Tag: Christmas

As millions of pilgrims prepare to cross through the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis called on individuals, nations and the global community to take a transformative step toward peace and reconciliation by walking through the "door of salvation" that is Jesus Christ.

Celebrating Christmas Mass after opening the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis said the birth of Jesus fills Christians with hope and the courage to work for peace and justice.

Without the first Christmas, humanity would remain lost in darkness, disconnected from God. The Christ child’s birth redefines our identity, offering hope, purpose, and radical love—a divine exchange transforming everything.

But moments like these remind us that the real value of athletes isn’t limited to what they do on the field. It’s in how they use their platform to serve and inspire beyond the game.

Australian Christmas movies are something of a rarity, as are Australian movies based on songs. The recently released How to Make Gravy movie, which is available to stream now, is both of these things. It is based on Paul Kelly’s 1996 Christmas classic of the same name.  

Nowadays, in the era of Mega-malls, Macca’s Mega-Meals, McMansions and McSUVS, the mere notion of anything "little" is ridiculously quaint, if not anathema to most people. And this definitely applies to Christmas, where the more "maxtreme" the better.

In Australia, what would often be considered "winter months" like December are instead the "summer months" filled with beach days and sunshine. And the city of Sydney will be offering a special Christmas tradition with Christmas at the Cathedral beginning tonight.

Sydney’s Cathedral is also set to ring with the joyous music of choirs, bands and performers in its daily concerts running from 12 December to 25 December.

This week in brush with faith, we take a look at the three wise men and reflect on the Gospel of Matthew as await the birth of our lord.

What a surprise, for those walking through Lidcombe, to witness it's streets adorned with banners wishing all a Merry Christmas and displaying imagery of the Nativity. 

You don’t usually get an archbishop, the state governor, TV celebrities, opera divas, and full orchestra turning up at a humble suburban parish for Christmas carols. But then again, there aren’t many carols nights like those at the Church of the Holy Family in Maroubra.

In December, we begin to think about Christmas, although shopping centres begin a marketing campaign as early as October. Preparation is not about focussing on presents to be purchased and food to be made, but a time to prepare our hearts for the Word of God.