VOLUME 12 NUMBER 12
Return to the Father
The Editor
The Fatherhood of God for the new Millennium
Janet Soskice
We cry, 'Abba! Father!'
Raymond F. Collins
We need to study and meditate upon what revelation tells us about the Father. Here Raymond F. Collins, who is Dean of the School of Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America and author of several books on scripture, provides a wealth of detail on what the scriptures say about God the Father: 'The New Testament's understanding of God as Father is rooted in Jesus' own understanding of God as his father, as this was expressed in his prayer.'
Creator of heaven and earth
Gabriel Daly OSA
In the Apostles' Creed the phrase 'God the Father almighty' is immediately followed by 'creator of heaven and earth'. Here Gabriel Daly, a well-known theologian teaching at Trinity College, Dublin, draws out some of the implications for Catholic theology of belief in a creator God. 'Scientists enable us to understand nature in all its complex splendour. It is for religion and theology to ''see'' this as God's creation'.
Fathers - absent and present
Pauline McDonnell
Is the presence of the father necessary in a family? Pauline McDonnell, who is currently Deputy Director of the Catholic Children's Society for the dioceses of Arundel and Brighton, Portsmouth and Southwark, reflects on her experience in her own family and professional work to describe the role of fathers and the effect of their absence on the family.
Making the Jubilee happen
Rosemary Read
The year of God the Father in 1999 is part of the Pope's larger plan to prepare for the Great Jubilee Year of 2000. Rosemary Read, who is the national coordinator for the Millennium of Justice and Peace groups in England and Wales, gives some idea of what has been done and what is being planned on a practical level to celebrate the Millennium.
Becoming a father
Kit Dollard
What is it like to be a father today? Kit Dollard, with his wife Caroline, works alongside the Community in the Pastoral Centre at Ampleforth Abbey. Here he reflects on his personal experience of fatherhood and shows how it has helped him to understand the Fatherhood of God.
Through a presbytery window
What shall we watch at Christmas?
Dwight Longenecker
What is a good film for Christmas? Dwight Longenecker, who writes on the cinema, suggests that a 'good film at Christmas takes us deeper into the human condition and opens windows of perception and new understanding about ourselves, our redemption and our destiny'. And then makes some recommendations.
Preaching and teaching the Word
Martin McGee OSB
Martin McGee, a monk and teacher at Worth Abbey, offers some reflections on the lectionary readings for the Sundays and solemnities of January.
Book reviews
Postscript: Bring back the Spirit
Bruce Harbert
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