The start of December often serves to remind me that I need to get a move on with my Christmas shopping, with the big day only a few weeks away. Perhaps it’s the same for you, unless of course you’ve done everything well in advance this year!

I remember as a kid decorating my bedroom with posters of cricket and football players, individuals who I idolised and wanted to imitate. I never really thought anything of it, until I became a father and started to reflect on whose image I’d like to see on my children’s bedroom walls.

When we think of saints within the Catholic Church, it’s normal to conjure up images of medieval heroes, pious contemplative nuns or miracle-working bishops. But in recent times the world has come to know of an enthusiastic, joy-filled millennial called Carlo Acutis, who was beatified in 2020.

Have you ever made an important decision on the spur of the moment and later wished you had followed a different path?

At some point in our lives, we all do it. Whether it’s buying a car without first doing our research, moving in with a friend who we barely know, or agreeing to some commitment when put on the spot, we’ve probably all made many hasty decisions.

Did you know that a Catholic priest was the brains behind the Olympic motto? According to the International Olympic Committee’s website, Dominican priest Fr Henri Didon used the motto, citius, altius, fortius (Latin for “faster, higher, stronger”) when commencing a school sports event in 1881.

They say that on the list of life’s most stressful events is moving house. I would add to this list the stress of doing a home renovation while still living in the home! After almost 35 years of living at the same address, our home needed a major tidy up. To accomplish this, we had to put together a plan, employ various tradespeople and then move everything out so the walls could be painted, floors re-surfaced and kitchen updated. Little did we know how big the task would be.

Every couple of years we devote a Faith Journey article to our readers who have indicated they are not Catholic. By our calculations, a high proportion of our 2000-plus readers are in this category and have stumbled across our website or reached out to us with questions about the Catholic faith.  

Have you ever heard a homily that challenged your way of thinking? I experienced one of those homilies a few months ago.

The priest began, “You know, there are four lies that many of us tell ourselves”. He explained: The first is, “We are what we do”. That is, we believe we are valued for the prestige of the job or the position we hold. Or our value is measured by our ability to be productive and get things done.

Recently, I attended a presentation where the keynote speaker posed the question, “Who do you care for?" My immediate thoughts were of family members – my husband, children, grandchildren and elderly parents. Many in the audience had similar responses, but we were asked to consider the question more broadly.

The first International Women’s Day (IWD) was held in March 1911. The official website states:

“IWD isn’t country, group or organisation specific. It’s a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women’s equality.”