As Christmas approaches, the familiar story of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem takes on new meaning for those of us reflecting on how we live today. The innkeeper’s lack of space has long symbolised the world’s rejection of Christ, yet this Christmas season invites us to consider a more hopeful question: Do we have room in the inn of our hearts?
Christmas is one of the most beautiful seasons in the Catholic Church, a time filled with light, hope and joy.
A prayer for reunion and renewal.
It’s been a big year for the Catholic Church. First we had the admission to hospital of Pope Francis on Valentine’s Day and daily reports on social media of his condition until he was discharged after 38 days.
At a few minutes to midnight on Christmas Eve, the world feels briefly suspended. The shops have closed, the traffic has thinned, and even the tetchy restlessness of city life in late December seems to fall away.
Opinion
In the ordinary rhythm of daily life, cleaning is one of the most basic and necessary acts. We clean our homes, our tools, our bodies and the spaces where we live and work.
Opinion
With the ban on social media for children under 16 coming into force next month, Catholic Voice journalist VERONIKA COX looks at the wider impact of our online habits.
New lectionary
In the early days of the COVID pandemic, along with parishes throughout the world, the Archdiocese of Adelaide suspended the practice of receiving communion from the chalice and offered a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation for the safety and protection of the people.
The increasing number of households decorating their front yards with all things ghoulish and the hordes of children dressing up and roaming the streets in search of lollies on Halloween is literally quite frightening.
On Sunday October 19 the Catholic Church will celebrate a moment of profound significance: the canonisation of Peter To Rot from Papua New Guinea.
A few years back – well about 20 actually – I worked for the SA Government on a project called Make the Move.
Get The Southern Cross delivered straight to your inbox twice per month.
Thanks for signing up to the Southern Cross newsletter.