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Calling Scotland's 841,000 Catholics to unite as one voice
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Pope's message for 50th World Day of Peace
| Posted on December 13, 2016 at 8:22 AM |
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 Picture: zenit.orgPope Francis asks "God to help all of us to cultivate nonviolence in our most personal thoughts and values." Read the entire message here: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-message-for-50th-world-day-of-peace/ |
The Owl and the Beggar
| Posted on September 19, 2016 at 4:34 AM |
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 The owl: undeniably beautiful, but not humanWalking through the centre of Edinburgh last week I was
struck by a large crowd gathered on the pavement. As I approached I noticed that the crowd,
made up mostly of tourists, were gawping at a rather large, impressive owl that
was perched on its keeper’s arm. The crowd pointed, smiled, laughed and took a vast amount of
photographs with their mobile phones and state-of-the-art digital cameras. It was all very pleasing to the owl’s keeper
who must have been licking his lips at the prospect of a bumper pay day should
even a fraction of those gathered be brave enough to get up close and personal
with the beautiful feathered creature and let it sit on their arm. And as I got closer to the scene I noticed that there was
something else sitting in the corner, propped up against the wall of one of the
buildings. It sat just to the left of
the man holding the owl. It was nothing
remarkable; at least it was unremarkable in the sense that the crowd didn’t
seem particularly bothered by it. It
just sat there, motionless. That ‘it’
was a beggar. I was amazed at how helpless this man looked set against
this excited and comparatively wealthy crowd of people straining to catch a
glimpse of an owl. He sought and drew no
attention whatsoever and he may as well have been invisible for all the owl mob
cared. But for my own respect for the
gentleman beggar I would have been tempted to take a photograph of the scene to
highlight just how preposterous it all looked. It's a sad day when an owl is deemed more interesting, more
important and more deserving than a poor, helpless human being stuck in the
gutter. |
Jo Cox death should herald a turning point in public/political relations
| Posted on June 20, 2016 at 11:43 AM |
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 Jo Cox in the House of CommonsThe death of Labour MP Jo Cox has shocked not only the world
of politics in which she worked, but also the British nation as a whole. The horror of what happened in the town of Birstall
last Thursday will be a permanent scar for the MP’s family and is something
they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. But what does it mean for the relationship between MPs and
the general public? Scottish Secretary
David Mundell, who has himself received death threats, lamented the influence
of social media in relations between the public and MPs, criticising the
“vitriol” that is often expressed towards politicians. I for one agree with him. Whilst our elected representatives’ role in
public life is such that they are very much open to criticism, that criticism
should be constructive and measured, and it should be expressed with
politeness. It should not be unjust or
whimsical, and it should not be expressed with any degree of hatred or be
threatening in any way. Politicians have
the right to do their job in safety and without abuse. Isn’t that the legal right of every
worker? Why should politicians be any
different? Very few politicians are actually in the job to make people
worse off or to act selfishly. They are
in politics because they genuinely want to make a difference. Yes, there will be bad apples in there; just
like there is in any walk of life. But
as with any bad apple, we need to pray for them and we need to trust that our
peaceful system of democracy will ultimately win the day. The hate directed at poor Jo Cox as she walked through her
constituency last week was of the worst kind.
It took her life and has thus
caused immeasurable pain to her family, friends and colleagues. But underneath all of that is an unhealthy
undercurrent of hate and cynicism which exists throughout our country and is often
directed at many in officialdom, including politicians. This is especially the case on social media, where the abuse and hatred spewed forth has the potential to fuel the anger in certain individuals predisposed to dangerous actions. Jesus Christ called us to love all people;
even those that we perceive to be our enemies.
Our politicians need our support and prayers. They work in an incredibly testing
environment in which they are under increasing fear for their own safety and
wellbeing. May the sad and unnecessary passing of Jo Cox herald a
change in attitude across our nation so that we come together as one, and in a
spirit of brotherly love may we work with and support our politicians in
striving for peace, equality, tolerance and prosperity for all people. |
Peace must reign as yet more precious lives are lost
| Posted on June 14, 2016 at 7:03 AM |
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 People gather to mourn the dead The tragic events in Orlando provide yet another glaring
example of man’s inhumanity to man. Very
few of us can even begin to imagine what was going through the minds of the
hundreds of young partygoers in Pulse nightclub as the horrid truth about what
was unfolding became clear. It wasn’t a
case of exuberant pyrotechnics or sophisticated indoor fireworks. It was the crackling of gunfire and the flash
of bullets as one hate-filled individual felt compelled to walk into the club
and shoot dead 49 innocent people and injure many others. Islamic State militants have claimed that Omar Mateen acted
on their instruction. Whether he did or
not is perhaps not important because, at the end of the day, both Islamic State
and Omar Mateen are callous murderers, with no consideration for their fellow
man and woman, and little thought to the pain and hurt that their actions
cause. The cries of parents, siblings, and friends have rung out
from the devastated city of Orlando ever since Mateen decided to walk into the
Pulse nightclub early on Sunday morning and shoot unashamedly at his unsuspecting
victims. The world has joined them in
mourning their precious loved ones who have been taken so suddenly and without
warning. Little did they know that when
they waved the young revellers off on Saturday night, it would be the last time
they would see them alive. It is truly
horrific. At this time of great uncertainty with no little hate
flowing through our world it is important that we Christians stand firm with all people of goodwill to continue to promote peace.
There is no life that isn’t precious in God’s eye. This is our fundamental belief and we must
fight hard to promote the sanctity of human life, be it the unborn child, the
frail old woman, or the young lad enjoying quality time with his friends in a
nightclub. All life is precious and worthy
of protection. We pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of the dead,
and we pray for their families that they will find some comfort in knowing that
their loved ones are at the mercy of a loving Father. We also pray for those who are inclined to such violence,
that their hearts be changed to see the inherent value of all people, even if
some of them do not conform to their own beliefs. |
Jesus brings great hope, even in death
| Posted on June 3, 2016 at 9:29 AM |
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 Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 7:1-17): ‘Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by
his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the
town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son
of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the
townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not
cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers
stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man
sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled
with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God
has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and
all over the countryside.’ The miracle performed by Jesus in this Gospel passage is one
of great hope. The woman, a widow, had
lost her only son. Can you imagine the
grief and sorrow that this woman must have been experiencing? Can you imagine how alone she must have felt
watching her only family being carried away for burial? She must have felt that nothing could take away the extreme pain that was now drilling through her heart. Yet moments later she would witness the resurrection of her son from the dead. Just when all had seemed to be lost, along came Jesus. We must never lose hope when death comes knocking at our
door. Whilst it is perfectly natural for
us to grieve and to feel sorrow when a loved one dies, we must always have
confidence in the one who makes all things new.
Jesus’ death on the Cross was not a pointless exercise. It was necessary so that our sins could be wiped
away and we could have eternal life. When your loved one dies, remember that Jesus is there. He has come down from the Cross and is
standing ready at the gates of Paradise, waiting to put his hand on your loved
one, waiting to bring them back to life. |
Pope Francis: to ignore the poor is to despise God
| Posted on May 20, 2016 at 7:05 AM |
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 Pope Francis, during his weekly general audience, has slated
those who turn their backs on the poor, suggesting that their ignorance means
that they despise God.The pope stressed that in the poor “we find Jesus himself:
whatever you did to the least brothers of mine, you did to me”. The message is clear: we are called to wake up to the plight
of the poor and to make sure we never ignore them. I recall one of Pope Francis’ early comments
on the poor. He said that we must get
close to them as Jesus did, and touch their wounds. Touch their wounds! It sounds strange that we would put ourselves
in a position to touch the cuts or sores, or even the diseased body of a
stranger. We may wince at the idea of
shaking the hand of a homeless person, knowing full well that those hands could
be carrying all sorts of germs that could make us ill. But that is what we are called to do! We are called to get close, because by
getting close to the poor and the needy we are getting close to Jesus. And we all know that Jesus will not cause us
any harm or give us anything we cannot deal with by his grace. It is also worth remembering that when Pope Francis refers
to the poor he is not just talking about the homeless or the financially
impoverished. He is also talking about
the poor in spirit; those who have perhaps lost their way in faith or who fail
to recognise the Goodness of God. We are
also called to accompany these people, as well as those who suffer a more typical form of poverty. |
Catholic Love in the Community: the nuns who treat the untreatable in a New York home
| Posted on May 13, 2016 at 10:16 AM |
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 In the first of our
new series of Catholic Love in the Community we pick up the story of a group of
Dominican nuns caring for the terminally ill in New York. The New York Times has this week published a beautiful story
about a group of Dominican nuns who care for the dying at their Rosary Hill nursing
home situated in the small town of Hawthorne on the outskirts of New York City. The home, which is essentially a hospice, was founded in
1901, ‘long before the mainstream medical community embraced hospice care and
during a time when some doctors still thought cancer was contagious.’  The nuns care for people of all faiths and none and abide by
the words of its founder Rose Hawthorne Lathrop: “We cannot cure our patients,
but we can assure the dignity and value of their final days, and keep them
comfortable and free of pain.” Their work is highly thought of in the area and Gillian Laub
- whose mother-in-law was cared for at the home after her family discovered
that insurance could not cover the care she required – said that she was
‘struck by their [the nuns] tenderness with the dying, how they painted women’s
fingernails and combed their hair, changed them into fresh nightgowns and
arranged flowers in their rooms.’ Laub
suggested that “this is how dying should be.” Please pray for these nuns and for all who work to care for the poor and needy in our society. To read the full article in the New York Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/magazine/the-sisters-who-treat-the-untreatable.html?_r=0 |
Speaking about matters of faith
| Posted on May 6, 2016 at 12:32 PM |
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 Sunday’s First Reading (Acts 7: 55-60)‘Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven
thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At
this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with
their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned
him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called
Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this
sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep.’ While sitting at my desk at work earlier this week a
conversation about religion was struck up among my colleagues. Religious chat is generally taboo these days
and where it does exist it tends to take the form of an attack on whatever
religion happens to be in the spotlight.
This time it was the Catholic faith; my faith. I was asked to explain the Catholic Church’s
belief in the Eucharist. No easy task in
a very secular environment I can assure you.
But I tried my best to explain it in terms acceptable to the ears of my
audience. My colleagues listened to what I had to say and once I had
finished a stony silence followed. This
was followed soon thereafter by a change of subject, diverting away from the ridiculous
notion that a piece of bread and a cup of wine could be turned into the body
and blood of a two thousand year old Jew.
The truth is, my colleagues probably felt not only confused but also a little
uncomfortable by all the body and blood chat.
And I can assure you that I most certainly felt uncomfortable with
having to explain it to a cynical crowd.
Yet our discomfort at explaining our faith can never match
the discomfort that must have been experienced by the Christian martyrs. In today’s first reading St Stephen shows
incredible courage as he stands before a cynical crowd and tells them that he
has seen ‘heaven thrown open’ and that he has also seen ‘the Son of Man sitting
at the right hand of God’. Despite
knowing that such words would likely lead to his death he was still not afraid
to speak them. And he even echoed the
words of Christ on the Cross when he begged God to forgive those who were
killing him. Like any human being in
that situation he would have been absolutely terrified, but he never once
denied his faith in order to save his earthly life. It’s not easy to talk about our faith to others. We can feel embarrassed, afraid, and even
silly. But thankfully the UK is not like
the world St Stephen lived in. It is a
place where, despite some arguments to the contrary, people are generally free
to talk openly about their faith. We
must not be afraid to use this freedom, but to do it sensibly and
proportionately. Our world needs a
message of love, mercy and peace; a message that was so profoundly illustrated
in the words and actions of St Stephen just before his death. We can give the world hope with our message;
a message that comes in the shape of one man….Jesus Christ. |
To be 'compatible' means to be willing to 'suffer with'
| Posted on April 29, 2016 at 11:41 AM |
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 The word 'compatible' comes from the Latin word 'compati' which means: 'to suffer with'. In marriage we are called to sacrifice our entire being as well as our own desires for the good of our spouse. We are also called to walk the path of suffering with them whenever necessary; to be a constant, loyal and faithful friend and companion through the trials and challenges of life. |
Strangely muted reaction to Commons genocide vote
| Posted on April 21, 2016 at 4:01 AM |
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 I am astonished and no less disappointed to see that few of
the major UK news outlets have covered yesterday’s House of Commons vote, when
MPs voted 278 – 0 in favour of declaring ISIS/Daesh atrocities against
Christians and Yazidis as genocide. If the Holocaust were to occur today, would the media recognise
the atrocity and label it as genocide?
If the massacre of Srebrenica were to occur today, would the media
recognise the suffering people of the city and label it as genocide? And what about Rwanda in 1994? Would today’s media be prepared to state that
this is genocide? As I write I see that the Guardian, the Telegraph and
Reuters are all at least now covering the story. But still no BBC, no ITV, and no Sky News coverage among
many others. These outlets are no better
than the Conservative government which has to date epically failed to declare
the murder and violence wrought by ISIS as genocide.
Is it fear?
Is it an anti-Christian mentality?
Who knows? But one thing is
certain, if genocide isn’t news we might as well all pack up and head for the
hills. |