Sede Vacante: Conclave to begin this week!

On Tuesday 12th March 2013, the College of Cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel, not to emerge until a new Pope, the Successor to Saint Peter, has been chosen. Let's pray for a speedy election, but also that a deep and holy man right for the Church during the churches scandals and "dark years".

Sacred Heart, Woodenbong

A COUNTRY CHURCH: Sacred Heart Church, Woodenbong NSW.

Today is when services are held at Woodenbong, though as there is no resident priest and must travel here, there is only mass every fourtnight, on the off weeks they hold their own liturgy amongst the laity.

Going from a city such as Albury where there's daily mass, the church is open during business hours to the public, even the Tridentine Rite or Latin Mass - to a small place such as Woodenbong where I hardly know a soul, the church isn't left open and very rare to have mass there - it really is a shock to the soul!

Today I plan on going and hopefully meet some people. I made contact via email with the Kyogle Parish, and in turn got in contact with someone here in Woodenbong that has access to the church keys etc;.

Things are slowly starting to look up on the spiritual front... I hope to one day gain enough trust to be able to borrow a set of keys for my own private prayer space.

Holy Land Virtual Tour | Leen Thobias| p4panoramaThe

Holy Land Virtual Tour | Leen Thobias| p4panoramaThe

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns

Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square, 2010.

Pope Benedict XVI has announced he will retire due to health reasons at the end of February 2013. The College of Cardinals will meet to elect the successor to St. Peter, who the worlds 1-billion Catholic faithful will hope to have a new Pope by Easter - the end of March 2013.

With the current Pope's papacy shrouded in scandal - paedophilia priests, insulting Islam, homophobia etc; I hope that the next Pope will be a younger, if not a youthful, more progressive Pope on issues especially such as homosexuality and marriage.

My Rosary Beads

My prayer table circa 2011.

A little pair of Rosary Beads

As plain as plain can be.

But only God in Heaven knows

How dear they are to me.

I have them always with me

At every step I take.

At evening when I slumber,

At morn when I awake.

In bright and cloudy weather,

In sunshine or in rain,

happiness or sorrow,

In pleasure or in pain.

It helps me in my struggle,

It reproves me when in sin,

Its look of gentle patience

Rebukes the strife within.

In days of pain and anguish

The greatest help I knew

Was to hold my Rosary Beads

Until I calmer grew.

So when the time approaches

When I will have to die,

I hope my little Rosary Beads

Will close beside me lie.

That the holy name of Jesus

May be the last I say,

And kissing my sweet Rosary Beads,

My soul may pass away.

By Anonymous.

One Year Plan

Read The Bible and Catechism in One Year!

A few years ago I found on the net this "One Year" Bible and Catechism reading plan from the "Coming Home Network". I started using it that year (I think it was 2010) but didn't get far through it... wasn't disciplined enough and had too many distractions in life.

This being the "Year of Faith" in the Church Universal, and the "Year of Grace" in the Australian Church as well. One of the main focal points for this church year is to become more familiar with the "Catechism of The Catholic Church" (CCC).

Having recently been gifted a copy of the "YouCat" from my Canberran sister in Christ, already owning a copy of the "CCC" as well as a small copy of the "Compendium of The Catechism of The Catholic Church" that we were given as part of our WYD2008 pack. I also have a small "pocket size" they call it, copy of the Douay-Rheims Bible (DR) and the same friend I spoke of earlier sent me another Bible, the "Catholic Student Bible" NAB translation... so I guess you could say I am set! I wish I still had my "pocket size" New Jerusalem Bible with zip... I love the NJB translation, so poetic, but so is the DR, just more old fashioned language than the NJB.

Check out the downloadable PDF reading plan from the "Coming Home Network" here!

Sunday Snippets #03

A Catholic Carnival

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other.

A friend I met on XT3 five years ago during World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney sent me a parcel full of goodies, and ordered two books from The Mustard Seed bookshop - "YouCat" and the "Daily Missal", though a "Sunday Missal" was ordered, so I will have to post that one back for an exchange.

We went back to Albury about a month ago, so I had time to visit my favourite church, St. Patrick's in the Albury CBD. I also went to confession and also took the time to write about my original parish church in Wodonga - Sacred Heart. One on St. Augustine's to come soon!

It has been far too long since I've picked up a pencil and paper to draw, so I am determined to start doing more art - rough sketches and eventually, masterpieces... or my idea and style of a masterpiece anyhow! Besides, art is personal, subjective...

During my daily web-surfing, I found a really handy website "Hidden Treasures" - one in the jokes category I found quite amusing, and true!

Another one is a bit of humour about if Noah had been commanded to build an ark... in Australia!

Last but not least, I talk about certain Saints and people from the Bible, including: St. Maximilian Kolbe, Ss. Sergius and Bacchus and Melchizedek.