The Pilgrim Relics of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus have arrived in the Philippines for their fifth visit, bringing with them a renewed sense of faith and inspiration. O Clarim’s photo feature captures the solemnity and reverence of this spiritual pilgrimage, as thousands of devotees offer prayers and seek the intercession of the beloved saint known as the ‘Little Flower.’
In this article, Fausto Gomez OP reflects on his personal responsibility to God as a Christian. Faith in God helps people to be happy and to carry the cross of life. Love should be an essential part of our belief system, and we must love all people, even our enemies, with compassion. A world without God is a world without hope. The ultimate end of human life is a blessed life in God, and our responsibility on earth is to give glory to God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ own death and resurrection gives us the motivation not only to courageously accept death but also to meaningfully live our life as a gift of love, like Jesus, in the logic of the grain of wheat, that ‘unless falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit’.
Death is not the end, but a transition into another form of life. In the Christian perspective, this world is like a gestation period for the eternal life that awaits us. By allowing Lazarus to die and be resuscitated, Jesus teaches us that his mission is not to make this temporary life eternal, but to guide us towards the everlasting world of God.
In this touching letter, a mother shares her experience of coming to terms with her eldest son’s homosexuality and how it has affected their Catholic family. Seeking guidance, she reaches out to Father L, who offers words of understanding and pastoral recommendations. This heartwarming exchange serves as a reminder of the importance of love, acceptance, and empathy towards those who identify as homosexual.
Rev Ian, CMF, has a story similar to that of the prodigal son in the Bible. He left the seminary only to find that without God as the cornerstone of his life, he is indeed nothing.
The lay faithful have a responsibility in social and economic matters to work in such a way that the Church’s social teaching can be carried out in specific situations. This involves animating temporal realities with a Christian spirit and collaborating with all as authentic witnesses of the Gospel and agents of peace and justice. Love for the poor, inspired by the Gospel and the example of Jesus, is a particular concern of the Church’s social teaching.
Earlier this month, a lecture on the most scientifically-proven miracle in the history of the Catholic Church was attended by sixty people. Even after five centuries, the Marian apparitions witnessed by Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin and his uncle, Juan Bernardino, in December 1531, continue to baffle modern science in numerous ways.
In this article, Fr Fausto Gomez, OP, reflects on the nature of the human person and their social responsibility. As a social being, we must respect and love others as human persons. In a Christian perspective, every neighbor is our brother or sister in Christ. Our responsibility is to defend and promote human rights and work for justice and solidarity. Pursuing happiness means becoming a flourishing human being, living with and for others. Doing good leads to happiness, while doing evil leads to unhappiness. Priests and pastors seem to be among the happiest professions, perhaps due to their relationship with God and inner peace.
The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia recently held their 57th Plenary Assembly, discussing various issues including the crises in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Syria, and Turkey, as well as the wounds inflicted on people and society due to separations, divorces, domestic violence, abortions, the misery of the hungry, the homeless, and the indigent. In response, the bishops urged the faithful to meditate on Pope Francis’ Letter for Lent 2023 and emphasized the importance of prayer, dialogue, and active love. They also called for continuous reflection on the pastoral and missionary conversion suggested by the Holy Father.
Follow