Solemnity

Sometimes we have an experience that was so sublime, so magical, so amazing – that we struggle to even share all its details with a close friend. Even when it is photographed, and videoed, and instagrammed to within a millimetre of its life, some things can defy simple, adequate descriptions. Maybe the event wasn’t even…

I suspect that when many of us hear this kind of talk about being sent, about being called to go out to be part of the mission of Jesus, that we get very uncomfortable about that. We’re like, yeah, you know, that’s fine for the good sisters; that’s fine, maybe even for those crazy priests…

The fact that we need to have this Feast day is a testament to the nature of of humanity. That the scriptures are so full of these details about the compassion of God, about the mercy of the Lord, about the Lord who is full of steadfast love, who is so committed absolutely to the…

Trinity Sunday What is God life? When I was a kid, I had a pretty clear idea. God was an old dude with a long white beard. He sat on a big golden chair. He had a kindly face, but a really short fuse. He seemed to get ticked off by almost anything at all….

I grew up in the country. I don’t think I really noticed a couple of key things until much later – because often you only notice things when they’re not there anymore. But there were two things. When you would go outside, particularly on a night like this, pretty chilly kind of night. The night…

I grew up in the country. I don’t think I really noticed a couple of key things until much later – because often you only notice things when they’re not there anymore. But there were two things. When you would go outside, particularly on a night like this, pretty chilly kind of night. The night…

The Annunciation of the Lord (25 March 2023) This feast originated in the East during the sixth century and gained universal observance in the West during the eighth century. It is a feast of the Lord, commemorating the announcement to the Virgin Mary of the Word made flesh, Mary’s acceptance of God’s will, and the…

19 March (20 March 2023) St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary 02:53 Reading 1 – 2 Samuel 7:4-5.12-14.16 03:58 Psalm: The son of David will live for ever. 05:09 Reading 2 – Romans 4:13.16-18.22 07:35 Gospel – Matthew 1:16.18-21.24 08:53-11:49 Homily – Trusting and believing Play MP3 Watch Video

17 March – St Patrick, evangelist First Reading ‡ Jeremiah 1:4-9 Go now to those to whom I send you. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 116 Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Second Reading ‡ Acts 13:46-49 We must turn to the pagans. Gospel ‡ Luke 10:1-12.17-20 Your peace will rest on…

Mary, Mother of God – Octave Day of Christmas My dear mother has kept a diary all her adult life. It does not contain her deepest thoughts, feelings or secrets, but it is an accurate chronicle of the events in her life and that of our family, with all the comings and goings, trips and…

The Solemnity of Jesus the Christ, the King of the Universe First Reading ‡ 2 Samuel 5:1-3 They anointed David king of Israel. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 121:1-5 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Second Reading ‡ Colossians 1:12-20 He has taken us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Gospel ‡…

First Reading ‡ Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6.10I saw a woman clothed with the sun and with the moon beneath her feet. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 44:10-12.16The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold. Second Reading ‡ 1 Corinthians 15:20-27aAs members of Christ all people will be raised, Christ first, and after him all who belong…

One of the truly great things about the gospels is that they remind us that the disciples are not magically transformed the first time they meet Jesus. It takes time for them to get to know him and slowly begin to understand what he is all about. I imagine that they were pretty chuffed at…

TRINITY SUNDAY – The divine dance The biggest challenge in approaching a deeper understanding of the nature of God is being Western. Having a Western mind is really useful for science and computing + engineering. It is really not all that helpful for God. It began with the Greeks who loved making distinctions and treating…

More than 30 years ago while in pre-seminary formation, I was told a quote from a Russian Orthodox monk, who died in the nineteenth century, St Seraphim of Sarov (1754/1759-1833). The quote is – “the goal of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.” Seraphim goes on to say that like many…

Ascension day can be a very confusing experience. For many people the imagery and artwork that accompany this feast does not help to clear the confusion. Picturing the feet of Jesus beneath a cloud that is taking him away from us does not help. Whenever an image is encountered in the scriptures, our first question…

The Feast of “Christ the King” is relatively new in Catholic terms, being established by Pope Pius XI only in 1925. That it was during the political battle for the sovereignty of the Papal States and the fight against modernism colours the nature of the celebration. Originally celebrated on the last Sunday in October (still…

At first glance, this feast day appears to be all about the dignity of Mary. When Pope Pius XII solemnly declared the doctrine of Mary’s bodily assumption into heaven as a dogma of the faith on 1 Nov 1950 in the document Munificentissimus Deus, at paragraph 44 he stated: “the Immaculate Mother of God, the…

Solemnity of Mary of the Cross MacKillop Although Mary of the Cross was canonised in 2010 as the first Australian saint, this is the first year that the feast day has fallen on a Sunday since then. When Mary was declared a saint, her feast day was bumped up in the ecclesiastical and liturgical rankings…

Solemnity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Patronal Feast of the Diocese of Wollongong)Readings for 11th Sunday of the Year, B.St Columbkille’s Catholic Church, Corrimal.Ezekiel 17:22-24; Mark 4:26-34Play MP3Watch VideoWatch full Mass here – with special guest Tongan choir leading us in song What can we say the kingdom of God is like? Ezekiel. Year…

Our God is a rock. The Lord is my shepherd. I am the living bread come down from heaven. I am the true vine.  When you read through the the pages of scripture, you’re confronted constantly by the Hebrew idea of metaphors. These comparisons between something that we have some sense about, something that we’re…

Do you know that I am weird? There is also a more than fair chance that I’m not the only weird person here today! Statistically, we talk about people who are most likely going to be surveyed by researchers. Unfortunately, most of them share something in common: they are weird. WEIRD is an acronym –…

We have been on a pilgrimage with the Gospel of Matthew this year & arrive at this scene marking the conclusion of the public ministry of Jesus. We are presented with Jesus the king announcing a final blessing upon all of those who have been a blessing for others throughout their life. They receive the…

9 Beatitudes. Blessings. Jesus on a mountain proclaiming all these blessings on the crowd. Beatitude. Nice enough. Beginning of the most famous sermon of all time. On the surface it all seems simple enough – until you start to go below the surface. Who is being blessed? What does it mean? A question to keep asking…

When we hear the eight beatitudes that begin the Gospel of Matthew’s sermon on the mount in chapter 5, we can easily drift into very well-known territory. Every Christian is very familiar with these sayings, and this gospel or one of its many sung forms is used at weddings and funerals, graduations and dedications. Some…

John the Baptist is a great figure. His birth around six months before the birth of Jesus is worthy of celebration. John is an enigmatic figure – yet worthy of honour. He is a wild man with a deep passion for the way of God and a desire to see the kingdom of God break…

Think back to the last time that you celebrated with friends or family some significant occasion. Was it a special birthday, an engagement party, graduation or wedding? The desire to mark such a special occasion with a meal is a deeply human and spiritual instinct. So much happens when we gather together and are bound more…

The Church gathers the community together today and reminds us of the mission that we receive through our belief in the Trinitarian God. Like the disciples who had scattered during the passion of Jesus, we are gathered to worship – even if some distazo – the word that Matthew uses to describe the doubt of…

Today is the feast of Pentecost. A powerful, but strange collection of images surround us. Tongues of fire; strange languages; Cretans; mighty winds; thunder; lightning; holy Spirit gifts; smoke … and more. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek language, where it simply means the ‘fiftieth’ day. It is the name for a Jewish feast, which in…

Justice is something that we learn very early as children. We have this strong instinct for when something doesn’t just seem to be fair. Perhaps as a result, justice is one of the most profound longings of the human race. When there is no justice, then we know that something is wrong from deep within…