De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

For my fellow school Chaplains, teachers, all those involved in education in Britain and N. Ireland. Today is a day unlike any other we have experienced or will (hopefully) ever experience again. Our students, especially those in Yr. 6, Yr. 11 and Yr. 13, will be feeling a complex mixture of emotions and many will be upset at not having the chance to properly celebrate the end of this particular educational cycle. They are going to need our ongoing support and prayers over these coming weeks and months through whatever communication/distance learning system your school has in place (Google Drive/Classroom, for example).  We need to also support and lift up each other. Keep in regular contact, share the good stuff, but also find those with whom you can share the bad stuff, because we are all going to need to offload at some point. Be there for others as you would want them to be there for you. I have a gut feeling that in the midst of all that is happening right now, the seeds of s...

I recently wrote this in response to a Facebook post by friend David Kralik: Faith and hope help us to keep our eyes lifted up to the heavens, even in the darkest of times, as we journey on to the source of all love. And when we meet Him face to face (God willing) those two companions on the journey withdraw, their work complete. All that is left, as you say, is love.  The Beatles got it partially right... 😉🎸  

Some holiday thoughts on an idea that I often came back to when teaching R.E.: the origins and meaning of the words "Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah" (Hebrew).   Let’s start with a quote from the YOUCAT (youth cathechism) book and app:   ' The brief formula “Jesus is the Christ” expresses the core of the Christian faith: Jesus, the simple carpenter’s son from Nazareth, is the long-awaited Messiah and Savior. (Cath. Catechism 436-440, 453) Both the Greek word “Christos” and the Hebrew word “Messiah” mean "The Anointed One”. In Israel kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. The apostles learned that Jesus was anointed “with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 10:38).' We are called Christians after Christ, as an expression of our exalted vocation.' (Click  here  for the YOUCAT app).   For Jews, the Messiah is one who would be chosen and anointed by God and would come to our world to save ...

This retelling of the Prodigal Son story relates it to the Passion narrative through the question “What would you do for the person you love?” It’s a hard-hitting, wonderfully moving short film that certainly got a reaction when I used it during the Reconciliation services we had in school the past 2 weeks (used it only with Yr. 10s upwards due to the content).

Thanks for the message, Last Man... have tried to work out who you are. Found a "Phil" in one of the comments on your page, but that doesn't get me much further. Anyway, thoughtful comment of yours. I'll do my best to answer briefly from my point of view some of your points. Further reflexions I'll put on my blog. Briefly then... 1) God did not kill Jesus. Human beings given the gift of free will chose to kill him to suit their ends... out of fear, fear of the truth about themselves that he exposed. 2) He died for our sins...? Yes, but only when interpreting his death after the event. And his death should not be separated from the "unbelievable" event of his resurrection. If it is then it is pointless. An unnecessary self-sacrifice. As were the lives of many of his immediate followers who put their lives on the line (and in many cases were killed) because they felt what Jesus stood for was worth risking one's life for. That's some sacrifice for a...