Doers of the Word seek justice for all
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ Last weekend we celebrated Sunday of the Word of God. In my preparation to celebrate Holy Mass, I asked myself the question, what would life be like if Christians really prioritised the Word of God and lived it as an active and compassionate way of life? This question […]
In God’s timing, not ours
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ Thursday, January 16, 2025 was an extremely important day in my spiritual journey with God. On that day I was blessed with the grace of learning from a decision to trust God even after I had earlier failed to discern His voice speaking through my body. Normally an […]
Roadmap to authentic peace in 2025
By Fr Stephan Alexander, General Manager, CCSJ As the calendar turns each year, the Catholic Church sets the tone for humanity by beginning with a solemn call to peace. This tradition, inaugurated in 1967 by Pope St Paul VI through the institution of the World Day of Peace on January 1, coincides with the Solemnity […]
A season for new beginnings
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ My reflections of the past weeks helped to open me to the reality that we are in a season of ‘new beginnings’. Many of us understand that phrase as something positive. It’s a fresh start, a new opportunity, a decisive step towards positive change. This positivity was […]
Sticks and stones, words and stigmatisations
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Many of us grew up reciting or even singing this rhyme. For many of us, our first encounter with this proverb occurred during our primary school education. It’s likely that during that period of […]
Beware of misplaced focus
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ In many ways, my last two Catholic News columns sought to highlight the dangers of misplaced focus. This occurs when we give too much attention to one element of the truth or one aspect of our Christian vocation while neglecting other, often more important aspects. The column […]
Being aware of our tunnel vision in ministry
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ Have you ever been so focused on a task, an object, or a goal that you developed ‘tunnel vision’, where you lose your ability to see anything other than the item that occupies your focus? Sometimes that heightened focus may lead to difficulty in appreciating other objects […]
Jesus….lost and found
By Fr Stephan Alexander, General Manager, CCSJ I shared an experience with parishioners recently about how I lost Jesus and found Him again. Losing and finding Jesus may sound cliche but this was an actual experience. I often wear a crucifix around my neck. It’s worn inside my shirt, so most people are unaware […]
November events, a call to action
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ November is a month rich with events that summon us to deepen our commitment to social justice. This month’s commemorations include the Feast of St Martin de Porres; World Day of the Poor; Justice, Peace, and Community Week; World Youth Day; and the International Day for the […]
Ask for the grace of moral courage
By Fr Stephan Alexander General Manager, CCSJ Moral courage! This is the grace that we are invited to pray for when we meditate on the third Sorrowful mystery of the Holy Rosary. The grace of moral courage, for Roman Catholics, refers to the divine strength and spiritual fortitude given to us by God so that […]
