What would you be prepared to do to see life return to normal, the pandemic ended, freedoms restored? That’s the question being put to us every day in this experience. Some people don’t want to let go of anything, don’t want to wear masks, don’t want to socially distance, just want to hold on to what they did before the virus. The issue of holding on and letting go is very much at the heart of the Gospel this Sunday. Read more & download Lectio Divina for this Sunday.

Celebrating At Home for 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time PDF
Celebrating At Home for 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time iPhone & iPad

The funeral for Fr Leo (Patrick) Harney will be celebrated tomorrow, Friday 24 July. Due to Coronavirus restrictions we are unable to invite you to share with us in person but you can join us via live stream at http://tobin.5stream.com/webcast/55715 from 10.00am.

Thank you for your many messages of sympathy and for your tributes to Fr Pat. He was loved and admired by so many. May he rest in peace.

Today’s Gospel parable is a parable about wheat and darnel growing together in a field. Apparently darnel, a weed, looks so similar to wheat that it is almost impossible to tell the two apart until the ears appear at harvest time. The parable urges patience and to leave final judgement to God. What appears to be darnel may yet turn out to be wheat. Only time will tell. Read more & download Lectio Divina for this Sunday.

Celebrating At Home for 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time PDF
Celebrating At Home for 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time for iPhone & iPad

"We have lived with restrictions and with some fear now for many months. Families are grieving. Hospitals are still taking care of victims of the virus. Doctors, nurses and the whole medical profession and staff have shown all their dedication, professionalism and zeal, beyond the call of duty. People have made sacrifices to make sure there was bread on our tables, and as everywhere people are counting the toll that the virus has taken on their lives through bereavement, illness, loss of employment and livelihood, we might say that we are seeing an explosion of humanity." Fr Míceál O’Neill, Prior General of the Carmelites has written to the Carmelite Family for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Read the full letter  |  pdf Download the letter.

Today the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste are mourning the loss of Fr Leo (Pat) Harney who died peacefully in the early hours of this morning. He was 99 years old and had been a Carmelite for 73 years and a priest for 68.

Pat served generously in Carmelite parishes in Australia and New Zealand, as a relieving priest in many country diocesan parishes and as long-time Chaplain at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Melbourne (VIC). Read more

Brothers Albino Dos Santos, Marcolino Gomes and Matthew Tonini made their Solemn Profession (life-long commitment) as Carmelites on 16 July during Mass in the Community Chapel at Middle Park (VIC). Due to Coronavirus restrictions we were unable to have a larger, public celebration of this significant milestone for these brothers. Fr Paul Cahill was the celebrant and Brs José Freitas and Anacleto Guterres Da Costa provided the music. The readings were read by Marcolino and Albino and Matthew sang the psalm. Fr Matthew McPhee read the Gospel. Read more & see photos

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our lady of Mount Carmel. From the earliest days of the Order's beginnings, Mary has held a special place in the lives of Carmelites.

Mary embodies everything that we hope for - to enter into an intimate relationship with Christ, being totally open to God's will and having our lives transformed by the Word of God. Like Mary, we too want to listen so deeply to the Word of God that he becomes flesh in us.

Happy feast day to all members of our Carmelite Family!

For those of us in Melbourne, the latest lockdown is heartbreaking. When we emerged from the first lockdown hope began to return. Hope that the virus was beaten, that we had survived the threat, that life would begin to look normal again. That hope has now been lost. We are now unwelcome in almost all other parts of our country. The feeling of exclusion is new, but old fears and anger have emerged again. Read more & download Lectio Divina for this Sunday.

Celebrating At Home for 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time PDF
Celebrating At Home for 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time for iPhone & iPad

Fr Míceál O’Neill, Prior General of the Carmelites, as sent a short video message for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on 16 July. Fr Míceál reflects on Mary as one who pondered what was happening in her world and found the will of God – Mary, full of grace, full of God and full of the Gospel. “That’s the type of person who can respond to what is happening in today’s world,” Fr Míceál says. “This year’s feast will be marked by our prayer for the many who suffered the worst effects of the coronavirus.” Watch Fr Míceál’s message.

On this final day of our Novena of Prayer we are praying in thanksgiving for God’s love which we see in the love and care with which people are looking after and supporting each other at this time. Join Avelino in praying today’s prayer here.

You can also join Avelino on Facebook anytime during the day and you can download our Novena prayer and intentions.