Religions Around The World

In the early morning hours, monks can be seen walking on their alms round in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Showing humility and detachment from worldly goods, the monk walks slowly and only stops if he is called. Standing quietly, with his bowl open, the local Buddhists give him rice, or flowers, or an envelope containing money.  In return, the monks bless the local Buddhists and wish them a long and fruitful life.
Christians Celebrate Good Friday
Enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad, India. Only 2.3% of India's population is Christian. 
Ancient interior mosaic in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
The Church of the Holy Saviour in Istanbul, Turkey is a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church.
Dome of the Rock located in the Old City of Jerusalem
The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
Holi Festival in Mathura, India
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter. Also known as the “festival of colors”,  Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons.
Jewish father and daughter pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.
Known in Hebrew as the Western Wall, it is one of the holiest sites in the world. The description, "place of weeping", originated from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple and praying for its rebuilding at the site of the Western Wall.
People praying in Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
The temple is dedicated to both Taoism and Buddhism.
People praying in the Grand Mosque in Ulu Cami
This is the most important mosque in Bursa, Turkey and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture built in 1399.
Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the Savior Monastery of St. Euthymius
Located in Suzdal, Russia, this is a church rite of sanctification of apples and grapes in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan
It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. Fushimi Inari is the most important Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
Ladles at the purification fountain in the Hakone Shrine
Located in Hakone, Japan, this shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine.  At the purification fountain, ritual washings are performed by individuals when they visit a shrine. This ritual symbolizes the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.
Hanging Gardens of Haifa are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The Shrine of the Báb is where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís.
Pilgrims praying at the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality and Golden Temple
Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. It is a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine daily.
Entrance gateway of Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon
Located in Hong Kong, China, the temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim.
Christian women worship at a church in Bois Neus, Haiti.
Haiti's population is 94.8 percent Christian, primarily Catholic. This makes them one of the most heavily Christian countries in the world.

World Religions News

A jubilee spiritual reading list on Christian hope

null / Credit: alexkich/Shutterstock

Rome Newsroom, Feb 22, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The theme of the 2025 Jubilee Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” For those who wish to embark on a spiritual pilgrimage through reading and prayer during the Lenten season — or anytime during this sacred year — here is a list of recommended books, essays, and encyclicals that explore the theme of Christian hope.

Spes Salvi (Saved in Hope) by Pope Benedict XVI

This encyclical beautifully explores the Christian understanding of hope as rooted in the promise of eternal life. Benedict XVI writes: “The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.”

Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint) by Pope Francis

The papal bull for the 2025 Jubilee Year begins: “To all who read this letter, may hope fill your hearts.”

“Crossing the Threshold of Hope” by Pope John Paul II

In this book-length interview, John Paul II addresses the challenges and questions of the modern world in a deeply personal and philosophical conversation on faith and hope.

“Faith, Hope, Love” by Josef Pieper

A classic meditation on the theological virtues, the treatise on hope was written in 1934 in response to the general feeling of despair he perceived at that time.

“Hope” by Alice von Hildebrand

A chapter in the book called “The Art of Living” was co-authored with her husband, Dietrich von Hildebrand. The book has been praised by Peter Kreeft as “a masterpiece” of spiritual wisdom.

“The Portal of the Mystery of Hope” by Charles Péguy

Theology professor Jennifer Newsome Martin called this narrative poem on the theological virtue of hope a “book that changed my life.”

“Prayers of Hope” by Venerable Cardinal Francis-Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận

Benedict XVI described this work by the late Vietnamese cardinal who was imprisoned for 13 years as “a precious little book.”

“Life Everlasting and the Immensity of the Soul” by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange

This profound theological treatise on the four last things — death, judgment, heaven, and hell — offers a contemplative perspective on our ultimate hope.

“Advent of the Heart: Seasonal Sermons and Prison Writings” by Father Alfred Delp

The writings of a German Jesuit priest who was imprisoned and martyred in a Nazis camp in 1945 reflect on our journey toward a meeting and dialogue with God. 

“Summa Theologiae” by St. Thomas Aquinas (II-IIae, Questions 17-18)

These questions in the Secunda Secundae deal with the theological virtue of hope.

“End of Time: Meditations Towards a Philosophy of History” by Josef Pieper

This philosophical exploration of what Christians truly hope for in the end times distinguishes authentic eschatological hope.

“An Act of Hope” by Father Jacques Philippe

A short meditation on hope and prayer found in the book “Prayer: Oxygen for the Soul.”

“Is It Possible to Live This Way? An Unusual Approach to Christian Existence: Hope” by Luigi Giussani

This work is dialogue on what it means to live with authentic Christian hope in everyday life.

Original Source:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262347/catholic-books-and-writings-on-hope-a-jubilee-reading-list