Author Archives: Philip John Bewley

I had cause today to think about the many changes which have taken place in church and society over the past 60 years. For those of us who identify as Catholic Christians, the 1960s brought in a great era of change, inspired as it were, by the proceedings of the Second Vatican Council. When PopeContinue reading “Sing a New Song to the Lord”

In 1974, at the age of 42, renowned spiritual writer Henri Nouwen spent a seven-month period at the Abbey of the Genesee, a Cistercian monastery in upstate New York, not far from Lake Ontario. The result of his monastic experience was published in his best-selling journal, The Genesee Diary, a book I became familiar withContinue reading “Henri Nouwen’s experience as a ‘temporary’ monk at the Abbey of the Genesee”

Sydney has always put on a spectacular New Year Firework displays. In my opinion it is one of the few things Sydney does better than Melbourne. When the clocks ushered in the 3rd Millennium in the year 2000, I remember watching the coverage on television from my home in Somerset. The BBC crossed live toContinue reading “Ash Wednesday and Eternity”

It is always said that when hosting a dinner party, one should never talk about politics, religion or sex, at least not if you want to keep your friends. Yet often these three subjects find their way into the conversation. So here is an all too common scenario. The argument at the dinner party becomesContinue reading “Children and Faith”

Currently I am holidaying in the beautiful capital of northern Thailand, Chaing Mai, which has around 300 temples or ‘wats’ scattered around the old city and surrounding area. Certainly, the practice of Buddhism is very much an essential part of Thai culture, apparent from the number of locals found offering devotions in the various templesContinue reading “Buddhism: a Religion or a Philosophy”

In the northern hemisphere, Europeans celebrate Christmas at the darkest and coldest time of the year – and the day is at its shortest. Hence, many of our Christmas customs, even here in the Southern Hemisphere, originate from that context. Christmas lights on our Christmas trees are an obvious example; they give light in theContinue reading “The Light of Life”

The Christian Church is currently in the middle of its Advent season, and ‘waiting’ is the key theme of this liturgical season. Christians are a people who are waiting. But for many, waiting is often a time of tedium, even boredom, a time of uncertainty, and perhaps even anxiety. We can become very impatient withContinue reading “Wasting Time Waiting”

Since leaving my parent’s home at the age of 21, I estimate that I have lived in over 15 houses in the past 34 years. To describe my existence as peripatetic is an understatement. In the monastic world I would probably be classified as a gyrovague, who St Benedict classified in his Holy Rule amongContinue reading “Our Earthly Tents”

For Christians, this time of the year is known as Advent, and in the excerpt from the New Testament which is read in most churches around the world this coming Sunday, John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, takes centre stage. In Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 3:1-12) he appears in the desert of Judea, in clothingContinue reading “Thomas Merton and the Inner Desert”