This is Sister Rita Kurochkina. She works at a children’s shelter in the parish of Kapshagay in Kazakhstan. In this country, communism brought huge devastation. Many people stopped believing in God. Sister Rita takes care of many children who have experienced incredibly traumatic events. They witnessed their parents battle with alcohol abuse, and sometimes were […]
The Sydney Church I grew up in still a rather Irish one. Already by then my parents and schoolmates, like many Sydney Catholics, were not: they represented the much more culturally diverse Australia which was emerging by the 1960s and is now so obvious here in Sydney.
Without getting too much into, “what is sin?” and “what are sins?” – maybe the first question should be, “WHY is sin bad, and why should I care?” REFLECT 1. Why should I care about sin?2. Do I trust that God only wants good for His children? For me, His child? PRAYAct of ContritionO my […]
It’s a great pleasure to be here today, and I would like to thank you all for attending this important ceremony. I’m told that a number of the builders who have worked on this project are here today, so I give a special welcome to them!
It is a very comforting promise that Christ makes us in today’s Gospel (Mt 7:7-12): “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
So, if you want to try praying the Rosary, where do you start? Busted Halo’s 2-minute video has you covered. Learn about the history and tradition of the Rosary, how to pray, what it means to meditate on the Mysteries of the Rosary, and more! REFLECT 1. The Rosary helps us carve out intentional time […]
Twelve-year-old Thandolwayo would walk seven kilometres each day, threatened by crocodiles, to collect contaminated water for her family. It looked like she would never realise her hope of finishing her education and becoming a nurse, until a Caritas Australia supported project created access to clean water helping Thandolwayo to stay at school and achieve a […]
If you’ve grown up in a Christian family, it’s easy not to think deeply about the prayers that you’ve learned off by heart and repeated thousands of times. But it’s really good to go back to the basics – to think about and reflect on what we’re praying. This is the ‘Our Father’ prayer broken […]
What does it mean to be a ‘fully invested Christian’? Is there a long checklist of things you should be doing as a fully invested Christian? If you have a checklist, you may find that you’ll fall short every time. Madelene Wilson from Ignite Youth shares how being fully invested doesn’t actually mean having a […]
Stories of devils and temptations never went out of fashion. Take the 1997 movie, Devil’s Advocate, nominated and awarded for best villain and best horror film.
Most will be familiar with Aesop’s fable of the elephant and the mouse. As the story goes, the elephant spares the mouse when the mouse begs for his life, suggesting that one day he might be able to help the elephant.
What is temptation? Is it a fleeting thought or a nagging itch? Is it a sin to be tempted? In this short video, Laura explores how we can overcome and defeat temptations in our life through three powerful weapons. REFLECT 1. In the video, Laura says it is important to know our Scripture so that […]
My name is Julia, from Ukraine, a land that has suffered a lot: the Soviet Revolution, Great Famine, wars… Many of us think that suffering has no end. But I have experienced love, which triumphs over evil and brings hope. That love brought me here. I always prayed for a good husband, children and a […]
The Way of the Cross is a traditional devotion in honour of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The Way of the Cross had its origins in the Holy Land and in a sense, is a mini-pilgrimage through the events that covered the final hours of Jesus’ life on earth.
The philosopher, Thales of Miletus, is commonly known as the founder of philosophy. He was also an amateur astronomer, and there’s an old story about him walking along one day, looking up at the sky and contemplating the heavens.
