Ash Wednesday

By in Faith 911, Reflections & Meditations on 19 February 2013 at 2:47pm

We have entered the season of Lent. One of the most important season for any Christian. But truly what is the time of Lent? On Ash Wednesday, at the early 7.45am mass, I was struck by Father George Bwanali's homily. He has kindly shared his notes with us and this is what he had to share.

"Brothers and sisters, since early days followers of Christ have observed with great devotion the time of our Lord’s passion and resurrection and prepared for this by a season of penitence and fasting. By carefully keeping these days, Christians take to heart the call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and so grow in faith and in devotion to our Lord. I invite you, therefore, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy word.

Ash Wed

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Les Misérables

By in Films, Reflections & Meditations on 27 January 2013 at 12:51pm

Having watched the stage musical Les Misérables five times, the film was brilliant and I would encourage you to go see it, if you haven't done so already. However, this is not going to be a film review, but a reflection on how evolving Faith can be and despite having watched the musical five times, the Catholic undertones never stood out for me before.

Granted the first time I watched the stage production was back in 1994 (aged 11) and the second was 1996 (13), then the subsequent three times were in 1999 (16), 2002 (18) and 2003 (19). So I was relatively young, and hadn't fully embraced my Catholic Faith. It was really in my twenties that I fully understood that I needed to live out my Catholic Faith, not just merely attend mass on a Sunday. Perhaps, this was the key into finally noticing, what I had overlooked in my youth, how deeply Catholic 'Les Mis' truly is.

les-miserables

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Medicine for Life

By in Catholicism 101, Faith 911, Reflections & Meditations on 18 June 2012 at 12:04pm

Recently, I went to mass at St Andrews Cathedral in Dundee, Scotland. I was visiting some old friends here and they, not being Catholic said why don't you go to mass at the Catholic Church, its at the same time as ours then we can meet back for lunch. I thought that was very kind and thoughtful of them, so I did.

One thing I love about being Catholic is the consistency of the mass. Universally, despite language differences, it is always the same rituals. You know when to stand, sit and kneel. Not saying that Dundonians speak another language, but a mere thought when I go travelling to different countries! As I enter a different church, I am always intrigued by how the interior's are designed, (maybe a bias as I have an architecture degree), but St Andrews Cathedral in Dundee, is very pretty and quaint, but it is relatively small to be called a Cathedral.

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Innocent Suffering

By in Catholicism 101, Faith 911, Reflections & Meditations on 11 June 2012 at 9:29pm

A few weeks ago at St Patrick's RC Church, Edinburgh, we had a visiting priest come over from Ireland,  Father Geroge Wadding CSsR. His presence was brief but his Sunday's homily still resonates. Upon asking, he kindly shared his homily with us:

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER:  (Year B - 2012)

The experience of innocent suffering destroys the faith of many people.  We had it on a massive scale after the tsunami disaster at Christmas 2004 and a year later in the horrible Pakistan earthquake.  Later again in Haiti and elsewhere.  It never ends. If God is all goodness as we Christians say he is, why does he tolerate innocent suffering? Why are young children deprived of their parents in death?  Why are young lives crippled or destroyed in road accidents? Why? Why? Why?  If I could answer this question to everyone's satisfaction I could be a very rich man.   Over the centuries wise men and preachers have offered various answers - some of them very unsatisfactory.

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Strength

By in Reflections & Meditations, Seekers on 28 February 2012 at 12:32pm

Life is full of little situations, or 'life's little challenges.' These vary according to each person. How we behave and act to others must be done with sensitivity. In our recent training for the protection of children and vulnerable adults, a powerful message arose, 'someone in any given situation could become vulnerable.'

This implies that everyone is at risk. Vulnerability is an uncomfortable and unnecessary situation. As Christian's we learn that we must treat others the way you want to be treated. Put yourself in the other persons shoes, in treating someone with contempt , think first, would you like to be treated that way?

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Faith and Knowledge

By in Reflections & Meditations on 30 January 2012 at 8:48pm

In my view, an interesting topic for young adults trying to serve God through a Christian Ministry is why other young adults, including their own friends and relatives, are not interested in faith or don’t believe. Even those who used to be Christians, sometimes much better Christians that what we were/are now, have lost their faith.

The problem is complex and has many dimensions grounded in different levels of social and personal life. One of the dimensions, in my opinion, has to do with what we know about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Scriptures and their relationship with our lives.

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Apathy

By in Reflections & Meditations on 14 January 2012 at 9:11pm

A blog title caught my attention recently, 'Why young adults leave the church,' which is an extremely relevant issue in our current society. It opens with a young adult aged 31, who was an avid church goer until recently, where she feels God and faith is important, but the church is irrelevant. Primarily, she says  “you don’t want to be judged when you walk in the church. You want to feel God.” Additionally, she suggests that "to get young adults in church, it needs to make them feel welcome, be more open-minded and accept those living worldly lives."

It mentions that a group the Barna group based in California has spent the last five years researching in America why young adults leave church. It revealed that most leave after the age 15 not to return until maybe when they marry again. However, if those who do return, tend to sway towards the evangelical churches.

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Fellowship

By in Catholicism 101, Reflections & Meditations on 20 July 2011 at 9:34am

Through the Bible, God offer's His thoughts on a variety of life issues, in particular the notion of 'fellowship' is pertinent to any Young Adult group. However, perceptions about fellowship have become warped in its biblical meaning, we view fellowship through fellowship halls, fellowship dinners, and fellowship retreats, but very few have real fellowship.

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Extraordinary God

By in Charities & Social Enterprises, Reflections & Meditations on 6 June 2011 at 9:38pm

What happens when an extraordinary God shares an idea with ordinary people? It can bind a community together and make them stronger.

Our small but growing Ministry has seen how one focus, offering Haiti hope can really bond people together. Through each and everyone person we encountered in spreading our mission of helping the people of Haiti, God's graces shines through, in the warmth and generosity of all our supporters.

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Commitment to Reality

By in Reflections & Meditations, Religious Communities & Congregations on 23 May 2011 at 12:49pm

John Main OSB  a Benedictine monk opened the first Christian Meditation Centre in London around the 70's. He had innovated and propagated the simple tradition of meditation, through silence and contemplative prayer, from the teachings of the early Christian monks, the Desert Fathers.

This was soon made clear that this tradition was not only for monks but is especially relevant in today's Modern society. He saw it as a way for the renewal of the church and the world.

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