Marist Messenger

We celebrate the pinnacle of the Good News, the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, in the midst of a lot of bad news this year. Read more »

The Vatican is in the process of canonising Fr Damian de Veuster, the Apostle of the lepers of Molokai, despite attempts to blacken his name by rival churchmen of his day. His great defender was writer Robert Louis Stephenson. Read more »

On Rediscovering the Sacrament of Penance (VIS Feb 15)
At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter’s Square to pray the Angelus with faithful gathered below. Read more »

aka Fiona Lyons

Shepherd, Our Lady of the Trinity Beatitudes Community, Leithfield, NZ

MM:How long have you been with the Beatitudes Community?
CA:Eighteen years. I met some members of the Community in NZ in my early twenties and joined a couple of years later. Some New Zealanders in Europe associated with the Community were interested in starting a community in NZ. Read more »

8. At Home in God
by Tom Ryan sm
Our senses are five ways to God, or rather, five pathways (among others) along which God approaches us. This is the spiritual life. The deepest part of the self (my ‘spirit’) is open to receive the Spirit of God. Read more »

by Fr John Craddock sm

Chapel of Our Lady of Rugby, Larriviere , Southwest France

by Fr John Kelly ocso

I have been asked by Fr. Brian, the editor of the Marist Messenger, to write something ‘down to earth’ on lectio divina in view of the fact that the practice of lectio divina was highly recommended by the recent Synod of Bishops on the Word of God. I hope that the following reflections will be ‘down to earth.’ Read more »

by Fr John Kelly ocso

“I have never acted except from the motive of love” (St. Thérèse).
Motives are very important when we are trying to lead a spiritual life. In a former article some years ago, I showed how we can have four different levels of motivation when we perform acts of the will. I will briefly repeat here what I wrote before. Read more »

by Elizabeth Isichei

At the beginning of February, ninety people gathered for a silent retreat at the University of Waikato. It looked like a Catholic event – led by a Benedictine monk who said Mass daily, and morning and evening prayers in the form of chanted psalms. In fact as well as Catholics, there were also meditators from other churches there, among them an old man who proved to be a staunch lifelong Baptist. Read more »

Juana Fernandez Solar was born on 13 July 1900. She had a normal upbringing surrounded by her parents, siblings and extended family. Read more »

Bernadette was born in Lourdes in 1844 and grew up in abject poverty. The family lived in the dark airless basement of a dilapidated building. Bernadette fell sick during the cholera epidemic of 1854 and never recovered full health. Read more »

Saint Catherine was born at Siena in 1347, the youngest but one of a very large, lower middle-class family. From her earliest childhood Catherine began to see visions and to practise extreme austerities. At the age of seven she consecrated her virginity to Christ; in her sixteenth year she took the habit of the Dominican Tertiaries. Read more »

from Pat & Christine Barrett.
“Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them…” Hebrews 13:3
Greetings and blessings to all in the Merciful Jesus.
I would firstly like to thank those of you who have embarked on this great apostolic work of mercy and for the continuing support and prayerful help you are offering. Read more »

from Elizabeth Isichei

Dear Editor,
My article on the Kabwe prisoners drew a number of responses, all from people- including religious!- who are finding problems with this correspondence. I wrote the article hoping to get more people involved, as there is currently a waiting list of a year. Read more »

If the drink
that satisfied
the Son of Mary
when he died
has not the right smack for you
then leave it
for a kindlier brew.
For my bitter verses are
sponges steeped in vinegar
useless for the happy- eyed
but handy
for the crucified.
R.A.K. Mason

We were dressed and ready to go out for the New Year’s Eve Party. We turned on a night light, turned the answering machine on, covered our pet parakeet and put the cat in the backyard. Read more »

Anzac Day
April 25 is Anzac Day. It is not a day when we glorify war but rather see the sufferings that are caused by war. Read more »

Click
HERE
to download the April Children’s Page

by Sister Isabelle Harding S.M.
Our house breathed
When the wind blew, the papered scrim
on the walls sagged out and in, sighing
for joyful memories or future sorrows
It breathed love. Read more »

Recently Deceased: John Pulkinghorne, Pat Matheson. Sr Loreto Curry dolc, Steven Sziranyi, Joan and Bill Simpson, M.B. McPherson, Noeline Hal
In Memoriam:
April 1st Bill Singleton, Con O’Leary, William Foley, Molly Monahan, Brian Kerrigan, Audrey Dodunski, Dennis Walsh, Rupert Vyvyan Maxwell. 2nd Mary Sharp, Frederick James Rodgers, Arthur (Jim) Green, Henry Windmeyer. 3rd Les Greig, Jim Paton, Edward Sutherland, Lesley Grieg. Read more »