Marian Lecture

The 2026 Marian Lecture - Dare to Imagine a Life Shaped by Grace, 
The 2026 Marian Lecture of the Marist Association of Saint Marcellin Champagnat, held on the evening of Tuesday 12 May 2026, gathered over 550 participants online and in local communities across Australia to hear theologian Rev. Dr Sarah Bachelard invite listeners to “dare to imagine a life shaped by grace” in a world marked by anxiety and striving. Drawing on personal experience, scripture and philosophy, she described grace as a quiet yet transformative presence made visible through vulnerability, contemplation and openness, modelled in Mary’s fiat. Dr Bachelard proposed that lives formed by grace are marked by expectancy, mercy and truthfulness —qualities that nurture hope, compassion and courageous honesty — and concluded with a call to embrace this countercultural way of being as a path toward spiritual maturity and participation in the healing of the world.

Resources for further study:
Lecture Notes
Reflection Questions

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Reflection Questions

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Reflection Questions to assist with personal or group reflection.