For our newsletter reflection this month, I would like to provide a brief outline of ways the Brisbane Oratory in Formation is living out some of the key traditional charisms of the Congregation of the Oratory. These are attributes of the mission given to the whole Church by Our Lord Himself before His ascension into heaven. They are given a distinctive form and expression through the service an Oratory community provides to Christ’s Faithful in the life of the Church.
The Sacred Liturgy, especially holy Mass, is firstly the ‘work of God’ for our ongoing sanctification through Jesus Christ and also the worship, adoration and thanksgiving that we, as members of Christ’s Body the Church render to almighty God. This is quite simply the ‘right and just’ way to live our lives as human beings made in the image and likeness of God Himself.
St. Philip Neri usually spent many fruitful hours in the confessional every day. The ministry of the confessional has thus always been a special charism of the Oratory and the Brisbane Oratory in formation is no exception in this regard. We have set periods for confessions every day of the week (except Tuesdays) during which time you will always find one of the fathers present in one of our traditional, anonymous confessionals, either hearing confessions, or prayerfully waiting for penitents to arrive. We have catholics from all over Brisbane choosing to avail themselves of the plentiful opportunities we provide to receive God’s forgiveness in this great sacrament of the Lord’s mercy. At the same time we also seek to offer each penitent sound advice in faithful harmony with the perennial teachings of the Catholic Church.
This extract from the Reflection by Fr Wise is in this month’s newsletter. To read the rest of the Reflection and newsletter please see the link below.
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