Why Do We Do Penance?
In Confession, the priest gave me a penance of the Stations of the Cross, which I did. What is the purpose of the penance when I know that, because I am truly sorry for...
Author: Michael Shackleton
Where Did the Teaching of the Holy Trinity Come From?
The Holy Trinity is a mystery to the human intelligence yet it is an article of our Christian faith. I know the three divine persons are mentioned individually in the New Testament. At what...
The Church: Inside and Out
Guest editorial: Michael Shackleton – Like a coin, there are two sides to the Church. One side faces the world around it. The other side is seen and experienced by its faithful people in...
Death Penalty Is Now Forbidden By The Church?
Why has Pope Francis suddenly made a change in the Catechism (2267), with regard to the just sentencing to death by the state of identified criminals? We are now taught that the death penalty...
God Cannot Be Cheated
Guest Editorial By Michael Shackleton – Corruption is the catchword of the day. It is not a new word. It has appeared in many history books describing the perennial dishonesty and downfall of empires...
Paying a Debt Forward?
Our children became our debtors when my wife and I with God’s help gave them life. Aren’t they obliged to pay us back as much as they can? Our gift to them was of...
Does the Creed Contradict Jesus?
Jesus said: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (Jn...
The Poetry Of A Priest
IN QUIET REALM, Poems by Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu. Write-On Publishing. 2018. 113pp. Reviewed by Michael Shackleton In his poem “The Daffodils”, William Wordsworth wrote that he would often lie on his couch “in vacant or in...
Are We Doomed?
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ is like a whisper against thunder. All around us, his call to respect the biodiversity of planet Earth is ignored. Has the pope’s lone voice any serious listeners outside...
Why Do We Pray to the Saints?
A friend quotes 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” Her church honours the saints only as exemplars of the Christian life...
Must We Give Beggars Money?
At almost every traffic light, as soon as I stop the car, there is someone at my window wanting money. I give a little cash now and then, depending on how safe I feel,...
Celebrating Our Lady’s Birthday
The celebration of the feast of the Nativity of Our Blessed Lady occurs every year on September 8. Oddly, despite the Church’s huge respect and veneration of Mary and her indispensable role in Christian...
