Behold I stand at the door and knock...

"Leave me Lord, I am a sinful man." The words of St Peter are such an honest declaration of unworthiness. They are met, not by agreement from Christ, but by a commission to be an apostle, and the first of the apostles, at that. Weakness, declared to our Lord and Saviour, can be an opening towards conversion and mission. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or...

Christ our Lord experiences one of the many occasions of rejection and violence during His public ministry as we continue to read from St Luke's Gospel. This is not exceptional because we know that there were many other such occasions, culminating in His Passion and Death. What is unique about this episode is that it is from those who knew Him better than most, the people of Nazareth where He...

Catholics revere the Old Testament as the inspired word of God along with the New Testament. Since Christ is God the Old Testament not only prepares for the New, but is fulfilled in the New Testament, and we read the Old Testament through the lens of the New. The first reading and the Gospel reading are an example of this intimate interplay between both testaments of Holy Scripture. But to see thi...

The miracle that Jesus performed at the wedding in Cana is a multi-layered and instructive episode from the Gospel of St John. We can benefit from sincere reflection upon this seemingly ordinary but profoundly extraordinary event.  If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au Also if you would...

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord  provides an annual reminder and reflection upon the Sacrament of Baptism, why it exists, what it does and why it is so important. Let us give thanks for such a great gift. It is truly a wondrous renovation. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au Also...

The Epiphany of the Lord highlights the arrival of the Three Kings or Wise Men or Magi. We are allowed to enter into the wonder and awe of those who saw with their own eyes the infant Saviour and King. We are called to adore Him as they did and to go on our way to proclaim Him and to bring Him to the world, which is in so much need of Him. May God grant to us all many graces and blessings in this...

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph  has always been much revered, loved and honoured in the Catholic Church. We need the example of the Holy Family even more than ever before because the place and mission of the family is either under-appreciated or is attacked and redefined in our secular and neo-pagan society. It is not old-fashioned or desiring to 'go back' to value the family....

Christmas Day! The Nativity of the Lord! There are many reasons to rejoice. There are many reasons to be thankful. There are many ways to show our love and devotion to our Saviour. A blessed and happy Christmas Day and Season to you all. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au Also if you...

On this 4th Sunday of Advent  our attention turns towards the wonderful prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the birth of the Messiah and also to the person of Mary, "she who is to give birth " to the promised Saviour. May Our Lady accompany us in these last days of Advent. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via ema...

The theological virtue of JOY is prominent on this Third Sunday of Advent. Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit's abiding presence in the soul and has practical and observable manifestations and consequences. It is greater and more lasting than happiness, and certainly superior to contentment. Repentance and good works are joy's precursors and forerunners, just as St John the Bapt...

The Second Sunday of Advent  presents much for our consideration and prayer. What is hope and how is it different from optimism? What is needed to prepare properly for the Nativity of Our Saviour? Is my life completely on the right course? During Advent, as St John the Baptist and the prophet Baruch tell us, there must be some serious re-arrangement. It's all possible with the grace of God. I...

The Season of Advent, and the new liturgical year, begin today. We embark on a journey of preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour on December 25th. It is a journey marked by penance and prayer, expectation and anticipation, but also looking backwards to retrace the wonderful and mysterious intervention of God into human history. Come, Lord Jesus! If you would like to contact me to pro...

The last Sunday of the liturgical year  is when we rejoice in Christ who is our King and King of everything that is, both seen and unseen. Is Christ really King of  your life, of your heart or do you keep some part for yourself? Only in surrender to Christ do we find real peace, true happiness and hope for the future. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask ques...

The close of the liturgical year is close; next Sunday, with the Solemnity of Christ the King. Today we are reminded of the General or Last Judgement and the role of St Michael and the heavenly armies. We are also encouraged to have hope. The victory is Christ's and the Devil will never be victorious. Let us continue on the way to our heavenly homeland, seeking virtue and growing in holiness....

This Pope was truly deserving of his name. His was the heart of a lion as he defended the City of Rome from invasion, as he defended the primacy of the See of Rome, and strengthened the faith of his people in Rome and further afield.  His sermons and letters are still with us and because of the clarity and power of his teaching, he was declared Doctor of the Church. If you would like to contact me...

How do we win our salvation? It is through faith and good works that we merit the undeserved gift of salvation won, once and for all, by Christ by His death and resurrection.  Each one of us will be judged by Christ, after death, on the way we live our lives.  Let us make our lives resplendent in faith, hope and charity, and let these virtues, and many others, be evident in our lives. If you would...

November 2nd is All Souls Day. This is a day on which we can gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in Purgatory and, through the mercy of God, obtain that soul's entry into the blessedness and glory of Heaven. It is also possible to do this between Nov 1st and 8th, and because of Covid, this year the Church has extended that for the whole of the month of November. Pray for the Holy Souls. One...

The great solemnity and feast of all the saints in heaven  means much to us who are still on our pilgrimage to heaven. Let us invoke the help and intercession of all the saints as we strive to join them one day in heaven. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au Also if you would like to su...

When we love God we are compelled towards two things. Firstly, we must love our neighbour out of love for God, who is Creator of us both. Then we  must worship God and give Him due honour. This podcast is about the Catholic act of worship, the Holy Mass. But also about much more, what worship means and why it is important and how we engage in it. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback...

This podcast is a reading from the collected works "Theology of the Liturgy" by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger. It is a follow up to the podcast "Love and Worship" because it gives a wider and deeper understanding of what it means to participate in the sacred liturgy, the Holy Mass. Although he writes theologically, I have always found our Pope Emeritus to be singularly clear in his...

The gospel episode of Bartimaeus  is a touching and heartening story. It is a story of persistence and faith on the part of the blind man and it is a reminder of the kindness, mercy and power of Christ. We can take personally the question Our Lord poses to Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?"  If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questio...

Although the title of a much loved and well known hymn, in the life of a Christian grace is truly amazing. Through Holy Baptism, sanctifying grace is infused into the soul and the human person becomes reborn, regenerated to a human existence that has been elevated, not out of nature but within nature, and with a supernatural quality. Divine charity is placed into the soul through the indwelling of...

The rich young man  is a fascinating character in the gospels. His sincere desire to do what is right in endearing. In this desire and his inability to follow Christ he has much to teach us. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au Also if you would like to support me in this work, please s...

Hard teaching for the ears of the 21st century in today's Gospel reading! But it was hard teaching for the ears of the Pharisees as well in the 1st century.  Our human nature is wounded by sin and so we can find ourselves not receptive to God's reasoning and plans. There can be a response to question it and even to ignore it, and some may reject it.  Thankfully, we also have the effects...

Who's in? Who's out? Who belongs and who doesn't? These are not only questions from the school playground but are significant human questions; questions that are made all the harder by our human nature wounded by sin. The Lord teaches us an important lesson around this topic today in the Holy Gospel. He calls us to an elevated vision of humanity; a vision that approaches the viewpoi...