The hot issue that keeps lingering in the hearts and minds of peace-loving people who seek to maintain Middle East diversity and to look for promoting common living, is the mounting trend of Christian emigration from the Levant.
A good and encouraging piece of news has recently surfaced indicating that a common date for Easter between East and West is in the offing which leaves the doors wide open for an emerging Christian unity.
Since the start of his papacy, His Holiness Pope Francis has focused on giving a helping hand to all world countries that suffer from turbulence, chronic problems, and instabilities either by paying visits to these countries or by praying fervently seeking the Lord's help and mercy.
In early 2019, a pandemic hit hard all parts of the world with every country suffering from the deadly virus which developed various strains resistant to some vaccines.
People from all walks of life have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. It badly affected public health causing economic and social disruption that threatened the long-term livelihoods and well-being of millions. Millions of people fell ill, others passed away, will others became unemployed and lost any hope in a better future.
Since its inception in 2012, the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan has strived to excel in the field of media. It has demonstrated flexibility and capability to act efficiently and ardently under difficult circumstances to fully perform its message in conveying valid and useful information that serves love, peace, harmony, and common living.
In Lord Jesus’ beatitudes, He said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
Mercy is the crux of Christianity and without mercy people are bereft of love and compassion, whereas life becomes rough and merciless. Mercy breeds love and care. It instills in humans the divine nature of love.
I was sitting at the doctor’s clinic the other day waiting for my turn, checking my emails from my mobile phone, and unintentionally listening to conversations around me. All of them can be summarized in one word: Resistance. A little girl refusing to wear her mask and kept taking it off, disregarding her mother’s several stern instructions. A woman on the phone, intensely refusing an offer to help her reconcile with her husband. The employee behind the desk refusing to listen to a man who in a monotone voice was trying to explain his unwillingness to wait his turn.
Since the early days of life on our Globe, there have been several methods to exact capital punishment. The term "capital punishment" implies death. Among the most modern methods used nowadays is beheading by using sharp guillotine, while in old days crucifixion was a popular method to punish thieves and criminals.
During the public ministry of Jesus Christ, he preached a compelling and challenging message of mercy. He called on his disciples to forgive, not only their friends, but also their enemies. He raised the bar for forgiveness and exhorted his followers to forgive, not only seven times, but seventy-seven times.
It was a provocative summons then, it remains a provocative summons now.
Catholics who are still committed to going to Mass have proved one thing very well: We love God. We love Him a lot. We love Him against all odds.
Now, to be right with God, we just need to take one more crucial step: We have to figure out how to love our neighbor — even when our neighbor is an enemy of our faith.
