"At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil"- Matthew 4:1 What has the Gospel of Matthew got to do with the German fairy story of Rumpelstiltskin? I didn’t know either, until I started writing, but it goes something like this. When we pray the ‘Our Father’, … Continue reading Adoration Lenten Reflection – Week 2
“Nothing in all of creation can ever separate us from the love of God.” - Romans 8:39 In 1930, after his conversion to Christianity, TS Elliot wrote several poems of Lent, I found that this one from Ash Wednesday - Part 6 really speak to me about this week. “This is the time of tension between … Continue reading Adoration Lenten Reflection – Week 1
For a good deal of my life, the only time I “adored” was in the Lolly Shop close to home, oh, and on Holy Thursday when I dutifully followed the priest to the altar of repose. This term, “altar of repose”, I only learned when I was 28 and having a conversion to the Catholic … Continue reading Adoration and the grit required to Adore
This Lent we are inviting you to pray in solidarity with others during the season. In every Church and Chapel, the Lord is waiting for us to come and spend time with Him, either in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament or simply before the Tabernacle. Our challenge is to take some time out of our … Continue reading A Lenten Invitation
Experiencing the death of a child is one of the most heartbreaking and traumatic experiences a parent can go through. Although it is widely acknowledged that one in four pregnancies will end in miscarriage, sadly many women will experience the loss of a baby during pregnancy with little or no support. Many couples may also … Continue reading Anima Family Grief Support: a new ministry for those impacted by miscarriage, infant and child loss
It is often the way that those who prepare a retreat feel like they are in a bit of a spiritual furnace. It can be quite intense. I asked Jane O'Connor, one of the founders of The Makers Table, and the chief 'beauty maker' of our recent "Be Still" retreat in Melbourne, to write me … Continue reading To marinate in Christ – Retreat reflection
A HIVE of activity. 8am on 2nd September the Makers Table and Anima teams were BUSTLING like no mans business. Ironic given the theme of the day. We had one hour to set up everything we had planned for the previous 6 weeks, before the 55 women descended upon us. This was no mean feat, … Continue reading A grace filled day – Lysterfield retreat day 2023
My dad’s nickname for me is “Buzz”. I was Buzz before Mr Lightyear. He gave me this name because he loved the way I busied myself and got jobs done swiftly. I like this name, and I like the hum of being busy and productive. There are times however, when the “hum” becomes an exhausted … Continue reading “Be still, and know that I am God” PS 46:10
That human beings are created “imago dei” is a central theme in Christianity (and Judaism). The belief conveys the fact that God’s love is written intentionally into human beings: in our ability to think, to make moral and other decisions and in our ability to form loving relationships with others. One of the problems we … Continue reading Saint Edith Stein: The Splendour of Friendship
~ This year Anima have been working with the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia based here in Melbourne on a series of talks on what it means to be a woman in Christ with intelligent fidelity. The series, called "Lamps Alight", is held monthly at the parish of Keilor Downs in the west of Melbourne. … Continue reading Dignity of Women and the Order of Love – Lamps Alight
