By Fr José LaBoy
There are two main perspectives in the homilies of St. Leo the Great on the Ascension: 1) the Ascension as the glorification of Jesus and our uplifting; 2) the importance of this mystery for Christian living. In this first article we will consider the first perspective and see how what happens to Jesus Christ in the Ascension affects us. More…
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The Ascension by Benjamin West
By Fr Jason Smith, LC
The Liturgy on the feast of the Ascension presents us with the apostles staring awestruck at the sky as Jesus ascends out of sight; so much so, that we get the impression that they would have remained for days in this stupor, had not two messengers been sent to shake them up. More…
During these Sundays of the Easter Season, the Church takes us back to the Last Supper, giving us a chance to dig deeper into its meaning.
Throughout his Last Supper discourse, Christ’s constant refrain is: if you love me, you will keep my commandment. That commandment is to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34), the commandment of Christian charity. More…
What is the latest in bioethics?
Fr Joseph Tham
One of the buzzwords of bioethics in the next few decades will likely be “neuro”. When I was in medical school, we were told that little is known about how the brain works. However, neuroscience has gained a lot of knowledge in these last 30 years because of the advances of imaging techniques coupled with powerful computer technology.
The tremendous progress on understanding how the human brain works can revolutionize our comprehension of ourselves and our society. Hence, there are important ethical implications on how to apply this new knowledge. More…
Many acknowledge John Paul II’s communication skills, but how many take into account his profound philosophy regarding the person? He has certainly delved profoundly into what it means to be a person. His reflections are not mere mental constructs, but strongly based on experience, especially in his pastoral ministry with married couples.
His book Love and Responsibility is, More…
Fr José LaBoy
Upon coming into contact with so many cases of broken and dysfunctional families, the high percentage of divorce, child abuse, the fear of commitment you can’t help but ask: Where is the love?
John Paul II in his first Encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, insists on the fact that: More…
“I Thirst…”
By Alison Batley
“We are only pencils in the hand of God.” — Mother Theresa
In one my favorite books, The Reed of God, Carol Houslander asks each of us to discover what kind of empty form has God shaped us to be?
In reflecting on our Lady’s virginal emptiness, Houslander invites us to and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to each one of us the purpose for which we were made. Energized by this challenge, I push through my fear and started asking God to show me the form of my purposeful emptiness. More…
Fr Joseph Tham
In my first year of medical practice, I still clearly remember the case of a patient who came to me, truly distressed because he had committed an act of adultery with his secretary. He wanted me to test him for AIDS, since he was unwilling to put his wife at risk, not knowing if this casual encounter would have infected him. More…
The Apostles in the upper room, in this week’s Gospel (John 14:1-12), are having one of those awkward moments where they can’t see the work of God taking place right in front of them. This is awkward, because they’ve lived with Christ for the past three years, heard his words, seen his miracles, and even performed miracles in his name, and still, at this moment, they don’t see the Lord for who he is. We are like this sometimes. More…
Fr Joseph Tham
A few years ago, I remember being at the scene of a traffic accident in the outskirts of Rome. The car apparently lost control and smashed into a tree.
The front of this small car was totally caved in with fumes and smoke coming out. The police had not yet arrived, and so, dressed in clerical garb, I got out of the car to see if I could be of service. More…
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