The Monastery Murders by E.M. Powell My rating: 3 of 5 stars The title alone was enough to draw me to this particular novel, though the identity of the novel as the next in a series that I had started, and as the product of an author I particularly enjoy, were also reasons for me… Continue reading Review: The Monastery Murders
Month: December 2018
Homilies: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Year C
My homily for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Year C) as preached at the 5pm Mass in Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52. "Families are important to us as human beings and as believers. They are the domestic… Continue reading Homilies: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Year C
Review: Tabula Rasa
Tabula Rasa: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth DownieMy rating: 4 of 5 starsAnother wonderful instalment in the ongoing series featuring Gaius Petreius Ruso, Medicus of Rome's Twentieth Legion, his wife, Tilla, and a cast of regular supporting characters.This edition sees Ruso stationed with a work party from the Legion in the… Continue reading Review: Tabula Rasa
Homilies: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
My homily for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) as preached during the 9.30am Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bZNC6mb32qILAC1dnzUqI
Homilies: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Midnight Mass)
My homily for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) as preached at the Midnight Mass in the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Isaiah 9:1-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6pASnjwWvEn3r9VmMK5czI
The Sound of ‘One Voice’
As I write this post I'm waiting to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus Christ with 'Midnight Mass' (which starts at midnight regardless of what others might say!) and surfing through YouTube. The clip below comes from the United States Air Force Band. It captured my attention. and so I share it with… Continue reading The Sound of ‘One Voice’
Homilies: 4th Sunday of Advent, Year C
My homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent (Year C) as preached at the 5pm Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. The readings were Micah 5:1-4; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-44. "As we approach the Feast of the Incarnation, we are reminded that God has fulfilled the promise made to God's people, to Elizabeth and… Continue reading Homilies: 4th Sunday of Advent, Year C
A Christmas Message
It is customary for the Bishop of the diocese in which I live and minister to prepare a Christmas Message for distribution to the diocese and the wider community in the lead up to Christmas. Because our Bishop is currently recovering from surgery, the 2018 Christmas Message fell to me to both prepare and deliver.… Continue reading A Christmas Message
The Smarter Nation?
The Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) heralds a triumph for the current Federal Government: a Commonwealth Budget that will return to surplus earlier than anticipated. One could be cynical and say that the outcome is more than a little convenient for the current government given that the next Federal election looms within the next… Continue reading The Smarter Nation?
The Ruination of a Nation
I've been reading a book entitled The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic, written by Mike Duncan, who I first discovered via his podcast entitled The History of Rome. At the end the chapter I have just concluded reading that tells the story of Gaius Sempronius Gracchus, there is a… Continue reading The Ruination of a Nation
Homilies: 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C
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
Policies Not Politics
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
The Value of Confidentiality
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
Review: In the Beginning, There Were Stories: Thoughts about the Oral Tradition of the Bible
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
Review: Semper Fidelis
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
