Gospel e-Letter

Apparently, this incident took place in a Catholic church in Canada. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few fellow Maltese among those present! When I first watched the video, my mind immediately turned to the words of the prophet Jeremiah (10:5): Like a scarecrow in a melon patch,their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. The prophet Isaiah (41:7) expressed a similar thought: The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer spurs on him who strikes the anvil. He says of the welding, “It is good.” He nails down the idol so it will not topple. And the Psalmist (115:3–8) pours out the same scorn upon lifeless idols: Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have ha...

The concept of the priest occupies a central place in biblical theology. To fully comprehend the role of the priest within the contemporary church, it is essential to consider the overarching narrative of Scripture. A priest is defined as one who stands before God on behalf of others, offering sacrifices and intercessory prayers. Humanity’s inherent sinfulness renders us incapable of approaching God independently; thus, the priest serves as a mediator, offering sacrifices for sin and representing the people before God (Hebrews 5:1). In the Old Testament, God appointed numerous priests to serve within the tabernacle and, subsequently, the temple. These priests performed various sacrificial rites—some to atone for sin (Leviticus 4), and others as expressions of gratitude and worship (Leviticus 7:11–15). However, these offerings were not permanent solutions; they had to be continually repeated, and the priests themselves were subject to sin. The New Testament marks a profound transformati...

Why, Lord, must sickness, sorrow, pain still haunt the world where You still reign? You hold the stars, yet hearts still cry — why, Lord, such silence from the sky? Creator of the stars above, You formed us with Your tender love. You shaped us fair in Your design 
to share Your life, Your love divine. You warned that sin would bring us death; our parents fell — and with each breath, we heirs of dust, with fleeting days, till break the bond in countless ways. Is this why, as we see today, The first bright garden passed away? No bloom remains, no life, no light, Only the thorns and bitter blight. Yet whispers of that garden fair still show how bright Your love and care. But joy is mixed with sorrow’s night, health with pain, and peace with fright. Lest we forget, through all we see, how foul is sin, how dear its fee. You warned us once; You warn us still: fire waits the stubborn, unbent will. Teach me, O Lord, Your holy fear, to flee from sin that draws too near. A contrite heart to keep...

Two men had spent their lives immersed in evil and wrongdoing. Now, at the end of their earthly journey, they faced the inevitable — in a short while, they would stand before their Creator to give an account of their deeds. Yet in these final moments, they were given a unique opportunity: to speak directly to Jesus Himself and ask of Him whatever they wished. The first man felt no sorrow for the wickedness he had committed. His heart remained hardened, and he showed no true interest in Jesus. All he desired was to be delivered from death so that he might return to his old ways and once more enjoy the fleeting pleasures of the world. Jesus did not answer him. The man died in his sin and was eternally lost. The second man, however, was different. Aware of his guilt and humbled by the fear of God, he recognized in Jesus the promised Messiah — the eternal King. Despite the scorn and mockery directed at “the King of the Jews,” he longed to be with Jesus. In faith and humility, he said, “L...

Mary trusted in God for salvation, just as she happily confessed in the Magnificat, “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:48). When our first father Adam sinned, the entire human race fell with him into sin. Together with David, we can all confess, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). Similarly, the Apostle Paul taught that Adam’s sin had repercussions on all humanity: “one trespass led to condemnation for all men” (Romans 5:18). In Christian theology this is called “original sin.” During church history it was debated whether Mary was tainted by original sin. Many Christians still believe that all people, including Mary, are conceived in sin. In the nineteenth century the Roman Catholic Church defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, namely that Mary was preserved from all stain of sin from the first moment of conception. Even though there is disagreement on the time when Mary was redeemed, whether at conceptio...

"You only live once, so enjoy the ride while it lasts! Don't bother about tomorrow!" The Apostle Paul makes an interesting point: if death is the end of everything—if there is no resurrection—then the logical approach to life would be to indulge in all the pleasure we can while we have the chance. He writes, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” (1 Cor. 15:32). Isn’t this the very mindset of our world today? Many people reject the idea of Jesus’ resurrection or the hope of life beyond the grave. But if death is truly the final curtain, what is the point of it all? Why spend years studying for exams, working hard to build a career, saving to buy a home, or striving for success—if, in the end, everything vanishes like mist? If our existence is nothing more than a fleeting moment between birth and oblivion, then life itself becomes absurd. The wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor—all share the same fate: emptiness, darkness, noth...

What can we say about Jesus and the Law? First of all, Jesus is the author of the Law. He is the Lord. The Lord has authority. The Lord rules. The Lord gives the Law. Even when it comes to the Jewish law about the Sabbath, the Gospels tell us that Jesus is “Lord of the Sabbath.” In fact, Scripture declares that He is Lord of everything. Jesus is the Lawgiver. But here’s the surprising part: the very One who gave the Law, chose to place Himself under it. He was born of a woman, born under the Law. And He obeyed it perfectly—without ever slipping, not even once. Jesus is the only person in all of human history who kept the Law completely, from start to finish. And the greatest wonder of all is this: the Author of the Law, the One who fulfilled it perfectly, was punished by that very same Law. He took on the penalty of death. The innocent Lawgiver was condemned by the Law! And He did all of this for us. The punishment He suffered was the punishment that should have fallen on us—the sinner...