Pope Francis hints at slight opening to blessings of same-sex couples
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis has appeared to leave open the possibility of priests blessing same-sex couples, if they are limited, decided on a case-by-case basis and not confused with wedding ceremonies of heterosexuals. Francis made his opinion known in one answer to five questions from five conservative cardinals from Asia, Europe, Africa, the United States […]
Sight-Seeing: Who does God really bless?
NILS VON KALM looks at the idea of ‘blessing’ and who Jesus was referring to in the Beatitudes…
Chilean cowboys gather for blessing at national shrine
Santiago, Chile AP With the snow-covered Andes shining in the background, several dozen cowboys in woollen ponchos and families on wooden horse carts lined up Saturday to receive a priest’s blessing in the huge esplanade in front of the National Sanctuary of Maipú. “I come every year to fulfill a vow,” said Joshua Contreras, 30, […]
This Life: The blessing of giving ourselves to others
SAMANTHA ELLEY says the “opportunities to share yourself and receive a dose of happiness are endless”…
Hope
Charles Dickens wrote “The pain of parting is nothing compared to the joy of reunion.” PICTURE: Ron Smith/Unsplash This is an idea explored in the Bible, where a character like Joseph suffers terribly, sold as a slave and falsely put in jail. Yet, after decades of suffering, providence rewards him for his faithfulness and […]
Blessings
When I was younger I prayed that God would bless me. The image in my head when I thought about these blessings was good things happening to me, or material things coming my way. PICTURE: Sixteen Miles Out/Unsplash Blessings were certainly things like health, wealth, comfort, confidence, good relationships and success. Now there are lots of […]
Essay: Rethinking white privilege and how we are really blessed
In an article first published on Religion News Service, ALAN CROSS, Southern Baptist pastor and the author of ‘When Heaven and Earth Collide: Racism, Southern Evangelicals, and the Better Way of Jesus’, looks at the idea of blessing in the wake of the recent controversy involving Louie Giglio…