We have a variety of online opportunities for you during August and September. Lectio Divina, Meditation, Centering Prayer, Spiritual Direction and Pastoral Supervision. As well, we have 2 sessions exploring the writings of Fr Richard Rohr on You are the Body of Christ and Judy Racz explores the Mystical Teachings of the Jewish Tradition. Read more.
One thing we are very good at as human beings is spotting differences rather than similarities. We do it all the time. Often, instead of seeing the human person in front of us, we take an inventory of all the ways they are different to us. The problem is that we actually don’t see the person, only the differences of skin colour, facial features, gender, dress, hair styles and so on. And pretty soon we have arrived at a judgement which almost never changes. We so often identify others by how they are different to us instead of all the ways in which they are the same as us. Read more.
Today’s Gospel marks a turning point in the ministry of Jesus. He sees himself as sent ‘only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’. That is, to those who were deemed sinners because they could not keep the Law of Moses, and were considered beyond the care and concern of God by religious authorities. Read more & download Lectio Divina for this Sunday.
Celebrating At Home for 20 Sunday in Ordinary Time PDF
Celebrating At Home for 20 Sunday in Ordinary Time iPhone & iPad
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven at the end of her life. It is a great feast of hope because it celebrates God’s plan that, like Mary, we are destined to share the same glory of heaven, through Christ’s resurrection.
“Like Mary, we too must accept God in our hearts and carry him in our hearts, nourish him and make him grow in us so that he is born of us and lives with us as the God-with-us, Emmanuel.” Blessed Titus Brandsma, O.Carm.
On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (16 July) Brs José and Anacleto renewed their vows for another year during Morning Prayer in our community at Middle Park (VIC). Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) received their vows. On 19 July Brs Amandio, Narcizio, Silvestre, Agostinho and Frangelino renewed their vows during Mass in our community in Hera, Timor-Leste. Fr Carlito Da Costa Araújo (Provincial Delegate for Timor-Leste) received the vows on behalf of Fr Paul who was unable to be present due to coronavirus restrictions. Congratulations, brothers! See photos
Sometimes it can feel like we are sinking beneath the waves in these terrible times. Every day our news services are telling us how we are being swamped by the number of coronavirus cases, buffeted by potential economic disaster and failures in our healthcare system. It’s easy to lose faith and heart.
There is a strong sense of being swamped and sinking in this Sunday’s Gospel, too. The disciples are out on a boat in the middle of a storm. The seas are pitching and rolling as they battle the wind. Anxiety is growing. Jesus appears, walking on the water. For the moment, fear is forgotten. Is this vision really Jesus, they ask. Read more
Trust is an essential element in the formation of our faith and in any relationship we have with others. This section of St Matthew’s Gospel is about the Kingdom of God being seen in the Church when human needs are responded to with the life of God. Read more & download Lectio Divina for this Sunday.
Celebrating At Home for 19 Sunday in Ordinary Time PDF
Celebrating At Home for 19 Sunday in Ordinary Time iPhone & iPad
As we struggle with the uncertainty and, for many, distress and sickness, we are constantly reminded of the importance of just how connected we are as a human family and how what might seem like minor actions on the part of one person can have a profound impact on the lives of many. In particular in this difficult time our ageing relatives and friends become more precious; our prayers and consciousness are directed to their needs.
It’s a natural question to ask, faced as we are with a pandemic showing few signs of being overcome. Some Christians are suggesting lengthy prayers and acts of penance to turn the wrath of God’s angry punishment away from us. That will save us, they say. Pope Francis says it’s the wrong way to look at what is happening. God is not punishing his beloved sons and daughters. God’s will is never about punishment.
I think we are often blind to the hidden presence of God. God is deeply enfolded in, often hidden in human beings, human activity and human situations - just as God ‘hid’ himself in Jesus when he became a human person. Read more
This week’s Gospel is the beginning of a new section of St Matthew’s Gospel which talks about the Kingdom of God on earth and the Church as a visible sign of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is found where human beings are. It is deeply enfolded and immersed in the world of human experience: hunger, fear, disease, the sound of sheer silence, celebration, joy, hope, forgiveness, mercy, justice, in hearing and keeping the word of God. Read more & download Lectio Divina for this Sunday.
Celebrating At Home for 18 Sunday in Ordinary Time PDF
Celebrating At Home for 18 Sunday in Ordinary Time iPhone & iPad
