Laudato Si

MARRIAGE CRISES

MARRIAGE CRISES

August 16.  Marriage crises.  Paula shared, “Sexual issues, especially pornography can and do have an impact on couple relationships  but we as individuals and couples seldom bring them to the Church. Are we embarrassed or think we won’t be listened to…

MONEY AND SEXUALITY

MONEY AND SEXUALITY

August 15. (The Assumption is transferred to the Sunday.)   Money.  With this month’s theme of Sexuality as a Family Gift, it is certainly not always a true gift. Everyone discussed the issue of money and its many implications for conflict and distress  in the area of…

CHILD PROTECTION AND CHILD RAPE

CHILD PROTECTION AND CHILD RAPE

August 13.   Child rape. A serious topic needing an urgent response was abuse and rape of children.  “Are our children precious to us, are they a fruit of our love to be guarded and protected?”  “But should we not consider all children in the same light?” “How?”…

TAXES AND THE COMMON GOOD

TAXES AND THE COMMON GOOD

August 12 .  Taxes. On a very practical level the groups were discussing taxes.   There is income tax, sales tax, e-tolls as road tax but there are also different grants.  “We give, but it is mostly others who get.  Is that fair?”  “I think the principle of the common…

ADDICTION. SIN OR DISEASE?

ADDICTION. SIN OR DISEASE?

August 10.  Addictions..  Life was hard for Petru as a single mom and she had never had a stable relationship since her teen years when she had become addicted to alcohol and her daughter had been born with foetal alcohol  syndrome.  Rayhab, the…

WOMEN AND WOMEN’S DAY

WOMEN AND WOMEN’S DAY

August 9.   Women’s day. SA.  Rayhab, the facilitator, took up a new topic. “Today we look at the fact that all religions from the most primitive until today have certain laws, rules, norms and standards, in other words a moral code. To live a good life as an…

INDIVIDUALISM AND FAMILIALISM

INDIVIDUALISM AND FAMILIALISM

August 8.  Individualism. At one of their family sharing times the Joseph family had shared and discussed their own favourite scripture passages. John said he often thought of the words of Jesus, “Who do you say I am?” Ann chose, “I will hold you in the palm of my…

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE AND THE GOSPEL

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE AND THE GOSPEL

August 5. Inclusive language.  Martin opened up the topic of a look at exclusive or inclusive language. “Let’s take a look at the rally in the gospel and these 5000 men, besides women and children. Would they really have gone without taking any provisions with them?  …