Am I my brother’s keeper? In Genesis chapter 4, we read of how Cain brought grain and how Abel brought the best part of the firstlings of his flock as First Fruit offerings to the Lord God. While Abel’s offering was seen as acceptable, and the Lord God knows the heart and the secret intentions of His people, Cain’s offering [...]
The word, “hospitality” can be traced to the 14th century Old French, ospitalité which means “hospital”, and which in turn comes from the Latin, hospitalitem, which means “friendliness to guests” (Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d.). Hospitality places emphasis on a relationship between the host and guest, to the extent that the host is expected to provide respite and care to the [...]
We actually spend a lot of time investing in, considering, and preparing to sin. As the account goes in 2 Samuel 11, we read of how King David becomes besotted with lust for Bathsheba. There are several steps that he begins to undertake to first woo her, seduce her, and eventually cover up his sin. Sin red flag 1: As [...]
There are five precepts of the Catholic Church: You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labour. You shall confess your sins at least once a year. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the [...]
The Feast of Corpus Christi, is also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. As Catholics, we are taught reverence for the Eucharist and we do practise it. Most of us reverence the Eucharist, meaning, we genuflect, kneel, and treat the Sacred Host with respect. Most of us also receive communion at every Eucharistic [...]
If the Resurrection was a quiet affair that was shielded in silence, the events post-Resurrection glorified the Lord in glorious sound, signs, and wonders. At the time of the Pentecost, a tremendous sound was heard across the skies, which was followed by a majestic wind. We are immediately reminded of the time when the Lord God revealed himself to Moses [...]
Parish Boundaries The word, “parish” can be traced etymologically to the Latin parochia and the Greek paroikia, which can be taken literally to mean a cluster or group of neighbouring living places to dwell in (Boudinhon & Fanning, 1911). A parish thus consists of a community of homes, which do not exist independently of each other, but in solidarity with [...]
The word, “Eden” historically refers to an ancient land that was situated in the region of Southern Mesopotamia. The term is derived from the Sumerian word, eden meaning “a plain that is fertile”. In Hebrew, a word bearing a similar sound, makes referent to the notion of “delight”. The Garden in Eden as we hear of in the accounts of [...]
“Every war leaves our world worse than it was before. War is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.” – Pope Francis, Fratelli tutti, 261 On the 24th of February 2022, the world was greeted with the dismal news that Russia had commenced a full-scale military invasion on Ukraine. [...]
We must be careful when choosing whom to follow lest we stumble into a pit alongside our blind guide. A corollary is that we have no business trying to guide others unless we ourselves can see clearly. Jesus, however, does not intend for us to go through life blindly accepting everything that we see or hear. He indicates that there [...]