Posted on 29 August 2014 13:23
You won't find true love in Albert Square Sunday’s Second Reading (Romans 12:1-2): Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do. |
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Posted on 29 August 2014 13:14
Christians treat the corpse of a dead person respectfully and lovingly, realizing that God has called him to the resurrection of the dead. It is a traditional part of Christian funeral customs for the remains of a dead person to be buried in a dignified manner in the earth and for the grave to be decorated and tended. Today the Church also accepts other funeral arrangements (for instance, cremation), as long as they are not interpreted in a way contrary to the belief in the resurrection of the dead. |
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Posted on 28 August 2014 14:07
Pope Francis, in his general audience of 27th August, has once again warned the faithful about gossiping, especially where it occurs in our parishes. The pope has continually warned people not to gossip; stating that it is a sin and that we simply must not do it. During the audience the pope said: "Everyone can fall into the traps of gossip. Just think about all the gossiping that goes on in parishes. Is this good? Is it? If someone is elected president of an association, he's criticised. |
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Posted on 28 August 2014 13:34
Is organ donation important? Donating organs can lengthen life or improve the quality of life, and therefore it is a genuine service to one's neighbor, provided no one is forced to do it. It must be certain that the donor during his lifetime gave his free and deliberate consent and that he was not killed for the purpose of removing the organ(s). Donation by living donors is also possible, for example, in bone marrow transplants or in the donation of one kidney. Organ donation from a cadaver presupposes a certain determination of death and the consent of the donor during his lifetime or else of his representative.
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Posted on 27 August 2014 13:47
Pope Francis, at his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square, has bemoaned division in Christian communities and urged people to "grow in our capacity to welcome one another and to love, and to resemble Jesus."
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Posted on 27 August 2014 13:18
A fascinating question and answer session with Father Wenceslao Vial, a priest and expert in pyschology, as he considers the role of belief in helping to combat depression in light of the death of actor Robin Williams.
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Posted on 27 August 2014 13:10
Scenes like this are to be avoided The Vatican has issued a document, approved by Pope Francis, providing guidelines on the proper function and carrying out of the sign of peace at Mass. This is a matter which affects all who attend Mass and the document should be read and the recommendations taken seriously. The crucial recommendation is that people should avoid excess during the sign of peace (this includes singing of songs/hymns, excessive movement meaning people leave their pews, and offering congratulations to individuals on special occasions not relevant to the Mass). |
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Posted on 27 August 2014 12:52
Why is it a sin to take drugs? Using drugs is a sin because it is an act of self-destruction and thus an offense against the life that God has given us out of love. Every form of a person's dependence on legal substances (alcohol, medication, tobacco) and even more so on illegal drugs is an exchange of freedom for slavery; it damages the health and life of the person concerned and also does great harm to the people around him. Every time a person loses or forgets himself by becoming intoxicated, which can also include excessive eating and drinking, indulgence in sexual activity, or speeding with an automobile, he loses some of his human dignity and freedom and therefore sins against God.
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Posted on 22 August 2014 13:25
The 'arms' of the Church reach out to the world, to all people Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 16:13-20): When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! |
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Posted on 22 August 2014 13:17
Many of us will be well aware of the SCIAF Wee Box, a little bit of cardboard that sits in our homes every Lent collecting pieces of copper, silver, and even the odd note. It has been a part of our Catholic tradition in Scotland for many years now and has resulted in an incredible amount of money being raised and put to good use by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund. This is all good, but can you imagine if the money you put in your Wee Box was to be doubled? In fact, imagine all of the money deposited into |
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