Celebrating Mary MacKillop’s Birthday
January 14, 2025
As we celebrate Mary’s birthday again on 15 January 2025, it is very fitting that her birthsite has recently been upgraded and made more accessible to visitors.
The birthsite in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, became a building site in 2022. St Vincent’s Private Hospital, that occupies the site, planned to build additional wards and theatres into the space. The original monuments commemorating Mary’s beatification and canonisation were temporally removed to make way for the building.
The Baptism of Jesus
January 11, 2025
Sr Helen shares a reflection for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, 12 January 2025.
Your Baptism, My Baptism – what does it mean?
We go in spirit to the peaceful and loving home of Nazareth. We somehow know that Joseph would have died, and Mary and Jesus are living their ordinary lives as part of the Nazareth community. Jesus was a man amongst men.
What does Peace and Freedom mean to you?
January 8, 2025
Peace and Freedom are inseparable; without peace, there can be no true freedom. In today’s world, this truth is more relevant than ever.
At first glance, it may be hard to recognise the peace and freedom we long for in the world. Acts of senseless violence and the cowardly abuse of power over humanity, often deny the peace and freedom we yearn for.
Epiphany – God puts on flesh!
January 5, 2025
We saw his star at its rising…
God puts on flesh! God brings light! What do we do?
The word ‘epiphany’ used in Greek indicates an appearance or manifestation. What does it invite us to?
Ordination Anniversary of Julian Tenison Woods
January 3, 2025
Twenty-four-year-old Julian Woods [1] was ordained a priest by Bishop Francis Murphy in Adelaide’s St Patrick’s Church on 4 January 1857. From his mid-teens, Julian’s one goal and longing had been ordination.
Raised in London by his Irish parents with the general conviction of Christian faith, he had no clear denominational identity. His mother was Anglican, his father Catholic, though non- practising. He was regularly sent with his brothers to the Anglican services, but recognised the reverence with which his father spoke of his earlier reception of the sacraments.
Mortgaging a Future of Hope – Debts Today, Peace Tomorrow
January 1, 2025
Pope Francis’ 2025 World Day of Peace message, “Forgive Us Our Debts: Grant Us Your Peace”, is a powerful invitation to everyone – individuals, communities, and nations – to engage in the transformative act of forgiveness. It is a call to embrace the principles of justice, reconciliation, and peace, not as lofty ideals, but as concrete actions that can heal wounds, right wrongs, and restore broken relationships.
The overwhelming weight of debt, however, can sometimes stand in the way of mortgaging a future of hope. But with the spiritual Bank of God – a place of limitless resources and mercy – we can apply for a new loan on life. God’s love offers a second chance – a loan that enables us to live with greater purpose, humility, and gratitude.
A Reflection on the Beginning of a New Year
On 1 January 2025, this day will be an opportunity to look back and to look forward…
The Romans chose to name the first month of the year January after the god Janus who is depicted as having two faces, one looking back, the other forward. On 1 January each year, we can take the opportunity to do just that – to look back over the year just completed, with all its ups and downs and to look forward, usually to a brighter year ahead, a new beginning.
New Year 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
December 31, 2024
As we begin this New Year, we give thank for all the blessings, memories and gifts of 2024. It was year filled with many joys and many challenges as people faced economic hardship, the loss of loved ones, war and climatic changes among other things. There were also moments when we rejoiced in the good news stories of heroic acts, the achievements at the Olympic games, the hope forged through the Church’s synod process and many more treasured moments.
As we step into 2025, we do with hearts full of hope. In the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has announced a Jubilee Year through which we are invited to become Pilgrims of Hope. Throughout the year there will be many events both locally and internationally to ignite the gift of hope among us.