The sun streamed through the chapel windows. It was 9am on an ordinary Tuesday and I was about to participate in a Catholic Mass for the first time in my life. With the exception of a very, brief stint at a Catholic school more than 40 years ago, this was my first real experience of Catholic community and liturgy. When I arrived at The Abbey the night before, the gracious siste....
I attended my first church service within a week of being born. I was a later-in-life addition to the family. My older siblings were 9 and 11 years of age when I was born, so I spent most of my early years tagging along with either my brother or sister and their friends. They and my parents were heavily involved in our local Baptist church, a commitment that went well beyond Su....
My family emigrated from Ireland to Australia when I was about to turn three. We knew no one when we arrived and so our family of four became a very tight unit. I was an anxious child and longed for the approval of others. When I began gaining weight in primary school I became the victim of bullying and taunts that rocked my fragile self-esteem. Fortunately, I had a very close ....
I grew up in a loving Christian home, the youngest of five children. I asked Jesus into my heart when I was young and although I didn’t know that much of the Bible I was always very aware of the presence and voice of God. I recall one occasion when I was in my classroom at school and suddenly became very unsettled and overwhelmed. I knew something was wrong. Not quite underst....
“Our Father dwelling in the heavenly realms, May the glory of Your Name Be the center on which our lives turn. Manifest Your kingdom-realm, And cause Your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, Just as it is fulfilled in heaven! We acknowledge You as our Provider Of all that we need each day. Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves Release forgiveness to those....
