the online presence of Fr Andrew Doohan
My homily for the 3rd Sunday of Advent (Year C) as preached during the 5pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton on Sunday 16 December 2018. The readings were Zephaniah 3:14-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18. "Our readings today remind us that preparations for Christmas during Advent are about preparing ourselves to welcome the Reign of … Continue reading Homilies: 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C
A wonderful opinion piece in this week's edition of The Saturday Paper from Anne Summers, lamenting the dearth of considered and well-developed policies in the Australian public discourse, and the rise of too much attention being given to politics and political machinations. I have to admit to having some sympathy for the position that Summers outlines, … Continue reading Policies Not Politics
Writing for Eureka Street, Andrew Hamilton makes a very strong case for the value of confidentiality in public discourse, drawing on the various conversations that have been part of the ongoing discussion in the public domain of late. At the heart of Hamilton's argument, is the following paragraphs: Does it matter that confidentiality is infringed in … Continue reading The Value of Confidentiality
In the Beginning, There Were Stories: Thoughts about the Oral Tradition of the Bible by William J. Bausch My rating: 3 of 5 stars The basic principle espoused in this book is a simple one - the Bible is not first and foremost a written text that must be used and analysed as a written … Continue reading Review: In the Beginning, There Were Stories: Thoughts about the Oral Tradition of the Bible
Semper Fidelis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another enjoyable journey through the daily life of a Medicus of Rome's Twentieth Legion, currently stationed in the province of Britannia. Our hero, Gaius Petreius Ruso, and his Briton wife, Tilla, are visiting one of the smaller … Continue reading Review: Semper Fidelis
For a variety of reasons I didn't preach a 'normal' homily this weekend, and the only homily I did preach I forgot to record. So contribution from The Doohan Discourse this weekend, but I promise I'll be back for the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
For the December edition of Aurora - the magazine of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, I had the opportunity to 'come off the bench' and provide a column for where the Bishop usually writes. This was because the Bishop is recovering from bypass surgery and wasn't in a position to contribute his usual column. So here it is... … Continue reading Holding Fast To Hope
I often find myself disturbed by the reaction of some public commentators, unfortunately those who can be generally described as being on the 'right' of the political divide, when the way in which they seek to make their point, and often the language they choose to use, is called out for being disrespectful towards the … Continue reading In Defence of Civility
Caveat Emptor: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another wonderful contribution in the ongoing series of novels featuring Gaius Petreius Ruso, the sometime Medicus of Rome's 20th Legion in Britannia, though currently a private citizen. Having returned from his home in Gaul with his wife, … Continue reading Review: Caveat Emptor
My homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year C) as preached during the 5.30pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - 4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36. "The arrival of Advent focuses our attention on the fulfilled promise of God to send the Messiah, a promise once fulfilled … Continue reading Homilies: 1st Sunday of Advent, Year C
The prayer intention of Pope Francis for December 2018 is one for evangelisation: That people, who are involved in the service and transmission of faith, may find, in their dialogue with culture, a language suited to the conditions of the present time.
I remember the first time - the only time in fact - that I watched the movie Schindler's List. It was one of the very few occasions in my movie going that at the end of the movie, no one moved until the credits were over, and then they moved in silence. Such was the power … Continue reading Music To Stir The Soul
I'm reading a book entitled In the Beginning There Were Stories by William Bausch. The subtitle of the book is "Thoughts about the Oral Tradition of the Bible", and Bausch is making a case that to adequately understand the Scriptures they need to be seen as the written form of what were initially oral stories. One … Continue reading A Library of Stories
In reading some public comments on a story from the criminal justice system this morning I am particularly grateful that the commentators' only power comes from their keyboard and not from their being members of the Bench. Reading between the lines of some of the comments, I'm also grateful that there is an independent judiciary … Continue reading Saved From The Bench
I find it interesting that the default position of some political operatives is to turn to the generation of fear, usually fear of something that is not nearly as bad as portrayed, in order to entice people to vote for a 'solution' proposed by the same political operative. Whatever happened to election campaigns being run … Continue reading Be Afraid Of Being Afraid
A wonderful argument from Eureka Street commenting on the nature of the current state of our political, economic amd social institutions, and the leadership thereof. It is an article well worth reading and pondering. The thrust of the commentary can perhaps best be summed up with this quote: Whenever institutional interests are put ahead of the … Continue reading Reversing The Deficit of Trust
My homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Year B) as preached during the 5.30pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33-37. "The Feast of Christ the King challenges our understanding of exactly what the Reign of God is meant to … Continue reading Homilies: Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Tonight, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton, once again hosted the community of the Anglican Cathedral - Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle - to help mark their Feast of Title with the celebration of Festal Evensong. This act of ecumenical hospitality was necessitated because of the running of a motor race in the inner city of Newcastle, which … Continue reading An Act of Ecumenical Hospitality
Regular visitors to The Doohan Discourse might notice that the website isn't looking like it used to. Last night I made the decision to move hosting providers and the resulting transfer of the site has thrown up a few 'issues', issues, thankfully, that are predominantly about appearance. The same great content is still available for your pleasure … Continue reading Some Changes Happening Here
