"Riddles" by Kensington band from "Rivals" album - lyrics, audio only video and official video

Kensington band

Riddles

Get it now
Tell me how to get it now
To hold it in or let it out
Tell me to go, or stay

Headed now
Show me where we're headed now
If only I'd have read the signs
I wouldn't be here going to waste

I really don't know oh, lost it a little
Don't go, must be a riddle, don't you know
Oh, lost in your riddles
Lost in your riddles

Where we will go, we'll be lost in the middle
Where we will go, I'll be lost in your riddles

Better now
Tell me is it better now
To keep you right here by my side
Or have you like smoke, to fade

Settle down
If only I could settle down
I know that I'd have read the lines
And wouldn't be here going to waste

But I really don't know oh, lost it a little
Don't go, must be a riddle
Don't you know oh, I'm lost in your riddles
Lost in your riddles
But I really want to know oh, lost it a little
Don't go, must be a riddle
Don't you know oh, I'm lost in your riddles
Lost in your riddles

Where we will go, we'll be lost in the middle
Where we will go, I'll be lost in your riddles
Where we will go, we'll be lost in the middle
Where we will go, I'll be lost in your riddles

Where we will go, we'll be lost in the middle
Where we will go, I'll be lost in your riddles
Where we will go, we'll be lost in the middle
Where we will go, I'll be lost in your riddles

Composers: Casper Starreveld / Eloi Youssef / Fritz Rating / Jan Haker / Niels Van Den Berg / Niels Zuiderhoek

Lyrics Riddles © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Religious minorities in Asia - January 2018

"We are the young" by Kensington band from "Vultures" album - official video and lyrics

Take me down the road

Take me where

You need me to

Will all their arms

Hold me like they love me?

 

Calm down

Calm down

When all their eyes are on me

 

Calm down

Calm down

When all their eyes are cold

 

For older ones holding on

We share the same blood

We are the young

 

Walk me down the road

Pick me up or tear me down

They'll take it all

Quickly to abandon

 

Calm down

Calm down

When all their eyes are on me

 

Calm down

Calm down

When all their eyes are cold

 

For older ones holding on

We share the same blood

We are the young

For older ones holding on

We share the same blood

We are the young

 

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

To go by

 

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

Is there ever enough

To go by

 

For older ones holding on

We share the same blood

We are the young

 

For older ones holding on

We are the same, we are

ohoho

 

For older ones holding on

We are the same, we are

We are the young

Writer(s): Casper Starreveld, Jan Haker, Niels Zuiderhoek, Eloi Youssef, Niels van den Berg

Happy New Year Prayer

Happy New Year Prayer from Caritas

AFRICA/CONGO RD Repressa manifestazione dei laici cattolici ; precisazione della Nunziatura a Kinshasa / "Si vuole seminare la divisione nell'episcopato", denunciano i vescovi nel condannare la repressione.

Fonte www.fides.org

AFRICA/CONGO RD - Repressa manifestazione dei laici cattolici; la precisazione della Nunziatura a Kinshasa Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)-La Nunziatura Apostolica a Kinshasa era stata informata delle manifestazione del 31 dicembre 2017 promosse dal Comité Laïc de Coordination (CLC), che sono state poi represse dalla polizia. Ma questo non significa che l’iniziativa dei fedeli laici sia stata approvata o disapprovata dalla Santa Sede. 
Lo afferma un comunicato della Nunziatura nella Repubblica Democratica del Congo inviato all’Agenzia Fides che ricorda come “la promozione della giustizia sociale e della difesa dei diritti civili e politici dei cittadini è parte integrante della Dottrina Sociale della Chiesa”. Il comunicato aggiunge che “nel caso dell’iniziativa promossa dal CLC (Comité Laïc de Coordination) a Kinshasa l’unica autorità ecclesiastica competente a giudicare la conformità di tale iniziativa con la Dottrina Sociale della Chiesa era l’Arcivescovo di Kinshasa”.
La Nunziatura afferma di essere stata informata dell’iniziativa “ma che non ci si può aspettare alcuna reazione da parte della Santa Sede (i cui vertici sono stati informati dalla Rappresentanza Pontificia di Kinshasa, ndr.) perché è una regola della Chiesa rispettare quello che è di competenza dei Vescovi diocesani”. “Di conseguenza nessuna approvazione o condanna è stata promulgata dalla Santa Sede, e non ci deve attenderne in futuro” conclude il comunicato.
Contattata dall’Agenzia Fides la Nunziatura invita infine ad attendere le comunicazioni ufficiali dei Vescovi congolesi per potere avere un quadro esatto degli avvenimenti e il bilancio delle vittime.
Secondo fonti di stampa la polizia avrebbe fatto irruzione in alcune chiese durante la messa domenicale, sparando candelotti lacrimogeni. Negli scontri avvenuti a Kinshasa e a Kananga vi sarebbero stati otto morti.
Il Comité Laïc de Coordination (CLC) è un’associazione di laici cattolici che aveva annunciato il 17 dicembre la tenuta di una seria di manifestazioni di protesta pacifica in tutto il Paese domenica 31 dicembre, con lo scopo di chiedere l’applicazione delle misure di distensione previste dall’Accordo di San Silvestro firmato con la mediazione della Conferenza Episcopale Congolese (CENCO) il 31 dicembre 2016.
Ad un anno esatto dalla firma dell’intesa, la CLC intendeva così rimarcare la sua mancata applicazione. “Anche se la legge elettorale è stata votata, anche se il calendario elettorale è stato accettato- ha affermato Léonnie Kandolo, uno dei membri della CLC- non dimentichiamo che questo ha talmente precondizioni che devono essere soddisfatte, che non c'è davvero alcuna possibilità che il calendario venga rispettato”, riferendosi alle elezioni annunciate per il 23 dicembre 2018 (vedi Fides 6/11/2017).
Kandolo sottolinea che non solo non si sono tenute le elezioni presidenziali nel 2017, come previsto dagli Accordi del 31 dicembre 2016 ma pure i provvedimenti di distensione da esso previsti non sono stati applicati, citando ad esempio la liberazione di prigionieri politici e di opinione. “Alcuni sono stati amnistiati, ma sono ancora in carcere. Vi sono inoltre coloro che sono in esilio e che non possono rientrare” ha detto.
In un comunicato inviato alla stampa il 20 dicembre , il comitato di coordinamento dei laici ha insistito sulla natura pacifica di questo evento. Il CLC invitava la popolazione a respingere ogni forma di violenza: nessun copertone bruciato, nessuna barricata, nessun commento violento, nessun insulto, nessun lancio di pietre e altri proiettili, nessun atto di vandalismo.
I manifestanti erano stati invitati a non considerare poliziotti, militari e altri funzionari della sicurezza come nemici. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 2/1/2018)

AFRICA/CONGO RD - “Si vuole seminare la divisione nell’episcopato”, denunciano i Vescovi nel condannare la repressione Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- I Vescovi della Repubblica Democratica del Congo denunciano una “campagna d’intossicazione mirante a seminare la divisione all’interno dell’Episcopato” in relazione alla marcia di protesta pacifica promossa il 31 dicembre dal Comité Laïc de Coordination (CLC) e repressa nel sangue dalle forze di sicurezza (vedi Fides 2/1/2018).
“Le dichiarazioni di alcuni Vescovi e del Nunzio Apostolico sono state deliberatamente deformate facendo loro dire di aver condannato l’iniziativa di questa marcia a Kinshasa e in alcune diocesi” afferma un comunicato inviato all’Agenzia Fides dalla la CENCO (Conferenza Episcopale Nazionale del Congo). “Questo non è vero. Le diocesi che non hanno rilanciato la marcia non l’hanno per questo disapprovata”.
In una nota pubblicata ieri, e rilanciata da Fides, la Nunziatura ha puntualizzato che è competenza dei Vescovi valutare le iniziative dei laici cattolici nelle loro Diocesi, astenendosi dall’approvare o disapprovare la marcia del CLC (vedi Fides 2/1/2018).
La CENCO si dichiara “profondamente scioccata dagli atti ignobili” commessi dagli agenti dello Stato e condanna “la violazione della libertà di culto garantita in ogni Stato democratico, la profanazione di alcune chiese e l’aggressione fisica dei fedeli tra cui alcuni chierichetti e dei preti”.
A sua volta il Cardinale Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, Arcivescovo di Kinshasa, ha pubblicato una dichiarazione nella quale afferma che “"non possiamo che denunciare, condannare e stigmatizzare le azioni dei nostri cosiddetti valorosi uomini in uniforme, che sfortunatamente, né più né meno, descrivono la barbarie. È tempo che la verità prevalga sulla menzogna sistemica, che i mediocri se ne vadano e che regni la pace, la giustizia nella Repubblica Democratica del Congo”. Oltre alle violenze contro i fedeli, le uccisioni e il lancio di lacrimogeni all’interno di alcune chiese, il Cardinale denuncia pure il furto di denaro e di cellulari da parte di militari e poliziotti nei confronti dei fedeli e “il tiro di pallottole mortali contro cristiani con in mano bibbie, rosari, crocifissi e statuette della Vergine”.
Anche il Cardinale Monsengwo sottolinea che la libertà religiosa nella RDC è a rischio perché viene strumentalizzata “per mascherare interessi occulti come l’accaparramento di risorse e ricchezze, il mantenersi al potere con metodi anticostituzionali” provocando “danni enormi alla nostra società”.
“Come potremmo fidarci di leader che si oppongono alla libertà religiosa della gente? ha affermato il Cardinale, con un evidente riferimento senza nominarlo al Presidente Joseph Kabila, ancora al potere nonostante il suo secondo e ultimo mandato sia scaduto il 20 dicembre 2016.
La marcia promossa dal CLC voleva chiedere il rispetto degli Accordi di San Silvestro firmati il 21 dicembre 2016, con la mediazione dei Vescovi, per permettere lo svolgimento delle elezioni presidenziali entro il 2017. Ora la data delle elezioni è stata fissata al 23 dicembre 2018, facendo temere a molti che Kabila intenda approfittare della situazione per modificare la Costituzione per ottenere un terzo mandato o per cercare di posporre indefinitamente le elezioni. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 3/1/2018)

http://www.lastampa.it/2018/01/03/vaticaninsider/ita/nel-mondo/congo-il-cardinalemonsengwo-condanna-la-barbara-repressione-della-marcia-pacifica-1INib1ox1g7USjIn0CJZ4J/amphtml/pagina.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true

Repubblica Democratica del Congo : repressione della marcia pacifica

http://www.lastampa.it/2018/01/03/vaticaninsider/ita/nel-mondo/congo-il-cardinalemonsengwo-condanna-la-barbara-repressione-della-marcia-pacifica-1INib1ox1g7USjIn0CJZ4J/amphtml/pagina.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true

Igor Levit: Gilmore Award 2018

The pianist Igor Levit is the Gilmore Award 2018 winner. A very interesting article about Igor on New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/arts/music/igor-levit-gilmore-award.html

The 1st of January The World Day of Peace

The First of January isn't just the First Day of the New Year and a bank holiday. The First of January is one of the most important days of the year. The First of January is an important Christian Solemnity. The First of January is the 8th Day of Christmas and we celebrate the Jesus's circumcision, Jesus Name and World Peace Day. In the Catholic Church we celebrate all this through the Virgin Mary Mother of God. We start the new year with Mary who brings us Jesus who is the truth, the way, the life, the resurrection, and the peace.
Jesus gives us the real peace, the peace that world cannot give.
And the Virgin Mary is the Mother of God because Jesus is God.

Today is the 2nd of January and we can still read the World Peace Day  Message by Pope Francis. It is a very important message for everyday life and a message of hope. May it be a good wish for a happy 2018.
Copyright go to Libreria Editrice Vaticana
The link to read is http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/papa-francesco_20171113_messaggio-51giornatamondiale-pace2018.html

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE
FRANCIS
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 
51st WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2018

 

Migrants and refugees: men and women in search of peace

 

1. Heartfelt good wishes for peace

Peace to all people and to all nations on earth! Peace, which the angels proclaimed to the shepherds on Christmas night,[1] is a profound aspiration for everyone, for each individual and all peoples, and especially for those who most keenly suffer its absence. Among these whom I constantly keep in my thoughts and prayers, I would once again mention the over 250 million migrants worldwide, of whom 22.5 million are refugees. Pope Benedict XVI, my beloved predecessor, spoke of them as “men and women, children, young and elderly people, who are searching for somewhere to live in peace.”[2] In order to find that peace, they are willing to risk their lives on a journey that is often long and perilous, to endure hardships and suffering, and to encounter fences and walls built to keep them far from their goal.

In a spirit of compassion, let us embrace all those fleeing from war and hunger, or forced by discrimination, persecution, poverty and environmental degradation to leave their homelands.

We know that it is not enough to open our hearts to the suffering of others. Much more remains to be done before our brothers and sisters can once again live peacefully in a safe home. Welcoming others requires concrete commitment, a network of assistance and goodwill, vigilant and sympathetic attention, the responsible management of new and complex situations that at times compound numerous existing problems, to say nothing of resources, which are always limited. By practising the virtue of prudence, government leaders should take practical measures to welcome, promote, protect, integrate and, “within the limits allowed by a correct understanding of the common good, to permit [them] to become part of a new society.”[3] Leaders have a clear responsibility towards their own communities, whose legitimate rights and harmonious development they must ensure, lest they become like the rash builder who miscalculated and failed to complete the tower he had begun to construct.[4]

2. Why so many refugees and migrants?

As he looked to the Great Jubilee marking the passage of two thousand years since the proclamation of peace by the angels in Bethlehem, Saint John Paul II pointed to the increased numbers of displaced persons as one of the consequences of the “endless and horrifying sequence of wars, conflicts, genocides and ethnic cleansings”[5] that had characterized the twentieth century. To this date, the new century has registered no real breakthrough: armed conflicts and other forms of organized violence continue to trigger the movement of peoples within national borders and beyond.

Yet people migrate for other reasons as well, principally because they “desire a better life, and not infrequently try to leave behind the ‘hopelessness’ of an unpromising future.”[6] They set out to join their families or to seek professional or educational opportunities, for those who cannot enjoy these rights do not live in peace. Furthermore, as I noted in the Encyclical Laudato Si’, there has been “a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation”.[7]

Most people migrate through regular channels. Some, however, take different routes, mainly out of desperation, when their own countries offer neither safety nor opportunity, and every legal pathway appears impractical, blocked or too slow.

Many destination countries have seen the spread of rhetoric decrying the risks posed to national security or the high cost of welcoming new arrivals, and thus demeaning the human dignity due to all as sons and daughters of God. Those who, for what may be political reasons, foment fear of migrants instead of building peace are sowing violence, racial discrimination and xenophobia, which are matters of great concern for all those concerned for the safety of every human being.[8]

All indicators available to the international community suggest that global migration will continue for the future. Some consider this a threat. For my part, I ask you to view it with confidence as an opportunity to build peace.

3. With a contemplative gaze

The wisdom of faith fosters a contemplative gaze that recognizes that all of us “belong to one family, migrants and the local populations that welcome them, and all have the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth, whose destination is universal, as the social doctrine of the Church teaches. It is here that solidarity and sharing are founded.”[9] These words evoke the biblical image of the new Jerusalem. The book of the prophet Isaiah (chapter 60) and that of Revelation (chapter 21) describe the city with its gates always open to people of every nation, who marvel at it and fill it with riches. Peace is the sovereign that guides it and justice the principle that governs coexistence within it.

We must also turn this contemplative gaze to the cities where we live, “a gaze of faith which sees God dwelling in their houses, in their streets and squares, […] fostering solidarity, fraternity, and the desire for goodness, truth and justice”[10] – in other words, fulfilling the promise of peace.

When we turn that gaze to migrants and refugees, we discover that they do not arrive empty-handed. They bring their courage, skills, energy and aspirations, as well as the treasures of their own cultures; and in this way, they enrich the lives of the nations that receive them. We also come to see the creativity, tenacity and spirit of sacrifice of the countless individuals, families and communities around the world who open their doors and hearts to migrants and refugees, even where resources are scarce.

A contemplative gaze should also guide the discernment of those responsible for the public good, and encourage them to pursue policies of welcome, “within the limits allowed by a correct understanding of the common good”[11] – bearing in mind, that is, the needs of all members of the human family and the welfare of each.

Those who see things in this way will be able to recognize the seeds of peace that are already sprouting and nurture their growth. Our cities, often divided and polarized by conflicts regarding the presence of migrants and refugees, will thus turn into workshops of peace.

4. Four mileposts for action

Offering asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking an opportunity to find the peace they seek requires a strategy combining four actions: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating.[12]

“Welcoming” calls for expanding legal pathways for entry and no longer pushing migrants and displaced people towards countries where they face persecution and violence. It also demands balancing our concerns about national security with concern for fundamental human rights. Scripture reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”[13]

“Protecting” has to do with our duty to recognize and defend the inviolable dignity of those who flee real dangers in search of asylum and security, and to prevent their being exploited. I think in particular of women and children who find themselves in situations that expose them to risks and abuses that can even amount to enslavement. God does not discriminate: “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the orphan and the widow.”[14]

“Promoting” entails supporting the integral human development of migrants and refugees. Among many possible means of doing so, I would stress the importance of ensuring access to all levels of education for children and young people. This will enable them not only to cultivate and realize their potential, but also better equip them to encounter others and to foster a spirit of dialogue rather than rejection or confrontation. The Bible teaches that God “loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”[15]

“Integrating”, lastly, means allowing refugees and migrants to participate fully in the life of the society that welcomes them, as part of a process of mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation in service of the integral human development of the local community. Saint Paul expresses it in these words: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people.”[16]

5. A proposal for two international compacts

It is my heartfelt hope this spirit will guide the process that in the course of 2018 will lead the United Nations to draft and approve two Global Compacts, one for safe, orderly and regular migration and the other for refugees. As shared agreements at a global level, these compacts will provide a framework for policy proposals and practical measures. For this reason, they need to be inspired by compassion, foresight and courage, so as to take advantage of every opportunity to advance the peace-building process. Only in this way can the realism required of international politics avoid surrendering to cynicism and to the globalization of indifference.

Dialogue and coordination are a necessity and a specific duty for the international community. Beyond national borders, higher numbers of refugees may be welcomed – or better welcomed – also by less wealthy countries, if international cooperation guarantees them the necessary funding.

The Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has published a set of twenty action points that provide concrete leads for implementing these four verbs in public policy and in the attitudes and activities of Christian communities.[17] The aim of this and other contributions is to express the interest of the Catholic Church in the process leading to the adoption of the two U.N. Global Compacts. This interest is the sign of a more general pastoral concern that goes back to the very origins of the Church and has continued in her many works up to the present time.

6. For our common home

Let us draw inspiration from the words of Saint John Paul II: “If the ‘dream’ of a peaceful world is shared by all, if the refugees’ and migrants’ contribution is properly evaluated, then humanity can become more and more a universal family and our earth a true ‘common home’.”[18] Throughout history, many have believed in this “dream”, and their achievements are a testament to the fact that it is no mere utopia.

Among these, we remember Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in this year that marks the hundredth anniversary of her death. On this thirteenth day of November, many ecclesial communities celebrate her memory. This remarkable woman, who devoted her life to the service of migrants and became their patron saint, taught us to welcome, protect, promote and integrate our brothers and sisters. Through her intercession, may the Lord enable all of us to experience that “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”[19]

From the Vatican, 13 November 2017

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Patroness of Migrants

FRANCIS

[1 Luke 2:14.

[2] Angelus, 15 January 2012.

[3] JOHN XXIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, 106.

[4] Luke 14:28-30.

[5] Message for the 2000 World Day of Peace, 3..

[6] BENEDICT XVI, Message for the 2013 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

[7] No. 25.

[8] Cf. Address to the National Directors of Pastoral Care for Migrants of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Europe, 22 September 2017.

[9] BENEDICT XVI, Message for the 2011 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

[10] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 71.

[11] JOHN XXIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, 106.

[12] Message for the 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

[13] Hebrews 13:2.

[14] Psalm 146:9.

[15] Deuteronomy 10:18-19.

[16] Ephesians 2:19.

[17] “20 Pastoral Action Points” and “20 Action Points for the Global Compacts”, Migrants and Refugees Section, Rome, 2017.  See also Document UN A/72/528.

[18] Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2004,, 6.

[19] James 3:18.

© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

An Interview with Roberto González-Monjas (first violin, concert master, conductor) BY Jeffrey Arlo Brown

An Interview with
Roberto González-Monjas

BY Jeffrey Arlo Brown

(... was born in 1988 in New York City and grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. He studied composition in Salzburg and Basel, then worked in the travel industry for two years. He lives with his husband in Berlin.)

JEFFREY ARLO BROWN · PHOTOGRAPHY © RICARDO GONZÁLEZ · DATE 10/12/2017

An extract from the interwe:

"YOU’VE SAID THAT YOU WERE LIVING OUT OF A SUITCASE FOR A TIME, AND THAT IT WAS DEPRESSING. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE CONCRETELY?

It wasn’t good. I guess I was going through the typical process—you just have to learn. I took on so many concerts, and I was happy to do all of them, but I disregarded the fact that you need a lot of time—connected to this Rados method—to study, make decisions, interpret, and really be sure what you want to do in the concert. It’s not just about playing the concert. 

So I was basically studying until 2, 3, even 4 a.m., and then waking up at 8 a.m. and going to rehearsals. I was preparing pieces on top of pieces. Besides not really having a home, just traveling from here to there and living out of a suitcase. It was hard.

I came to the point where my health even started deteriorating, and I said, “OK, this isn’t good anymore.” I need a home base, I need to calm down, and I need to really invest time in what I want: myself, my life, and studying and having the time to be happy about what I do. In order to go up in front of an orchestra and give them a vision, and not just some string of ideas that makes no sense. "

Read the full interwe to Roberto González-Monjas (first violin, concert master, conductor) here :
https://van-us.atavist.com/give-them-a-vision

Copyright to the owner

Frankenstein

#Frankenstein #Frankenstein200 #WorldFrankensteinDay #MaryShelley
#1stJanuary1818 - #1stJanuary2018
"Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley was published on the 1st of January 1818
It's a masterpiece. I loved reading Frankenstein and i like this novel. I hope many people will read it.