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2014

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) – July 27

by Archbishop Joseph Harris
by Archbishop Joseph Harris

Gospel Mt 13:44-52

Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.

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Equity and equality in Education 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI

Pope Francis sees education as “an act of hope” and believes that “faith and the Christian vision of humanity fuel that hope” (Catholic Relief Service). Sadly, structural injustice in T&T may dash this hope for some of our students.

I share with you hereunder a letter that I hand-delivered to the Minister of Education’s office on July 1, on a CCSJ letterhead, about an issue that was first raised with me by a member of staff at Corpus Christi school. It is self-explanatory:

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Business Leadership: A Call to Save T&T

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI

A physician once said: “The best medicine for humans is Love.” Someone asked: “What if it does not work?” He smiled and said: “Increase the dose.”

The only way to save T&T is for all of us to increase the dose of love for God, each other, creation and self. It is a lack of love that has led us to this juncture in our history.

There are many social ills that need to be addressed in T&T and while some believe that we should seek solutions from experts abroad, I believe that transformation of our society resides largely with those of us who live here. There is much that each of us can and must do to save T&T.

The Business community, in particular, must step up to the plate to devise, fund, and help implement programmes that will pull us out of the morass in which we find ourselves.

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2014

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)– July 13

by Archbishop Joseph Harris
by Archbishop Joseph Harris

Gospel Mt 13:1-23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. 

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Preparing for Respect for Life Week

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI

This year, Respect for Life Week (RFLW) will run from October 4 – 11. This is an Archdiocesan event which was embraced after it was recommended during the 3rd sitting of Synod in 2009. The theme this year is: Transforming society to reflect Gospel values. This is in keeping with the 3rd Pastoral Priority: Regenerating the Moral and Spiritual Values of our Society.

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