How should we keep Sunday holy? “Christians keep Sunday and other days of obligation holy by participating in the Eucharist of the Lord and by refraining from those activities which impede the worship of God and disturb the joy proper to the day of the Lord or the necessary relaxation of mind and body….” (CCCC 453).
Pope Benedict’s XVI time as pope was short, but his impact was enormous and his legacy will probably continue to reverberate in the decades to come, Father José Mario Mandía believes. The former director of O Clarim recalls some of Joseph Ratzinger’s most important contributions to the Church, namely the Christ-centeredness of his theological vision and the first official Catholic catechism in more than 400 years. The Pope Emeritus’ profound words will continue to shape philosophy, theology and the life of the Church and the world.
Shy, reserved, but truly erudite. Joseph Ratzinger – the first German pope in almost 500 years – goes down in history as a highly regarded theologian and one of the most influential pontiffs of the last few centuries, say priests and faithful whom O Clarim spoke to. Long before he was elected to the Chair of Peter, Cardinal Ratzinger paid a brief visit to Macau in March 1993. The then head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith urged the bishops of Asia to regard the mission of the Asian Church more in terms of “inter-culturality” instead of “inculturation”.
Like the Magi, after these tough past years, we might also be puzzled about the meaning of what we went through and also about God’s role in our life. The Christmas message is that God who comes to share our sufferings, while not solving them, transforms them from within through the gift of Himself. It’s a mystery which is not easy to understand or accept.
The Magi have become the symbol of people around the world who are led by the light of Christ. They are the image of the church, made up of people of every race, tribe, language, and nation.
When we hear the word “justice,” we often think of what we ought to give to others. But the first “other” is God. The virtue of religion reminds us of our duty of justice towards God – our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Sanctifier.
Most people would agree that his legacy is his theology as Joseph Ratzinger and the magisterium as Pope Benedict XVI: his clear and profound teaching on faith and morals.
Mary did not have a complete picture of the mission she had undertaken. She was progressively growing into that realization. She marvels at what Simeon said about the child. She is almost taken by surprise. She was amazed before God’s works, as were the apostles and all the people.
Within the lovely Season of Christmas and around the Crib, we venerate the Holy Family. Bowing or kneeling before the Crib, we learn the lessons of genuine family life, the need of silence and of a dignified work. Above all, we learn the perennial lesson of love: we are loved and we love.
Family, memory, togetherness, introspection and communion with Jesus Christ, the Son of God made Man. Christmas means different things to different people, but to four local Catholics, family and faith are the real reasons one should celebrate. It is the moment to look within and improve ourselves, to open our heart to the mystery of the Nativity of Christ.
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