- 2009 27 Dec 2009
Does God flex his muscles once in a while, when we are becoming too big for our boots? ...
|
- Christmas 2009 20 Dec 2009
We still have a few days before Christmas to do those last minute things - make telephone calls to old friends, buy a few cards for those who weren't on our list, but unexpectedly sent us a card. Perhaps to visit the sick or shut-ins. ...
|
- Vegetarian 13 Dec 2009
When I was growing up I never met a vegetarian. Even today the idea makes me a bit uneasy for reasons I don't fully understand. ...
|
- Seeing God 6 Dec 2009
Some years ago a grade six boy asked me what the Book of Exodus (33:23) means when God said that Moses could only see his back and not his face. ...
|
- Advent 29 Nov 2009
Christmas decorations have been on display in some shops for weeks, but the Church season of Advent only starts today. ...
|
- White Ribbon Day 2009 22 Nov 2009
Some are born with a quick temper, others with a longer fuse, and yet another group are regularly placid. ...
|
- Seminarian 15 Nov 2009
Outsiders who do not know the Catholic Church well are sometimes surprised to discover the number and variety of Catholic subgroups. ...
|
- Life After Death? 8 Nov 2009
Recently I was chatting with a couple of friends, all of us in our late sixties. ...
|
- Anglicans 1 Nov 2009
Relationships between the Christian Churches in Australia have improved enormously during the last forty years, since the Catholic Church opened up to ecumenism. ...
|
- The Gold Standard for Family Life 25 Oct 2009
It's much easier when there are two parents to look after the children. They get an enormous head-start when both their parents bring them up together effectively and affectionately. ...
|
- Human Rights 18 Oct 2009
Many years ago I attended a school famous (or infamous) for producing many fine Aussie Rules footballers and many priests. ...
|
|
- Why Are The Poor Blessed? 4 Oct 2009
Most of us have heard of Christ's saying "Blessed are the poor", words which are diametrically opposed to the Australian dream. ...
|
- The Blessed 27 Sep 2009
Christ is not a surname or family name like Smith or Nguyen, two of the most common names now in the Sydney White Pages. ...
|
- Women in Combat 20 Sep 2009
There's a push at the moment to allow women in the Australian Defence Force to serve in front-line combat positions. It is one of the silliest ideas of the year so far, but silly ideas can have serious consequences. ...
|
- Alcohol in Australia 13 Sep 2009
As someone who grew up in a pub and enjoys a glass of wine, I don't think I could be called a wowser. ...
|
- The Kennedys 6 Sep 2009
All Australians around my age remember the Kennedys. ...
|
- Dead Silence or Blind Eye 30 Aug 2009
Most youngsters have heard of Hitler and his infamous programme of extermination against the Jews, although many are uncertain whether he started the First or Second World War! ...
|
- Euthanasia 23 Aug 2009
Rossiter from Perth has terrible quadriplegia, acquired after a series of falls. He is unable to clear his throat or wipe the tears from his eyes, and can only take food and water through a tube in his stomach. ...
|
- Suicide 16 Aug 2009
Recently a secondary school in Geelong, Victoria has lost four students through suicide in six months. What can we do to prevent such tragedies and help the families and friends of the deceased? ...
|
- Blessed Mary MacKillop 9 Aug 2009
Yesterday we celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Mother Mary of the Cross. ...
|
- A Blessing for Expectant Mothers 2 Aug 2009
Some young adults today are afraid of having children, uncertain of the benefits or uncertain of their capacity to cope as parents. ...
|
- Charity and Truth 26 Jul 2009
"Charity in Truth" is the title of Pope Benedict's recent encyclical letter on social justice. It is a good title, but linking both together in practice can be difficult. ...
|
- Life on Other Planets 19 Jul 2009
Is there intelligent life in the universe beyond planet earth? Is this possible or probable? A Christian might ask whether God could have created other intelligences in other worlds. ...
|
- Growing Old 12 Jul 2009
Recently a good friend surprised me by asking unexpectedly what I thought heaven would be like. ...
|
- Bishops 5 Jul 2009
Bishops are an essential part of the Catholic Church and the Australian scene, although many people would not be entirely sure what a bishop does. ...
|
- Unintended Consequences 28 Jun 2009
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Nobody is opposed to good intentions, but even conscientious decisions can have unexpected and disastrous consequences. ...
|
- Angels and Demons 21 Jun 2009
I was a bit disappointed that I enjoyed Dan Brown's film Angels and Demons and found that it wasn't thoroughly anti-Catholic. ...
|
- Vinnies' Winter Appeal 14 Jun 2009
The cold weather snap last week reminded us of the importance of the annual Vinnies Winter Appeal for the battlers and the homeless. The aim this year in N.S.W. is to raise $5 million. ...
|
- Northern Territory 7 Jun 2009
In the Northern Territory the lessons of life are writ large and publicly. ...
|
- No truth. No freedom 31 May 2009
We usually take truth for granted in everyday life. We are hurt by lies (when we discover them). It helps when the doctor correctly diagnoses our illness. Truth matters. ...
|
- Global Warming Pauses 24 May 2009
The tide on climate change is starting to turn. The Australian government is becoming more cautious. ...
|
- Good News 17 May 2009
Two recent Catholic celebrations showed off the Church at her best. ...
|
- Mothers Day 2009 10 May 2009
Women were treated abominably most of the time in the ancient pagan world. But even these societies recognized the bond between mother and child as something sacred. ...
|
- Archibald Prize 3 May 2009
The Archibald Prize for portrait painting is the most famous Australian art award although not the richest. ...
|
- Anzac Day and Vietnam 26 Apr 2009
In 1970 two RAAF servicemen, Michael Herbert and Robert Carver, were shot down over Quang Nam province in Vietnam while returning from a bombing run. ...
|
- Do Condoms help? 19 Apr 2009
Is the Catholic Church making the HIV-AIDS crisis in Africa worse by urging Catholics not to use condoms? ...
|
- Easter 2009 12 Apr 2009
When things are going badly, what does it mean to claim Christ saved and redeemed us? ...
|
- Palm Sunday 5 Apr 2009
Today is the beginning of what Christians call Holy Week, when the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are commemorated. ...
|
- Iquitos 29 Mar 2009
Iquitos is the largest city in the world which cannot be reached by road.
|
- Oxford University 22 Mar 2009
Oxford is the most famous university in the world, if not necessarily the best. ...
|
- Sloth 15 Mar 2009
Like many Australians I have led a fortunate life. Not the least of my blessings were good parents, who worked hard for many years. ...
|
- Envy 8 Mar 2009
Christians are commanded to love their neighbours, not to envy them, not to covet their neighbour's wife or possessions. ...
|
- Lent 1 Mar 2009
Lent started on last Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. ...
|
- Learn From The Past 22 Feb 2009
During the Victorian bushfires one political leader explained on the radio that both sides of politics believed in global warming. ...
|
- Bush Fires 15 Feb 2009
As a youngster growing up in country Victoria sixty years ago I remember the family talking about the bushfires of Black Friday in 1939. ...
|
- Social Capital 8 Feb 2009
We are now in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, which will certainly get worse before it improves. ...
|
- Facing Death 1 Feb 2009
A good friend of mine died recently in New York. There was nothing unusual in that. ...
|
- Australia Day 25 Jan 2009
What do we celebrate on Australia Day? We should take the opportunity to examine our core values, what we admire. ...
|
- Prosperity Index 18 Jan 2009
Timing is everything, but sometimes bad timing just can't be helped. ...
|
- Order in Nature 11 Jan 2009
Each year before Christmas the Pope meets with his fellow workers in the Roman Curia to exchange Christmas greetings. ...
|
- A New Year 4 Jan 2009
The new year of 2009 has not begun too brightly. ...
|
