1 October is the feast day of St Thérèse of Lisieux famous for her teaching on the 'the little way of confidence and love' found in her autobiography, The Story of a Soul. Thérèse Martin was born in Alencon in France in 1873. Whilst still young she entered the Discalced Carmel of Lisieux. Her writings reveal a very human character. She frequently fell asleep during the long hours of prayer in the monastery chapel. She always had a strong sense of God's love for her and felt her calling was to be love. 'What matters,' she wrote, 'is not great deeds, but great love'. She died on 30 September 1897, just 24 years old. She was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
No doubt, many will find this Sunday’s Gospel difficult reading. Among Jewish scholars and rabbis of Jesus’ time there was often fierce debate about the grounds for divorce permitted by Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 24:1). As the Gospel recalls, a man could draw up a ‘writ of dismissal’, give it to his wife and they would be considered divorced. The words of Jesus make clear that marriage is part of God’s design for human beings. The rich imagery of the husband being so drawn to his wife that he leaves home and family and the two become ‘one body’ implies great love, warmth, intimacy and companionship. Read more
Celebrating At Home 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
The Australian Bishops Social Justice Statement, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor encourages us to LISTEN with an open heart to those who are most affected by the many crises our world is facing. We can begin, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discern the signs of the times.
During Week 4 of Seasons of Creation we are invited into ongoing conversion, to transform our outlook and actions to be in accord with the loving presence of God.
Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and its newspaper, has been called many things: an activist, a journalist, a radical, a bohemian, a mother, a convert, a mystic, a prophet, a faithful daughter of the Church. After her death in 1980, historian David O’Brien famously called her “the most important, interesting, and influential figure in the history of American Catholicism.” Get to know more about this fascinating woman with Clare McArdle on Wednesday 6 October, 10.30-12 midday on Zoom.
The disciples are on a steep learning curve as Jesus instructs them about what true discipleship is all about. True discipleship is not about holding the mystery of the Kingdom to our self, to dispense as we see fit, deciding who merits our love, concern and service, and who does not. The mystery belongs to God who chooses and uses whomever God wills in the service of human beings and the kingdom. In the leadership of service there is no place for those who exult themselves or believe themselves to be holders of some privileged position with the power to control the mystery. Read more
Celebrating At Home 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
The Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste were due to meet in Melbourne last July. Due to COVID lockdowns and travel restrictions it was decided that the Assembly should be held in 2 sessions, one in Timor-Leste and one in Australia. Last week almost 40 Carmelites gathered in Hera, Dili, from 15-17 September. Next week, Carmelites in Australia will gather on Zoom from 28-30 September. More story
The liturgy takes up this underlying sacramentality in all things as it uses water, wheat, grape, oil, music, smell, and touch to transform us into a new creation. The blessing tradition of the liturgy enables us to recognise the paradoxes of material degradation and human sin within creation, reminding us that Christ is the centre of all goodness. Within the realm of created things, we humans carry a sacramental trace of Christ. Jesus teaches that to care for one of the least is to care for him (Mt 25:40).
In this 3rd week of the Season of Creation we continue to listen to the Australian Bishops' Social Justice Statement helping us to see the presence of God in all things. pdf Read our reflections here.
On 17 September Carmelites celebrate the Feast of the author of the Carmelite Rule, St Albert of Jerusalem. Albert did not impose all his own ideas on the group of hermits who came to him - he listened to what they told him about their way of life, and he adapted it and gave it structure. He was careful not to be too demanding or rigid and stressed the importance of common sense in interpreting what has to be done. This openness and flexibility gives a great "human feel" to the Carmelite Rule. Read more
Jesus continues to instruct the disciples that he will suffer and die and rise again, but the disciples seem very slow to understand and are too afraid to ask him about it. Perhaps it is an awful truth they just don’t want to face. Maybe they want Jesus to be a ‘warrior-king’, a liberator who would restore Israel to greatness and crush the Romans. Perhaps they have begun to think of themselves as princes and rulers in this new Israel. Using a little child as an example Jesus tells the disciples that real leadership is about service and giving without expecting anything in return. Read more
Celebrating At Home 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 25th Sunday of Ordinary [ePub]
"The three-person God is a Trinity of love. Every creative act and every part of creation emerges from this divine interplay of love." Join us for the Season of Creation during this month of September as we take time to pray and listen to Creation, alive and vibrant around us, as we pay attention to God’s beautiful Creation and the need for us to renew and restore the health of our planet.
We will continue to unpack the Australian Bishops Social Justice Statement over these weeks to inspire us to work towards some form of extra action that each of us can take.
