Focus

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  Fewer people are going to Church — whom to blame?

  Nov 27, 2014

  It’s no secret that today, there’s been a massive drop-off in church attendance. Moreover, that drop-off in church-going is not paralleled by the same widespread growth in atheism and agnosticism.

  

• Food for thought

  Nov 27, 2014

  Basilian Father Thomas Rosica wrote in 2009 about John the Baptist, how he is the “paradox of Advent.”

  

• Rocking out to John the Baptist during Advent

  Nov 27, 2014

  I still remember most of the lyrics from the 1970s rock musical Godspell. I knew all the words and would belt them out along with the cast.

  

• Preparing our hearts and minds for Christ during Advent

  Nov 27, 2014

  Prophets played unique and essential roles in the history of the Jewish people. Like angels, they served as God’s messengers, bringing words of wisdom, wonder and especially, warning, at auspicious times.

  

• Food for thought

  Nov 20, 2014

  We closely link Advent to Christmas, to presents, to shopping and the material things where, we think, we’ll find happiness. We anticipate —and sometimes dread — the upcoming activities of the season, signalling the year’s end.

  
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  Preparing the right gifts

  Nov 20, 2014

  Have you ever had one of those days when you wish God would show up, snap his fingers and work miracles? The people of Israel had years like that, groaning under the oppression of one tyrant after another.

  
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  Reflecting during Advent on life’s big surprises

  Nov 20, 2014

  Common wisdom holds that it always is in our best interests to be watchful, to remain on alert when going about daily life. Otherwise, we might be ambushed by unforeseen developments, surprises that disrupt our best laid plans or shake our hopes.

  
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  Spiritual warfare

  Nov 20, 2014

  Spiritual literature has always highlighted the primordial struggle between good and evil, and this has generally been conceived of as a war, a spiritual battle.

  
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  Former lesbian on why it’s ‘cruel’ for Church leaders to go soft on same-sex relationships

  Nov 20, 2014

  Robin Teresa Beck, 59, lived through 12 lesbian relationships over the course of 35 years before her dramatic conversion to the Catholic faith and healing from homosexuality, just five years ago.

  
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  The science of attraction: How the pill is changing who women want

  Nov 20, 2014

  The pill is not only causing a massive shift in who women are attracted to, but is also wreaking havoc on their bodies, men and the environment. What's more? Biochemical research can prove it, says one critic.