The Living Water
3rd Sunday in Lent – Cycle A
As I have pointed out in my reflection of last week, during the first two Sundays of Lent every year we have the same themes. The gospel text of the 1stSunday of Lent is always about the temptations of Jesus – from the three synoptic Gospels according to the three year cycle. Similarly, the 2nd Sunday of Lent invites us to reflect on the story of Transfiguration. The remaining three Sundays before the Palm Sunday in Cycle A are special. The gospel passages are taken from the Gospel of John and they develop three central themes of our experience of Jesus that are particularly important for the catechumens – those adults who are preparing to be baptised during Easter:
Jesus, the Living Water (Jn 4: the Samaritan woman) – 3rd Sunday of Lent
Jesus, the […]
Well-being and religious commitment amongst South African and Kenyan students.
Fadiji, A.W., Khumalo, I., & Selvam, S.G. (2023). The well-being correlates of religious commitment amongst South African and Kenyan students. South African Journal of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231199960
Religious commitment is a prominent feature in the lives of many students in Africa. The present study investigated the well-being correlates (emotional well-being, social contribution, and depression) of religious commitment, and compared them across sex. A cross-sectional sample of 471 students from South Africa and Kenya (men = 244; women = 227; with an average age of 22.8 years) completed the Religious Commitment Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire, Social Well-being Scale, and Mental Health Continuum Short-Form. Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to estimate direct effects of religious commitment on emotional well-being, social contribution and depression, and comparison across sex. The results showed significant direct effects, attesting to the […]
IPPA Spirituality and Meaning Practitioner Award 2023 to Rev Dr Sahaya G. Selvam
International Association of Positive Psychology (IPPA) Spirituality and Meaning Practitioner Award 2023
Rev. Dr Sahaya G. Selvam’s Contributions to Spirituality, Meaning and Wellbeing in Africa
Religion, spirituality, meaning, and wellbeing define Rev. Dr Sahaya Selvam’s work/ministry as a Catholic priest and as a psychologist, originally from India, now serving in religious and academic contexts in East Africa, particularly among the youth.
To him, besides the categories of religion and spirituality, there is also a possibility for religious-spirituality (Selvam, 2013). Positive psychology provides a theoretical and methodological framework for his academic research and to develop and delivery interventions in the context of religious-spirituality. Character strengths (CS), including purpose and meaning, act as mediators in the relationship between a spirituality and wellbeing. In his PhD work, he explored CS as mediators in the relationship […]