serving the faith communities of the Goulburn Valley
If you wish to embark on a new life, you need not wait for the arrival of a new year. To wait for a whole year means waiting for twelve months and so many days, hours, minutes and seconds. Treat every second as new. Sanctify every moment of your life. This has to be done by realising the unity of the Divine and the individual Consciousness. When this union is achieved, Spiritual Bliss is experienced. This is the primary task before everyone.
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The UN General Assembly adopts a resolution declaring 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity. It comes as the result of Christian-Muslim cooperation to promote peace, harmony and intercultural dialogue in the world.
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In a move unfathomable to many young men, in a few weeks Brother Bede will commit his life to God — becoming the first at his rural Tasmanian monastery to become a fully fledged monk.
Twenty-eight-year-old Brother Bede was one of the first to join the Notre Dame Priory when the Benedictine monastic community was established on an old farming property at Colebrook, 53 kilometres north of Hobart, almost four years ago.
He has now completed what would be akin to an apprenticeship and next year will make his solemn profession — vowing to spend the rest of his life as a monk in the service of God.
On the northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, tucked away from the dust and chaos of the city, stands the Great Boudha Stupa, a Buddhist monument towering more than eight stories into the sky. At the heart of the legend of the Great Boudha Stupa in Kathmandu, we find the pure aspiration of a “poultry-woman,” Jadzim, and her four remarkable sons.
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Shepparton Interfaith Network sends greetings of this Christmas Day to all peoples of all faiths – in the Goulburn Valley, nay, in Victoria, Australia, world-wide. Covid 19 aside (it causes separation on this feast day) we offer the message of the angels: Glory to God in the Highest – may all who live be the Glory of God, and may the Angels of the Christ Morn bring peace and good will to all Men, Women and Child. And those who suffer the Covid 19. Be blessed, this Christ Morn. Here, we bring you the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda on A Cradle for the Christ of Everywhere.
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“The Psalms: A Doorway to Jewish-Catholic Dialogue” is the work of the Canadian Rabinnical Caucus and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops over a period of five years. In the last five years, while delving into historic issues and current questions, the members of the Dialogue have also been deeply enriched by the time devoted in each gathering to the study of a psalm from both traditions. This presentation of a selection of these reflections is an effort to share with the wider community the fruits of this study.
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Just before Christmas, the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ, the practice of sending his messages from house to house through hymns (Carol) is celebrated in various parts of the world known as ‘Go Caroling Day’. This tradition has an interesting history as a reaction to the drunken revelry and accompanying (pagan) singing. St Francis gave the world the Christmas nativity; songs and canticles developed, thereafter.
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Greater Shepparton City Council is excited to bring back a much-loved event for the community to celebrate, with the Carols by Candlelight performance taking place this year in a COVID safe manner.
The annual celebration, which traditionally takes place in the Queens Gardens, will be a completely online event this year for families and friends to enjoy from the comfort of their homes on Sunday 20 December.
The night before a show in New Zealand in November of 1993, Tina Turner had a rollicking party with her band and dancers. The men in the band dressed in drag and serenaded Tina, lip-syncing to her own songs; everyone drank and ate into the wee hours of the morning. You can imagine what happened the next day: she woke up in no shape to perform. To top it off, there was a severe rainstorm, and the show was outdoors. “There was no question of my cancelling that show,” she writes. “My fans had paid to see me perform, made sacrifices to get tickets, traveled to the venue, and were willing to stand in the rain without shelter.” Instead, Turner, a practitioner of Soka Gakkai Nichiren Buddhism, began chanting the signature mantra of Nichiren Buddhism—Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo (known as the daimoku)—in order to “turn poison into medicine.”
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V/Line has unveiled a new design on one of its trains that aims to educate travellers about the diversity of Aboriginal groups across Victoria. The names of Victoria’s 38 Indigenous language groups can be seen weaved throughout the colourful piece.
Gunai and Yorta Yorta artist Dixon Patten designed the work, which is mainly featured along the outside of the train’s windows.
The artist behind a new design featured on a V/Line train says he hopes it will cause Victorians to “stop and reflect”. The symbolic work references dozens of different Indigenous groups across the state. V/Line says the work has been unveiled as part of their Reconciliation Action Plan.
It is that time of year again. The time of year as a Muslim where I am asked by co-workers and friends, “What are you doing for Christmas?” “Why are you not decorating?” and “Will you be attending any Christmas parties?” Usually my response is always the same, “I don’t celebrate Christmas.”
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Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are well recognised as the asrham of Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna and The Mother. There are formally established Centres of the Ramakrishna Mission in Australia: these exist for the welfare of the world.
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You are invited to decorate the Community Christmas Tree of Remembrance with messages written on cards to family members, friends and pets who have passed in the last 12 months to include them in the spirit of Christmas. For Christmas 2020, the Community Christmas Trees are located at the Shepparton Library and the Mooroopna Library.
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The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. The Atrium at Federation Square, Melbourne, will be live-streaming the Menorah lighting each evening commencing Thursday, 10 December from 7:30pm.
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The German government has officially apologised after its consulate in Melbourne refused 82 years ago to accept a letter of protest from the Australian Aborigines’ League about the Nazi persecution of the Jews. On Sunday 6th of December 2020, Felix Klein – the Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Anti-Semitism – issued the historic apology via video link on behalf of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government.
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Buddha Weekly magazine has interviewed book author Kimberly Brown about her work and her book, Steady, Calm, and Brave: 25 Practices of Resilience and Wisdom in a Crisis. For over a decade, Kimberly Brown has offered classes and retreats that emphasize the power of compassion and kindness meditation to reconnect us to ourselves and others.
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Hannukah approaches, commencing 10 December 2020. There are many traditions surrounding Hannukah, including foods. During Hannukah, the Jewish people traditionally serve holiday dishes cooked in oil to commemorate the miracle of a single vial of oil lasting eight days. But oil as the Hanukkah food of choice was not always so.
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Sangam Kala Group Australia Inc in association with Victorian Multicultural Commission, State Govt of Victoria & City of Kingston presents a Virtual Spirit Harmony Multicultural Festival Australia which will be broadcasted via multiple social media channels from 4th-6th December. Enjoy cross-cultural diverse stage performances, fun & acts by Australian, Indian & all singers, dancers, actors, musicians and health lovers.
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On 6 December 1938, William Cooper and a delegation from the Australian Aborigine’s League, marched to the German Consulate in Melbourne to stand up for the Jews of Europe being persecuted under the Nazi regime.
They stood up for the rights of others whilst not having any rights of their own.
Join the William Cooper Legacy Project on the 82nd anniversary to commemorate this momentous occasion – an online event on Sunday 6 December, from 2 – 3.30pm, online event.