Archdiocese Of Brisbane

This Advent, we invite you to journey with seminarians Dylan and Gabriel as they help prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus. This week, they decorate a Christmas tree and share their reflections on the meaning of Christmas and the family traditions that shape their celebration. As we enter into the spirit of this holy season, may these joyful preparations for the Nativity draw us closer to Christ. What’s your favourite way to decorate for Christmas?

Two-Minute Homily by Fr William Aupito Iuliano for the Feast of Christ the King 2025, Year C. "If we truly wish to be raised to new heights within our faith lives, then dive deep into the soul and there give true homage to the King of the universe, Jesus Christ our Lord."

On 22 November, the Church celebrates the Feast of St Cecilia, the beloved patron saint of music and musicians. To mark this joyful occasion, the Brisbane Catholic Filipino Choir offer a beautiful hymn in her honour, "Let the Deep Organ Swell the Lay," composed by Roman Catholic priest Charles Constantine Pise. We invite you to join in this hymn of praise as we give thanks for St Cecilia’s witness of faith and the gift of sacred music that lifts our hearts to God. Do you have a special devotion to St Cecilia?

Two-Minute Reflection by Colleen Tracey for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025, Year C. "I’m struck by how often I’ve clung to temporary things for security. And yet, Jesus gently invites me, and indeed all of us, to place our hope in something deeper, something eternal."

Nattasha prays with us on the biblical themes of rest, return and renewal in this Year of Jubilee. May we take this moment to pause in prayer, to rest in the presence of Jesus and to allow Him to renew our hearts and minds. As we turn our gaze toward the Lord, may we rediscover the peace that flows from His promises and the joy of beginning again in His grace.

Two-Minute Homily by Fr Peter Brannelly for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 2025, Year C. "This feast is not so much about a church in Rome, but about the Church, our Church, your Church, and the proclamation and witness to the Kingdom of God that continues to this very day."

November 11 marks Remembrance Day. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month in 1918, the guns fell silent, bringing an end to the Great War. Each year, we pause in silence to honour the courage of those who served, to mourn the lives lost and to renew our prayerful hope for peace in our world. We invite you to join Deacon Peter in prayer as we remember.

Pope Leo invites us to pray for the prevention of suicide, a deeply personal and heartfelt intention. Many among us have been touched by this sorrow, whether through our own experiences or through the suffering of someone we love. Deacon Gary, who has devoted much of his life to service in the Army and the Police, has spent the past 12 years dedicated to suicide prevention and the promotion of wellbeing. Drawing from his faith and experience, he shares valuable insights on how we can bring the light of Christ to those who are struggling. As you watch this reflection, we invite you to hold in prayer all who carry the weight of despair. May Jesus Christ, the Divine Healer, bring them peace and may we be instruments of His compassion and hope in our communities.

Two-Minute Homily by Archbishop Shane Mackinlay for All Souls’ Day (The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed) 2025, Year C. "Confident that God’s love extends this communion beyond the limits of our immediate place and time, we continue to pray for one another even after death."

Fr Isaac prays for all souls, both known and unknown, who have gone before us and now await the fullness of God’s presence in purgatory. We lift our hearts in prayer, asking the Lord to purify them and draw them into the peace and joy of heaven. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

This year, the Cathedral of St Stephen is celebrating 25 years of its magnificent Pipe Organ. Built in the year 2000 by renowned organ builder Knud Smenge, the instrument has nearly 2500 pipes and fills the cathedral each week with sacred music that lifts hearts to prayer and praise. Have you experienced the organ's sounds in the Cathedral before?

Two-Minute Homily by Fr Anson Kalathiparambil OSA for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025, Year C. "This Gospel reminds us that while we may sit inside the temple, counting our good works, God may be outside, dwelling with the ordinary and humble people."

Sisters of St Paul de Chartres, Sr Theresa, shares a prayer for our deep human longing to live in holiness and in full communion with God. As St Augustine reminds us in his book, Confessions, “You have made us for Yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” May we always seek to find true comfort in the loving arms of Jesus. Let's pray! ❤️  

Two-Minute Homily by Dcn Martin Lewis for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025, Year C. "Most of us would like God to answer our prayers instantaneously. However, God knows our hearts and thoughts. God knows our wants and needs."

On October 19, the Church joyfully celebrates the canonisation of Blessed Peter To Rot, the first saint of Papua New Guinea. Born in 1912 in Rakunai, Peter was grounded in the Catholic faith and faithfully served as a lay catechist, courageously continuing his pastoral mission even after missionaries were imprisoned by Japanese forces during the Second World War. He is remembered for his steadfast defence of the sanctity of marriage and family, standing firm in the Church’s teaching amid political and cultural pressures. Beatified by St John Paul II during his visit to Papua New Guinea in 1995, Blessed Peter To Rot’s life remains a powerful witness of faith, fidelity and pastoral zeal.

Two-Minute Homily by Fr Joe McKay OFM for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025, Year C. "Salvation is being aware, knowing and responding to the love of God. Knowing that Jesus loves us and loving in return."

Our Lady of Aparecida, the beloved Patroness of Brazil, first revealed her presence on October 12, 1717. Three fishermen, struggling to find a catch, cast their nets and drew up a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary – first her body, then her head. On their third cast, their nets overflowed with fish. News of the miracle spread quickly and soon many came to venerate the Blessed Mother and pray the Holy Rosary in thanksgiving for her intercession. We invite you to listen and pray with Fr Francisco in Portuguese for the Feast of Our Lady of Aparecida, as he reminds us of our call to be true fishers in the Kingdom of God, drawing others to Christ through faith and love.

We invite you to join in praying the Holy Father’s intention for October –  for greater collaboration between different religious traditions. Franciscan friar, Fr Mario, prays for this intention, asking the Lord to inspire us to listen with open hearts, to speak with respect and love and to work together for justice, peace and the dignity of every person with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Two-Minute Homily by Fr Adrian Farrelly for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025, Year C. "The Lord chose us to complete His work on earth, so we set out each day to do that to the best of our ability."

October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, one of the Church’s greatest treasures of prayer and a powerful sacramental. Our Lady has called us, time and again, to pray the Rosary each day as a source of grace and spiritual protection. Join the Newman Catholic Society as we honour this devotion by praying together the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. May this month draw us closer to Christ through the gentle intercession of His Blessed Mother.   The Holy Rosary is one of the most cherished prayers in the Catholic Church, with many great popes, saints, and Christian leaders urging us to embrace it. In her apparitions, Our Lady frequently calls us to pray the Rosary daily, seeking peace for the world and an end to conflict. As we pray the Rosary, we meditate on the public life of Jesus and Mary through Scripture. The Rosary encompasses twenty Mysteries, divided into the five Joyful Mysteries (prayed on Mondays and Saturdays), five Luminous Mysteries (prayed on Thursdays), five Sorrowful Mysteries (prayed on