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Love’s healing power

Today’s readings: 2 Samuel 12, 7-10.13; Galatians 2, 16.19-21; Luke 7, 36 - 8, 3. In his exhortation on The Joy of Love, one of Pope Francis’ strongest and most significant affirmations is: “It is reductive simply to consider whether or not an...

June 11, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|0

Over 230 million people live outside the country they were born; of these, 14.2 million are refugees. Ten million people across the world are ‘Stateless’, and around 33.3 million have been forced to leave their homes although still living within their country.

People on the move

The main focus of this year’s international three-day conference held by Fondazione Centesimus Annus at the Nuova Aula del Sinodo at the Vatican City was the refugee emergency and its challenges to us as citizens, professionals and...

June 11, 2016| Joseph F. X. Zahra|1

Quotes and news

‘Don’t be accountants of the Spirit’ – Pope

June 11, 2016| Times of Malta |1

Mending wounded hearts

Today’s readings: 1 Kings 17, 17-24; Galatians 1, 11-19; Luke 7, 11-17. One trait that in our times has become characteristic of the culture we live in is that it is becoming harder for whatever we see happening around us to rock our conscience.

June 4, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|0

The dignity of Malta’s poor

We all need to look at our priorities. Photo: Talan Sadudeewong/Shutterstock.com The recent report by Caritas Malta about the urgent need for an updated minimum wage again makes us aware that there are poor people in Malta. They include two-parent...

June 4, 2016| Fr Robert Soler|0

Quotes and news

Social challenges call for more dialogue

June 4, 2016| Times of Malta |0

Presence as gift

Today’s readings: Genesis 14, 18-20; 1 Corinthians 11, 23-26; Luke 9, 11-17. In the context of the debate on marriage and the family, the Eucharist ended up being a bone of contention. This is typical of a distorted, narrow understanding of the...

May 28, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|0

Even in our island in the sun, we live with a subtle inequity of wealth and power which are sometimes gained through unjust means at the cost of faithful taxpayers.

This is the Church

When Dutch Jesuit priest Frans Van der Lugt was given a chance to leave the besieged Syrian city of Homs, he refused, saying “I will not leave my people”. In the midst of the Syrian civil war, Van der Lugt offered shelter to both Muslim and Christian...

May 28, 2016| Gordon Vassallo|0

Quotes and news

Pope condemns ‘bloodsuckers’

May 28, 2016| Times of Malta |0

Undoing the puzzle

Today’s readings: Proverbs 8,22-31; Romans 5,1-5; John 16,12-15. On this Sunday when the Church celebrates God as Trinity, we may ask the pertinent question why the Church speaks of a triune God and what difference does it make believing simply in God...

May 21, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|0

We should always ask this question to live a deeper life, to truly live life to the full for us and those around us.

What do I/we really want?

A couple of recent episodes set my mind thinking on two basic questions: ‘What do I/we want?’ or better still ‘What do I/we really want?’ (I will be using ‘we’ to represent ‘I/we’ since I feel the two are so intertwined). In a first episode I was...

May 21, 2016| Anthony Mifsud|0

Quotes and news

Pope on the economy of exclusion

May 21, 2016| Times of Malta |0

Reading the signs

Today’s readings: Acts 2, 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12, 3-7.12-13; John 20, 19-23. The Church’s claim that it is both human and divine has always been a bone of contention. For many, the Church is simply the world institution we know, and as such, subject to...

May 14, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|1

Even if people go to the same Mass, they do not live the celebration as a community but as individuals.

Becoming a community

Our younger generations are not taking to faith. In a previous article (‘Transmitting the faith’, April 17) I suggested that one reason for this may be that we are transmitting ‘conventional’ rather than ‘personal’ or ‘experiential’ faith to them. I...

May 14, 2016| Fr Alfred Micallef|0

Quotes and news

Pope: ‘Healthcare is a universal right’

May 14, 2016| Times of Malta |0

Until he comes

Today’s readings: Acts 1, 1-11; Ephesians 1, 17-33; Luke 24, 46-53. True faith is when in the face of obscurity, we can be still, in adoration. The Apostles believed in Jesus while he was with them, but their true faith became manifest the moment “the...

May 7, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|2

It is wonderful when people select their words and actions with care, in the effort to avoid misunderstandings, to heal wounded memories and to build peace and harmony.

The power of words

The Catholic Church today marks the 50th World Communications Day, the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council (Inter Mirifica, 1963). The theme is ‘Communication and mercy: a fruitful encounter’. The choice of the theme has...

May 7, 2016| Charles Buttigieg|0

Quotes and news

‘Promote greater empathy’ – Pope

May 7, 2016| Times of Malta |0

Stability in change

Today’s readings: Acts 15, 1-2.22-29; Apocalypse 21, 10-14. 22-23; Jn 14, 23-29. The development of Church doctrine was always a debated issue. Our tendency is to perceive doctrine as unwavering, rigid, defined once for all. That was a Catholic myth...

April 30, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|0

The workplace should not be looked at only as the place of production but more a place of human interaction, collaboration and solidarity.

Workers’ Day thoughts

Is what we are celebrating today ‘Workers’ Day’, ‘Labour Day’ or ‘May Day’? They refer to the same day of celebration most commonly known as Workers’ Day – a nomenclature retained in Maltese as Jum Il-Ħaddiem. In the US and Canada it is referred to as...

April 30, 2016| Fr Joe Inguanez|0

Quotes and news

‘No app for happiness’

April 30, 2016| Times of Malta |0

Social, political impacts

Today’s readings: Acts 14, 21-27; Apocalypse 21, 1-5; John 13, 31-35. The focus of today’s readings is how the message of Christ’s resurrection is being translated in concrete terms in our cities, in the contexts where we live and in the networks of...

April 23, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|0

Sainthood or true humanity?

I met Mother Teresa briefly in 1971, enough for me to want to discover more. Five years later, as a newly ordained Jesuit priest, I went to India to work with her in Calcutta as part of my Jesuit formation – a deep encounter that marked my life and...

April 23, 2016| Fr Paul Chetcuti|1

Quotes and news

Last Sunday a few quotes from Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation The Joy of Love were featured. Today we feature a few comments about it. The big problems are... Answering journalists’ questions on the plane from Lesbos to Rome, Pope Francis said:...

April 23, 2016| Times of Malta |0

God is not Catholic

Today’s readings: Acts 13, 14.43-52; Apocalypse 7, 9.14-17; John 10, 27-30. With the publication of his post-Synodal document The Joy of Love, Pope Francis has given yet another concrete sign and testimony of what Catholicity should mean. As long as...

April 16, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|2

Transmitting the faith

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Loïs and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you.” (II Tim 1, 5) The flow of the faith from one generation to the next seems to have stopped or, at least,...

April 16, 2016| Fr Alfred Micallef|0

Quotes and news

The following are quotes from Pope Francis’s recent apostolic exhortation The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) • “We have long thought that simply by stressing doctrinal, bioethical and moral issues, without encouraging openness to grace, we were...

April 16, 2016| Times of Malta |0

It’s about love

Today’s readings: Acts 5, 27-32.40-41; Apocalypse 5, 11-14; John 21, 1-19. Today’s gospel text from John proceeds with the same rhythm of the texts of the resurrection, with the disciples at first not recognising Jesus, and then recognising him. In...

April 9, 2016| Fr René Camilleri|0

Politics without principles

Santi di Tito’s portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli, who is considered as the founder of modern political science. He described immoral behaviour as normal and effective in politics and is famous for his book The Prince. In 1908, G.K. Chesterton wrote the...

April 9, 2016| Klaus Vella Bardon|0

Quotes and news

Villagers attack their parish compound

April 9, 2016| Times of Malta |0

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