At the heart of so much politics, social media and TV reality shows sits an awful truth - our need to 'lord it over' one another; to control, dominate and destroy others in a relentless struggle to get to the top. Malignant narcissism, self-absorption and a sense of superiority can lock us into a never-ending cycle of negative behaviours against anyone who seems to be a threat to us. But in today's Gospel Jesus says, 'This is not to happen among you'. Read more
Celebrating At Home 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
Spending 7 hours a day online for 6 days with 300 other participants can be exhausting and overwhelming, but Fr Paul Cahill says that the first Assembly of the Plenary Council was ‘a prayerful, humbling, respectful and inspiring experience in which I was keenly aware of my own inadequacies but graced to be able to participate.’ More story
Is there a Carmelite reading of Fratelli Tutti? Carmelite Prior General, Míceál O'Neill, thinks so. Recently he prepared a 2-part online presentation about Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis' encyclical on universal fraternity, for the Provincial Assembly of the Carmelites in Australia & Timor-Leste. Fr Míceál highlighted 4 aspects of Fratelli Tutti which resonate with Carmelite Tradition: The place of God, the dignity of the human person, building fraternity, and communication, silence, dialogue and encounter. You can watch the videos here or on our YouTube channel.
In the Jewish tradition, wealth was seen as a blessing from God and the wealthy person as especially favoured by God. Along with the idea of divine blessing and favour came a divine obligation (often ignored) – the care of God’s poor. What Jesus invites him into is the total transformation of his life – to go in a new direction. Rather sadly, the rich man cannot take this step. Read more
Celebrating At Home 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
This Sunday, 3rd October, the convergence of two major events in the Church calendar draws us to reflect on the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our personal life and the life of our church. The Season of Creation which began on 1 September will conclude this Sunday, the Feast of Saint Francis. This Sunday also marks the beginning of the Plenary Council in Australia. As our church gathers for the Plenary Council we offer you a reflection from Fr Anthony Scerri OCarm, called ‘The Third Apostolic Church’.
pdf Read our reflections | More resources for the Plenary Council
More than 20 Carmelites in Australia met together for the first ever online Provincial Assembly from 28-30 September. Carmelites in Timor-Leste were able to gather face-to-face 2 weeks ago in Hera. A Provincial Assembly is usually held one year before the Provincial Chapter for ongoing formation and to focus on emerging issues. Usually, as many members of the Province as possible would gather in Melbourne for the Assembly. Due to COVID lockdowns and travel restrictions it was decided to hold the Assembly in 2 sessions, one in each country. More story & videos
For the first time in 80 years members of the Catholic Church in Australia will meet together in the first Assembly of the Plenary Council. The Assembly will be composed of lay people, religious, priests and bishops reflecting on the question, What is God asking of us in Australia today? The first Assembly will begin with Mass in Perth's St Mary's Cathedral and continue through this coming week.
Carmelite Provincial, Fr Paul Cahill, is a member of the Plenary Council.
1 October is the feast day of St Thérèse of Lisieux famous for her teaching on the 'the little way of confidence and love' found in her autobiography, The Story of a Soul. Thérèse Martin was born in Alencon in France in 1873. Whilst still young she entered the Discalced Carmel of Lisieux. Her writings reveal a very human character. She frequently fell asleep during the long hours of prayer in the monastery chapel. She always had a strong sense of God's love for her and felt her calling was to be love. 'What matters,' she wrote, 'is not great deeds, but great love'. She died on 30 September 1897, just 24 years old. She was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
No doubt, many will find this Sunday’s Gospel difficult reading. Among Jewish scholars and rabbis of Jesus’ time there was often fierce debate about the grounds for divorce permitted by Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 24:1). As the Gospel recalls, a man could draw up a ‘writ of dismissal’, give it to his wife and they would be considered divorced. The words of Jesus make clear that marriage is part of God’s design for human beings. The rich imagery of the husband being so drawn to his wife that he leaves home and family and the two become ‘one body’ implies great love, warmth, intimacy and companionship. Read more
Celebrating At Home 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF]
Celebrating At Home 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub]
The Australian Bishops Social Justice Statement, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor encourages us to LISTEN with an open heart to those who are most affected by the many crises our world is facing. We can begin, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discern the signs of the times.
During Week 4 of Seasons of Creation we are invited into ongoing conversion, to transform our outlook and actions to be in accord with the loving presence of God.
