MY six months of “pastoral placement” at a university in Sydney last year were something of a mitigated disappointment. I had been looking forward to daily engagements with students, lively discussions and a healthy dose of pub-related socialization. COVID put an end to most of those dreams. Students studied online, social engagements were almost non-existent, and the university forbade us ... Read More »
Category Archives: Despatch from a Dominican
The difference between hope and optimism was born on Christmas day
A SEMINARIAN I know recently sent me a message that ended with the words – “Don’t lose optimism!” Being a Dominican, the innate “sed contra” that dwells within me could not help but respond – “Optimism is the belief that things will keep getting better and better; it is not the same thing as the infused Christian virtue of hope”. ... Read More »
Dominican Brother Sebastian Condon discusses life at a priory in lockdown
A PRIORY in lockdown is a fascinating place. During the height of the pandemic, the entire community was confined to barracks to an extent heretofore unexperienced and unseen. Keep in mind the fact that friars are not monks; we never expect to stay in one location forever. We signed up to an itinerant life – we go where we are ... Read More »
Confirmation is not about being ready, it is a gift of transformative grace, writes Br Sebastian Condon
Due to the pandemic earlier this year, the confirmations in our parish were postponed. As a result, I have recently had to serve at several confirmation Masses, and have heard many theories among the assembled families as to what confirmation, as a sacrament, actually signifies. Many of these theories are interesting – some are simply mistaken. When I asked certain ... Read More »
‘Last first, the first, last’ reminds us we all must be taught God’s ways and the ways of His Kingdom
“The last will be first and the first will be last.” Now there’s a phrase that we’ve all heard (misused) before. It is scriptural, of course: it occurs in one of the gospel passages that will be proclaimed this month. It is spoken by Jesus during his attempt to explain the Kingdom of Heaven to the disciples. As is often ... Read More »
Learn to be a ‘seeker’ of Christ like St Bernard of Clairvaux
During this month when the Church in Australia calls us to reflect more deeply on the idea of our ‘vocation’, I would like to focus on the vocational call and life of one particular man. You may be surprised to learn he was not a Dominican. Well, not officially. But I like to think that St Bernard of Clairvaux – ... Read More »
Dominican Brother Sebastian Condon answers a question often on the lips of lapsed Catholics
I HAD to attend a function at the High Court in Canberra some years ago. After the interminable round of dull speeches and presentations, there was the usual progression of drinks and canapes during which we were expected to mingle and ‘network’ with one another. By this time I had already set my sights on entering religious life, and the ... Read More »
People often question chastity and celibacy when it comes to religious vows, but the true test is love
BROTHER Christian and I have renewed our vows. We have now been professed for three years; and have renewed our vows for a further twelve months and, if we wish to continue and the Order wishes to accept us, we will thereafter make solemn profession – until death. And though the profession formula and the vows remain the same each ... Read More »
Christians who fail and keep trying are sinners like everyone, not hypocrites as so often labelled
I MET a man recently who makes his living by selling expensive household whitegoods. ‘Miele’ whitegoods, as it happens. And he mentioned that, some years ago, he had a colleague who had his left upper arm tattooed with the motto of the company – ‘immer besser.’ (Always better) On learning this somewhat startling fact I asked, ‘And was he made ... Read More »