New Zealand, the Pope’s grief: “Senseless acts of violence, solidarity with Muslims”

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/15/2019 - 19:58

The attack by a white Australian supremacist group on two mosques in Christchurch. Closeness to the New Zealand Islamic community and the Australian bishops.

“Deeply saddened” by the terrorist attack on two New Zealand mosques in Christchurch, which cost the lives of 49 people, Pope Francis “assured the New Zealanders, and in particular the Muslim community, of his heartfelt solidarity”.

Lenten reflection of Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/15/2019 - 00:38

In reflection ‘Learning Humility of Heart,’ Archbishop Reminds ‘Let us turn especially in this holy season to our Blessed Mother Mary’

Following is a Lenten reflection of Archbishop Josè Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, on ‘Learning Humility of Heart’.

This Lent, we want to try to enter more deeply into the mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ, to follow him more closely, to commit ourselves once more to making his life the pattern for our own.

A thought for Lent 2019

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 03/11/2019 - 13:36

Ash Wednesday begins the Catholic season of Lent, a time of examining our consciences, confessing and repenting our sins, and working to change the direction of our lives back toward God through prayer, self-sacrifice, and charitable acts to others.

International Women’s Day: Be courageous, trustworthy and faithful like women in the Bible

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/08/2019 - 21:27

On the occasion of International Women’s Day which falls on March 8th, Nadine Bitar from the Catechetical Office of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, shares with us how people today can reflect on the important characteristics of some of the female figures in the Bible.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity,

and she laughs without fear of the future.”

Proverbs 31:25

What the saints can teach us about God’s will this Lent

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/06/2019 - 14:25

In Christianity, our will isn’t for the sake of our own choices, but to become united with will of the Father.

The roving Israelites learned it the hard way, the early Christians were martyred for it, and Catholics are getting heavy doses of it today. Like an encroaching jungle, the worship of idols and false gods are humanity’s default position whenever healthy Judeo-Christian institutions and traditions are not in place to keep this spiritually malignant vegetation from taking over.

“Pius XII: A ‘Bridge” Between Two Eras,” says Andrea Tornielli

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 03/05/2019 - 15:44

“On March 2, 1939, Eugenio Pacelli became the 260th Pope. Some journalists described him as the last representative of the Church anchored in the past, emphasizing only the discontinuities with his holy successor. However, Pius XII is still a personality to be studied, and this will be facilitated by the opening of the Vatican archives on his pontificate,” said Andrea Tornielli, in an editorial published by “Vatican News” and l’Osservatore Romano in Italian on March 3, 2019.

Lest we forget — Christian Palestinians of Jerusalem

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/27/2019 - 14:58

In my memoirs “Jerusalemites... a Living Memory”, I made reference to Talbiya Quarter in West Jerusalem, which in the 1930s and 1940s of the last century, was the most fashionable Christian Arab quarter, outside the Old City, along with Qatamon and Upper and Lower Baqa.

They had been a thriving, sophisticated and cohesive community of Arab Palestinian Christians, numerically roughly on par with their Arab Muslim compatriots, and living side by side in neighbourly amity and friendship.

I know many of those families and had close friendships with them.