A Practical Field Guide for Bush Catholics...and bushed Catholics

Finding Christ within… A strong desire to offer Catholics—who may be cut-off from the traditional, parish-centred life of the Church for whatever reason—a practical guide to nurture and sustain a genuine Catholic spirituality, is what lies at the heart of this book by Peter de Haas. Ongoing pastoral and spiritual support of isolated Catholics in the vast Gulf Savannah Parish in Far North Queensland was the original inspiration and motivation for this guide. However, much of the content may be helpful for others who identify as Catholic (or Christian) but are still longing or searching for a deeper and richer spirituality. Some might be feeling spiritually lost … one of the meanings of ‘bushed’. The book is organised into two main parts. The first deals with some big questions concerning our very existence, then leads into some of the key elements of Catholic faith and beliefs. The second contains proven practices—some quite ancient—which have assisted countless Catholics (and other Christians) to personally encounter God (the God who is always seeking us). Bridging these is the pivotal chapter, Thy Kingdom Come. Connecting with the original vision and mission of Jesus concerning the Kingdom (or Reign) of God is spiritually very empowering. From a glimpse of this ‘original’ we can discover a much more expansive, and very inclusive, vision of what it means to be ‘church’, especially within a family setting. To assist ongoing formation—individually, within families and in small groups—the book also contains stimulating questions for reflection and discussion.