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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
“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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
The Catholic Leader Keeping Faith with You
