On Ash Wednesday we begin our journey to the great feast of Easter.
Wearing ashes symbolises our desire for conversion, to turn again towards God. Repentance (conversion) is not so much about feeling sorry for individual sins. It is more about changing the direction of our hearts – away from all that limits God’s love and action in us. Conversion is about opening ourselves to a fresh experience of God’s healing love which makes us whole and restores us to our rightful place as beloved daughters and sons in the Kingdom of God. It’s about moving back into right relationship with God and neighbour.
Over the last month another 4,128 people have joined our Facebook family bringing the total today to 95,998 followers!
Our recent post celebrating 95,000 followers reached 107,863 people. We are very pleased to acknowledge Jorge Cocco who has given us permission to use his religious artwork in our posts free of charge. View this post here.
Find us on Facebook @carmelitesAET and click on ‘follow’ so you can see all our posts in your news feed.
Our Carmelite students joined with religious of the Archdiocese of Melbourne at the annual Mass for Religious today (3 February) in St Patrick's Cathedral. The mass celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple (2 February).
Brs Agedo Bento, Martinho Da Cruz Lemos and Matthew Tonini lent their voices to the choir and Brs Albino Dos Santos, Marcolino Gomes, Avelino Dos Santos and Agostinho Dos Santos joined the congregation with Fr David Hofman.
Enjoy the rich variety of retreats, seminars, reading groups and prayer on offer at the Carmelite Centre this year.
Lectio Divina, meditation, residential and one day retreats, Carmelite Conversations, spiritual films, the Psalms and mindfulness are just some of the offerings this year. As well, there are sessions on the spirituality of the Carmelite Rule, Charles de Foucauld, Rubem Alves, Ernest Larkin, St Thérèse of Lisieux, Carlos Mesters, Charles Wesley, Ruth Burrows, Emily Dickenson - and much more. pdf Download your copy
With a listening heart and confidence we approach the still small voice of the Spirit of God to respond to today's challenges, commencing this new year with a focus on our search for peace. Peter Clark leads us in reflection on peace using the Carmelite perspective.
To all people of good will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater solidarity!
Pope Francis
We warmly welcome Fr Roque Soares Da Cruz to Australia. Fr Roque will be doing English language studies in Brisbane for most of this year and is now a member of our community at Coorparoo.
Since his Ordination in 2015 Roque has been helping with the formation of our young Carmelites at Hera in Timor-Leste.
Welcome, Roque!
Just after Christmas our Carmelite Facebook family passed 90,000 members! Today there are 91,870 followers of carmelitesAET, our Facebook page.
Our most popular posts were: Reflection for 4th Sunday of Advent (41,441 likes), Christmas (38,625 likes), New Year/Mary, Mother of God (36,431 likes) and Lectio Divina for January (30,209 likes).
Find us on Facebook @carmelitesAET and click on ‘follow’ so you can see all our posts in your news feed.
The 2018 edition of the Carmelite Liturgical Guide is now available.
The Guide integrates the Carmelite Liturgical Calendar with the liturgical calendars of Australia and Timor-Leste to provide a guide to the Seasons, Solemnities, Feasts, Memorials and Carmelite celebrations for every day of the year.
Download your copy or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a printed copy.
New Year's Day is also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. It's the most important feast of Mary in the Church's calendar. A week after celebrating the birth of Jesus, we honour Mary as Mother of God and mother of all believers.
We wish you a very happy new year. May it be filled with an ever deeper awareness of God's presence around us and in us. May Mary accompany us with wisdom and love throughout this new year. May it bring each of us much happiness and great peace.
MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES: MEN AND WOMEN IN SEARCH OF PEACE
New Year’s Day 2018 will be the 51st World Day of Peace. Pope Francis invites Catholics to embrace those who endure perilous journeys and hardships in order to find peace. He urges people to turn with a “contemplative gaze” towards migrants and refugees, opening our hearts to the “gaze of faith which sees God dwelling in their houses, in their streets and squares”. pdf Read Pope Francis'message.
