St Ignatius of Loyola’s feast day is coming up on the 31 st July and here at Faber we plan to celebrate with some enjoyable conversation over a simple lunch.     In this era of screen communication,  how long is it since you had a satisfying face to face conversation with someone? The sort of conversation that leaves you consoled and energised.  For me, one of the great gifts of Ignatius has been his transformation of an...

I woke up this morning to the comforting sound of steady rain drumming on the roof. In the darkness of pre-dawn I feel a sense of being safe and secure, my body curled up and cosy. It’s a primal womb-like experience. I relish the feeling.  Perhaps it is some distant primal memory of mother love and nurturing.  An adolescent memory drifts into consciousness. Staying in spartan mountain huts and waking up to a seriously rainy day meant...

What does Resurrection mean?  The Dalai Llama once asked this question of a Christian sitting next to him at a John Main Seminar.  This story struck me at the time of hearing about it as I know I would have been startled by such a question,  to say nothing of being awe-struck by the illustrious holy man who asked it.   The question not only struck home but stuck as it were, and so every Easter I reflect upon it....

There is a “burning bush” in my garden – an ancient callistemon tree which most of the year looks old and tired. But every now and again it bursts into bloom with a profusion of bright red bottle-brush blossoms. These attract the birds to feed on its nectar - rainbow lorrikeets and honey eaters who swing from branch to branch, sometimes dangling upside down to access the honey and simultaneously screeching joyously. Before the sun rises,...