Behold I stand at the door and knock...

Praying the Our Father is uniquely Christian. Perhaps because we do it so often, we forget that marvellous revelation that Christ gives us in the Gospel reading of today's Holy Mass. But there's more! Through the two parables about prayer, He shows also how to pray and why we should pray. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do thi...

This concludes the three-part podcast on the way of receiving Holy Communion. Here I propose the advantages of the more traditional way of receiving Holy Communion for your consideration. 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 send...

Our Christian faith has at its foundation the profession of the Blessed and Eternal Trinity. This is singular to Christianity but it is so profound and awesome a mystery that it is nothing that the human mind could have invented. It is only what God has revealed. On this Sunday we proclaim our faith in the nature and operation of God and we give worship to the Three in One and the One in Three. If...

Pentecost Sunday  marks the end of the Easter Season because we honour the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Our Lady and the Apostles, which is the culmination of the Paschal Mystery, our salvation. May the Holy Spirit be renewed within us on this great and wonderful feast day. Happy Pentecost! If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via...

The Ascension of the Lord  marks a significant and important moment in the Paschal Mystery, that is, how Christ saved and redeemed us. His entry to Heaven in a glorified human body has immense implications for us. It's not just a neat and tidy ending to His stay upon this earth. Let us keep this day joyfully and well for it truly is a holy day! If you would like to contact me to provide feedb...

Each time we profess our faith by using the Nicene Creed, we declare that the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. Today's readings from holy scripture give us both a reminder of and a source, in the inspired word of God, for what we profess. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@armidale.catholic.o...

Today’s reading from the Gospel of St John contains a poignant moment of betrayal alongside tender instruction. The evil of the deed of Judas is in contrast to the impending glory of the Passion. We are also presented with the impending glory of the Second Coming of Christ. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@...

Taking up the discussion once more about the recent practice of receiving Holy Communion in the Hand, this episode looks at some of the evidence we have about what was done in the early centuries of the Church and asks the question as to whether this is a convincing argument in favour of Communion in the Hand. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions yo...

The Fourth Sunday of Easter focuses upon the instructions of Jesus about His being the Good Shepherd. It is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations since we pray for  more young men and women to follow the Good Shepherd in those states of life that show to the whole Church, and to the world, the very essence of the vocation given to all of us through Holy Baptism. We pray particularly for generous...

The reading from the Apocalypse (Revelation) turns our attention to the liturgy in heaven;  that eternal act of praise and worship that is the everlasting bliss of life with God in heaven. Through divine institution, the sacred liturgy here on earth derives its existence, its purpose , and its structure from this heavenly liturgy. Surely, this is something which we must consider each time we go to...

ANZAC Day is a day of patriotism as well as praying for the souls of those Australians who have died in war, whether military or civilian. We pray also for peace in our world, which is once more troubled by war and the threat of war. 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 woul...

Divine Mercy Sunday  brings to our attention the wounded side of our Saviour from which blood and water flowed as well as His Risen Body, which He shows dramatically to the Apostles in today's Gospel. The message of Divine Mercy is profound yet simple, timely and everlasting. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpch...

Happy Easter Day!! The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! 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 send me an email and I will provide details for how you can make a donation.  Music by TheNonVisibles from Pixabay

There is a link between the Cenacle, the place of the institution of the Eucharist,  and Calvary. It is a connection not accidental but deliberate by Our Lord. Once we see the connection our appreciation of Holy Mass is deepened. 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 li...

Maundy or Holy Thursday begins the Sacred Paschal Triduum through which we enter into the great Paschal Mystery of Christ's passion, death and resurrection. Today also concludes the Season of Lent. The sacred liturgy of this evening has many wondrous aspects worthy of our attention. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email...

Passion/Palm Sunday  begins Holy Week which leads us by gradual and solemn steps, which are somewhat difficult and painful, towards the commemoration of Our Lord's Paschal Mystery, His passion, death and resurrection. May Holy Week be for you a time of entering into the sufferings of our Saviour, consoling Him and accompanying Him because He has done everything for us. If you would like to co...

The woman caught in adultery is a poignant story.  There is injustice, revenge, and point-scoring mixed also with forgiveness, contrition and conversion. What a fruitful gospel episode for reflection and meditation in these last two weeks of Lent, which traditionally are called Passiontide. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via em...

The famous and beautiful story of the prodigal son is the Gospel reading of today's Holy Mass on this 4th Sunday of Lent,  Laetare Sunday. Laetare  is Latin for rejoice and this Sunday has that name because the word  laetare  appears in the Entrance Antiphon of Mass. But isn't it also right that we should rejoice that God the Father through Christ has shown us such love and mercy, and do...

Have you wondered how the practice of receiving Holy Communion in the hand came about? Well, let me give you a brief overview of how this came about during those tumultuous and troubled years of the 1960's. You can make up your own mind from the evidence. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to ask questions you can do this via email: frpchandler@armidale.catho...

Repentance is a key word and message from Our Lord in today's gospel. Repentance can be sudden and it is called conversion, like on the death bed. But far better is the conversion, or reversion to lost faith, that is lived out in good and holy living in this life and thereby honouring God who gives the gift of Faith and who, in Christ, has gained for us eternal salvation. If you would like to...

The Transfiguration of the Lord is a marvellous and moving incident in the life of Christ. We must be grateful that it was remembered and written down for our consolation and our instruction. There is so much to be considered and reflected upon but it has something to say about why we stay in the Church and why many walk away. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions  or to...

The First Sunday of Lent presents to us once more the temptations of Christ by the Devil in the desert, towards the end of the forty long days that Our Lord spent in the wilderness. His forty days gives us the model for our forty days of Lent, with its trials and testing, its penance, prayer and almsgiving. Also, His victory over Satan gives us confidence for every temptation and trial that comes...

Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday. The Scripture readings of this Sunday's Mass, particularly the Epistle, help to turn our minds to the inner dispositions that must be present as we live our lives in such a way that we will die well. 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 command to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek that we find in Luke 6:27-38 is hard, some would say impossibly hard. But as we examine Our Lord's words, and consider the example of David from the first book of Samuel, we begin to see not only is it possible but that this form of love elevates and completes our own humanity. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, sug...

Each of us is engaged in spiritual warfare! It's not only the inner battle that we face every day to resist temptation and not to sin. It is also the struggle against the world and its ways, that are directed away from or against God. We are not alone in this battle. We have on our side our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother and St Joseph, our holy guardian angel, and all the...