Have you ever pondered the reality of hardened hearts and how to soften them? Jesus certainly did during his ministry. Undaunted by a culture that contributed to the hardening of hearts, Jesus waded into the world of the prostitute, the tax collector and others who were the subject of official scorn and rejection by Jewish … More PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, PARISH RENEWAL AND THE GREAT COMMISSION
There is a lot of discussion in Catholic circles today about our diminishing numbers as our institutional Church searches for concrete responses to the bleeding that has been going on now for some years. I read an article on Spirit Daily today [Will the Post Covid 19 Church be smaller?] that pointed the finger … More NAILING THE HEART OF EVANGELISM
At the heart of the search to evangelize in new ways is the notion of “mission” and the cultural soil that nourishes a mission driven initiative. This process contemplates an ending, a period in the wilderness and finally an arrival. The process itself could apply to any initiative that stimulates significant change for significant change … More IN SEARCH OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION: NAVIGATING THE WILDERNESS
At the very core of the “search for the sacred” is the relationship that each of us has or might have with Jesus. To the extent that we develop this relationship we move forward in our quest for the sacred. We find ourselves asking: “What does this mean in practical terms as we respond … More FORMATION: THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP
Some time has elapsed since my last post. It is time to post once again. Helen and I have helped to facilitate an ALPHA course that commenced on the 19th of September 2018 and concludes this coming Wednesday night, the 28th of November. As many of you will recall from my earlier posts, our parish … More ENGAGING THE CULTURAL SWING
The New Evangelization promoted by Popes JPII, Benedict and Francis and the move to “mission” from “maintenance” advocated by many groups within the Church to facilitate this newness of evangelization requires that we evaluate our “culture” with a view to altering that culture over time to accommodate a new vision of outreach: a new way … More OUTREACH: SUSTAINING THE CULTURAL SHIFT
It has now been over a month since Helen and I attended a 2 day Devine Renovation [DR} Conference and a day at an International Alpha Conference in Halifax Nova Scotia. The DR Conference attracted 650 delegates from 8 countries around the world, 170 of whom were priests. Numbered among the delegates were representatives … More TINKERING WITH THE PROCESS: ADJUSTING CULTURE
For all of us, the redemptive act of Jesus should be tantamount to the abolition of slavery. The letter to the Hebrews [Hebrews 2: 14-15] sets this out with clarity: “Since all the children[us] share the same human nature, he [Jesus] too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could set aside … More OVERCOMING FEAR
If you respond, as I try to do daily, to the Good News, you may find yourself fired up over an article on the faith or a good homily but the enthusiasm often wanes as the realities of daily living move you into your daily routine. I think that this is normal … More A STEP EACH DAY
I have just recently come across an extract from Mother Angelica’s book, “A Guide to Practical Holiness”, which resonated with me. Anyone who has been engaged in political activity in any organization will understand the pitfalls around conflict in terms of how it is managed for conflict can be healthy if it is managed properly. … More THE REAL MEANING OF LOVE
God Gracious 