Some people today define “grace” as “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” Others gloss it as “unconditional gift” or “undeserved favour.” Still others prefer to see it as God’s favourable disposition toward his people. However, the word grace in the New Testament (Greek charis) simply means “gift.” The content of the gift is determined by its Read more
It is a blessing to have a Pope who sees a world of religious multiplication rather than religious division. Many of us grew up in an era of “We are right and the others are wrong.” Christian churches seemed to have high fences around them, and religions that were not Christian were often labelled “Heathen” Read more
Pope Francis Social Encyclical: ‘Fratelli Tutti’ was launched at the Vatican, Sunday 4 October, 2020. The document focuses on fraternity and social friendship as the ways to build a better, more just and peaceful world – with the contribution of all: people and institutions. The official summary follows, with a link to download the full Read more
October 4, Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti during a visit to Assisi. The encyclical calls for a new kind of politics and emphasises social friendship as a way to build a more just and peaceful world. It encourages the contribution of all people and institutions and seeks to build a global movement Read more
Working together for the common good during the pandemic is crucial or we’ll emerge worse off, Pope Francis told the crowd at his general audience last Wednesday. Focusing his talk on the common good, which is a central theme in the Church’s social teaching, he said: “A virus that does not recognize barriers, borders or Read more
In one of my earliest memories, my father is warning me about a famous man, “Remember, he still puts his pants on one leg at a time.” I remembered this warning when I heard about the fall of another famous icon, Brother Jean Vanier, the revered founder of L’Arche, an ecumenical community where disabled and Read more
There are only three physical examples of God’s unconditional love for us here on Earth: the love from one’s mother, the love from one’s grandmother(s) and the love one receives from a very large dog. Read more
Seeing the world through the eyes of love is the God view of the world and not our way of seeing. Generally, we have a polarised view of the world, divisions created by our values system. Our list for nature goes something like this: monarch butterflies good, white butterflies bad, kauri trees good, pine trees Read more
“Shocked” and “You’re a disgrace”, were two reactions from a couple of friends when I confessed to watching the Royal Wedding. Yes, the wedding was a “who’s who” and fashionista’s delight. But it was the address and the animated picture of Bishop Michael Curry, the first black presiding bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church Read more
Let’s start by telling the truth: we love a tiny fragment of the world’s population. I didn’t lose a wink of sleep over the Syrian women and children who died because of chemical weapons. I don’t feel a twinge of guilt when I eat my dinner and think of hungry, homeless families sleeping under interstate Read more