By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
Pope Francis has asked the faithful not to forget the poor and vulnerable during the pandemic. Let’s reflect on this question: “What am I/my parish doing to help the community during this pandemic?”
Category: columns2020
Categories
Understanding our mission
By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
“When Jesus wants to teach us how a Christian should be, he tells us very little, but he shows people by feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger….The works of mercy are precisely the path of love that Jesus teaches us in continuity with this great love of God” —Pope Francis.
At Pentecost, Archbishop Jason Gordon assured the faithful that “the same wind of God that breathed breath into creation, breathes upon us today and for the missioning of Catholic families as domestic Church.”
In many ways, today’s gospel, Matthew 10:37–42, teaches us what is important as we journey forth on mission—as individuals, families, community, nation, and world.
Categories
Time to stand up for fathers
By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
“Every family needs a father, a father who shares in his family’s joy and pain, hands down wisdom to his children and offers them firm guidance and love” (Pope Francis).
Today, as we celebrate Father’s Day, let’s resolve to create conditions in our communities/society that will enable fathers to meet their responsibilities—to themselves, their families, and the wider community/nation.
By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
“Where there is no honour to the elderly, there is no future for the young…We must reawaken our collective sense of gratitude, appreciation and hospitality, helping the elderly know they are a living part of their communities and sources of wisdom for the younger generations” (Pope Francis).
Tomorrow, June 15, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
As the UN states: “Virtually all countries are expected to see substantial growth in the number of older persons between 2015 and 2030, and that growth will be faster in developing regions. Because the numbers of older persons are growing, the amount of elder abuse can be expected to grow with it. While the taboo topic of elder abuse has started to gain visibility across the world, it remains one of the least investigated types of violence in national surveys, and one of the least addressed in national action plans. Elder abuse is a global social issue which affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons around the world, and an issue which deserves the attention of the international community.”
Categories
Denouncing and combatting racism
By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
“When injustices around the world are screaming ‘your life is of no value’, the Church cannot remain silent. Apathy makes excuses. Love finds a way.”—Nicky Gumbel, English Anglican priest and author in the evangelical and charismatic traditions.
Racism is a vile worm that continues to eat away at the soul of humanity. I don’t think any right-thinking person can watch the video of the way in which George Floyd died without raging for justice.