories and quiet wisdom. […]
Southern Pakistan — Life as a missionary is rarely quite as predictable as the diary suggests. You may have a plan for the day, but before long you can find yourself facing a completely different reality. And sometimes, it is precisely in those unexpected moments that some of the most beautiful experiences of mission take […]
In the previous episode of his ongoing missionary journey, he found himself drawn deeper into the life of Marudi, learning the rhythms of the school, the river town and its people with a mixture of wonder, humour and quiet purpose. From the classrooms and cultural festivals to football matches, basketball nights and the odd travelling […]
Because of a slight difference in the text, some people see this passage as dealing with the duty of one member of the community to correct another who has done something wrong, others see it as dealing with the problem of making peace between two people, when one has done wrong to the other. It […]
The following is the Homily given by Fr. Fred Franklin during the Eucharistic Celebration on the Solemnity of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. There’s a very tenuous personal link between John, myself and our Founder Herbert Vauighan. When we came to St Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, in September 1962, it was the custom for […]
Previously, the missionary had found himself caught in the uneasy space between outrage and restraint, watching as stories of raids, arrests and broken promises stirred old wounds among church leaders and freedom fighters alike. While some wanted loud public pressure and swift condemnation, Bishop Paride Taban moved with a quieter wisdom, insisting first on patience, […]
As the month of September begins, Pope Leo XIV is inviting everyone around the world to pray for the just and sustainable management of water, recognising it as a vital resource and a basic need for every human person. In many parts of the world, our brothers and sisters have little or no reliable access […]
The apostles had already expressed their faith in Jesus as the Messiah when he asked them who they believed him to be. Because people were waiting for a Messiah who would overthrow the Romans, Jesus warned them not to tell people that he was the Messiah, because they would want to make him the centre […]
Previously, on his journey as a missionary, he found himself pulled between the classroom and the jungle path, trying to serve both the children of St Mark’s and the scattered communities beyond the river. Week by week, he settled into school life, travelled with Father Ferd to longhouses and little chapels, and began to see […]
Jesus and his disciples are about 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee and on the eastern side of the Jordan. Caesarea Philippi was then a new town. It was built by Philip, the Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, at the time our Lord was still a boy. It was named both after Philip […]
Tyre and Sidon were two cities on the coast in the south of the country called Phoenicia. The word Canaanite stresses the paganism of the woman, because the Canaanite were the ancient pagan inhabitants of Palestine, from whom the Israelites conquered the land, and who were the main enemies of the Jews and their religion. […]
