“It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit.” John 15:1-8 The metaphor, “You are pruned already” emphasizes that Jesus has already begun the great transformation in our lives. And there are great possibilities for each one of us to be even more attached to him. We do not only grow in His likeness, but we produce fruits, fruits that will last. Though we may wither at times, we are reminded that once there is a desire to be pruned by the Father, the vinedresser, we will bear fruit in plenty. Some of us are still just holding on to a thin vine, not wanting to be fully attache ..read more

“If you know me, you know my father too.” John 14: 7-14 Have you ever heard the expressions, “The chip does not fall far from the block?” or “You look just like your mother/ your father”? Well, they both refer to the origin of the chip or the person, the background. The chip was fed by the roots of the tree. The son or daughter was fed with the nutrients and carries the genes of the mother and father. The child in the mother’s womb, was once inseparable from the mother. Jesus said: “If you know me, you know my father too.” Phillip responded, “Lord, let us see your father too then we shall be s ..read more

We can look back at our lives and see that Jesus has always been with us. John 14: 1 – 6 Today Jesus calls us to trust – trust the Father and trust Him. Trust is a deep, unwavering confidence in God and His promises. Jesus asks us to trust that the Father has room for everyone. That ought to assure us that God does not reject us, rather He makes room for us in His heart. God opens His heart to us always; we ought to do the same towards Him. Jesus asks us to trust that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. That means we do not have to struggle to find our way to God. Jesus is our guide and com ..read more

Feast of St Mark, Evangelist Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Mark 16:15-20 In this Gospel, Jesus states what happens when we believe in Him and when we don’t. Living in a unitive way, one of union with the Divine, miracles can be performed in His name. Can we use His name, brothers and sisters, to cast out demons? The disciples became a great lover of God, as how we are with men, is how we are with God. Jesus emphasizes firstly, the significance of belief and baptism. The signs that will accompany those who believe: Driving out demons, speaking in tongues, handling snakes, drin ..read more

Q: Archbishop J, why—with all our prayer—are we not moving more steadily toward discipleship? In a classic article, ‘Looking at God Looking at You’, author Robert R Marsh illumines a critical flaw often found in spirituality today. Using the Ignatian Additional Directions, formulated to help the person in prayer, he reflects on our mind-blindness. St Ignatius’ third Additional Direction states: A step or two in front of the place where I am to contemplate or meditate, I will stand for the length of an Our Father, raising my mind above and considering how God our Lord is looking at me, etc., an ..read more

GUYANA Bishop Francis Alleyne’s OSB Easter wish to all, including himself, is that faithful don their metaphorical earbuds with a deliberate intention to hear and attend to God’s Word without static or interruption, and to grow in His ways — ways that will counter and cancel out the “noises” of the world. In his Easter message via The Catholic Standard, the bishop of Georgetown shared he was recently gifted a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds, a new listening device that is “most welcomed” as his Brickdam location is often bombarded with the noise of traffic, car horns, sirens, motorcycles, wee ..read more

The Billings Ovulation Method TT (BOMA-TT) conducted an education session for nursing staff at the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH) on Monday, April 15. Approximately 20 nurses (including one male nurse) from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department attended ‘An Introduction to the Billings Ovulation Method’ held at the Maternity Education Centre. Pauline Phelps, BOMA-TT Coordinator said, “This affects not just patients, but their own lives and they thought it was vital information for the human person. So important [that] they were willing at the end of the session to share information ..read more

By Fr Jesse Maingot OP Brothers and sisters! This Sunday, April 28 marks the beginning of our 33-day journey to consecrating our lives to our Eucharistic Lord. What exactly is consecration? Aren’t we already consecrated to the Lord Jesus in Baptism? Yes, indeed this is true. However, when we speak of a consecration to the Eucharist, we are speaking about binding and giving ourselves more fully to Jesus in the way that He comes to us in the Eucharist. Our consecration is an intentional promise to reform one’s life in view of the Eucharist. Fruits of Eucharistic consecration mean a life more emp ..read more

By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ and AMMR In the ever-evolving tapestry of Catholic social teaching (CST), the principle of human dignity stands as a foundational pillar that guides principles of justice, compassion, and respect. To highlight “the indispensable nature of the dignity of the human person in Christian anthropology” (what it means to be human) and illustrate the significance and impact of this fundamental truth in the social, political, and economic realms, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released the Declaration ‘Dignitas Infinita’ on Human Dignity, dated ..read more

Last Sunday (April 21) was Good Shepherd Sunday, which was designated a Day of Prayer for Vocations worldwide. Pope Francis also declared 2024, a Year of Prayer. In keeping with these announcements, the Vocation Recruitment Team for the Archdiocese proposed to re-launch the Vocations Cup activity in parishes, which involves families attached to each parish. It is our hope “to re-create the culture of praying for and nurturing vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the home”, the domestic Church. This activity also seeks to underscore the role and responsibility of the wider lay comm ..read more