Family Matters

December 24. Christmas eve. St. Francis was inspired by his recent visit to the Holy Land where he had been shown Jesus's traditional birthplace in Bethlehem as a poor and helpless baby. This was a source of great joy to him and he was astounded that God could be so...

Every country has its special days of commemoration.  If you dig deep enough there are very often difficult and painful conflicts buried there that are not fully healed.  These would concern original inhabitants and later invaders, rulers and owners or “land-grabbers”...

December 17.  Mario loved to tell the story of St Francis and the wolf to his grandchildren. It had become part of their family tradition as they prepared for Christmas.   ST FRANCIS TAMES THE FIERCE WOLF OF GUBBIO.  A Story from THE LITTLE FLOWERS...

Sinterklaas, the feastday of St Nicholas has been commemorated in my home country, Holland, on 6 December by families, old and young for some centuries.  But what is the value of such a tradition today?  I included a reflection around this feastday in my...

I was intrigued.  It so happened that I picked up a library book that had been left behind by a neighbour who had died, and for lack of something else to read opened it.  I soon became intrigued as it related so closely to the current reality of COVID-19, as...

It Is hard sometimes to keep the focus on families versus individuals in the face of women, men, children, youth. They all had their fair share of awareness-raising around issues and needs.   Other than International Day of Families on 15 May families, as...