At Pentecost we are offered an amazing image of the redemption from fear. The disciples had locked themselves into the upper room. We have this image from the early church of a group of people filled with fear of what might happen to them. As I was reading this story again I was struck by many of it’s comparisons to our own time. Recently we have seen the rise of fundamentalist elements in the various world religions. It seems to me that what all fundamentalist points of view have in common is this experience of being fearful, locked in our own upper rooms.

What is the connection between faith (Jerusalem) and the secular world (Athens)? The rhetorical question above was first posed by Tertullian, a 2nd Century Christian apologist. It is a question that St Paul answered by his own actions (as read from the Acts of the Apostles earlier this week). He went to the academic heart of Athens – the equivalent of Wits Senate House! – and talked to his audience about ‘the unknown God’ and about Resurrection. Their reaction is instructive: a few became believers; some burst out laughing; but the largest group were just intrigued to find out more.

As Christians, we often shy away from talking to people who do not share our views.

The relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux are coming to South Africa in June. If other countries are anything to go by, they will attract thousands of visitors, from devotees of the Little Flower to bemused, perhaps even sceptical, onlookers. Similarly, the remains of Australopithecus Sediba – or ‘the Boy’, as the staff of the Origins Centre at Wits University call him with affection – are the subject of visits by the curious, research and debate by the scientists, reports and articles by journalists, and fascination by the rest of us.

Why are we drawn to looking at bones, whether of saints or ancient hominids?

Our guest speaker will be Fr Gerry O’Collins SJ, who has taught hundreds of priests and dozens of bishops as well as being a writer/editor of over 50 books and, for more than 30 years has been Professor at the Gregorian University, Rome.
The dates and locations are:

Gauteng: Mazenod Centre, Germiston Tues 20th -Thurs 22nd July (from 09h30-15h00)
Bloemfontein: Donovan Hall (Cathedral) Tues 27th -Thurs 29th July (from 09h30-15h30)
Cape Town: Schoenstatt, Constantia Tues 3rd-Thurs 5th August (from 09h30-15h00)
Durban: Glenmore Pastoral Centre Tues 10th -Thurs 12th August (from 09h30-15h00)

Priests, ministers, religious and lay people are welcome to attend the course which runs during the day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

On Workers’ Day, many of us with a sense of history and justice remember with respect those in the trade union movement worldwide who have struggled for ‘just wages’, better working conditions and – in places like South Africa – for political rights for those not born into the ‘right’ (i.e. upper) social class or with the ‘right’ (male) gender or (white) skin colour. At least since the Papal encyclical Rerum Novarum [Of New Things] in 1891, the Church has been commendably on the side of these good causes.

But what is the meaning of labour today? In many ways we are left in a state of confusion in an age where globalization and a whole new attitude to work has shifted what many of us consider both normal and morally just. In his last encyclical, Charity in Truth, Pope Benedict implicitly accepted that change has happened: he acknowledges that today both partners in a family have to work. The notion of a ‘family wage’ earned by the husband is past.

The good news for the airlines is that European airspace is opening up again. This is also good for fruit farmers in Ghana, flower growers in Kenya and stranded travelers. There was a curious and interesting collective denial about the disruption. How could it be that suddenly it was no longer possible to jump onto a plane to the other side of the world? Modern technological humanity was momentarily in shock.

The insurers used to call this kind of thing an ‘act of God’, though someone told me that it’s now been reclassified as an ‘act of nature’.

It has been hard to be anywhere in South Africa, or possibly the world, in recent months and not be bombarded by the wonderfully multi-coloured band, Black Eyed Peas, singing: “I’ve got a feeling. That tonight’s gonna be a good night. That tonight’s gonna be a good, good night. A feeling….”

As the playwright Noel Coward put it: “Strange how insistent cheap music can be!”.

By now it should be clear to the Holy See that, even if the media really are out to get you, playing the victim in the abuse crisis is unwise. It simply invites variations of the sarcastic response, 'Oh, we thought that it was children who were the victims'. An online comment put it thus: 'First they spend years blaming the victims, now they are the victims?'.

In the early years of Christianity people expected an imminent second coming. They kept hoping that Jesus was about to return and all their problems would be solved. It has been slightly more than two thousand years since the first Easter and most of us don’t expect the Lord's return to happen in our own lifetimes.

The fall of Apartheid and our reactions to it can remind us of that early Christian community. In the first rush of joy we were swept up by the belief that a better life for all was imminent, and we were filled with hope and optimism. Now 20 years later - though our situation is certainly far preferable to life under the old regime - much of that initial euphoria has dissipated and we are living with the reality of being ordinary fallible people led by ordinary fallible leaders.

Depression has become increasingly prevalent. Recent statistics show that 80% of people will have at least one depressive episode in their lives. Some of the symptoms of depression are low mood, sadness and irritability; reduced pleasure or interest in daily activities; marked weight loss or gain with a change in appetite; significant changes in sleeping patterns; marked increase or decrease in movement; fatigue and loss of energy; feelings of worthlessness and guilt; difficulty concentrating and ideas of suicide or death

The experience of being depressed can spill over into our spiritual lives and cause us to feel that God is absent.