Where do Christmas carols come from? Our word carol derives from the medieval Latin word choraula and medieval French word carole, a secular circle-dance accompanied by one or more singing minstrels.
19
Dec
2021
19
Dec
2021
HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMN PONTIFICAL MASS FOR 4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year C
There’s an old Peanuts comic in which Snoopy is doing his happy dance at the turn of the year. : The ever-bleak Lucy shouts out, “How can you be happy when you don’t know what this year has in store for you? Don’t you worry about all the things that can go wrong?”
12
Dec
2021
HOMILY FOR MASS OF THE DEDICATION OF A CHURCH
“You are the rock on which I will build my Church,” Jesus says to Peter this morning (Mt 16:13-19). “You are God’s building… the temple in which the spirit dwells,” St. Paul says to the Corinthians as well (1 Cor 3:9-17). Why, then, do we bother to build churches for God of dead stones when each of us is His living building?
10
Dec
2021
NSW Legislative Council’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice- Inquiry into Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill
Thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee this morning. I appear on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of NSW and the Bishops of the Australasian‐Middle East Christian Apostolic Churches. The faithful of our communities make up a quarter of the population of this state.
08
Dec
2021
HOMILY FOR THE MASS OF ORDINATION TO THE EPISCOPATE OF MOST REV. DANNY MEAGHER
The presence tonight of bishops from both the Latin and Oriental Rites, Catholic and Orthodox, reminds us that today’s feast is an ancient one, celebrated both in East and West: the Conception in Saint Anne of Holy Mary Mother of God.
04
Dec
2021
HOMILY FOR THE LOURDES DAY MASS FOR THE ORDER OF MALTA
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them, because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:35-10:8). Our translation “felt sorry for” misses the mark: it’s both mild and aloof. But our English word ‘sorry’ does share the same root as the word ‘sore’, just as our words ‘sympathy’ and ‘compassion’ share roots with ‘pathos’ and ‘passion’.
03
Dec
2021
HOMILY FOR THE MASS OF ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD OF REV. ANDERSON RODAS & REV. RAFAEL GALICIA
Theodor Geisel—‘Dr. Seuss’ to those who grew up on his stories—was a Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winning children’s author. He composed and illustrated more than sixty children’s books, mostly in anapestic tetrameter, the preferred meter of poets like Byron. Over 600 million copies of his books were sold in his lifetime, and translated into 45 languages, including Spanish, so Mexicans and Columbians could read him
28
Nov
2021
HOMILY FOR MASS FOR 1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT C – INVESTITURE OF KNIGHTS OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
Integrity commissions are all the rage. The states have them and the Commonwealth will too—eventually. Such agencies attempt to root out abuses of office, perversions of justice and other corrupt conduct in public administration. Their investigations have brought down premiers and other public officials
26
Nov
2021
Bishop-Elect Meagher: Parents central to faith formation
Bishop-Elect Danny told the gathering that one of the key challenges for sacramental coordinators was to structure their programs so that both parents and their children can both enter a closer encounter with Jesus. Photo: File Photo Sydney’s newly appointed Auxiliary Bishop, Danny Meagher has told an online gathering of sacramental coordinators, that they are […]
21
Nov
2021
HOMILY FOR MASS FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING AND LOCAL CELEBRATION OF WORLD YOUTH DAY 2021
Kings and kingship: they frame the story of Jesus. The New Testament begins with Jesus’ family tree showing He’s a direct descendant of King David, via his step-father Joseph (Mt 1:1-17; Lk 2:4).
