27 January 2024
 The Marian Lecture titled 'A Tender Revolution' focuses on the virtue of tenderness in the context of Christian faith and family life. It emphasizes tenderness as a revolutionary virtue, deeply rooted in love and necessary for genuine human interaction and community building. The lecture draws upon biblical stories, including the Prodigal Son and the Holy Family, to illustrate the power of tenderness in fostering forgiveness, understanding, and empathy. It also discusses the challenges of expressing tenderness in a modern, often impersonal world, and how this virtue is crucial in personal growth, relationships, and spiritual development. The lecture calls for a reevaluation of tenderness as a strength rather than a weakness, highlighting its transformative potential in both personal and communal contexts. |
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21 January 2024
 Archbishop Rowan William's presentation delved into the teachings of the Desert Fathers, focusing on themes of life, death, and relationships with neighbors. He emphasized the interconnectedness of human lives and the spiritual importance of our interactions with others. Archbishop Rowan William's highlighted the Desert Fathers' teachings on humility, solidarity, and the dangers of judgment and superiority, suggesting that true spiritual growth stems from understanding and embracing our shared human experience. He advocated for reimagining Christian community life not as a competitive endeavor, but as a collective journey towards reconciliation and wholeness. Main's presentation called for a deeper integration of these ancient teachings into contemporary Christian practice, emphasizing self-reflection, humility, and the cultivation of genuine relationships as pathways to spiritual development and a deeper connection with God. |
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20 December 2023
 From the Church's beginnings – as the New Testament makes clear - Mary has been seen as a great sign of encouragement for believers. References to Mary, though they may seem brief, are deeply meaningful, presenting Mary as a figure of immense significance for the communities that produced these texts. St Luke, in his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles, skilfully portrays Mary as the model of discipleship, the one who 'hears the Word of God and puts it into practice'. Taking a central theme of the Scriptures, St John sees Mary as the 'woman' in God's ultimate plan, and 'mother' of the family of the disciples of Jesus. |
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07 December 2023
 at the Marriott Hotel in Quincy, Boston, USA, from April 15 to 18. Barbara Ashwell from Marist Laity Australia reports on the event, which saw significant participation from Australian and New Zealand delegates among the 200 attendees from various states, including Hawaii. On April 16, Father Craig Larkin set the conference's tone by outlining goals like growing in prayer, holiness, Gospel challenge, bonding as Marists, understanding Mary's spirituality, rebuilding the Church, and discovering the laity's role in today's Church. Keynote speaker Andrea Pichelmeir, a theologian from Germany, discussed the meaning of being 'Marist' and Father Colin's vision, emphasizing the importance of context in understanding spiritual texts. |
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03 December 2023
 Father Michael Whelan's presentation on spirituality from a Marist perspective, titled 'Do As He Tells You' The Way of Obedience, delves into the concept of obedience as a central aspect of spiritual life. He starts by emphasizing the human ground of religious behaviors and practices, aligning with the idea that the incarnation of God in human form confirms the significance of human experience in spirituality.
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25 November 2023
 These YouTube videos launch Dr. Connie Zweig's book, 'The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul.' The book is intended for individuals over 50 who are feeling disoriented by aging and are looking for tools to help them find peace, forgiveness, self-knowledge, gratitude, meaning, and a way to contribute meaningfully in the latter part of their lives. Dr. Zweig extends her work on the shadow to explore the shadows of age. She discusses the transition from identifying with our roles in work and family to a deeper, spiritual identity that emerges as we age and our roles fall away. This shift is described as a transformation from role to soul. |
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19 November 2023
 In his talk on the nature of freedom, Robert Barron explores the concept of freedom, particularly its interpretation in Western culture. He begins by referencing the influence of notable figures like Martin Luther King and Bob Dylan, using Dylan's lyrics to introduce the theme of freedom linked to truth and responsibility. Barron delves into theological perspectives on freedom, citing St. Thomas Aquinas and William of Ockham as representatives of two distinct views. Aquinas posits that true freedom aligns with God's inherent goodness, arguing that God cannot sin because His will is perfectly ordered to His goodness. In contrast, Ockham emphasizes God's absolute power, suggesting that God's will is so powerful it defines reality, thereby divorcing freedom from goodness. |
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15 November 2023
 The 'Gathering Formation Course' is an innovative year-long program designed to facilitate personal and spiritual growth within a community setting. This course thoughtfully circumvents the potential biases associated with denominational branding by opting for a more inclusive title that focuses on the essence of formation and gathering. It's a strategic approach to ensure wider accessibility and appeal. |
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12 November 2023
 'The Practice of the Presence of God' by Brother Lawrence is a collection of his letters, along with some of his conversations and spiritual maxims. The central theme of the book is the development of an awareness of God's presence in everyday life. Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite monk in the 17th century, advocates for a continuous conversation with God, regardless of the task at hand, thereby finding the sacred in the mundane. This practice leads to a spiritual state that transcends the need for formal prayer or meditation periods because every moment becomes an opportunity to commune with the divine. The book has been a classic in Christian spiritual literature, teaching simplicity and devotion in one's relationship with God. |
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11 November 2023
 Father Pat presented a brilliant PowerPoint production, complete with music, to illustrate his own understanding of the Marist Vision in today's world. With powerful images of St Peter's in Rome, and people in various situations he presented the image of the Patriarchal Church where love equaled obedience. He then went on to present the Marian Church where love equaled mercy which he illustrated with another image of St Peter's taken from a different angle. In between these two images is that of the Simeon Church - the contemplative Church. |
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19 July 2023
 In Richard Rohr's presentation on 'Everything is a Gift,' he advocates transcending the logical mind to access a deeper contemplative self. Through prayer practice and mindfulness, one can realize that everything is a gift, fostering a sense of gratitude and humility. He highlights the significance of recognizing the mystery of the divine and avoiding presumptions of understanding God's nature. |
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14 June 2023
 The book of Job: faith and justice in a world of incomprehensible nihilism. |
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06 June 2023
 Marist Spirituality. Marcellin Champagnat |
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11 March 2023
 Chaos and order are two things are very much connected. They flow through life in lots of ways. In a connected fashion. When people try and track the chaos in their life. Mostly everyday has moments of chaos. It is possible, all the time. The most disturbing chaos, are the ones that disturb the centres. The points where things are normally stable. That is where the chaos can really get a person. |
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05 February 2023
 The Fourviere Pledge is the oldest formal record we have of the intentions of those who founded the Marist family. Two of the priests who signed this pledge went on to become founders: Father Jean-Claude Colin is considered the founder of the priests and brothers and the entire Marist family, and Father Marcellin Champagnat is the founder of the Brothers of the Schools. Four of the signers—Colin, Champagnat, Etienne Terraillon, and Etienne Declas—became professed Marist priests in 1836. |
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23 December 2022
 Fundamental to the Marist movement is the conviction that it was Mary’s initiative which called the Society of Mary into existence. She expressed her desire in these words: “Here is what I want . . . a Society which will have my name, which will be called the Society of Mary, whose members will call themselves Marists.” It is she who chose and called the first Marists into her enterprise by giving them her name. |
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22 December 2022
 The Holy Spirit graces the Church and the world with spiritual gifts through the founders of religious movements. The ideas of these founders deserve special attention and study. This section summarizes the unique understandings and insights of the founder of the Marist family, Father Jean-Claude Colin, S.M. It is now acknowledged that his ideas especially about the Church and the laity were ahead of his time. This claim is best explained by comparing Father Colin’s writings with the teachings of Vatican II, Paul VI, and John Paul II. |
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21 December 2022
 Here are some stories of the recognised saints of the Marist Family, but no doubt, as there are many more. |
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21 December 2022
 Very little has been written about the lives of lay Marists. Yet the laity have been working with the ordained and/or vowed branches of the Marist family since before any of them were approved by the Church. |
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20 December 2022
 Handbook for Leaders of Marist Laity Groups. PART II - Origins and History. This history of the early years of the Marists includes biographies of canonized Marist saints and lay Marists of note. |
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17 December 2022
 This Handbook is a resource for group leaders. It is important that leaders becomethoroughly familial' with the contents, share information with other Marists, keep theHandbook intact, and assist in updates as needed. |
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11 December 2022
 Marist Spirituality comes from Mary of Nazareth - hidden and unknown as it were - the spirit of the family at Nazareth. This can be conveyed to young people as well. We see the application of the Marist spirituality in all the branches of the Marist family. |
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30 November 2022
 Apostolic Life. Composed by the Marist Sisters of the Oceania Province. At the first session of the Provincial Chapter it was proposed that a self-study programme at community level be initiated in the Province. The object of the study was to examine our community life in three aspects and so deepen our awareness and understanding of our life together. These aspects were summarised under the headings of Religious and Marist life, Apostolic life , and The Cry of the Poor and Social Justice. |
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30 November 2022
 We saw Moses as God's special instrument, especially chosen and prepared. We added that God brought about a CHANGE in Moses —a purification, as time went on. We felt that in spite of his fear, he acted in faith. He could see the Hand of the Lord in his own life, e.g., in the Burning Bush. |
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24 November 2022
 Brother Leo said that in novitiate he was told to read 'The Soul of the Apostolate' every year. He learned from this book that prayer is the foundation for everything. He said that action is the shadow side of the Brothers as they have become workaholics. They would rather teach, coach, clean than become mystics. We need time for life, energy and to develop a passion for God that can only come about by prayer. We are not social workers or activists -we do love the work but it is not enough. We are Marists in Action and for this we need a deep prayer life to support our ministry. |
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10 November 2022
 We are moving into our third session. This session is called “Love is forgiveness”. I am going to show you a film clip. This film was made in 1986 called “The Mission”. The mission is about the Jesuits trying to do mission work in South American in the 1705 to 1709. One of their commitments was to make contact with the Guaraní people (or the indigenous peoples). |
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09 November 2022
 The experience of the conference is like a wheel - we want to move forward. The hub, the centrepoint is the person of Jesus - we want to be disciples of Jesus and the person who can teach us best how to be a disciple is Mary. |
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08 November 2022
 There are all these tensions going on. One of the tensions was between a “false I” and a “True I”. Another tensions was between a “false God” and a “true God”. Nietzsche may not have believed in God, but he had an image of God. Nietzsche says “the only God I knew was impossible a tyrant and a power”. Teresa of Avila comes back and says “the only God I know is the God that Jesus reveals”. |
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07 November 2022
 We will enter into conversations throughout the day. Through each conversation I have tried to capture a number of conversations of love. The first face and first conversation is that we want to look at is that of humble love. This relates to the Marist and Marian movement. We see Mary as a mother of humility. What does that mean? Can this conversation gives us insight into the meaning of humility? |
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30 October 2022
 No matter where you are on your journey with Christ, this TV Show is for you. The Chosen is a 7 episode television series about the life of Christ, as witnessed through the eyes of those he impacted. Starts Sunday October 30. Bring your family, friends, neighbours, and anyone who want to know more about Jesus... |
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25 October 2022
 Myth inspires creative vision and dynamic action. It is not a monolithic and closed system; but a beckoning forth, an opening out, within a mythic horizon which liberates the individual, integrates experience and provides a unifying paradigm for life. John Claude Colin's development of the Marist root-metaphor in terms of eschatological vision has been little understood. This is because 'the communication of a vision is not a showing (of pictures - of reality) but a communion (in seeing - the universe): in other words it is simply and profoundly a myth. |
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20 October 2022
 The critical issue being explored in this paper is the following: how canwe understand the past, and especially the Marist charism, in a way which engages us in the present and gives life to our future? Clearly, this is a matter of more than academic interest as a reading of the Superior General’s Report on the Society demonstrates. |
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09 October 2022
 Our aim is to make the whole world Marist. If I said this to theologians or to anyone else in Germany they would frown. In German the word 'Marist' ('maristisch') sounds rather strange, if not ideological, like every word in German ending in 'istisch'. Even my spiritual director told me last week that he knew there was a religious order called 'Marists' but their name did not make him think of Mary. As students we used to make fun of the name by adding an x which turned 'Marist' |
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16 September 2022
 We believe Colin and his companions were chosen by Mary to have a special relationship with her and to allow her to continue her work through them. 'We are the bearers of a particular grace in the Church and for the Church. We do not hide it under a bushel, we wish to share it. |
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08 September 2022
 This resource 'In the way of Mary – a companion for the journey' is a form of the review of the day based on this defining moment. It is an adaptation of a long held spiritual practice within our faith tradition. For those who share in the Marist charism and spirit we believe that it will offer special support, insight and grace. |
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09 August 2022
 Early development of the Catholic Church in Australia for Religious Education and Studies of Religion. Topics covered - First Settlement, Anglican Church by Force, Period of Persecution, The early Catholic Church in Australia, James Dixon, castle hill rebellion, Father Jeremiah O’Flynn, and Influence of the Convict System. |
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13 February 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. A tree with several branches |
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05 February 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. Little Children |
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30 January 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. A family matter |
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26 January 2022
 Marist Spirituality. My life is not very hidden |
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21 January 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. A new church |
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18 January 2022
 Marist Spirituality. Shine Out into the Church |
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17 January 2022
 Marist Spirituality. Like a Bridge |
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15 January 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. The confraternity of the faithful in the world |
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10 January 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. When will the time come? |
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08 January 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. As Mary did - Part 40 - Marys simple and hidden life in Nazareth |
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03 January 2022
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. As Mary did - Part 39 - such a great spirit of humility |
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31 December 2021
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. As Mary did - Part 38 - One Heart and One Soul |
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23 December 2021
 Spirituality of the Marist Family. As Mary did - Part 37 - Called to the honour of spreading the kingdom of Jesus Christ |
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20 December 2021
 Spirituality of the Marist Family.As Mary did - Part 36 - intimate union with God - practise |
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19 December 2021
 'Spirituality of the Marist Family.As Mary did - Part 35 - intimate union with God - Theory |
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22 September 2021
 The Marist Inter-Branch Spirituality Committee is composed of one member from each of the four General Administrations: Fr. Jan Hulshof, s.m. (Marist Fathers), Sr. Vivienne Goldstein, s.m. (Marist Sisters), Br. Theoneste Kalisa, f.m.s. (Marist Brothers), and Sr. Marie Emmanuel Fuchs, s.m.s.m. (Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary). This committee, which meets four times a year, decided in 2003 to produce a booklet of texts that would evoke the spiritual tradition and charism of the four groups of professed religious, as well as of the Marist Laity branch traditionally called the Third Order of Mary. Committee members selected texts that touched them personally, and they hope that publishing them will foster mutual understanding and appreciation within the Marist Family as well as being useful in the formation programs of all five branches. |
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23 August 2021
 But when Margaret first raised this (topic), it was a time when there were Tsunamis and Christ Church. Then up in Queensland and then down in Victoria and the year before bushfires. One of the things that does happen for caring people is that they can feel overburdened or overwhelmed by what is going on in the world around them. That is part of the difficulty of chaos. |
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13 August 2021
What Eucharist claims is amazing. That God is nurturing me through my life and that through that very nurturing I am becoming god. That is what it is claiming. And, that we are doing it together. Everyday when I step up and allow my life to be broken open, much like the bread is broken, I actually nurture others. That is the claim. |
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10 August 2021
We are actually designed in who we are created and who we are to become to prefer one of these spaces, chaos or order, over the other. What I want you to get to is where you do not fear the other space. Where you don’t fear chaos or you don’t fear order. Why is order preferably to lots of human beings? |
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04 August 2021
Mary in the midst of chaos for me makes Mary present now. What you have been saying about Mary being a real person, not claiming anything more or less, than being a full human being. Mary in the midst of chaos, to me indicates she is with us because this (here) is where the chaos is. If she is in the midst of chaos, it is all very well and good to think she is up there (away) up in heaven, floating around and everything is perfect. Mary in the midst of Chaos, she is here with us. |
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03 August 2021
Chaos is a very important part of living. You don’t want to ever feel that this is a strange thing for a human being. What is strange is how we think about it. |
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01 August 2021
On Saturday June 3rd 2011 33 people gathered for our reflection day on “Mary in the Midst of Chaos” at St Patrick’s Church Hill. Marist Brother Graham Neist ran the day. Graham started the day in conversation by inviting each person to talk with each other about our own lives and the presence of chaos in them. We quickly realized that chaos is a natural part of a daily rhythm as human beings. Where Mary appears in the Gospel’s we often find her living with Chaos. When Mary is pregnant, Jesus’ birth, or when Jesus was a teenager lost in the temple. However, Graham made a good point that people tend to run away or dislike Chaos. |
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10 May 2021
 We begin to understand Colin's perspective on lay people only when we enter into the perspective of his vision. The man who had best understood him was Alphonse Cozon, who had known Colin had talked with him, and to whom Colin had entrusted the drawing up a new manual to replace Eymard's. |
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| Challenges | Father Ray Chapman, Sister Gail Reneker, Brother Tony Butler and Sister Marilyn Farley |
12 February 2021
 Foundations in Marist Spirituality. An audio course in the 'Foundations in Marist Spirituality'. Listen to the audio of Marists by clicking play to discuss the origins of the founders. Also available is a worksheet for this online course to be used in your family or community. |
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| Pivotal Moments | Father Ray Chapman, Sister Gail Reneker, Brother Tony Butler and Sister Marilyn Farley |
10 February 2021
 Foundations in Marist Spirituality. An audio course in the 'Foundations in Marist Spirituality'. Listen to the audio of Marists by clicking play to discuss the origins of the founders. Also available is a worksheet for this online course to be used in your family or community. |
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| An invitation | Father Ray Chapman, Sister Gail Reneker and Brother Tony Butler |
07 February 2021
 Foundations in Marist Spirituality. An audio course in the 'Foundations in Marist Spirituality'. Listen to the audio of Marists by clicking play to discuss the origins of the founders. Also available is a worksheet for this online course to be used in your family or community. |
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06 February 2021
 An audio course in the 'Foundations in Marist Spirituality'. Listen to the audio of Marists by clicking play to discuss the origins of the founders. Also available is a worksheet for this online course to be used in your family or community. |
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15 January 2021
 Join Marist Father Michael Whelan sm over the next 12 days on an online reflection day “Creative Waiting”. This was recorded by Marist Laity Australia in a previous Reflection Day at St Patrick’s Church Hill. Father Michael is currently the parish priest of St Patricks’. Please join each day for about 5 to 10 minutes listening to the audio, and reflect on some key ideas and questions. |
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20 December 2020
 Neuroscientists show that when you get bored, this can be the most productive and creative time of your day. Yet with social media and smart phones we have removed this time. When we are folding the laundry or walking to work, but that is when our brain gets really busy. Once you start daydreaming your brain moves from the conscience to the sub-conscience and this allows different connections. In boring time, you can solve some of the most nagging problems. But now, we chill out on the couch, watching TV while replying to email at the same time. Neuroscientists tell us when we multitask, doing 4 or 5 things at once, we are not multi-tasking, but using more energy to shift between different tasks and we have a limited supply of energy. Dr Gloria Mark says when people are stressed, people shift their attention more often. As people get less sleep, the more likely they are to check Facebook. We are in a habitual cycle. |
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