This week, I was struck by how the Lord’s commands border on the unreasonable! Offering no resistance to the wicked man? Letting someone who struck you on the face strike you again? Giving to anyone who asks, whatever the request may be? Surely, these are foolish, if not utterly crazy, directions! Surely no reasonable person could follow and still live [...]
The readings for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time focus on the law and commandments and why true wisdom lies in both obeying them and going beyond them. The first reading tells us to choose life by obeying God’s commandments. As a parent, it was easy for us to remind our children to remember The Ten Commandments and to tell [...]
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his [...]
The term, “Fides et Ratio” is Latin for Faith and Reason. In his encyclical, Fides et Ratio, Pope St. John Paul II (1998), wrote about how God has created Man and Woman with a natural desire to seek the Truth. By encountering, loving, and knowing God our Father more and more, humanity begins to understand in incremental levels the complete [...]
Our identities are important to us. Who we are often influences what we do. We even take steps to showcase our identities sometimes - wearing special clothes/accessories (Liverpool jersey at a football match, anyone?), memorising mottos, or behaving in a certain way. Growing up, being a "gamer” was an important part of my identity. This "gamer" identity manifested itself through [...]
We hear in the Old Testament how the prophet Zephaniah tells the Jews to seek integrity, humility and to take refuge in God. In our comings and goings, we are consumed by all things external and do not notice that our Father is in our midst and gently prompting and waiting for our response. If we believe what is proclaimed [...]
An argument that is often brought up against Catholics praying the rosary, or any chaplet devotion is, why are you repeating yourself? Doesn’t Scripture, and Jesus say, “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.” (Matthew 6:7) In some translations “many words” are worded, “because of their vain [...]
Spiritual darkness occurs when there is an absence of God. God always calls us to repentance. Repentance involves letting go of all that leads to darkness - which is of the kingdom of the enemy, and moving to the light where God is. We live in a time of confusion and growing darkness but unlike the people of Isaiah’s time [...]
Across the world, according to a recent statistical study released by the Vatican (Segreteria di Stato Vaticano 2022; 2019), the number of Catholics world-wide increased from an approximate 16 million in 2020, to 1.36 billion in 2022. While about 48% of the world’s Catholics are situated at the Americas, the Catholic Church grew the most rapidly in Africa, with a [...]
Encounter Chinese New Year EC Timings CNY EVE - 21 Jan no sunset mass CNY DAY 1 - 22 Jan usual Sunday EC timings CNY DAY 2 - 23 Jan Public Holiday EC @ 7.30am Formation Intro to Sacrament Dates: Mondays 9, 16, 30 Jan 2023 Time: 8pm - 10pm Venue: [...]
