016 :
10 Apr 2012

Creative Spirituality for the 21st Century... There is much talk that although people have given up on institutionalised religion they are still seeking a spirituality to live by. Creation Spirituality might be the answer. In this essay, Vince Exley uses excerpts from various sources to explain how a spirituality and way of thinking, based on the creativity of the Universe, offers a spirituality that is totally free of superstition. Vince argues: "Moreover this spirituality, based on understanding the powers of creativity in the universe has become an absolute need for all to follow if the earth is to survive the 21st Century." [more]

015 :
02 Mar 2012

Is this a conversation you could have in Church? By the time you've finished today's reflection from Vince Exley you might ask yourself if it would be possible today to have this conversation in Church?. As he writes: "I have recently watched The Teaching Company's 48 thirty-minute lectures on 'Religion in the Mediterranean World', the 36 thirty-minute lectures on 'Jesus and the Gospels' and Franco Zeffirelli's 210 minute movie 'Jesus of Nazareth'." He's been on another of his lengthy quests to try and extract the substantive message of Jesus out of all the myths and the historical record. This is neither a quest in search of the historical Jesus, nor the mythical Jesus, but a search for the meaning that Jesus and Christianity might have for our lives today. As we suggested: is this a conversation you could have in Church? [more]

014 :
28 Jan 2012

What do we really believe today? Today's reflection from Vince Exley serendipitously fits in with a brilliant and lengthy conversation we've been having in the Catholica forum in recent days entitled "Searching for New Ways to be Catholic" [LINK]. Vince wrote this a few days before that conversation started. Catholica attracts a more mature readership many of whom are no longer prepared to put up with the religious bullshit anymore. They no longer have to please their parents, or the pope, but they're seriously trying to find answers to the meaning of Life. That's essentially what this whole discussion is about today: "What do we actually believe today" in the privacy of our own minds and away from trying to impress bishops and trying not to stir up the temple police? [more]

013 :
24 Sep 2010

What is God? The past week has delivered a plethora of commentaries leading to strings of thought-provoking reflections on our forum at some very foundational stuff to do with belief and where civilisation is heading. Vince Exley brings us a commentary today that seems to tap into this 'stream of consciousness' going on in the Catholica community. His thought-provoking commentary, written having just moved into a retirement village, is a kind of credo as to where all his musing and meditation has led him to in his foundational beliefs. [more]

012 :
17 Jul 2010

Is it possible to make Catholicism a strong spiritual & cultural force in society again? I cannot believe it is over 20 months since we ran a lead commentary from Vince Exley. Vince has been one of the founding members of the Catholica community. My association with him goes back to the earliest days of the community that first began to congregate on the old CathNews discussion board around nine years ago now. And what a valuable commentary Vince delivers to us today. In so many ways I see it as a reflection of the journey so many of us in this community have been on. This is a "no holds barred" lay persons' reflection exploring the crisis the institutional Church is in and the search for any alternative set of answers that might pull the Church he loves out of that crisis by returning to grasp the insights of the original followers of Jesus. You may not agree with all that Vince writes. I can imagine some will switch off completely and get angry with some of his thoughts. Many will read this as the reflections of a mature man who has endeavoured to be faithful to the institutional line for a long, long time and he has, like so many others in this place, simply got fed up with where we have been led. ...Brian Coyne (Editor) [more]

011 :
25 Sep 2008

Providing the Eucharist when there are no priests left to do so... Vince Exley lives in a beautiful but remoter part of this continent where the threat of not having enough priests to celebrate the Eucharist regularly is a very real prospect in the not-too-distant future. He argues passionately for an alternative to closing parishes or offering priestless "communion services"... [more]

010 :
14 Jun 2008

A picture is worth a thousand words... Please forgive our headline photo. In recent days a newspaper photographer caught Pope Benedict having a quiet drag. I've already drawn attention to that story in our forum last night suggesting that Benedict might yet become the patron saint of we addicts to nicotine (See: "Smokers get a patron saint" Post 13241.) It is a picture that I have a strong feeling will get everyone's attention for the topic at hand in this lead commentary today. (NOTE: Subsequent to this article being published it was demonstrated elsewhere on the net that this photo had been doctored and was published on the net as a spoof. The smoke in the background is the smoke of incense.) Vince Exley sent it in to us. He's been reading Gerald G May's book "Addiction and Grace" and Vince has given us this edited extract. While we do not receive any benefit from Harper Collins, the publishers of Gerald May's book, we hope the stretching of the laws of copyright, if that is indeed what we are doing, might induce a few people to go purchase Gerald May's book, or borrow it from their local library — both actions which would provide some compensation for Dr May. …Editor [more]

009 :
11 Apr 2008

Looking for balance in our spirituality... Here is another of those beautifully eclectic reflections by Vince Exley where he pulls togehter a couple of lengthy quotes from other authors he has recently been reading. Vince writes: "At the present time our local Vinnies is struggling with the problem of using plastic bags in our shop. I have dug up some random readings on how we need to care for both persons and the environment and how we need to be Church to do this." [more]

008 :
27 Mar 2008

Getting to the heart of what we really believe... Inspired by a number of different influences, Vince Exley recently sat down an endeavoured to write out in a very honest way a summary of what he has really come to believe. He shares it with us here on Catholica. Should we all engage in this exercise from time to time of stripping ourselves of all those illusions and emotional attachments that often cloud our vision of what we really believe? [more]

007 :
08 Feb 2008

Richard Rohr's thoughts on the meaning of suffering... That delightful and always reflective bachelor mate of ours who lives up in the paradise of the Whitsunday Islands, Vince Exley, has been doing some more reading of Richard Rohr. It's on a theme that we are constantly exploring in this community, the meaning of suffering. Vince's notes from the books he's been reading are always a delight and draw a good response from you, the readers of Catholica. Today's reflection will not disappoint. [more]

006 :
30 Nov 2007

Reflections from Eckhart Tolle... Back on Remembrance Day you may remember Vince Exley gave us a reflection on Eckhart Tolle which did generate a goodly number of page views on our website. He returns today with extracts he's selected for us from the introduction to Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth". In his convering note Vince explains that Tolle "doesn't believe the earth will survive this century without radical change in the world's collective consciousness". To introduce the subject matter of reflection Vince has also included some preliminary thoughts from Fr. Richard Rohr. [more]

005 :
11 Nov 2007

Say goodbye to anxiety... Where would we be without Vince Exley? This guy really does warm the heart of this community with his occasional commentaries. He's been at it for years going right back to the earliest days of the CathNews Discussion Board. Today he presents another wonderful, down-to-earth grounded commentary on some great practical spirituality that is worth thinking about ………… and perhaps applying in your life if you haven't already done so. [more]

004 :
19 June 2007

The mystical value of a hug... Here's a fabulous little reflection from Vince Exley who's hit the wagon at the moment and consequently found God in a hug. Seriously, our mate is in hospital in Brisbane at the moment recovering from a potentially fatal infection he picked up and he sent us this delightful little reflection that I am sure will warm many hearts as much as Vince's regular afternoon Scotch on the Rocks, normally warms his little heart. Enjoy your day and give someone you meet today a really good hug! [more]

003 :
17 Nov 2006

Trusting in God... Yes, Vince did supply the avatar, but you can find a real picture with the story — which is about two experiences Vince has had being shipwrecked. It's about the state of helplessness he feels the Church is in today. [more]

001 :
18 Aug 2006

A way to solve the Church's problems... Those who've been around this place a while will remember Vince Exley's commentary back in August with Some Suggestions for our Future Church. Today he presents some new "outside the square" possible solutions to help address the prospect of priestless parishes being increasingly faced by regional Australians. [more]

001 :
18 Aug 2006

Suggestions for our Future Church... Vince Exley is another much-loved member of this community who has been with us since the very earliest days of the CathNews discussion community. The lucky bugger lives in one of Australia's paradise locations, the Whitsunday Islands in tropical Queensland. He's a really contented bachelor and described his life to me a few years ago in these terms: "I feel God has really blessed me in leading me to retirement in this beautiful area. I lead a very fulfilling life of twice daily Christian meditation, a very fulfilling Sunday Eucharist, pleasant daily walks along the beach, Vinnie's activities, relaxation in the resort's Spas and Pools and an afternoon scotch or two on my balcony." Vince waxes and wanes between his conservatism and his radicalism. A few years ago, under the influence of another poster, Maggie a fabulous contributor to our discussions but very conservative theology student from Notre Dame, Indiana, we thought the poor guy was just about to fall off the edge of the conservative edge of the spectrum. In this thought-provoking article he submitted yesterday Vince is back at his challengingly radical best. What do you think of his Suggestions for our Future Church? [more]