Formed In Faith

Advent is in many ways difficult to come to grips with. This is especially so in Australia where it comes at the beginning of summer, as the school and working years conclude and beaches and barbeques beckon. There is a tendency for the busy-ness of shopping, parties and planning for Christmas Day to overtake the rhythm of the church year.

What then do we make of Advent? It is, of course, the curtain raiser and very much part of the Christmas season. Christmas Time does not end on 25th December but continues through the feasts of the Mother of God, the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. In the background is always Mary’s ‘Yes’, which grounds these marvelous events and shows us how to respond.

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“Liturgy Lines” are short 500-word essays on liturgical topics written by Elizabeth Harrington, Liturgy Brisbane’s education officer. They have been published every week in The Catholic Leader since 1999.

From November 13-19, 2016, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops invites families, parishes, schools, and other Catholic groups to participate in National Bible Week in celebration of the 51st Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum. This year’s theme, “The Bible: A Book of Mercy,” builds on this year’s Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Click here to sign up for a  seven-day Journey of Mercy featuring the work of Bishop Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire ministry and his beautiful video series on Catholicism have inspired millions of Catholics around the world. Bishop Barron will highlight biblical insights that show how God is Mercy, as well as demonstrating mercy given, mercy received, and mercy lived out.

Attend one of the live events in our Professional Development Webinar Series and make a bigger impact in your parish.

More than 8,000 parish and diocesan leaders and volunteers have attended our webinars since we began this series in 2010. We offer professional development and spiritual formation from some of the top speakers, authors, and leaders in the Church today. This webinar series is brought to you in partnership with many national organizations including the National Association for Lay Ministry, the National Association of Family Life Ministers, the National Conference for Catechetical Leaders, and the National Federation of Priests Councils.

Register today for one of our upcoming events. (Not sure if you can make it? That’s OK! Register now and we’ll send you the recording whether you can attend live or not.)

Click to view more information and the upcoming webinars.

The Catholic Services Appeal is your annual invitation to support the ministries and services of the Archdiocese of Louisville. The Appeal plays an integral role in funding over 100 different programs and services of the Archdiocese. Whether it is providing pastoral care to those in the hospital, supplying clothing and food to those in need, reaching out to youth and young adults, educating future priests and supporting retired priests, or providing services to parishes and schools, the Catholic Services Appeal supports ministry at every level of our Archdiocese.

Click here to view a video from Archbishop Joseph Kurtz about the 2016 Catholic Services Appeal.