Tag Archive for ‘catholic’
January Saint
St Gregory Nazianzen Andrei Rublev, Gregory the Theologian(1408) 2 January I teach seminarians and theology students about the importance of the Ecumenical Councils and Gregory was one of the major players in the Council that produced the second part of the Creed we say at Mass. He is the great champion of the Holy Spirit as […]
The Beginnings of the Catholic Church in Tonga
Based on the writings of Fr Joseph Deihl SM, adapted by Fr Kevin Head SM Part 3 Fr Deihl wrote, “Persecution and the dispersal of the persecuted have often proven to be, in the designs of God, the good wind that carries the seeds of the gospel far afield; the story of the Catholic mission […]
Reading a Window – 2
Last month’s Messenger had the tale of the window dedicated to St Monica and her tears for her son, which carried also the sub-text of the donor’s grief at the death of her son. The saints depicted in a window may be in the glory of eternity, but the donors belong to this world with […]
December Crossword
Solution for -November- Across: 7 Acedia – Anagram – “I aced” indicated by “rewritten clue” 8 Reason, 9 Rome, 10 Superior – Anagram – “Prior Sue” indicated by “organised” 11 Sausage – Anagram – “Usage as” indicated by “minced” 13 Cause, 15 Agape, 17 Gehenna, 20 Son of God, 21 Myth, 22 Virtue, 23 Rosary. […]
China: Growing up in China (Part 1)
Remarks recorded by Fr Bernard Jacquel, MEP taken from “Missions Etrangeres de Paris” May 2014. He comes from the north of China, but we will not mention any locality. Although it is not customary where he comes from, neither among Christians nor in his family, to use baptismal names, we will give him his: Joseph. […]
Can You Bear It?
An eccentric philosophy professor gave a one-question final exam after a semester dealing with a broad array of topics. The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plonked it on his desk, and wrote on the board: ‘Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this […]
The Catholic faith in mainland China
In the context of the year of Faith and my research work at the Holy Spirit Study Centre, I became interested in the way Chinese Catholics lived their faith. Of course it is very hard to generalise, because China is so huge and the situations so different between the North and the South, between the […]
What my Faith means to me
To speak at Mass is a privilege and a slightly unsettling challenge, because articulating the elements of a Faith has been something I’ve tended to shy away from. The very word Faith suggests confidence, conviction, steady belief. I really don’t feel I can claim that – indeed I’m more familiar with the Doubting Thomas of […]
April Saints
Saint Mary of Egypt (c344-c421) Mary’s claim to fame was her early life. At the age of twelve, she left her home and came to Alexandria, where for upwards of seventeen years she led a life of public prostitution. She joined a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, not for pious reasons but to carry on her shameless […]
Crossword for March
The December Crossword was won by Rosanne Wills of Drury, whose name was drawn from 14 correct entries. February Solution Across: 1 Fig leaf, 5 Sight, 8 Modernism, 9 Eve, 10 Relic, 12 Aramaic, 13 Contemplative, 15 Passion, 17 Merit, 19 Lei – “arranges” indicates an anagram of “Eli” 20 Ownerless – “become” indicates anagram of […]
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