I recently came across an article based on a talk given by a Jesuit priest at the World Youth Day event in Portugal this past August. The article summarised young people’s most frequently asked questions about faith. One question that stood out for me was “Why do I need religion?”, because I believe it’s a question asked by people of all ages.

When my children were younger, I went to a seminar about how to improve communication with teenagers. One of the hints suggested by the presenter was to go for regular walks with young people to open up non-threatening conversations.

What do you think of when you hear the word “temptation”? Guilt, worldly pleasures, sin, something delicious but bad for your health and waistline?

Temptation is often associated with doing something wrong, rather than something good. Growing up Catholic, I regarded temptation as an invitation to sin, and certainly something to be avoided.

You may have seen in the news recently that Pope Francis was hospitalised, and that he regularly requires the use of a wheelchair and assistance from carers to aid his mobility. It would be fair to say that not even the Pope is immune from ageing and frailty.

Fr Mike Schmitz is a well-known priest and podcaster in the United States and among Catholics across the world. At the end of every podcast, he signs off with, “I’m praying for you, please pray for me”. Some listeners might find this predictable sign-off as a bit monotonous, but viewing the Facebook posts associated with the podcast, I’ve noticed many listeners take it as a call to action, a call to prayer.

At the end of May, the Catholic Church will celebrate Pentecost. This significant feast day in the Church’s calendar falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter and celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ disciples (Acts 2:1-41).

A common element found in most Catholic churches around the world is the “Stations of the Cross”. There are usually 14 stations, each one represented artistically on the interior walls or in the grounds of the church. The stations depict the final hours of Jesus’ life and his death.

An acquaintance of mine once described a mutual friend as being “very holy”. It was said in a way that was more disparaging than complimentary. In hoping to defend my friend, my retaliatory response was: “There are worse things than being ‘holy’.”

In Matthew’s Gospel, there is a short conversation between the Apostle Peter and Jesus (Matthew 18:21-22). Peter asks, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus’ response to him is, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”

Paul Kelly’s 1996 hit, How to Make Gravy, is not your typical Christmas song. Yet, for many people whose Christmas will be tinged with sadness, the bittersweet message of the song will resonate.