There’s no doubt Covid changed the clergy. In New York, anyway. During the deadliest months of the coronavirus pandemic, when many New Yorkers most needed their faith communities, houses of worship were either closed or operating with limits on attendance. The solace of grieving with family and friends, the comfort of the communal rituals of Read more
The person who wrote a reflection on this line from scripture knew meditation. The reflection goes like this: Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am. Be still and know. Be still. Be. If we go into prayer with this, leaving a space between each line, we make Read more
Pope Francis deserves our admiration, prayers and support for his tireless efforts to promote peace and goodwill among nations, peoples and religions, and for constantly reminding us that everything and everybody in the universe are interconnected. His intense advocacy for the health of our planet, his concern for the poor, and his courageous stance to Read more
As Lent comes towards its climax in the celebration of Easter, we might revisit the energy of Ash Wednesday and renew our renewal for this final week. This process of making changes in our lives, having a new outlook, repenting, converting, turning over a new leaf — all render the command, metanoeite — that we Read more
To be raised among the ancient biblical myths was to live in a world that melded the material, spiritual, and imaginative. Rich with poetic metaphor, these stories have stimulated the imaginations and moral consciousness of the Jewish people for thousands of years. In traditional Jewish culture, myth once served many functions. The rituals commemorating the Read more
Anyone attending a Catholic liturgy for the first time is struck by the number of gestures, images, and items of clothing that one just never sees anywhere else. Some of the leaders might be resplendent in silks with gold embroidery – straight out of a painting by Benozzo Gozzoli who lived between 1421-1497. In some Read more
Nearly half of all pregnancies, totalling 121 million each year throughout the world, are unintended. For the women and girls affected, the most life-altering reproductive choice—whether or not to become pregnant—is no choice at all, explains the State of World Population 2022 report, released today by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Read more
People leaving war-torn countries, like Ukraine, for a new life in New Zealand all bring one thing with them – hope, an immigration industry veteran says. New Zealand’s history of helping out people amid violent conflicts include Polish refugees in the 1940s, Vietnamese and Cambodian people in the 1970s and 1980s, and people from Somalia Read more
Representatives of Canada’s Indigenous communities were in Rome last week for a series of meetings with Pope Francis. The purpose of their visit was to urge Francis to publicly apologize for the abuse that their ancestors – and even some of them – suffered at residential schools run by the Catholic Church. But can a Read more
The new minimum wage increase to NZ$21.20 an hour should help a significant number of New Zealand’s lowest-paid workers and their families – 300,000 people, according to the government. Just how much it will help, however, is less certain. At 6%, the increase is in line with the 5.9% annual rise in the consumer price Read more