Focus

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  The hidden gift of Christmas

  Dec 18, 2014

  From a vantage point near the top of a large hill in Canada, my wife and I lingered to gaze late last summer upon a breathtaking view of the St. Lawrence River.

  

• Holy Scripture desecrated yet again

  Dec 11, 2014

  The Bible Society of Malaysia is appalled and deeply saddened to discover that the 321 Bibles and 30 copies of We Gospel according to St. Luke that were seized from our premises in Petaling Jaya.

  
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  Self-sacrifice and the Eucharist

  Dec 11, 2014

  In 1996, Muslim extremists martyred nearly an entire community of Trappist monks in Atlas, Algeria.

  

• Food for thought

  Dec 11, 2014

  The Virgin Mary has often been called “the woman of Advent.” One person who referred to her as such on Nov. 28, 2010 was then Pope, Benedict XVI.

  
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  A countercultural Advent message

  Dec 11, 2014

  A few years ago, Los AngelesArchbishop Jose H. Gomez described Advent as “a season of Mary”, and spoke of Advent as a time “to take Mary into our homes, into our lives.”

  
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  Bringing the ‘holy back’ to Christmas via Mary

  Dec 11, 2014

  The vision of an ideal Christmas generally includes “Silent Night” being softly sung around a manger scene. Snow is falling, family is gathered, and savoury smells are wafting from the kitchen.

  
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  We want unity, not assimilation or submission

  Dec 03, 2014

  Pope Francis stated unequivocally in Istanbul on November 30 that he, as Bishop of Rome, and the worldwide Catholic Church desire unity – ‘full communion’- with the 300 million member Orthodox Churches.

  
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  Pope Francis and the extraordinary global marriage conference

  Dec 03, 2014

  The Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family stirred so much controversy over the issue of same sex marriage. Pope Francis boldly declared that marriage is a sacramental union of man and woman, and anything else is “an association.”

  
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  Two churches, two sacred places, two struggles

  Dec 03, 2014

  God has given us two churches, one is found everywhere and the other is found at select places. Some of us prefer one of these and struggle with the other, but both are sacred places where God can be found and worshipped.

  

• Food for thought

  Dec 03, 2014

  While messages at this time of year shout of joy, shopping, baking, parties, and on and on, it’s hard to remember that Advent is a “mini-Lent,” as some call it.