the online presence of Fr Andrew Doohan
Written from an Orthodox perspective, the article below, which appears on the website of Public Orthodoxy from Fordham University in the United States, has more than a few resonances with contemporary Catholic debates. My thesis is very simple: the use of the word “traditionalist” and its derivative forms (“Orthodox morality,” “traditional values”) is philosophically untenable, i.e., … Continue reading The Power of Traditionalism
My homily for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) as preached at the 9.30am Mass in the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26. "Luke's version of the Beatitudes reminds us that God's salvation will not be found in trusting to our own efforts … Continue reading Homilies: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
There has been a lot of disinformation - largely from a particular section of Australian politics and Australian society - about the repercussions of the recently passed "Medevac Bill" that allows for a transfer of asylum seekers currently on Manus Island and Nauru based on medical decisions rather than partisan political decisions. In the video … Continue reading Not This Time
A Liturgical Companion to the Documents of the Second Vatican Council by Various My rating: 3 of 5 stars There can be little doubt that the documents of the Second Vatican Council represent a very significant contribution to the ongoing theological life of the Catholic Church. To look at them from a particularly liturgical lens, … Continue reading Review: A Liturgical Companion to the Documents of the Second Vatican Council
Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another wonderful edition in the Marcus Didius Falco series, this time featuring our eponymous hero as he investigates the possibility of a professional bride might be lining up her next husband/victim. When the prospective target is murdered before the wedding takes place, things … Continue reading Review: Venus In Copper
My homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) as preached during the 5pm Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11. "Confronted with the Presence of the Divine in Jesus, Simon owns his unworthiness and sinfulness. Jesus, however, invites Simon to 'be not … Continue reading Homilies: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
I've always enjoyed this piece of music, from the moment I first heard Andrea Bocelli sing it as a duet with Sarah Brightman. It remains for me a stirring piece of music that pierces the soul. The version below, performed by orchestra and children's choir, is one of the versions released to celebrate the 20th … Continue reading Con te partiro
My homily for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) as preached during the 9.30am Mass at the Sacred Hamilton Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13; Luke 4:21-30. "Without love, we are nothing at all. St Paul reminds the church in Corinth, and reminds us, that to … Continue reading Homilies: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis My rating: 4 of 5 stars Intrigue, murder, mischief and personal dramas all confront our eponymous hero in this second volume of the Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries. It picks up immediately after the first and our hero, Falco, finds himself working as a semi-Imperial agent tracking down conspirators against … Continue reading Review: Shadows in Bronze
Each month a prayer intention is released, either for a universal need or for a specific evangelism need, through which Catholics are asked to join in praying with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The intention for February 2019 is: For a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence. … Continue reading Papal Prayer Intention for February 2019
In stark contrast [to the "Internet of Things"], the liturgy remains a firmly embodied experience. Worship engages all the senses of our body. The liturgy employes symbols of the body and of things to invite us more deeply into the divine mystery. There is no Church, no Eucharist, without the Body of Christ - a … Continue reading The Liturgy Is Fully Embodied
My homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) as preached at the 5.30pm Saturday evening Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21. "Ten words were all that Jesus spoke after reading in the Nazareth Synagogue. There was no need to say … Continue reading Homilies: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett My rating: 4 of 5 stars This wasn't my first audio book, but it was my first long novel consumed as an audio book. That is still something I am getting used to, but I have to say that listening to this wonderful story unfold through the … Continue reading Review: The Pillars of the Earth
The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis My rating: 3 of 5 stars The modern 'gumshoe detective' genre meets ancient Rome, and the result is an engaging tale that captures the imagination of the reader and draws them into the lives of the characters.I was originally drawn to read it because of the novel's setting in … Continue reading Review: The Silver Pigs
My homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) as preached during the 9.30am Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11. "The Holy Spirit is given to all who are able to proclaim Jesus as God and Saviour, and then manifests in many different … Continue reading Homilies: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
I've heard/seen a few versions of this particular piece of music as I've 'surfed' through YouTube. This version, conducted by the composer himself, is one of the best. The words, so I'm told, are the words of the Lord's Prayer in Swahili, which Christopher Tin has set to a masterful arrangement. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noneMROp_E8
Sacrosanctum Concilium's call for revisions in liturgical rites and texts made it easier for the Church to recognize and engage the public nature of liturgy. It also empowered the worshipping faithful to take part in efforts to reform social, economic, cultural, and political systems of society. The latter emphasis is what Gaudium et spes brought to our understanding … Continue reading From Liturgy to Action in the World
Whether the Council Fathers could foresee the impact of the reform of the liturgy on the life of the Church is impossible to know for certain. The liturgy is "the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fount from which all the Church's power flows" … Continue reading The Liturgy in the Life of the Church
Fifty years after the event of Vatican II, we find ourselves in that crucial moment of passage between the short run and the long run: the "clash of narratives" about Vatican II encounters here the perennial law of the reception of the Councils of the Church. Giuseppe Alberigo, recalling the worrisome memorandum sent between 1600 … Continue reading The Reception of Vatican II
My homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Year C) as preached at the 5pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22. "His baptism marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, and inauguration of the messianic age that is … Continue reading Homilies: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Year C
