Category: columns2014

columns2014

Lessons of our ancestors

Post author By Web administrator
Post date December 28, 2014

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI

“Let us fervently call upon Mary Most Holy, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, and St Joseph her spouse. Let us ask them to enlighten, comfort and guide every family in the world, so that they may fulfill with dignity and peace the mission which God has entrusted to them.” (Pope Francis, December 29, 2013)

Today is the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth and Holy Innocents Day. I recall Pope Francis’ words in his Angelus on this Feast Day last year:

“Today our gaze on the Holy Family lets us also be drawn into the simplicity of the life they led in Nazareth. It is an example that does our families great good, helping them increasingly to become communities of love and reconciliation, in which tenderness, mutual help, and mutual forgiveness is experienced. Let us remember the three key words for living in peace and joy in the family: ‘may I’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’.” He reminded us to be “mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan.”

Tags family

columns2014

Nothing is impossible to God

Post author By Web administrator
Post date December 21, 2014

Today’s Gospel, the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), leads us to reflect on the humility of Mary, the Mother of our Lord. We can learn much from the words she utters to the Angel Gabriel on hearing that she is to be the mother of the “Son of God.” She says: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.” Total submission!

columns2014

Recommit to live as Christians

Post author By Web administrator
Post date December 14, 2014

I recall the late Cardinal Hume urging the faithful during an Advent Service for members of his Committee for the Caribbean Community, C5, which he chaired and of which I was Vice-Chair, that we must all play our part to put Christ back into Christmas. That was in the 1980s.

Here are extracts of a UK Daily Mail report on the results of a poll of 2,157 members of parenting website Netmums (2December 2, 2014) : “The schools where Elvis is a nativity star: Nearly half of schools scrap traditional play for updated version starring modern characters… Just one in three schools still holds a traditional nativity play even though 65% of parents want the Christmas story to live on in education. Productions feature aliens, fairies, footballers, drunk spacemen and Elvis…

columns2014

CCSJ told: Dream Big

Post author By Web administrator
Post date December 7, 2014

On November 26, CCSJ held its annual general meeting (AGM) to report on its 2013 activities (read report here). Archbishop Joseph Harris joined us and motivated members, not only by his presence and by his words of thanks for the work in which members are engaged to further the mission of the Church, but also because of the challenges he threw out to us. For example, he challenged us to let our lives be a blessing for one another and to “DREAM BIG!”

columns2014

Our capable youth

Post author By Web administrator
Post date November 28, 2014

The CCSJ is pleased to share with readers the essay written by JISELLE SINGH who won the 15-19 age category in the Commission’s Essay Competition during last month’s observance of Respect for Life Week. Jiselle belongs to the parish of St Francis of Assisi in Erin. The essay topic was “How can young people foster gospel values in the society?”

“For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others? – Pope Francis. Prior to the 20th century, gospel values were seen as merely applicable to individual and interpersonal relationships. However, beginning with the encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII and culminating with the documents of the Second Vatican Council, gospel values were now seen as integral to all spheres of society.

Tags Respect for Life Week