~ 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
There is nothing new under the sun, including experts. No ancient court would have been complete without an astrologer on hand to predict next year’s grain harvest or the outcome of a military campaign. Experts have been loitering in the wings since antiquity, but in our time they have increased both in number and apparent … Continue reading Do not the Pharisees do as much?
Last month we unexpectedly lost a dear friend of ours here at Anima, Louisa Ashton. In fact she was a dear friend to many, especially across the Catholic community of Melbourne. She had many struggles and disappointments in her life which were magnified more so in the last few years. Sometimes, dreams, drive and all … Continue reading What do you seek? – The ponderings on the life of a friend.
The presentation; a child is dedicated to God. In our modern times, we may be quick to consider this in opposition to the freedom of a child, a taking away of their choice of faith as they grow. That a dedication of a child strips a child of the free will they have to choose … Continue reading You belong to God – The Presentation of Mary.
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
hubris: hjuːbrɪs: excessive pride or self confidence • (in Greek tragedy) excessive pride towards or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis. nemesis: ˈnɛmɪsɪs/ the inescapable agent of someone's or something's downfall. We live in a time of hubris. As a society, we have become enamoured with the goal of self actualisation. Apparently, this is … Continue reading Do You Know Who You Are?
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
Vice driven decisions begin slowly, like a small snowball, as it begins its descent down the steep slope. Then, as vice feeds upon vice the snowball grows to gigantic proportions and travels at extreme speed before it crashes spectacularly at the base of the mountain, causing untold damage to village below. Our culture, like the … Continue reading Cultivating Virtue Unearths Life’s Purpose
Professor Nicholas Tonti-Filippini was a dynamo of generous encouragement with a mind and a heart to match. This month is the third anniversary of his death after a 25 year struggle with debility, pain and illness. At the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family he spent his last years spurring us all on to heighten … Continue reading Around The Web – Special Edition. In Memoriam Nicholas Tonti-Filippini
Today’s modern woman is a victim of what we might call the superwomen syndrome. The feminist mantra of gender equality and freedom from patriarchal oppression has failed to secure her happiness. Rather, many women face the daily grind of pushing themselves to excel at juggling a professional career, family life as well as the societal … Continue reading Mary’s Example of Femininity
