BBI in Pennant Hills, New South Wales, Australia | Education

BBI

Locality: Pennant Hills, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9847 0030

Address: 423 Pennant Hills Road 2120 Pennant Hills, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.bbi.catholic.edu.au/

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25.01.2022 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Matthew 10: 26-33 In every life there are moments when we are overwhelmed by stones of grief, disappointment, despair, hopelessness. But Jesus promises in todays Gospel that the light of God is always in our bowl if we are wise and humble enough to turn our bowl upside and let the stones fall away and the light return. Turning over a life full of stones is not ...easy and often requires the help of others sometimes we are called to offer our understanding, patience and generosity to help other souls cast their stones aside. Jesus calls us to embrace a vision of hope that is the opposite of fear: hope that matches our uncertainty of the unknown with the certainty of the love of God; hope that can only be found and embraced when we reach beyond our own fears to confront the fears and heal the hurts of others; hope that the Good Fridays of our lives can be transformed into Easter completeness.

24.01.2022 Reminder don’t forget to register to receive your zoom link.

24.01.2022 Dec. 17 - AV PRAYER AND GREETING FOR POPE FRANCIS' 84TH BIRTHDAY. Full text in https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.org/dec-17-happy-birt/ #hjappybirthdaypopefrancis

23.01.2022 Today is the feast day of the Transfiguration if our Lord when Jesus led Peter, James and John up a high mountain. There He was transfigured before them, his fa...ce and clothes becoming dazzlingly bright. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three tents - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him! Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead". See more

22.01.2022 . . . a Canaanite woman of the district came and called out, Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon . . . Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters. Matthew 15: 21-28 Every one of us wants to belong, to connect with a family or community, to replace our otherness with oneness. In our common search for God in our lives, that search for meaning and purpose transforms strangers into a famil...y and community committed to the good of all. The Canaanite woman in todays Gospel seek what we all seek: to know that our lives matter, to be respected as a child of God, to be welcomed as a sister and brother to all. In honouring the goodness and love of the Canaanite mother, Jesus opens up our perspectives and illuminates our vision enabling us to see one another as God sees us. See more

22.01.2022 Dont forget to register: https://watac.net.au/

22.01.2022 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field . . . Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price he goes and sells all that he has to buy it . . . Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit do...wn and put what is good into buckets . . . Matthew 13: 44-52 Maybe we should take a look at the net of our calendars, emails and e-journals to realize how we use our time: Are we spending the gift of this time God has given us for what is good and enriching and affirming and are we able to throw away those demands and expectations that make our lives less than we want them to be? That doesnt mean we can eliminate everything that is unpleasant in our lives; we cant (nor should we) avoid sacrifice and suffering for the sake of others or for what is good. Jesus urges us to stop and look at our time as if it were a net of so many experiences and recognize what those experiences teach, what we have learned from the time we have been given, and how we might use our days to make Gods Kingdom of justice and mercy a reality in our lives.

21.01.2022 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments that were left over twelve wicker baskets full. Matthew 14: 13-21 The very baking of bread mirrors the mystery of Christ as the compassion of God made human for us: the elements of bread come together and die to become bread as Christ dies to rise bringing all of humankind to the fullness of life in God. Bread is a living sign of what it means to be church: we come together with our gifts and talents, and,... by the yeast that is the Spirit of God, we become the one bread, the Church, the body of Christ. In imitating Jesus three actions in todays Gospel blessing and giving thanks for what God has given to us, breaking from our blessings (including our time and energy) in order to contribute to the good of all, and giving in joy and humility we transform our small offerings of fish and pieces of bread into the means for becoming the one body of Christ. See more

21.01.2022 Fr Noel you will be deeply missed. A friend to all, May you Rest In Peace

21.01.2022 John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1: 1-8 Throughout our lives, we find ourselves lost in places of loneliness, of anger, of hurt, of bitterness, of fear - and in these deserts, if we listen with our hearts, we hear "the voice of one crying out" hope and possibility to us. God sends a "messenger" in the guise of a loving and supportive spouse, a wise and generous family member or friend, a dedicated and compassionate care-provider who help us "make a straight path" - smoothing, strengthening, levelling the way. This Advent, may we open our hearts to hear the "voice" of the "Baptizers" whom God sends into our deserts - and may we be the voice of God's "messenger" to those wandering in their own deserts and wildernesses of hopelessness and suffering.

19.01.2022 The Student Experience Survey (SES) will open soon. If youre currently studying and selected as part of the sample youll receive an invitation via email in the next few weeks. Fill it out ASAP for the best chance at winning some great prizes! https://buff.ly/3j55FCB Please see prize draw terms and conditions at https://buff.ly/2Zmaf5a

19.01.2022 [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does but as human beings do . . . Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16: 21-27 Its a natural and understandable reaction to avoid whatever is unpleasant, uncomfortable, stressful, hurtful. In todays Gospel, Peter simply wants to protect Jesus from the suffering that awaits bu...t Jesus sharply rebukes Peter for trying to diminish or skirt the cross because it is difficult. To take up ones cross whether that cross is dealing with cancer or teaching in a parish religious education program is not a battle of good over evil but a means for bringing Gods promise of resurrection into our lives and the loves of those we love. In dying to ourselves, Jesus says, we become something greater, that in letting go of the temporary and ephemeral we become richer, that in the suffering we endure we become stronger, in the failures we experience we become wiser. See more

18.01.2022 The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed . . . the smallest of all seeds, yet when full grown is the largest of plants . . . The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened. Matthew 13: 24-43 The great events and moments of life begin with small things from simple beginnings and basic principles lifes greatest accomplishments and journeys come to be. Humanitys dreams of peace, com...munity and justice are realized, first, in the simple, basic and small acts of goodness and generosity offered by individuals like you and me. Jesus invites us to embrace the simplicity of mustard seed faith: the ability to see the potential in the smallest of things and the courage and perseverance to unlock that potential. He calls us to realize the potential of the Gospel yeast: to let the grace of God transform the flour and water of our lives into the bread of hope, of forgiveness, or justice, of peace.

18.01.2022 Last chance to take up your invitation that was emailed to you to take part of this years Student Experience Survey (SES) . BBI-TAITE would like to take this opportunity to thank those students who have already participated.

18.01.2022 Congratulations to Bishop Mark Edwards and the Wagga Diocese.

17.01.2022 Happy Feast day St Charbel. Today is the feast day of St Charbel, a monk and great saint of the Maronite Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1859, he spent sixteen years at the Monastery of St. Maroun before receiving permission from his reluctant superiors to retire to the nearby hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul. For the remaining twenty-three years of his life, Charbel lived an extremely hard life. He wore a hair shirt, slept on a straw mattress with a plank for a pil...low, and for his one meal of the day was content to eat the left-overs from the monastery. He displayed a remarkable devotion to the Eucharist, spending hours in preparation for saying Mass and hours in thanksgiving afterwards. During his life he obtained a reputation for his holiness and today many Lebanese Christians have prayer cloths blessed which are placed on the sick while praying to God through his intercession for healing. Saint Charbel pray for us. See more

17.01.2022 . . . although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to little ones . . . Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart . . . Matthew 11: 25-30 When Jesus calls his disciples to embrace the simple faith of little ones, he is not saying that our approach to faith should be dumbed down to the level of children. He is calling us, instead, to embrace a faith that is centred in the love of God: love ...that is not compromised by self-interest and rationalization; hope that manages to find meaning in continuing on despite the grief and fear that overwhelms us; compassion that is not measured but offered completely and unreservedly, without limit or condition. Christ is asking us to embrace a faith that is simple, pure and honest, neither complicated nor compromised by adult stuff. May the wise and learned among us embrace the spirit of generosity and selflessness of little ones that enables us to plant gardens that have too long been deserts.

16.01.2022 Dont Miss out! https://www.facebook.com/ifmconnect/live Scripture Night with Dr Laurie Woods - open to everyone, live streamed on Institute for Mission FB page. Tuesday, 18 August at 7pm. Registration NOT required.

15.01.2022 . . . the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out . . . I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture . . . I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." John 10: 1-10 For most of us, grounding is or has been a negative and punitive, often limiting our freedom and options but the opposite is true. To be grounded is to find our footing in what we believe is right and just; to r...estore the balance between our individual wants and needs and our responsibility for the common good; to stop and reset our direction, fix what is broken and change what is not working. As followers of Jesus, we realize that our lives must be grounded in the Gospel principles of compassion, peace and justice, if we are to realize the meaning and purpose of our lives. This Easter season is a time to ground ourselves again in the Risen Christ, the gate to Gods Kingdom, the Shepherd who gathers us as his Church, the people of God.

15.01.2022 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth . . . John 14: 15-21 The Advocate that Jesus promises his disciples in todays Gospel is the grace and wisdom to take on the monsters in our closets: self-centeredness, bigotry, violence, avarice. The Advocate is the Spirit of God that brings us together as a Church, the people of God, to take on those monsters, helping... us to see that together, following the example of Jesus, we can transform those monsters of hate into opportunities for hope. The Risen Christs promise of the Advocate is a mixed blessing: Gods Spirit can be scary, threatening our lives and lifestyles, confronting us with our irresponsibility and culpability but that Spirit opens our hearts and consciences to hear the voice of God in the noise and tumult around us, enabling Gods presence transform our monsters into the justice, forgiveness and peace of the Easter promise.

14.01.2022 Congratulations to our BBI-TAITE lecturer Dr Michelle Jones, whose book "Ruth Burrows: Essential Writings" (Orbis Books) won First Place (Spirituality) in the Association of Catholic Publishers "Excellence in Publishing Awards"! Click here to purchase the book: https://bit.ly/36w6T4b

12.01.2022 Happy Feast Day St. Mary MacKillop

12.01.2022 FREE ONLINE BOOK LAUNCH with Dr Phyllis Zagano Register now! https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/book-launch-women-icons-of-

11.01.2022 You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. . . . you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church . . . I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 16: 13-20 The keys of the kingdom of heaven that Christ entrusts to us, his Church today, are also signs of power, trust and understanding: the key to proclaim, in both our parish ministries and our everyday generosity, the presence of God in our communities; ...the key to reconcile and heal the lost and broken; the key that opens up the mysteries of Gods great love for all humanity as revealed to us in the Risen Christ. Todays Gospel is often read as Jesus first step in setting up an institution to carry on the work of his Gospel but, in baptism, Jesus entrusts to each one of us of the keys to realize the Fathers kingdom of justice and compassion in our time and place. . See more

10.01.2022 Have you filled out your invitation Student Experience Survey? Theres still time. Upon completion of the SES you will be entered into a prize draw. *Please see prize draw terms and conditions at https://buff.ly/2Zmaf5a

10.01.2022 Some [seed] fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soul was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Matthew 13: 1-23 The parable of the sower challenges us to check the thinness of the soil in our hearts that results in our faith withering in... the noonday heat; the rockiness of self-centeredness and avarice that prevents Gods seed of generosity and peace from taking root in us; the thorns of bigotry and self-righteousness that choke the possibility of providing for the poor, healing the broken, lifting up the fallen. Our own response to the coronavirus is a good measure of the richness of our faith and its potential for the seed of Gods Word to take root and realize in our lives the harvest of justice and compassion that is the Kingdom of God.

09.01.2022 The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps . . . Matthew 25: 1-13 Time is a gift that God gives us through which we might come to discover God and the things of God. Too often we fall into the mindset of the five foolish bridesmaids of today’s G...ospel: We carry on convinced that there will always be enough time later to make our lives what we want them to be and that there is an unlimited amount of oil in our lamps to make it all happen. Today’s Gospel calls us to see our lives as a wonderful gift from God but a gift that is preciously short and fragile. Jesus calls us to realize that now is the time to seek the compassion and peace of God for ourselves and for those we love, while our lamps are filled with God’s wisdom and grace. See more

09.01.2022 I am the living bread that came down from heaven . . . the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world . . . For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. John 6: 51-58 This Sundays Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord is especially poignant at this time. Weve come to realize a hunger in our lives that food and drink cannot come close to satisfying: a hunger to belong, a hunger to matter, a hunger to be at peace, a hunger to love and be ...loved. If nothing else, these weeks have given us a new appreciation and understanding of the words of Jesus: that the bread that truly nourishes is generosity and compassion that mirrors that of God, that the treasures of lasting value are the good we can do for those we love, that the Spirit of God lives and moves among us in selfless generosity and sacrificial service. See more

09.01.2022 Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, lives among us still in every parent of every time and place. Theologian and retreat leader Megan McKenna writes in her book Praying the Rosary: She is found in every mother, sister, wife, daughter, every human being who grieves the death of the innocent, who buries a child, who knows fear, insecurity, and torture at the hands of others, and fears for the lives and souls of those she loves. [Mary] was anyone and everyone who, once awar...e of being in the presence of the holy, found her life transfigured by grace and spirit into a life bound to others in suffering, birth, death, and resurrection. She knew she was favoured and blessed by God. She was grateful for Gods notice of her and shouted out to anyone who would take her words to heart that they too could be so honoured by God, and they too could bring the Word into the world and be the servant of all those who cry out in their pain for Gods touch, Gods compassion and justice in their worlds. In Mary, we see the grace of God in every moment of life, including the most joyful and the most horrifying. In the challenges she faced, Mary is all of us; in the trust she placed in God, Mary is all we can become. Todays feast of Marys nativity one of the oldest feasts of Mary on the liturgical calendar invites us to realize the presence of God in the ordinary and simple lives of every one of us and to celebrate God in our midst in the love we give and receive, in the goodness of God we mirror in our everyday kindnesses and generosity.

09.01.2022 John was sent from God . . . to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. John 1: 6-8, 19-28 A few weeks ago a photo was published of a burly, grizzly-bearded, tattooed barber lying on the floor of his shop giving a young six-year-old autistic boy a haircut. The photo was posted online and in newspapers, and made the barber a hero - but the barber said, "I don't see myself like that, but I'm just doing my best all the time for my community." In what our C...hristian tradition has come to call the "Incarnation," the God of love becomes one of us so that we might become one with God. But Incarnation is not only an event but a practice: that we "embody" the love of God for the sake of others. A barber becomes the "incarnation" of God's love when he puts aside his adult world to bend down and crawl on the floor to enter the world of his young autistic client. May this Christmas be the beginning of our own "practice" of incarnation: to leave our own self-centred world to travel humbly in the world of those in need and, through our patience, understanding and generosity, to make the compassion and peace of God a reality in their lives. See more

08.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day to all the men out there acting as a father, uncle, grandfather, priest and friend and to all the women who are doing the work for both Mum and Dad.

07.01.2022 In my Fathers house there are many dwelling places . . . I am going to prepare a place for you . . . Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these . . . John 14: 1-12 In todays Gospel, Jesus promises that he goes to prepare a place for you in the dwelling place of God. But the place we have now our life in this time and place is our entry way to Gods house. The guests who come to our house, as the poet Rumi writes,... are encounters with the holy, and our ability to welcome them whether they bring enlightenment or fear, happiness of grief illuminate the way to our next house in the dwelling place of God. In taking on the work of compassion and reconciliation that the Risen One entrusts to us, our guest houses become part of Gods house in our midst; we establish the reign of God in our time as we make our way to the time of God. See more

07.01.2022 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone . . . If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church . . . For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18: 15-20 Whenever we gather in person or in spirit to sing Gods song of mercy an...d compassion and peace, Christ is in our midst. Thats the point of todays Gospel: the ability of individuals who come together as disciples, inspired by the Gospel Jesus, to accomplish great works of reconciliation, healing and justice. Sometimes it requires an extra sharp and focused vision of faith to realize and recognize his presence, but he is always there. Christs presence should move us, inspire us, transform us into a community of disciples and witnesses of his resurrection. Even if just two or three of us, if we seek to follow Jesus and realize the kingdom of God even in these days of the pandemic, How can we keep from singing? See more

06.01.2022 Mary Ward Grant 2021- Applications Now Open https://www.loreto.org.au///12/Mary-Ward-Grants_Page_1.jpg Address enquiries to: [email protected]

06.01.2022 Last Chance too register now, don't miss out. eventbrite.com.au/e/book-launch-liminal-papacy-of-pope-fran

06.01.2022 [The souls of the just] seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. Wisdom 3: 1-9 They seem to the foolish to be dead . . . But we know better. We who knew them and loved them know they are still a presence in our lives. Those who taught us, who made us laugh, who comforted us, who loved us are now at peace with God. But the good that they did among us continues to shine in... our lives and hearts. Their generosity and graciousness made us who we are; their example of compassion and mercy is very much alive in the wisdom and goodness they inspire in us. On this All Souls Day, we remember those whose passing has left a giant void in our lives, an empty space in our hearts. We commend them once again to God, with thanks that they blessed our lives. For in their love for us, we were and are continued to be embraced in the love of God. Hear, O Lord, our prayers this day for our relatives and friends who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith. We give you thanks for the blessing of their presence in our lives; we commend them to you again, consoled that you have made a place for them in your dwelling place, and look forward to that day when we take our places with them at your table in heaven.

05.01.2022 Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me . . . Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophets reward . . . Matthew 10: 37-42 A simple face mask given to protect a doctor or nurse in a place far away but close to the heart mirrors the love that Jesus speaks of in todays Gospel: generosity of heart and compassion of spirit that is prophetic, a sign to all the world that God is in our midst. To receive the prophets... reward is to seek out every opportunity, to use every talent with which we have been blessed, to devote every resource at our disposal to make the love of God a living reality in every life we touch. The Gospel cup of water can be as simple and ordinary as a face mask, but every kindness we offer, when given in the spirit of Gods compassion and mercy is a prophetic act of Gods presence in our midst.

05.01.2022 When Elizabeth heard Marys greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Luke 1: 39-56 Todays Feast of the Assumption celebrates the fulfilment of the Easter promise in Marys life. May we take up her song of faith and hope that, by our own works of selfless generosity and humble peace her Sons promise of resurrection may one day ...be fulfilled in our lives, as well. O God, with gratitude and wonder, we celebrate your daughter Marys call to bring your Son into the world to reveal your kingdom. May her song of joy and humility become our song, as well; may her vocation to give birth to your Christ be our calling and work; may the Easter promise of life in your dwelling place be realized in our lives as it has been in hers.

05.01.2022 FREE ONLINE BOOK LAUNCH with Massimo Faggioli & Richard Lennan Register now! https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/book-launch-liminal-papacy-

04.01.2022 FREE ONLINE EVENT Professor Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Historical Theology, Villanova University, Philadelphia, USA and Conjoint Professor, BBI-TAITE Presents: Human Fraternity in the Age of Walls: Pope Francis Encyclical. Friday 30 Oct 2020 at 6am (AEDT) https://stthom-edu.zoom.us/j/96602665933

04.01.2022 Just about every milestone, every new experience in life, can be terrifying. But the Jesus who calms the storm in todays Gospel reassures us of his presence. In the embrace of our beloved, in the helping hand of a friend, in the counsel of a wise teacher or coach, Jesus reaches out to save us in the darkest times; in the smallest acts of compassion and forgiveness that we give and receive, God reveals his presence in our midst. May we, in turn, find within ourselves the trust in that presence to be the outstretched hand of Christ for others.

03.01.2022 May - The Month of the Virgin Mary

03.01.2022 Congratulations Fr Karol.

03.01.2022 . . . God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John 3: 16-18 God makes himself known in surprising places; God reveals his love and mercy in unexpected situations; perhaps most extraordinary, God makes himself known in us and the people who care about us and who often challenge us. Todays feast of the Trinity invites us to re-discover the many ways in which the love of God is revealed in our lives: in ...the life God breathes into our souls, in every wonderful work of creation formed by Gods hand, in the love of God dwelling among us in the love of family and friends. The reality is that the idea of God lies beyond the grasp of our time-bound, limited human understanding. It will always be a mystery but signs of that mystery fill our lives with glimmers of the great light that God illuminates and consecrates in our homes and hearts.

01.01.2022 Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . they who mourn . . . the meek . . . they who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . the merciful . . . the clean of heart . . . the peacemakers . . . they who are persecuted for the sake of justice . . . Matthew 5: 1-12a Today we celebrate the feast of all the saints not just the official saints like the Mary McKillops and the Francises and the Thomas Mores and the Mother Teresas and the Charbels but the saints we have known an...d who have lived among us, the blessed of the Gospel through whom God touches us and our world. Today we honour the holy men and women who have walked among us and who have touched our lives by the example of their humility and selflessness, their generosity and compassion. Let us remember with gratitude today the blessings they have been to us; may the lives of our own litany of saints inspire us to follow the example of their grace-filled lives so that, one day, we may join their company in the dwelling place of God. See more

01.01.2022 It is with sadness that we heard of the passing of Fr. Frank Morrissey, OMI. We were proud to have him as a lecturer at BBI-TAITE and he was a great friend to us all. Rest in Peace our friend (1936-2020) https://youtu.be/7-QrX8Wgahk