Gospel e-Letter

The philosopher Albert Camus once wrote, “Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time.” Why does Camus say that beauty is unbearable? Had Camus spoken of the weight of illness, the sting of suffering, or the cold hand of injustice, we would have understood him at once. Yet the thinker confesses to despair in the very presence of beauty. We too recognise something of this inner conflict. The beauty of a rose lasts only for a moment; within a few days it withers and dries up. Old age shows no mercy to the beauty and vigour of youth. Even the most beautiful of human relationships, the tenderness and love of a husband for his wife, and of parents for their children, these too reach their end. Here lies our dilemma. For we do not want them to end. We long to press beauty to our hearts forever, yet death tears away all that we cherish and all that gives us joy. Beauty would be a crue...

The Core Truth from Scripture “He (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world… Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2; 4:10, ESV). Understanding "Propitiation" The word propitiation isn’t one we often hear in everyday conversation, yet its meaning is profoundly important to the Christian faith. It is not merely a blanket term for forgiveness. Propitiation speaks of atonement, reparation, and specifically, the turning away of righteous anger that has been justly provoked. It is a dual-action word: it deals with sin (our offense) and God's wrath (His just response to that offense). In fact, the word propitiation helps us understand the very heart of what Christ accomplished through His death—a truth we celebrate and remember each time we share in Holy Communion. The Divine Dilemma: Justice Meets Mercy God is Holy and Just. The ...

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...