051 :
24 Oct 2008

Should same-sex relationships be approved or not? The issue of same-sex relationships has become the latest hot-button issue around the world where various legislatures have approved or are considering the approval of legislation that confers legitimacy on same-sex relationships. Today, Tom McMahon provides us with his perspective on the debate presently going on in California on the so-called "Proposition #8" which has been promoted by conservative Christian groups in an endeavour to stem the tide against this trend in society. [more]

050 :
19 Oct 2008

A Middle Age Church in the Modern World… The Polar Express takes what Tom McMahon desribes as a "bypass switch" today. He's beginning to examine in more detail the relevance of a Trentan priesthood to today's milieu. Who is qualified to be a priest in this Age of Technology? [more]

049 :
12 Oct 2008

The funeral of a seminary colleague… TOM'S FOREWORD: The Polar Express, our train of thought on sacraments pauses on side track as we tip our berettas to one of this writer's seminary classmates; the following are two pieces sent to the living members of our ordination class, the Menlo Men of '54. Allow this to be a preface as we move next week into exploring a Priesthood for the Age of Technology. [more]

048 :
05 Oct 2008

Confirmation — Part II In this second part of his commentary on Confirmation Tom McMahon relates a series of personal experiences from his time in parish ministry that led to disillusion. We invite readers with experience preparing young people for confirmation today, and parents and grandparents, to share your perspectives on the continuing relevance of this Sacrament today. Do you agree with Tom or do you have a different perspective to offer? [more]

047 :
28 Sep 2008

Station stop "Confirmation" In his own introduction to today's commentary Tom McMahon writes: "Our train of thought now approaches territory CONFIRMATION … guard your spiritual wallets … there is no way that we can envision newness without ploughing through the debris of the old … the salt has lost its flavour; the territory is marked with ermine red." [more]

046 :
21 Sep 2008

Why people have become disillusioned with the institution… The headline says "A Confession" but this commentary from Tom McMahon is not the one about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. His thought-train is still stuck at the Baptism Station. This commentary is a further personal confession of his journey from one form of ministry to another. Many who have become disenchanted with the institution will empathise with what he writes. Also included today is an audio commentary from another priest — or should that be 'pastor'? — who has made a similar journey, Michael Morwood. After you've read Tom's commentary you might like to reflect further on Michael Morwood's words which speaks to the heart of those who have lost faith in the institution but who have not lost faith in Jesus. [more]

045 :
14 Sep 2008

The relevance of Baptism in an age of technology… Tom McMahon today guides his Polar Express "thought train" to the station stop marked "Baptism". In his usual fearless way he ventures into the territory that causes heart palpitations in some sectors of the Church and questions the established orthodoxies and practices. For the parents of adult children reading this: if you had your time over again what things would you do differently in the religious and spiritual formation of your children? [more]

044 :
07 Sep 2008

American political spirituality II… Tom McMahon is on his best behaviour today endeavouring to write a fair and balanced overview on the Republican Convention. His own sympathies are with the Democrats, and he's upfront in admitting that but he also discloses a latent admiration for John McCain. At the end of the commentary we also provide links to a couple of other "political" stories worth reading today. [more]

043 :
31 Aug 2008

American political spirituality… Over the next few week's it looks as though Tom McMahon is taking us on another excursion away from his Sacraments series. It's a useful excursion though looking at American spirituality amidst the coming Presidential election. Today he looks at the Democratic Convention. [more]

042 :
24 Aug 2008

A Family Wedding… Tom and Elaine McMahon's son, Tommy, married Phuong Nugyen on July 8th. His commentary today explores a complex mix of the personal and the communal, the secular and theological. The underlying focus continues to be this exploration of the meaning of Sacrament in the vastly changed, and changing, world we occupy today. [more]

041 :
17 Aug 2008

Last rites and today's celebration of life… Tom McMahon's "Polar Express" is a "train of thought" or perhaps a "stream of consciosness". Today he let's rip with a challenging examination of our ideas concerning death and the Sacrament of the Last Rites. What is the meaning of death in our Technological Age? [more]

040 :
10 Aug 2008

Jesus as first teacher… Tom McMahon's "Polar Express" is sort of paused-between-stations today. It's really a continuation of his commentary last week on the meaning of marriage today — where did it come from? He's also got some powerful stuff to say about the changing self-perceptions of women and how that played such a vital part in our changing understanding. He puts forward an interesting view of Jesus portrayed as our archetypal mom and dad — our "first teacher". [more]

039 :
03 Aug 2008

The meaning of Marriage… Tom McMahon's commentaries continue to attract some of the highest number of page reads of anything we publish on Catholica. Today's commentary might break all records as it touches on a subject will be of interest to a huge number of readers — the meaning of Marriage. [more]

038 :
27 Jul 2008

An unscheduled stop… Tom McMahon's imaginery choo-choo train, The Polar Express, which has been whisking us through these series looking at priesthood and the meaning of sacrament today, takes a small unscheduled stop. It's partly triggered by the events in Sydney for World Youth Day but also because Tom is planning a visit here to celebrate his 80th Birthday next year. He's been boning up on a bit of our history. Despite the train stop, the commentary still has things to say about the meaning of sacrament. [more]

037 :
20 Jul 2008

Wisdom from overseas… We publish this as the final song and images fade from the screen for World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. In summary this World Youth Day will more likely be remembered as the birth of a "smaller, purer Church" rather than one endeavouring to reach out to all people. Tom McMahon's commentary today is nostalgic also — calling us back to re-capture the excitement that gripped the world in the promise held out by Vatican II. The focus today in Tom's commentary is the sacrament of ordination. [more]

036 :
13 Jul 2008

The Story Teller… Tom McMahon is the story teller today — telling stories that explore the meaning of the word "sacrament". The word has lost a lot of its power and meaning. Tom builds his arguments for our need to rediscover the meaning of "sacrament" in our present age — the age of technology. [more]

035 :
06 Jul 2008

Two Different Worlds… The Church inhabits two different worlds, argues Tom McMahon in this fourth commentary of his series on the meaning of "Sacrament" in an Age of Technology. Within the Church he sees "civil war exists over boundaries". He asks concerning the 86% who have stopped listening to the Church: "have they abandoned Jesus: or have they gone across the spiritual street to that other world that Michael Morwood addresses?" [more]

034 :
29 Jun 2008

Entwined in this Sacramental pattern… Jesus came to set us free from superstition and ignorance, argues Tom McMahon in this third commentary of his series on Sacrament. This is a very optimistic commentary looking at the new spring that seems to be emerging in wider society but still largely stifled within the institution itself by a leadership fearful of losing its control and power. [more]

033 :
25 Jun 2008

What does it take to make the people angry? We held over Tom McMahon's commentary on Sunday for fear of information overload. Today's commentary is not a replacement. It is a special report Tom filed yesterday on two meetings he attended at the University of San Francisco last week. One with Bishop Geoffrey Robinson and the other with author of "Catholicism at the Crossroads", Paul Lakeland. Given the present crisis in Catholicism, Tom has come away wandering what level of anger it takes to motivate the people to do something? [more]

032 :
15 Jun 2008

Some definitions and a little history… In this second commentary on his new series exploring the meaning of Sacraments today, Tom McMahon, starts in a logical place — with some definitions and a little bit of the history as to how we came to have the Seven Sacraments we have today. [more]

031 :
08 Jun 2008

Myth, Mystery and the Meaning of Sacrament… Tom McMahon today introduces a new series of Sunday commentaries which will be exploring our understanding of Sacrament in an Age of Technology. The Seven Sacraments we have today were an evolution. Once there were more than a hundred sacraments which the Council of Trent codified into the Seven we know today. Tom explores the meaning of the term Sacrament … what they are meant to achieve … have the Trentian Sacraments lost their meaning for many today … should we re-examine the entire issue of "Sacrament" and give them new meaning for our prsent age — or find new symbols that communicate more effectively today? In this introductory reflection he looks at the power of Myth and Mystery in the human imagination. [more]

030 :
18 May 2008

A call to the Church to deal with human sexuality honestly… It's a deliberately provocative headline taken from a question that was put to Tom McMahon on a television talk show. Our commentary today is a call made by Tom McMahon ten years ago for our Church to face up to and deal with the issues of human sexuality honestly and directly. On the fortieth anniversary of Humanae Vitae it remains as relevant today as it has at any point in the past 40 years. [more]

029 :
11 May 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #15… Tom McMahon concludes his lengthy and brutally frank series tracing his changing perceptions of priesthood over a life that has spanned nearly eight decades and which encompassed both priesthood and fatherhood. [more]

028 :
28 Apr 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #14… Today's commentary is perhaps the most public confession you are likely to find anywhere of a Catholic priest discovering the nature of fatherhood. Many will be moved by the frankness and honesty with which Tom McMahon goes back and relates his personal journey from priest to father. Has the form of priesthood that grew up as a later cultural adaptation in Christianity outlived its usefulness and we need to re-discover an understanding of priesthood which is much closer to that modelled by Jesus Christ, the first Apostles and the presbyters in the early Christian church? [more]

027 :
20 Apr 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #13… In today's take Tom McMahon looks at what he sees as the artificiality of the seminary system of training priests. He also offers some of his own observations on the sexual abuse scandal and why sexual abuse manifested itself out of this system. [more]

026 :
13 Apr 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #12… Today Tom McMahon begins a three-part sub-series which he has entitled "Jesus, touch and skin". He is looking at new formulations of priesthood that might take us closer to the more authentic and original Jesus' vision. [more]

025 :
06 Apr 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #11… In the last few days Tom McMahon journied back to his old seminary with seven of his now octagenarian classmates. He reflects a little on that but at greater length on how the clerical priesthood seems to have lost its way on the journey into the 21st Century. [more]

024 :
30 Mar 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #10… Here is a reflection and commentary that tugs at the heart strings from a number of different angles. Yet, at the same time it has a "hard edge" to it As Tom McMahon struggles to articulate what it is about Jesus that draws us forward in love of neighbour and that impublse to serve others. [more]

023 :
23 Mar 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #9… Tom provides some insight into what motivated him to tackle this series and the challenges it has posed to him. Using John Donohue's Celtic concept of Anum Cara he points to a different sense of priesthood that seems to be emerging in society. Can the institution cope if the people wander off developing their own concepts of what priesthood means? [more]

022 :
16 Mar 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #8… This week Tom McMahon shares with us some memories of his years in the seminary in the 1950s. Will the attempts some are making to re-introduce that sort of seminary culture succeed, or are those attempts an historical aberration and that "culture of priesthood" is going the way of the dinosaurs? [more]

021 :
09 Mar 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #7… Tom takes a rather critical look at the system of "ranks and orders" Jesus set up to manage and govern his Church until the Second Coming! [more]

020 :
02 Mar 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #6… Today Tom reflects further on his own personal journey from one understanding of priesthood to another. Is his discovery that "an adult relationship with Jesus set him free" something that is most pertinent to the collective exploration we're making in this community here at Catholica? [more]

019 :
24 Feb 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #5… This is a sobering commentary today from Tom McMahon's. It'll be enough to give some people the heeby-jeebies. For others, and one suspects many more, he is simply being brave enough to voice things that have been unvoiced for far too long. Tom looks at some of the factors that have "crippled" the priesthood over recent centuries. The quest though is not to be critical just for the sake of being critical. In line with the general objective of Catholica we're trying to find out "what went wrong" that the Church suddenly become so "irrelevant" in the minds and hearts of so many in the relatively short space of a couple of centuries. [more]

018 :
17 Feb 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #4… Tom McMahon's great value is that he somehow articulates what a lot of people have been thinking but have been too afraid to articulate — perhaps even to themselves. His commentary today is provocative and not for the feint of heart. Nor is it one for those with a vested interest in propping up concepts of priesthood that now seem to be fast fading into history. [more]

017 :
10 Feb 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #3… We Aussies share a certain irreverence in common with Californians. Tom McMahon tends to "tell it as he sees it" and in this very frank confession explores what got him into priesthood in the first place — and what got him out to begin exploring a different form of priesthood. [more]

016 :
30 Jan 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #2… In this powerful second reflection on the nature of priesthood, Tom McMahon gives voice to what perhaps many people are thinking but are too afraid to say out loud. He reveals that today there are probably more priests outside the formal structure than within it. If you are a priest today what is your response? If you are a lay person today what are you looking for in a priest? Please feel free to join what is developing into a fascinating conversation in our forums. [more]

015 :
20 Jan 2008

Reflections on the nature of priesthood #1… Tom McMahon is a man who has spent nearly 80 years reflecting seriously on the nature of priesthood — both as an ordained priest and as one who sought to continue his ministry in a different way when he left ordained ministy. He shares some of his thoughts and how they have changed over the decades of his life. They are a valuable perspective as they enable us to see priesthood both from the perspective of the ordained and from the perspective of a man who has taken in the responsibilities of a family. [more]

014 :
13 Jan 2008

A Blessing for 2008… Tom McMahon extends his best wishes to all readers of Catholica for 2008 and shares with us a few thoughts on the celebrations of holidays. [more]

013 :
06 Jan 2008

Some observations on Catholic Education… This series of holiday reflections from Tom McMahon is triggered by recent commentaries on Catholica Australia. In this first postcard, Tom shares some observations on Catholic Education in his own country. [more]

012 :
16 Nov 2007

The meaning of communion… It's Tom McMahon's birthday today and also his concluding commentary in search of the meaning of what we're trying to do when we celebrate communion. He gives this concluding commentary the subtitles: "The end of the trail? is Eucharist divine? Is any thing divine? Touchy issue!". [more]

011 :
09 Nov 2007

The meaning of our eucharist… Tom McMahon argues our understanding of the eucharist is something dynamic and evolving. With the help of plenty of quotes presents some provocative thoughts on how we ought be imagining it today. This is a commentary that will leave you with many stimulating thoughts for fruitful meditation. [more]

010 :
02 Nov 2007

There will always be a priesthood… By his own admission, it's a bit of a pot-pourri from Tom McMahon today but it's a pretty rich one. This guy knows how to cook up a good stew — or a decent loaf of bread to share with his friends. [more]

009 :
26 Oct 2007

The vision of Jesus and John XXIII… Tom McMahon bases his commentary today around the recent controversy in San Francisco involving Archbishop George Niederauer and the gay activist and charitable group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. He asks what sort of response would Jesus have made? [more]

008 :
19 Oct 2007

The evolution of the Eucharist… This week Tom McMahon explores the evolution of the Eucharist (and other Sacraments) in the ritual life of the Church. His series of reflections is essentially asking if we've somehow gotten ourselves a long way removed from the original meaning in these important religious rituals. [more]

007 :
30 Sep 2007

Breaking Bread in the High Sierras… Tom McMahon continues his series of reminiscences from his own personal journey to explore the meaning of eucharist and communion in our lives. In his essay today he kicks around the notion of the archetypal images we have of what the Eucharist means and where some of the came from. He sees his own life-long journey as one of trying to get to the essence of Eucharist — or eucharist. [more]

006 :
23 Sep 2007

Crazy for Jesus… Tom McMahon continues his series of recollections from his own personal journey to explore the meaning of eucharist and communion in our lives. Today he recalls the contasting approaches of a number of clerics he has met over his lifetime who brought contrasting approaches to this sacrament. [more]

005 :
16 Sep 2007

eucharist or Eucharist? One could argue that a second great benefit of Bishop Geoffrey Robinson's book, besides its excellent exploration of so many questions of theology, belief and practice, is that it has given an enormous number of people a new-found confidence to speak their minds. Intelligent people are sick to death of this culture that has developed in the Church where everyone is beholden to the "thought police". One wonders what the Vatican would do if the entire population rose up and questioned some of its pet assumptions? Don't answer that question. 85% of the population of the Western world has and you can see what the Vatican has done: it has constantly caved into the insecure elements in the population constantly running around proclaiming the sky is about to fall in if we discuss such as such. Tom McMahon is another man, like Geoffrey Robinson, who is not afraid to called a spade a freakin' shovel. Enjoy this new series Tom begins today where he endeavours to explore the real meaning of eucharist and communion in our lives without fear of the hand-wringers, thought police and those in despair that the sky is about to fall in if we question a few assumptions. …Editor [more]

004 :
06 Sep 2007

Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and all that "stuff"! Long time lover of authentic "Catholic" thinking, Tom McMahon, has been busting for ages to have a go at what he sees as the "outmoded views" of the editor of Catholica, Brian Coyne, for his views on "Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and all that 'stuff'". Well, we've given him a page to "let rip" and we're also pleased to see Tom joining the pages of Catholica on a more regular basis as a commentator. (The editor reserves the right to come back in this ongoing debate about all this eschatological "stuff" and the ultimate meaning, purpose and objective of all this religion and faith business. Stay tuned for a vigorous, on-going discussion and we'd welcome your views on why we bother with all this belief in God and going to Church business.) [more]

003 :
06 Jul 2007

Relationships … just plain old relationships: some thoughts from a not-so-inoocent bystander… Tom McMahon sent us this sensitively written commentary exploring the importance of relationship in our lives. Tom was laicised many years ago over differences of opinion he had with the institution on the matter of celibacy but it could be said that throughout his life he has brought to his work a very "priestly" view. It still comes through in what he is writing from the comfort of his retirement in San Jose, California. [more]

002 :
05 Nov 2006

The Historical Jesus Then and Now: The Challenge of the Kingdom of God... Last weekend Tom McMahon attended a series of lectures by the renowned scholar John Dominic Crossan at the local Presbyterian Church in his neighbourhood in San Jose. This morning (Sunday Australia time) I received these notes of those lectures and was intrigued enough to go off doing a whole lot further research on the net. In his postscript to the notes you will read this assessment by Tom: "In 12 years of Catholic seminary and 52 years of study as a roman priest I have never before heard such meaningful explanations of the Jesus message". I'm sure others will get value out of Tom's notes as well. Using this as a starting point you'll find a heap of further information available on the net. ...BMC [more]

001 :
14 Aug 2006

Obituary for a priest colleague... One of the last places one would expect to find praise and "from the heart" love for the priesthood would be from a man who got kicked out of the priesthood for his rebelliousness. Tom McMahon, a former priest now married, lives a very fulfilled life in San Jose and continues to contribute voraciously to several Catholic discussion lists in the States. We publish this recent obituary he wrote here as some kind of conclusion to our own discussions in recent days on some of the qualities we look to in priests. It's poignant and nostalgic writing but Tom also continues to pose some of those difficult questions that we need to be asking ourselves about what kind of Church we are creating for the future. [more]