For many years I pictured St Joseph as an old man. Possibly because he is often depicted that way and so my idea of him was influenced by what I saw. I don't think that way anymore. Consider this from Fulton Sheen! How much more beautiful Mary and Joseph become when we see in their … Continue reading Ite ad Joseph!
Believe it or not, the determining factor in the success of my day is not how kind I’ve been to others, how well I’ve done at resisting the chocolate biscuits, or how many words I’ve written of my thesis, but whether or not I made my bed that morning. I realise that when stacked up … Continue reading The Little Way To God – The Feast of St Therese
In a rich conversation about the importance of Pope St John Paul II’s leadership in promoting women and what he called “the Culture of Life,” a Christian friend told me how much the Pope’s moral clarity, his devotion to Jesus Christ and his life of prayer and action meant to her. As much as she … Continue reading The Rosary and the Praying Body
When Mary MacKillop was canonized in 2010 I was working at a Catholic bookshop in Melbourne. In the months leading up to the canonization the shop was inundated with every kind of Mary MacKillop piety that you can imagine. There were candles, key rings, bookmarks and medals but for some reason, in my mind, the … Continue reading This World is Not My Home – The Feast of St Mary of the Cross
In the modern Western Church calendar the 26th July is kept as the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus Christ and the holy parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For many centuries all over the Catholic and Byzantine world, St Anne has been one of the most intimate and popular saints. Wherever … Continue reading Grandmother of Christ – The Tradition of St Anne throughout the ages.
When Pietro Molla was first approached for his wife’s cause for canonization, he was very surprised. He replied, “Look, I know I married a fantastic woman. But she was so normal!” Their son, Pierluigi, later reflected that his father came from a generation where saints got their status from miracles and supernatural feats. Pietro’s wife, … Continue reading The Saints In Our Lives – St Gianna, the Saint of the “Ordinary Time”
I have always loved the fact that because of the sheer number of saints of the Church (those who are officially recognised and those who we will one day meet in Heaven) there is always a saint who has shared his or her experience of my own particular sufferings and joys. I am encouraged by … Continue reading The Saints In Our Lives – The Measure of Love, St Catherine of Siena
St Joseph was chosen by God to look after his own Son on earth. Who could even contemplate being given such a task! St Joseph is one of our most powerful intercessors to Christ and there are so many accounts of prayers answered due to his patronage. He is such an example of obedience, humility, … Continue reading Happy Feast of St Joseph
Have you ever found yourself in the same room as a large number of “Marian Catholics”? Did you find them simply talking about the traffic, the weather, or their pet cat, out of fear that their confreres might be ‘yes’ voters, climate change fanatics, pro-choice flag carriers or gender fluid enthusiasts? Not a chance. They … Continue reading The Amazing Grace of the Rosary
We are starting a new series "The Saints In Our Lives". Saints are so important in our tradition and in our understanding of how to live a good and moral life in Christ. We feel that their stories are not being heard enough and that in our culture today, their ability to encourage and inspire our … Continue reading The Saints in Our Lives – St Francis de Sales
