St Pope John Paul II, who passed away on Divine Mercy Sunday on 2 April 2005, wrote his last book, Memory and Identity: Personal Reflections, (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, published 2005), in the style of a series of interviews and questions, expanding on the themes that were much earlier examined in 1993 with two Polish philosophers,…
That magnificent quote, from CS Lewis’ Sermon, “Learning in War-Time”, is a wonderful paradigm for our times, in this year, the year of the pandemic war.
The Conundrum of the Pandemic’s Race to the Finishing Line. The pruned flora was rejuvenating with a vengeance, even as humankind is preoccupied with many of the worries of this world. It would be hard to write this piece one week earlier or later without having to wrap our heads around new discoveries that drives…
Like the humble jambu bol tree that nurtures its flower buds lovingly from conception to fruition, for the birds to feed in a frenzy, gone in just an instance.In early March, the black-naped oriole studies the exuberant stamen. In six weeks, the tree is laden with fruit and ripe for the pickings. A day later,…
On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, like no other, a day to be still, a day to reflect on the good that will always conquer the evil, to revert to a time of peace and silence, while the world awaits a sign of deliverance, of the end that cannot be soon enough, and yet, the…
News emerged earlier this month that the deers of Nara Park are facing an unprecedented food shortage due to the diminution of tourists in Japan arising from the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The animals have resorted to searching for food and foraging on the small traffic islands and mall-links in Nara city, away from their natural…
Have you ever wondered at bird-pairs who perch serenely and timelessly on the branches of tress outside your home, even when those trees are themselves at their final breathes of life, as the marrow of their existence is being leached out from beneath? The death of a bamboo grove is not to be trivialized. Bamboo…
As the humankind stands on the brink of another world-wide panic and potential disaster, brought on by the incredible penchant of wild-game food enthusiasts and their suppliers, exemplified by incredulous narrative of the 2019 nCoV epicentre, what are we to make of it? An interesting observation is humanity’s appetite and preoccupation with a compelling narrative…
Today’s Gospel Reading in the Missal of the Catholic tradition is such a powerful lesson in how to be a steward of God’s talents and remain a faithful servant. Here Jesus gives a master-class in servant leadership, and teaches us (a) how to use our talent (willingly and with great generosity to help others), (b)…
God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission – I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next …. I have a part in a great work;…