“Rejoice! And I say it again, rejoice!” The notion of joy is altogether fundamental to Christianity, which by its very nature is and claims to be evangelium, gospel, joyful news. Yet it is true: the world mistrusts the gospel, mistrusts Christs on this very point, and it abandons the Church because Christianity would deprive...
It is only too true that religion, for many, has dissolved into an emotion no longer based on anything real, because the faith that once fed this feeling has disintegrated. Yet, in a certain respect, even more destructive may be the attitude of those who consider themselves believers but confine their religion equally to...
Throughout the liturgy of the Christmas Vigil there resounds the song of Psalm 24 that celebrates Yahweh as the returning King: ”Lift up, O gates, your lintels; be raised, you everlasting portals; for the King of glory wishes to enter” (Ps 24:7; offertory antiphon). Originally this song was probably chanted in the Temple of...
