ARCHBISHOP Denis Hart has written a letter to the Catholic people of Melbourne. In it he draws on the two parables – The Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son – in the context of the Year of Mercy. He stresses the forgiveness of God and encourages us to the practice of Reconciliation during Lent. (Greythorn […]
Category: Pastoral Messages
Message Of Pope Francis For World Day Of Peace 2016
“GOD is not indifferent! God cares about mankind! God does not abandon us!…Sadly, war and terrorism, accompanied by kidnapping, ethnic and religious persecution and the misuse of power, marked the past year from start to finish. In many parts of the world, these have become so common as to constitute a real “third world war […]
Prayer And The Christian Life
I NOTICE that the number of people requesting prayers for their deceased relatives and friends in November declined. This is a general observation that I make as a priest committed to praying for the community entrusted to me. It has no particular reference to Greythorn. I have observed that the request for prayers is less. […]
From Cardinal John Newman
AND we, at the present day, have particular need of the discipline of such commemorations as Saint’s days to recall us to ourselves. It is a fault of these times (for we have nothing to do with the faults of other times) to despise the past in comparison of the present. We can scarce open […]
From funeral Mass of Pat McDonald
“THE life that God prepares for us is not an embellishment of this life but it overcomes immensely our imagination because God always surprises us with his love and mercy. Saint Paul, in fact, says the sufferings of the present time can’t be compared to the future glory that will be revealed to us. If […]
Year Of Mercy 2016
THE Holy Father’s letter inaugurating the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy has some beautiful text for our reflection: “Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy”. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him. The Father […]
New Year’s Day 2016
NEW Year was celebrated in spectacular style in 2016. Images of the pyrotechnics in Melbourne and Sydney flashed around the world. Australia is truly a prosperous country can afford tens of millions of $$$$ on “fire-crackers” (sic). But they were spectacular and they promote our cities internationally and bring visitors to the country. It seems […]
Addendum To World Day For Peace
I MIGHT add to my earlier reference to violence in the world by being more specific. I cannot, for all my searching, find any justice or sanity in the ongoing war in Syria. The ‘Grand Coalition’ sponsored by France, after the Paris terror, adds to the previous Coalition of all the most powerful countries in […]
Pope Francis to the Roman Curia
“IT seems necessary to state what has been – and ever shall be – the object of sincere reflection and decisive provisions. The reform will move forward with determination, clarity and firm resolve, since Ecclesia semper reformanda. (Church always in need of reform.)” With these words the Holy Father has indicated his intention to push […]
Pope Francis and Catholic Diversity
AS Catholics we have grown up to think of being Catholic as being too uniform and univocal. This was somewhat tempered by the recent Synod on the Family. There was even disquiet among bishops and cardinals that Pope Francis was insufficiently attentive to a singular view that they equated with unity. While one should give […]