What Christians Believe: Understanding the Nicene Creed
While I was away on vacation last week, I took the opportunity to read Bishop Robert Barron’s outstanding new book entitled What Christians Believe: Understanding the Nicene Creed. It’s short – only 139 pages – but filled with deeply insightful reflections on the basic tenets of our faith that we recite every Sunday at Mass. I strongly recommend it for everyone and offer some reflections on it to whet your appetite. Bishop Barron begins with an excellent reflection on the very first two words of the Nicene Creed: “I believe.” [...]
A CALL FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE AND THE COMMON HOME
A Message from the Catholic Episcopal Conferences and Councils of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean I think we can all agree that we are experiencing climate change that has seen an increase in temperature fluctuations, more violent storms, floods and droughts. There is great debate about the role that human activity has played in the dramatic change in climate over the past century and especially in the past few decades but it is evident that we are experiencing an alarming increase in temperature and violent weather worldwide. The [...]
CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
As if the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine and the almost three-year war between the Hamas and Israel weren’t enough, Israel is now embroiled in a serious conflict with Iran and we are becoming ever more entangled in it ourselves. At the same time, we read about the natural disasters around the world - ongoing wild fires in Canada, floods here in our country and, indeed, around the world, deadly heat waves - and our hearts go out to the millions of people who are suffering and struggling to [...]
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul/Disciple Maker Index Survey Results
FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. …I give to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 16:18a, 19). With these proclamations, Jesus indicates both that there will be a church and that Peter will be its foundation as Jesus returns to his heavenly Father. The New Testament clearly shows St. Peter as the leader of the apostles. Jesus chooses him to have a special relationship with him. He was the first one whom Jesus called to [...]
THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
“Jesus said to the crowds: ‘I am the living bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.’” (Jn. 6:51). Last week, we explored the central mystery of the Church as we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Today, we celebrate another important mystery of our faith: the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy [...]
TRINITY SUDAY
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is how we Christians begin all our prayers because we believe in and worship a triune God. But, what do we actually mean when we say that God is a Trinity? As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, allow me to offer some reflections on this very important mystery of our faith. First of all, it is important to realize we are dealing with a mystery, a reality that is well beyond our total understanding, just [...]