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Towards a better world

A world that lives in hope
A world that promotes unity and diversity
A world that has a common ethic
A world that cares about ecology
A world that democratises power
A world that encourages dialogue with all
A world that lives in solidarity
A world that lives the spirituality of relationships

 

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THE KINGDOM OF GOD: Jesus and the Reign of God

by Fr Bill O’Shea

Sr. Mark’s Gospel is the first written record we have of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It was written between 30 and 35 years after the death of and resurrection of Jesus, and shows us how some Christians at least, in those early years of the Church, understood the person and mission of Jesus.

In this earliest Gospel, the first recorded words of Jesus are found in 1:14-15. We are told that after his baptism, Jesus announced: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the good news.” This can be seen as a headline-summary of everything that follows. It is a statement of Jesus’ programme or agenda, and everything he subsequently said and did is somehow related to the kingdom of God.

THE FRANCIS FACTOR by Bill O'Shea

The Catholic Church received a much needed breath of fresh air in March 2012 when the Jesuit Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected Pope and took the name of Francis I.  As the first anniversary of his election draws near, it is of course far too early to evaluate the overall impact of his papacy on the church and the world, but the early indications have put a spring in the step of most catholics.

VATICAN II 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

It is over 50 years since the Second Vatican Council closed in Rome on 8 December 1965.  Few of the nearly 2500 Catholic bishops from around the world who filed into St. Peter’s Basilica on the 1st day (11 October 1962) had much idea of what they would achieve over the next few years.

MAKING A BETTER WORLD

An anxious Pope,
a prophetic priest
and their unlikely partnership for the renewal of the Church and the world.
 

In 1952, Pope Pius XII issued his Proclamation for a Better World, in the face of a deteriorating political situation and a growing neglect of God and the affairs of the Spirit.  In this, his chief ally and source of inspiration was a charismatic Jesuit priest and preacher, whose enthusiasm was regarded as ill-judged and even extreme by some of his colleagues and by highly-placed ecclesiastics. This is the story of their collaboration and its results.

A Truly Human Life

Life would not be truly human if it were not shared with others. The social character of human living is essential. Living together, and organising life so that everyone can take part, is like giving a circulation system to the different parts of the same body, which in this case is the human race. The sharing of life starts with the family circle and goes right up to world society which today, thanks to modern communication, is more like a global village. Everyone needs the experience of being recognised and of counting in the eyes of others. People cannot become themselves except by exercising shared responsibilities with others.