Leading the way

“You go into my vineyard too”[1]

Jesus raises Jairus' daughter

St Luke tells us: “when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.”[2] It is significant that those who are in need of Jesus are brought to him to be healed. They are not simply told to go to him, but rather those people take on this responsibility. They literally bring those who are in need, to Jesus, so that he can individually lay “his hands on every one of them and healed them.”[sic]

The beautiful gift of the Liturgy of the Hours

“We cannot pray "at all times" if we do not pray at specific times”

As an Anglican convert to Catholicism, I grew up in the Anglican tradition of hearing Mass on a Sunday morning and then, on a Sunday evening, attending Evensong (Vespers). From a young age, this was the norm for our family, and for many other Anglican families.

Altar Servers: A male or female domain?

I recently came across a column[i], by Michael Clancy, wherein he reporting on the fact that the rector of the cathedral in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, Rev. John Lankeit, had made a decision to only permit boys to serve at Mass. “The girls will be offered the role of sacristan, the person who prepares the church and the altar area before Mass.”

Work, the path to personal holiness

Until recently, work was, for me anyway, only a means to earn a living. Through my work, I could get the money that I needed, in order to be able to live the kind of lifestyle that I wanted. Work was nothing more than a means to an end. It served no other purpose. My ambition and efforts to produce good work, was driven purely by a desire to earn more money, in order to improve my lifestyle.

World Youth Day - Best kept secret

WYD 2011

Recently I wrote about the Media failing the Church because it didn’t report on the significance of millions of youth attending World Youth Day 2011. I came across this article “7 reasons for good cheer after Madrid” by Michael Cooks who clearly feels the same way I do. It’s a good read. Click on the title to read it at source or read it below:

Be careful of what you read

I enjoy reading and I am extremely proud of my collection of books in my study. I am also quite proud of the fact that I am so well known at the local Catholic bookstore, for the number of books that I regularly buy from them. I firmly believe that it is extremely important for me to read regularly to ensure that I constantly grow in my knowledge and love of God.

Is any among you sick?

I have recently been surprised at how many people hold the belief that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is reserved only for those Catholics who are at the point of death. Not so long ago, I even heard of a member of a family who actually wanted to prevent the priest from administering the sacrament, because he was convinced that this would terrify the sick person into believing he was definitely going to die.

On the subject of women priests . . .

I enjoyed this article by Joanne Bogle titled “Women Priests – No Chance”, particularly because she is a women and it always seems to be only men engaging in the discussions about women priests. Joanne appears frequently on EWTN – Eternal Word Television Network – which is available around the world, including South Africa, by satellite.

Transhumanism

Are you ever astounded by what you read is happening in the world? That moment when you look over your shoulder and question whether, what you are reading, is not possibly a "Candid Camera" trick because it seems so absurd that it must surely be a joke. It seems to be happening to me far more frequently now than it ever did before. (Must be my advanced age taking its toll.)

Media Fails the Church

Pope Benedict XVI arrives to huge crowds of young people in Madrid. Photograph: Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images

I have been astonished at how little coverage the World Youth Day in Madrid has received. Approximately 1,5 million young people travelled from around the world to join Pope Benedict XVI for World Youth Day 2011. This is phenomenal precisely because it is young people and is therefore a cause for great joy in the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI's homily given at the Cuatro Vientos Mass

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass at Cuatro Vientos on Sunday morning (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Here is Pope Benedict XVI's homily given at the Cuatro Vientos Mass on Sunday, 21 August 2011:

Pope Benedict XVI's Homily - Mass with Seminarians

The Pope arrives at the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de la Almudena this morning (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

Here is the full text of Pope Benedict XVI’s homily at Mass with the Seminarians on Saturday, 20 August 2011, during WYD 2011:

Change - Choose wisely

Throughout history change has for the most part been the only constant. Nothing seems to escape change. Not even the universe remains the same. Anything or anyone who refuses to change with the times inevitably seems to have little chance of survival. Change just marches right on, regardless of efforts to resist it.

New Age Prayer and Meditation Practices

I have always instinctively been very wary of the various new age practices that promise to teach us how to “center” ourselves by using various forms of “prayer” or “meditation”. Personal research has confirmed for me that these new age practices are definitely not Catholic and neither are they compatible with Catholicism.

No, women don’t have a right. Neither do men!

Anglican Communion Ordains Women Priests

It always amuses me, to see the extraordinary lengths that various organisations or groups will go to, in order to give their particular cause more credibility, while at the same time disingenuously attempting to destroy the credibility of their opponents.

Friday Penance: Do we still observe it?

A recent decision, by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, to reintroduce the practice of abstaining from meat on Friday’s, has highlighted the fact that some Catholics believed that the practice of Friday penance had been stopped completely by the Church.

Why punish the butchers? Why indeed?

Recently the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales decided to reintroduce the practice of abstaining from meat on Friday’s. This prompted an article in the Southern Cross, a South African Catholic Newspaper, titled “Why punish the butchers?” by Chris Moerdyk.