Archdiocese of Brisbane

Two-Minute Homily by Fr Gerard Lai for the Second Sunday of Advent 2025, Year A. "As we make Advent a time of active preparation, rather than just passive waiting, may we turn back to God with open hearts."

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Cathedral of St Stephen Schola lift their voices in reverent song, honouring Our Lady with Alma Redemptoris Mater by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594). This timeless work invites us to pause and enter into the gentle mystery of Mary’s motherhood. May this feast day inspire us to lift our hearts to Mary in prayer and praise, trusting in her intercession and love.   Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti surgere qui curat populo: Tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem: Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere. Loving Mother of the Redeemer, who remains the gate by which we mortals enter heaven, and star of the sea, help your fallen people who strive to rise: You who gave birth, amazing nature, to your sacred Creator: Virgin prior and following, taking from the mouth of Gabriel that Hail! have mercy on our

We invite you back on the journey this Advent with seminarians Dylan and Gabriel as they help us get our hearts ready for the joy of Jesus’ birth. This week, they build and decorate a gingerbread house and chat about the fun family traditions that made their homes feel like Christmas growing up. We would love to hear about your favourite Christmas traditions and how you prepare your home for Jesus.

This month, Fr Fadi prays for our Holy Father’s intentions, for Christians in areas of conflict. We pray for the protection of our brothers and sisters who are in places of danger, that they may hold onto the peace of Christ during troubling times. Fr Fadi reminds us that true peace begins in each of our hearts. May we be a light in the darkness, a refuge for the weary and a voice for justice and reconciliation in our troubled world.

Two-Minute Homily by Fr Louie Jimenez for the First Sunday of Advent 2025, Year A. "Christ could return at any moment. Our lives could shift without warning. So how do we stay ready?"

Have you prayed the Christmas novena before? The novena begins each year on the Feast of St Andrew, November 30. Traditionally, this prayer is recited fifteen times daily until Christmas Eve, offering a beautiful way to fix our minds and hearts on the mystery of the Incarnation. You are warmly invited to pray the novena below. Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

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."