The Treasure Hidden In The Field
Today in Australia we honour our first native saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop who is also secondary patroness of our community, which gives us even greater incentive to honour her in a fitting manner. Her love and zeal for souls inspired her to undertake extraordinary feats which demanded superhuman energy and exposed her, as […]
The “Secret Of That Face”
Today the Church turns her gaze towards the transfigured face of Our Beloved Lord. His face shone like the sun, says the Gospel. It’s hard to look at the sun, or rather it is not possible without damage to the eye. Our Lord’s face shines like the sun because the human soul cannot penetrate into […]
I Have Come To Cast Fire On The Earth…
Ignem veni mittere in terram — I have come to cast fire on the earth. These words of Our Blessed Lord come spontaneously to the mind when we think of today’s great saint, Ignatius of Loyola. Much more than the root form of the name — Ignis, Ignatius, “aflame” — the comparison comes from the fire that […]
A Special Day
This Sunday 30 July, Father Prior blessed the small house on our new property and the community shared its first meal there since settlement day. Three good friends shared the occasion with us and made it very special. Divine Providence gave us the joy of rainbows that were quite visible, and, it would seem, rare […]
A Gift From Our Lady On Her Parents’ Feast Day
“I will bring them into My holy mount, and will make them joyful in My house of prayer: their holocausts and their victims shall please Me upon My altar.” These inspired words from the Prophet Isaiah (56:7), as the chapter verse for the monastic office of Sext on this feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, […]
The “Penitent”
St Mary Magdalene is the only saint in the liturgical calendar to have received the title “Penitent”. Other holy women are called either “virgin”, or “widow”, or simply “holy woman”. The titles the Church gives to saints are titles of glory. She praises her martyrs, confessors, bishops, doctors, virgins, etc…. Today she sings the praises […]
“I Have Acted Like A Fool…”
Today in the traditional calendar, it is the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, and we are given to read about King David’s sin and subsequent repentance. Two words caught my attention last evening as we sang the antiphon for first vespers: insipienter egi — I have acted foolishly. With those words David describes his own actions with regard […]
St Benedict And Saving The West
A few days ago the President of the United States gave a speech to the Polish people in Warsaw in which he spoke of the threats facing the West, in particular the danger of the West losing its soul. In many ways, it was remarkable to hear from the mouth of one of the most […]
The Precursor And The “Truth Trip”
The feast of the Nativity of the Precursor, St John the Baptist, celebrated a few days ago, affords us the opportunity to reflect upon the significance of this extraordinary man, the “greatest among those born of woman”. His grandeur lies precisely in pointing the way to Christ. This is admirably expressed in the “Benedictus” where his […]
