A Celtic Journey with St. John of the Cross
We would like to share with you two beautiful musical reflections in honour of Our Lady and St John of the Cross recorded by Kerrie O’Connor and friends in our Chapel. We vacated the Chapel one afternoon while they did all the hard work!! The first one is available on youtube and the second will be available for the feast of St John of the Cross on 14th December. We hope you will enjoy. https://youtu.be/R2YGDeZ0haE
Prayer & Reflection
for Women
From time to time we host days of prayer and reflection for women interested in exploring a vocation to Religious life. For further information please contact us at: carmel@roebuckcarmel.com
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Sunday Reflection
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025
Amos 6:1, 4-7
Timothy 6:11-16
Luke 16:19-31
The parable of Jesus in the Gospel Reading for today does not make for comfortable reading! Like the Gospel of last Sunday it is meant to disturb us in a good sense, that is, to move us out of our comfort zone and draw us to consider some of the really essential principles of the religion we try to embrace.
Jesus portrays the rich man in all his splendour looking down on the poor man, Lazarus, sitting outside the gate begging. Do we all have a ‘Lazarus’ outside our gate? We, at best, make some generous gestures towards those who make demands on us, but our motives may be ulterior of legalistic. Perhaps when we turn to the Reading from Amos today we will be comforted in disclaiming that we are “ensconced so smugly” or “Lying on ivory beds and sprawling on divans” or “dining on lambs” or “Drinking wine by the bowlful” or “using the finest oil for anointing”. That’s not us!! But alas, conscience does not keep silent!! It may be difficult to hear our consciences because of the concerns and dramas and noise that may be in our lives.
The final sentence of the 1st Reading is indeed striking – ‘The revelry of the sprawlers is over’ and it seems to be saying that there is need to return to simplicity of life and manner of living. It is said that just after his election as Pope, Pope Francis said ‘the carnival is over’. It may indeed be apocryphal but the message is the same – we need to be continually returning to the simplicity of life which is appropriate for disciples of Jesus.
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