Faithful, Faulty Families

It is in the family that we learn what it is to love. Christ calls us not be perfectly happy, but to trust in him and be open to growth and grace. Families can be wonderfully, and awfully, messy can’t they? They may be the fundamental unit of society, but there’s no question that families…

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Litany of Praise

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, Almighty King. Response: We worship you. Lord Jesus Christ, King of creation.  R Lord Jesus Christ, King of the heavens and the earth. R Lord Jesus Christ, King of the oceans and seas. R Lord Jesus Christ, King of all creatures.  R Lord Jesus Christ, King of all peoples.   R Lord…

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Christ the King!

Despite the machinations of those who had rejected Christ’s peace, Christ’s reign is complete and eternal… writes Marilyn Rodrigues In 1925 the world was lurching from one major crisis to another, rocked by waves of political, social and economic disorder. Mussolini dismantled the Italian government and took control of the country. Hitler published Mein Kampf…

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The Rosary

A Calling Card for Heaven Does your family pray the rosary? Would you like to begin it as a family tradition but it’s just too hard to manage? By Marilyn Rodrigues Toddlers with their short attention spans, older children and spouses all with their own schedules can certainly test a commitment to any kind of…

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St Mary of the Cross Mackillop

For the first time, on August 8, 2011, the universal Church will honour Australia’s first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. It has always been her feast day, but from this year the liturgical observance of this feast will be raised to a ‘solemnity’. What is a solemnity? A solemnity is the highest rank…

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Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

A look at scripture and tradition can take us back to the feast of the sacred heart of Jesus and give our devotion new life. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not nearly as popular today as a couple of generations ago, when almost every Catholic at least knew about the nine first…

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God is Here: The Eucharist

Do we live our belief that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist, present in our churches each day? The feast of Corpus Christi gives us an opportunity to reflect anew on the real and living  presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It was a school morning and I had lost my temper too many times…

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Saints for Mothers

St Gerard Majella | Feast day: October 16 | Patron of expectant mothers | 1755 AD Born at Muro, Italy, in 1726, St Gerard joined the Redemptorists as a lay brother at age 23. Displaying an extraordinary wisdom and gift for reading consciences, he was permitted to counsel communities of religious women. His patronage of…

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War & Peace

People in the armed forces are called in a special way to be servants of peace. We can all do something to contribute to building up peace, by working to increase love and justice in our daily lives and wherever we find ourselves. Each country has its special days set aside for the commemoration of its…

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The Announcement!

Celebrate the world’s biggest announcement with Mary this Lent. What if Mary had said ‘no’? Would the Archangel Gabriel have tried the maiden next door? Did God have a plan B for saving the world? I remember the excitement and nervous anticipation with which my husband and I went to tell our parents that we…

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Gratitude: The Heart-Beat of Love

A little gratitude goes a long way when it comes to happy marriages. New research validates age-old wisdom: the simple habit of gratitude can transform a jaded marriage into a joyous encounter. | By Marilyn Rodrigues A University of North Carolina study highlighted the association of gratitude with a happy marriage. Cameron Gordon, the study’s…

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St Margret Mary’s Sacred Heart Consecration

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus By St Margaret Mary  I give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being other than to…

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