Welcome to Food For Faith for Advent. Even though we don’t begin Advent until this Sunday I’m thinking ahead, especially because I’m celebrating Mass and preaching at St. Mary’s pro-Cathedral in Christchurch this Sunday at 5.30pm. Here’s our first Advent reflection, a video clip inviting us to consider…(Read More)
Earlier in the year Food For Faith offered daily reflections for the season of Lent during which those who signed up received daily email encouragements. The feedback we received was very positive with many encouraging us to continue the initiative regularly. Food For Faith is now offering an online retreat for ADVENT 2017. The format…(Read More)
If I were to give this Sunday the Fourth Sunday of Advent a name, I would designate it as Angelus Sunday. Here’s why…(Read More)
It’s only a few more sleeps until Christmas. You might find this three minute Food For Faith Youtube clip encouraging in the midst of pre-Christmas busyness…(Read More)
Many people are surprised to learn that the celebration of the Mass before the changes following the Second Vatican included much more scripture than the form of Mass used in most parishes today. The revision of the English text in 2011 sought to use more recognisable scriptural translations for the prayers of the Mass, for…(Read More)
There is a story told of the holy French priest Jean Vianney (Ćure d’Ars d.1859). He noticed an elderly man who would spend hours in the church before the Blessed Sacrament. The ćure was curious about what happened in this man’s prayer. ‘What do you do when you are praying” he asked…(Read More)
You might recognise the Collect or Opening Prayer from this Sunday’s Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. It is the prayer of the Angelus: Listen carefully to the Collect at Mass this weekend. You may recognise this prayer, prayed by the priest as the opening prayer of the Mass for this Fourth Sunday…(Read More)
Perhaps the most popular Advent hymn is the antiphon O Come O Come Emmanuel. This great hymn is formed from the “O Antiphons” that guide us through the last seven days of preparation for Christmas from 17 – 23 December. These antiphons feature at Vespers (Evening Prayer of the Church) on each of these days.…(Read More)
One of the highlights of my monthly reading is the Traces magazine of the Communion & Liberation community. A couple of months ago the decision was taken to no longer publish a hard-copy magazine in English, but to move this edition to a digital format. I was nervous, until I saw the first edition…(Read More)
Every day in the life of a priest has unexpected highlights. Today I was invited to lead an Advent service for Years 9 & 10 students with staff at St. Bede’s College. The first thing I noticed was the devotion of the young men. The service was held in the school Gym, but because…(Read More)
Happy New Year! With the season of Advent a new church year begins. For a month now we will prepare for Christmas with scriptures of anticipation yearning for a deeper personal and communal experience of God-among-us. When Christians celebrate Christmas we often focus on the Christ child as a small, weak and vulnerable…(Read More)
There is a story told of the holy French priest Jean Vianney (Ćure d’Ars d.1859). He noticed an elderly man who would spend hours in the church before the Blessed Sacrament. The ćure was curious about what happened in this man’s prayer. ‘What do you do when you are praying” he asked…(Read More)
After my post about the Advent “O Antiphons” a couple of days ago, some have comment that they had never heard about the “O Antiphons”. But most Christians know the Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”, and anyone who has sung this hymn has sung the O Antiphons – each of the seven verses, one…(Read More)
In the Prayer of the Church, prayed through the hours of each day by many Christians, and which priests and many Religious communities pray on behalf of all people, the journey of Advent moves up a gear on December 17 when the date appears alongside the day of the week in the Breviary. This marks…(Read More)
This is Pope Francis’ first Advent so we have not yet heard much from him about the mission of these pre-Christmas days. This gives us the opportunity to savour some of the Advent reflections of Pope Benedict. This, from the First Vespers of Advent, 2009. …the Apostle Paul invites us to prepare for “the…(Read More)
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