On the Feast Day of Saint Joseph, we reflect upon the life of this great Saint, the foster father of Jesus. Saint Joseph is a quiet example. He shows how […]
19
Mar
2019
18
Mar
2019
St Patrick’s Breastplate: A Prayer of Protection
According to tradition, St. Patrick wrote this prayer in 433 A.D. for Divine Protection before successfully converting the Irish King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity (the term […]
17
Mar
2019
HOMILY FOR THE MASS OF CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH
The prehistoric peoples of Australia and the Pacific, Africa and the Americas, the ancient Greeks, Romans and others in Europe, the tribes of the Middle East, and the great religions of Asia, all had their sacred sites where they felt particularly close to God.
17
Mar
2019
REFLECTION FOR INTERFAITH MEMORIAL GATHERING AFTER CHRISTCHURCH MOSQUE MASSACRE
“Today we are all Muslims,” said one of our nation’s most respected journalists.
Not that we all share the same faith.
17
Mar
2019
The Transfiguration
The transfiguration of Jesus reminds us, during Lent, that through prayer we allow Christ to transfigure us in His likeness, preparing us to accept the Cross just as He did. […]
16
Mar
2019
Extraordinary Women: Sisters in Kazakhstan
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 […]
15
Mar
2019
HOMILY FOR MASS FOR THE FEAST OF ST. PATRICK
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.
15
Mar
2019
Why is sin bad?
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. […]
14
Mar
2019
HOMILY FOR BLESSING OF ST. PATRICK’S GREEN
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!
14
Mar
2019
HOMILY FOR THURSDAY 1ST WEEK OF LENT C + BLESSING OF ST. PATRICK’S GREEN
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.