Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is risen! At his General Audience last Wednesday, Pope Francis reflected on the significance of the Paschal Triduum that we have just celebrated: These three days propose again to the Christian people the great events of the salvation wrought by Christ, and so project it on the horizon of their future destiny… Continue reading Christ Is Risen!
Month: March 2018
A Source of Unity?
An interesting article from the PrayTell blog concerning the variety of liturgical expressions that appear to be popping up in the Western (Latin) rite of the Catholic Church - particularly around the celebration of Holy Week. Given the significance of liturgical expression for the visible communion of the Church, it certainly raises some interesting questions and… Continue reading A Source of Unity?
Praying on Good Friday
I have always found the texts of the Solemn Intercessions from Good Friday's Celebration of the Passion of the Lord profoundly moving and, yes, prayerful. So much so that I thought you might like to share them with me... I. For Holy Church Let us pray, dearly beloved, for the holy Church of God, that… Continue reading Praying on Good Friday
Do We Really Know Jesus?
For those who have a relationship with Jesus, no matter how fragile or tangential, they will have an image, a visual representation, of Jesus around which that relationship will coalesce. In her article for The Conversation, Robyn Whitaker, lecturer in biblical studies at Trinity College in Melbourne, gently challenges what many might consider to be the… Continue reading Do We Really Know Jesus?
Review: Master of War Boxset: Books I-III – The third volume
This is a review of the third and final book in the box set Master of War Boxset: Books I-III by David Gilman My rating: 2 of 5 stars It was only the lack of anything - and a reticence not to read a book I have purchased - that made me read the… Continue reading Review: Master of War Boxset: Books I-III – The third volume
The Triumph of Neoliberalism
As he often does, Bernard Keane cuts to the chase in his most recent article for Crikey. In discussing the seemingly inevitable passage of legislation through the Australian Senate to enact company tax cuts worth $64 billion, while at the same time cuts are being made to the social security payments received by the least among… Continue reading The Triumph of Neoliberalism
A Distorted System
The peak organisation for Anglican community services organisation, Anglicare, has released a report it has commissioned that has the shone some light on the way in which the Australian taxation system appears to favour the wealthy of Australia, with the top twenty percent of Australian households by wealth benefitting overwhelmingly from tax concessions that 'cost'… Continue reading A Distorted System
Misdirected Compasssion
When Ross Gittins writes for The Sydney Morning Herald, where he serves as economics editor, I always look for not only for his redoubtable knowledge on matters economic but also the social conscience that he often gives expression to in his columns. The thing I admire most about Gittins is his integrity - as an economist… Continue reading Misdirected Compasssion
Tolerance and Freedom
A very good article in today's Eureka Street discussing the fine balancing act required when it comes to the expression of religion and religious belief in a post-Christian nation (the presumption that Australia is a post-Christian nation goes unstated in the article but would seem to be a valid assumption). In light of the inquiry into religious… Continue reading Tolerance and Freedom
Homilies: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year B
My homily for Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year B, as preached during the 5.30pm Saturday evening Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1 - 15:47.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi
The quotation "lex orandi, lex credendi" is one exceptionally familiar to any student of the liturgy of the Church, and is often translated as "the law of prayer is the law of belief". The quotation is attributed to Prosper of Aquitaine (390-455) and identifies the celebration of the Church's liturgy, and the reflection on that celebration,… Continue reading Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi
A Very Good Question
The questions raised by Fr James Martin SJ in the tweet below are worth an answer, but that would require some folks to embrace a mind-shift to recognise that acts of terror and violence are not only perpetrated by 'the Other'. https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/976651772361166849
General Audience Catechesis – 21 March
Pope Francis continues his catechesis on liturgical matters... Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! And today is the first day of spring: happy Spring! But, what happens in spring? Plants flower; trees flower. I’m going to ask you some questions. Does a tree or a plant flower well if it’s sick? No! Can a tree,… Continue reading General Audience Catechesis – 21 March
Review: Victoria the Queen: An intimate biography of the woman who changed the world
Victoria the Queen: An intimate biography of the woman who changed the world by Julia Baird My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book is simply brilliant. Well-researched and engagingly written, Julia Baird's Victoria the Queen paints a sympathetic yet honest portrait of the English Queen who would reign over a kingdom and an empire,… Continue reading Review: Victoria the Queen: An intimate biography of the woman who changed the world
Ecclesia Semper Reformanda
Ecclesia semper reformanda, "The Church is always in need of reformation", is a catchcry oft heard among various dimensions within the Church. The focus is not dependent upon where the speaker locates themselves on the ecclesiastical political spectrum, only the content of the supposed needed reformation will change as one moves along that spectrum. Writing for La… Continue reading Ecclesia Semper Reformanda
