50 years of Pacem in Terris
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Today would have been my mother’s birthday. She would have been 84 years old. She passed away in 1995 and each year we mark her birthday in a special way. Recently, someone sent me a YouTube link with a clip taken from an interview with my father […]
John Spence, God’s faithful servant
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI I was in London when I received the news of 83 year-old Prof John Spence’s passing on March 8. When I was appointed Episcopal Delegate for Social Justice after the first sitting of Synod in 2003, Prof Spence contacted me to share his views about some of […]
Witnesses of the Resurrection
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Faith in the resurrection of Jesus says that there is a future for every human being; the cry for unending life, which is a part of the person is indeed answered… God exists: that is the real message of Easter. Anyone who even begins to grasp what […]
Holy Week and Justice
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI During Holy Week, let us reflect on Pope Francis’ message delivered during his inaugural Mass. Inter alia, he reminded us that “… the core of the Christian vocation…is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect […]
Learning about our saints
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI “Trust in the Lord my God and turn to Him with all your hearts since nothing is impossible for Him” (St Patrick, Confessio) Today, March 17, the fifth Sunday of Lent, is also St Patrick’s Day, which is celebrated in many parts of the world. I hope […]
God’s mercy
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Jesus’ parables are sometimes referred to as earthly stories with heavenly meaning. During this Lenten season, I invite you to reflect on the parables in our Gospels. Today’s Gospel, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32, is part of a series of three parables that seek to demonstrate God’s mercy – […]
Interceding for all to bear fruit
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI During this Year of Faith, CCSJ plans to organise a series of workshops to focus on some of the parables in our Gospels. One of these will be the parable of the barren fig tree (see today’s reading: Lk 13:1-9). In some ways this parable reminds me […]
Are we listening to Him?
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Today’s Gospel reading (Luke 9:28b-36) provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the messages that can be derived from the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Who better to tell us who Jesus is than His Father in heaven? God’s words spoken to Peter, James and […]
World Day of Social Justice
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Wednesday, February 20 is the fifth World Day of Social Justice. At its sixty-second session, in November 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed February 20 as World Day of Social Justice. The day was observed for the first time in 2009. For us Catholics, […]
Children need both parents in their lives
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI “Christians are people who have been conquered by Christ’s love and accordingly, under the influence of that love…they are profoundly open to loving their neighbour in concrete ways… faith precedes charity, but faith is genuine only if crowned by charity.” (Pope Benedict XVI, 2013 Lenten Message). These […]