This is what it all boils down to: Love of God and love of neighbour. True faith, as Jesus teaches it, is about being in loving relationship with God and other human beings. The Kingdom of God is not some far off place, but the moments when God’s life breaks into the human story. Those moments bring love, wisdom, grace, compassion, generosity, forgiveness and peace. Those practiced in the things of God recognise God’s presence most of all in loving relationships. Read more
Celebrating At Home 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
The Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste joyfully announce that Br Albino Dos Santos will be ordained a Deacon on 20 November 2021 by Bishop Anthony Ireland. The Ordination will take place during Mass at 6.00pm at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Middle Park (VIC). From Luro in Timor-Leste, Albino completed an agribusiness course before joining the Carmelites in September 2008.
You are warmly welcome to join us in person for the Ordination. Please RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone (03) 9699 1922. Due to Victorian Government requirements, you must be fully vaccinated to attend, and wear a mask. You can also join us via livestream. Read more
There are all kinds of blindness - physical, lack of insight or perception, an unwillingness to see a confronting reality, and so on. For many weeks now we have travelled with Jesus and the disciples as they head towards Jerusalem. Many times, the disciples have seemed almost wilfully blind to understanding the mission of Jesus. The blind man Bartimaeus is an image of the true disciple. He recognises his blindness and asks for healing. What do you want Jesus to do for you? Read more
Celebrating At Home 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
At the heart of so much politics, social media and TV reality shows sits an awful truth - our need to 'lord it over' one another; to control, dominate and destroy others in a relentless struggle to get to the top. Malignant narcissism, self-absorption and a sense of superiority can lock us into a never-ending cycle of negative behaviours against anyone who seems to be a threat to us. But in today's Gospel Jesus says, 'This is not to happen among you'. Read more
Celebrating At Home 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
Spending 7 hours a day online for 6 days with 300 other participants can be exhausting and overwhelming, but Fr Paul Cahill says that the first Assembly of the Plenary Council was ‘a prayerful, humbling, respectful and inspiring experience in which I was keenly aware of my own inadequacies but graced to be able to participate.’ More story
Is there a Carmelite reading of Fratelli Tutti? Carmelite Prior General, Míceál O'Neill, thinks so. Recently he prepared a 2-part online presentation about Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis' encyclical on universal fraternity, for the Provincial Assembly of the Carmelites in Australia & Timor-Leste. Fr Míceál highlighted 4 aspects of Fratelli Tutti which resonate with Carmelite Tradition: The place of God, the dignity of the human person, building fraternity, and communication, silence, dialogue and encounter. You can watch the videos here or on our YouTube channel.
In the Jewish tradition, wealth was seen as a blessing from God and the wealthy person as especially favoured by God. Along with the idea of divine blessing and favour came a divine obligation (often ignored) – the care of God’s poor. What Jesus invites him into is the total transformation of his life – to go in a new direction. Rather sadly, the rich man cannot take this step. Read more
Celebrating At Home 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
This Sunday, 3rd October, the convergence of two major events in the Church calendar draws us to reflect on the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our personal life and the life of our church. The Season of Creation which began on 1 September will conclude this Sunday, the Feast of Saint Francis. This Sunday also marks the beginning of the Plenary Council in Australia. As our church gathers for the Plenary Council we offer you a reflection from Fr Anthony Scerri OCarm, called ‘The Third Apostolic Church’.
pdf Read our reflections | More resources for the Plenary Council
More than 20 Carmelites in Australia met together for the first ever online Provincial Assembly from 28-30 September. Carmelites in Timor-Leste were able to gather face-to-face 2 weeks ago in Hera. A Provincial Assembly is usually held one year before the Provincial Chapter for ongoing formation and to focus on emerging issues. Usually, as many members of the Province as possible would gather in Melbourne for the Assembly. Due to COVID lockdowns and travel restrictions it was decided to hold the Assembly in 2 sessions, one in each country. More story & videos
For the first time in 80 years members of the Catholic Church in Australia will meet together in the first Assembly of the Plenary Council. The Assembly will be composed of lay people, religious, priests and bishops reflecting on the question, What is God asking of us in Australia today? The first Assembly will begin with Mass in Perth's St Mary's Cathedral and continue through this coming week.
Carmelite Provincial, Fr Paul Cahill, is a member of the Plenary Council.
