'First Things' -- A Catholic Journal

'First Things' magazine

Image courtesy: firstthings.com/

It is a monthly Catholic journal of religion, culture, and public life, published from New York, USA.

It is a print journal, but also available online at: First Things

'Regina' Magazine's Spain Issue Is A Fascinating Read

The April 2015 issue of the Regina magazine

Photo courtesy: Regina magazine

The Regina magazine of April, 2015 exclusively devoted the whole issue to Spain. This is a fascinating read for readers interested in history, sociology, and religion of Spain.

You may read this 348-page Regina magazine issue that covers the following topics:

• Pelayo & the Cradle of Catholicism
• Bipolarism of Catholic Spain
• An Ancient Mass in Modern Madrid
• The Great Champion of Christian Spain
• St. Dominic & the Hounds of God
• Day Thirteen on the Camino
• The Drama of Isabella the Catholic
• The Tragic Daughters of Isabella
• Queen of Chess
• Serious Spanish Sweets
• The Truth about Muslim Spain
• The Mozarabic Rite
• The Strange Story of Cordoba's Cathedral
• Beautiful Spanish Mantillas
• Teresa of Avila
•  Tomas Victoria
• Conquistador
• The Real First Thanksgiving
• Nine Catholic Women of Spain
• St. Leocadia of Toledo
• Faith Under Fire
• Spanish Fashionista Styling
• True Catholic Selves

You may also read the past issues of the Regina magazine here.

The Quotation of the Week (June 7 - 13, 2015)

A quotation of Jesse Jackson on 'being present with one's children,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Dancing lights in Toronto: Jan. 1, 2015) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (May 31 - June 6, 2015)

A quotation of Leo Buscaglia on 'being oneself,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A baby being himself at Bhadun Village near Dhaka: January 11, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The 2015 Spring in Toronto

In Autumn, aka the Fall, trees and plants shed their leaves to prepare themselves for the Winter that brings snow and frigid air. The denuded trees and plants stand in winter looking sad and lonely. 

The Spring fuses life in every tree and plant. Leaves sprout and flowers bloom as if they are in smiles. Birds and insects also participate in this joyful orgy. The Spring brings hope to every creature, including mankind.

The photos of flowers below were taken in Scarborough neighbourhood of Toronto.

Photos © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (May 24 - 30, 2015)

Two quotations on 'television,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A TV remote control in Toronto: March 22, 2015) © Jerome D'Costa

Catholic Ireland Votes for the Same-Sex Marriage

A map of Ireland

Map courtesy: Magellan Geographix

Ireland, that claims to be about 84% Roman Catholic, on May 23, in a country-wide referendum, voted in majority for the gay marriage, reports the Guardian. A total of 1,201,607 (62.1%) votes were for 'yes' as against 734,300 votes (37.9%) votes for 'no' to the same-sex marriage. More than 60% of the country's population participated in the voting.

This is the first country in the world to officially vote for the change in the country's constitution to allow gay (man-to-man and woman-to-woman) marriage in addition to the traditional marriage between a man and a woman.

The Catholic Church of Ireland as always was against the gay marriage and had hoped that the Irish people would not go for the gay marriage. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said after the vote that the Catholic Church needs to ask if it has drifted away from young people, who overwhelmingly vote in favour of the gay marriage, reports the Irish Times.

Archbishop also said: "I think really that the Church needs to do a reality check, a reality check right across the board, to look a the things it's doing well, to look at the areas where we really have to start and say, 'Look, have we drifted away completely from young people?"

He further said: "I think it's a social revolution...It's a social revolution that didn't begin today. It's a social revolution that's been going on, and perhaps in the Church people have not been as clear in understanding what that involved."

"It's very clear that if this referendum is an affirmation of the views of young people, then the church has a huge task in front of it to find the language to be able to talk to and to get its message across to young people, not just on this issue, but in general," the archbishop said.

For more on the issue, please read the following:

•  Huge Republic of Ireland vote for gay marriage
•  Ireland Votes to Approve Gay Marriage, Putting Country in Vanguard
• Irish Church approve referendum allowing same-sex marriage
•  [Irish] Churches react to gay marriage vote
• Same-sex marriage: Irish vote 'defeat for humanity' says Vatican official
• Cardinal Walter Kasper defends Ireland's gay 'marriage' decision
• Cardinal Raymond Burke: Ireland's Vote for Gay Marriage 'In Defiance of God,' Worse Than 'Pagans'
• Irish archbishop distances himself from Cardinal Burke's same-sex remarks 
• 'I don't care what they call it, I'm in favour of marriage equality' -- Father Gerard Moloney
• Priests are bucking Catholic Church leadership to support same-sex marriage in Ireland
• Ireland gay marriage: The Church's decision not to lead No campaign works a new reality
• Ireland Gay Marriage Vote: Irish Catholic Church Takes a Cue from Pope Francis, Charts New Course Amid Waning Influence
• Editorial: Ireland vote for same-sex marriage a watershed moment for Church teaching
• DignityUSA: 'Irish same-sex marriage vote splits hierarchy'
• The Consequences of Ireland's Vote for Equality
• Gay Marriage in Ireland Isn't a 'No' to Catholicism
• The Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI Poll (May, 2015)
• Is recognizing same-sex marriage Catholic? (If the people are the Church, then the Church is already reconsidering gay marriage)

(Updated on June 3, 2015)