Southern Highlands News - The hidden Mittagong sanctuary with a surprising 120-year story

Easter greetings from The Hermitage! The Easter story is undoubtedly one of the most intense, dramatic, captivating and significant events in human history – in fact for Christians, we might say it is THE most significant event in human history. The plot of this story has it all. At its darkest moments it is full of denial, betrayal, torture, cruelty, high emotion, tension, anxiety, agony and suffering. But it is bookended by a special meal with friends at the start and a truly astonishing revelation at the end which, while confusing for some who experienced it at the time, has remained a source of joy and hope for so many across two thousand years   Continue Reading at this link:  Easter Hermitage Newsletter 2026 

New Year greetings from the Hermitage! Each year the Marists develop a theme with a view to tapping into something that is contemporary, that has resonance with people, and that gives a focus to our spiritual journey through the year. Staff from the Marist Life and Mission (MLF) Team prepare resources that assist schools and other ministries to explore the theme, and they also visit schools to facilitate Staff Spirituality Days.  The theme for this year is: FULL OF GRACE Transform the World with God’s Love Grace can be a bit of a slippery concept. Many of us would remember the old saying, “there but for the grace of God go I.” What is God’s grace, and how does one get access to it, and most importantly, what is its impact on us? In 2018, renowned spiritual writer Fr Michael Casey, a Cistercian monk, wrote a book called simply, Grace – on the Journey to God. Grace certainly is about a journey – our spiritual journey. Casey says in his introduction that the book is a series of reflections “on what we are likely to experience when we begin to give ourselves conscientiously to the spiritual journey.” When we have this openness, says Casey, we are likely to find that “God’s grace is everywhere” – even in our desires, our temptations, our leisure and our silence.   Continue reading at this link:  February Hermitage Newsletter 2026 

Dear Friends When researching some years ago for workshops I was leading on spiritual accompaniment, I wanted to find something about the concept of ‘presence’, which I believe to be powerful in our human experience and often under-estimated.  The nature and quality of our presence have an impact on our relationships and all the interactions we have with others. But what exactly do we mean by 'presence'?  It is more than simply being physically there. True presence means bringing our full, authentic self into each moment and interaction - setting aside distractions, agendas, and preoccupations to truly attend to the person before us and the situation at hand. In the Marist context, this quality of presence is at the heart of our charism. It is what Marcellin embodied with the young people he served: a way of being that creates space for the Spirit to work and transforms ordinary encounters into moments of grace. Without presence, our work becomes mere activity; with it, we become instruments of transformation. How, then, do we cultivate such a presence?   Continue reading at this link:  Star Messenger, 5 February 2026