This Sunday, January 26, His Holiness Pope Francis will lead denominational representatives in the first Sunday of the Word of God, a new annual occasion committed to celebrating and studying the Bible.

Announced by Pope Francis at a press conference on January 17, the celebration will take place on January 26 in St. Peter’s Basilica and parishes around the world. The day’s events in the Vatican will be centered around a Papal Mass and a public reading of the Gospel of Matthew in the afternoon.

A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO SCRIPTURE AND UNITY

BBC Arabic satellite channel has reported that the losses incurred by Syria over the past decade amount to $226 billion as 27 per cent of buildings and compounds were destroyed, while the poverty rate stands at 60 per cent of the population.

Satellite channels are confined to giving figures… but do we realize that every figure is an indication of a tragedy? It is craze… this is a report that reflects a bleak future for Syria with no hope in the offing.

Thank you for your years of loving active service. Thank you for your prayers as you grow daily feebler, daily closer to Our Lord.

I see you, grandma. I see you in your weakness and pain. I see your struggle to stand, to cook, to do the work you have been doing every single day for the past 65 years.

You have lived as Martha, the one who served the Lord through an active life (Luke 10:38-42). You served your husband, your family, and your God faithfully for all of these years. And now your body will not let you do it anymore.

Satan hates God. Satan hates you. And Satan hates the Rosary. Saints say it. Popes say it.

The Rosary is a powerful weapon against evil. But have you stopped to figure out why?

Here are ten reasons why the Rosary prayer is the most powerful and how you can use it most fully.

In Pope Francis' speech on the "state of the world" this year, it is the words dedicated to the growing tension between Iran and the United States that attract attention. The Pope, who had already spoken on the subject on Sunday 5 January, reiterates the appeal to avoid further escalating the confrontation, keeping alive "the ‘flame of dialogue and self-control restraint’, in full respect of international law".

The Star of Bethlehem is most certainly a central part of the Epiphany story. But for me, Mary is the real star.

I love the feast of Epiphany.

Not only is it one of the six Christmas dates we should not forget, but also it’s a reminder that we should search for the “Little Epiphanies” in our own lives – the times that our Lord reveals himself to us in sometimes mysterious and often not-so-mysterious ways.

There’s another reason, I love it so much.

I love it because I believe Mary is the real “Star” at Epiphany.

Throughout the world, Christian believers are celebrating the Epiphany, the visitation of the Magi from the East. The word literally means the “manifestation,” and is used to describe the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world. Represented by the Magi, the nations of the world are invited to come and adore the long-awaited Messiah, the new-born King and Savior of the world.

The Greek word Epiphany (epiphanos), which means appearance or manifestation or showing forth, is used to describe Jesus’ first appearance to the Gentiles. Originally the word Epiphany referred to the visit of a king to the people of his provinces. "Epiphany" refers to God’s Self-revelation as well as to the revelation of Jesus as His Son to all mankind. Epiphany is an older celebration than the feast of Christmas, having originated in the East in the late second century.

While much of the world marks the new beginning of the calendar year, the Church commemorates the great solemnity of the Mother of God.

What does this mean?

Having served on many professional international standard setting boards at the U.N. and on global organizations including the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), International Accounting Standards Committee, and IFAC’s Board, as Chair of the U.N. Committee on accounting and reporting Standards, on the panel of experts of the World Intellectual Property Organization at the UN, WTO’s Panel of Experts, Education Quality Councils, in addition to others, I ended up firmly convinced that professionalizing any trade is self-serving.