Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Myanmar families the silent victims in Thai floods

Media Release – Caritas Australia

9 November, 2011

Millions of families in Myanmar are the hidden face of Thailand’s flood devastation, confronted with financial ruin as relentless waters cripple the Thai economy.

Large numbers of Myanmar’s impoverished population rely heavily on so-called “remittances” _ money sent back from bordering nations like Thailand by loved ones working illegally, often in the construction industry. Continue reading

Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention – Claim the date!

Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention 2012

After the highly successful Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention (ACYMC) in Melbourne 2010 which hosted over 400 youth ministers from parishes, diocese, schools and communities around Australia, the BCPL is preparing to host another in 2012.
Continue reading

Communicating timeless messages using new media

www.cievents.com.au/events/ACMC2012

Recently, a friend sent through a message to me on Facebook with the picture just below, which shows Jesus talking to a young man. Indeed, Jesus is asking us to follow him, and although we all misread the signs at times – Christ desires all of us to be with him. So, we have a 2,000 year old message which is timeless, it doesn’t age, although perhaps the mediums we use to communicate the message could do with a little work. This message of course is that of love, hope, mercy, faith and salvation. These are not easy messages to put into one line “tweet” or a pithy “facebook” status. We don’t exactly update our relationship status to “In a relationship with Jesus Christ” and consider ourselves “Facebook official” the moment we realise how much we have been gifted by God in our lives.. The hope of Christ in the world gives life to all, and yet so many haven’t been touched in this way.

Next year, the second Australian Catholic Media Congress will be held at the Menzies Hotel in Sydney with the theme “Communicating the Word: Timeless messages, new media.” Our international guest for this Congress is Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

The Congress is open to anyone who wishes to attend, particularly those with an interest in Church media. The congress aims to address some of the challenges of spreading a message in a sometimes hostile world; it aims to show new ways of engaging with technology to more effectively proclaim those messages. Over three days, from the 30th of April to the 2nd of May, the bishops have invited you, the people of Australia to attend the Australian Catholic Media Congress and discuss your hopes and vision for Church media.

So we hope that you will join us. www.cievents.com.au/events/ACMC2012

The Blessing of the Altar; Domus Australia Rome; By + Cardinal George Pell

Archbishop of Sydney
17 October 2011
This evening we conclude the retreat day of the Ad Limina visit with both Mass in this renovated chapel of St. Peter Chanel and the consecration of its new altar.
I am not sure whether the chapel was ever consecrated previously by the Marist Fathers. But we can be sure that this place of worship has been made holy by the prayers and lives of all the Marist priests and seminarians who lived here during more than one hundred years.
As Jesus pointed out to the Samaritan woman, his followers, the true worshippers to which we belong, worship the Father in spirit and truth. It is the same Eucharist, the same seven sacraments that will continue to be celebrated here as in the Marist times, when we worship the Father through his only Son. Continue reading

HOMILY OF MOST REV BARRY JAMES HICKEY ON THE FEAST OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST 20 OCTOBER 2011

AT THE BASILICA OF ST JOHN LATERAN

In the history of salvation God called extraordinary people to proclaim his revelation to the world. Patriarchs and prophets prepared the Chosen People, the Israelites, to grasp the reality of the one true God and to shape their lives according to his Will.

On the Feast of St John the Baptist we see in him the fulfilment of the centuries of preparation and the validation of all that had gone before. We hear in him the combined voices of all the prophets as he cried out “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths”. Continue reading

Toward a theology of disability

By Patricia Mowbray

The Disability Projects Office of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is a much more all-encompassing ministry than one might imagine. It involves encouraging and promoting the full participation of people with disability, their families and friends in the faith life of our Church in Australia.

It’s all about taking our rightful place in the Body of Christ. Continue reading

HOMILY FOR THE MASS AT ST MARY MAJOR’S BASILICA, ROME AD LIMINA 2011 – 13 OCTOBER 2011

By Archbishop John Bathersby, Archbishop of Brisbane

My brothers and sisters it is a tremendous privilege to be present in this marvellous Basilica of St Mary Major. It brings us together, and brings together also Jesus, Son of God and Saviour, and His mother Mary, Our Lady, and mother of the Church. Mary has already played significant roles in all of our lives. I grew up in Stanthorpe in the 1940s, taught by the Sisters of Mercy who constantly encouraged me to pray for a vocation to priesthood. I tried to do so, but changed my mind when I thought the Air Force was a more interesting career, only to realise that the Sisters had kept on praying for me through the power of Mary, mother of Jesus. For me Mary seemed like a furnace of prayer and I turned to her whenever I needed support for myself, or needed support assist others who asked for my prayers. Continue reading