John McMahon's Blog

Moving Forward

John McMahon — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:14:17 +0000

The final day of our Gathering called us to prepare for the next steps in the establishment of our new Province. Many events will be held during 2012 involving Brothers and lay Marists alike. These include Regional Consultative Gatherings, the National Mission Assembly from 12th - 15th August, the Province inauguration on 8th December and the first Provincial Chapter from 8th - 12th December.

A Time for Leadership

John McMahon — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:43:39 +0000

The third day of the Gathering gave an opportunity for our animator, Br Ben Consigli, to focus on leadership, recognising that good leadership will be important in the formation of our new Australian Province. He named four qualities he saw as important for Marist leaders at this time:

1. The ability to work collaboratively

2. The desire to put Marist mission 'front and centre'

3. The commitment to allowing mental boundaries to be flexible.

4. The capacity not to shrink from change.

The day was also significant in that two Australian Brothers died. Br Charles Howard passed away at Campbelltown in the early hours of Saturday morning. Charles had inspired many through his leadership at the school, Province and Congregational levels. A participant at this gathering, Br Stephen Bugg also died on Saturday as a result of a cerebal haemorrhage he suffered the day before. Steve had been Principal of Newman College, Perth, Sacred Heart College, Adelaide and Marcellin College, Bulleen. We prayed for these Brothers at the evening Eucharist.

A Time for Dialogue

John McMahon — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:13:51 +0000

The second day of our Brothers' Gathering began with prayer in small groups. Three elements characterised this prayer: 1. The invitation to deepen our commitment to community ways of life. 2. The importance of dialogue: 'Keep talking' as Br Emili Turu reminded us after the last General Chapter and 3. To remember 'the resources are in the group'. In Emili's words again: 'It is an invitation today to draw out the best that each person and each group has within them.'

Brothers' Gathering - 'See I am doing something new!'

John McMahon — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:30:29 +0000

There was excitement in the air today as over one hundred and eighty Brothers from across Australia assembled at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill on a beautiful Sydney day.

Welcome Provincials Brs Julian Casey and Jeff Crowe welcomed all to the Gathering which has as its theme 'See I am doing something new!' (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Poverty - Living Simply

John McMahon — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:31:34 +0000

Marysville after the bushfiresMichael Fallon MSC, on the final day of our retreat, began his presentation on Poverty by looking at a definition. Poverty is 'not having what is necessary for a meaningful human existence'. This obviously includes food, clothing, housing, but most importantly, it includes love. However important economic factors are, we cannot limit poverty to economic poverty without limiting human need. Poverty is defined as unequivocally evil.

Obedience - Listening

John McMahon — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:34:00 +0000

Michael Fallon MSC began his fifth retreat presentation looking at the roots of the word 'obedience' - in Latin 'ob' means 'right up against' and 'audiens' means 'listening'. Jesus and John at the Last Supper when John leaned on Jesus' breast, exemplify this experience of listening. In Greek, obedience means 'humble listening' and in Hebrew 'listening, heeding, obeying'. On the other hand a contemporary dictionary definition would be 'doing what you are told'.

Religious Life - Celibacy

John McMahon — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:52:11 +0000

Today Michael Fallon MSC began his talk for the fourth day of our retreat by reading two articles from Vatican II's Document on the Church, Lumen Gentium, about Religious Life: 'The holiness of the Church ... is expressed in many ways by individuals who, each in his or heBr Pat Connell renewing his vows in December, 2011.r own state of life, tend to the perfection of love, thus sanctifying others (LG 39)' and religious are 'called by God so that they may enjoy a special gift of grace in the life of the Church and may contribute, each in his or her own way, to the saving mission of the Church (LG 43)'. Michael's focus here is on love, noting the fundamental question for moral theologians is 'what is the next step of love for me?'. When Jesus chose his twelve apostles he said 'I have chosen you to be with me' (Mark 3:14).

Baptism

John McMahon — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:04:22 +0000

On the third day of our retreat Michael Fallon MSC opened his talk on Baptism by quoting the Catechism: 'In baptism we are ... reborn as 'sons' of God, we become "members" of Christ and made sharers in Jesus' mission (N1213).' In Christianity there is only one priest of the order of Melchizedek: Christ. We all share in this priesthood, we each mediate the Divine (cf Ex 19:3-6). Jesus is identified as a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Ps.110) which makes the Temple unnecessary. Marists therefore are a kingdom of priests (in the Melchizedekian sense rather than the sacristy or temple sense) whose goal is to make the whole land holy. All the baptised share in Jesus' priestly mediation (of the divine). For, as Paul says '... God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us (Rom 5:5).'

Prayer

John McMahon — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:20:09 +0000

Michael Fallon MSC began his talk on the second day of our Marist retreat suggesting prayer is sharing in Jesus' communion with the Father. This experience, says Therese of Lisieux, gives energy: 'For me, prayer is a surge of the heart ... it is a cry of recognition and of love'. Theilhard de Chardin, in 1934, saw prayer this way: 'Some day, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And then, for the scond time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire'. In offering us his Spirit, Jesus is offering us Himself, and so a share in His own communiion with God, and His prayer.

Religious Experience

John McMahon — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:12:38 +0000

On the first day of our annual retreat, Michael Fallon MSC spoke with us about religious experience. He explained the word 'religion' from its Latin roots 're' and 'ligare' - to bind back. What does religion bind us back to? Our centre, our heart, our God. Religious experience, therefore is our experience of our communion with God. Teillhard de Chardin sees God as 'The Heart and Beyond of Everything'. We can tend to make God too small. 'I've been with her for fifty years and every day she is more of a mystery' said a jubilarian on his golden wedding anniversary.