Thy Will is my delight.
The Little Eucharistic Brothers of Divine Will (LEB) is an Australian community of consecrated brothers, under the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Hobart. Formally established on May 13th 2013, and granted ad experimentum canonical status as a Public Association of Christ’s Faithful of diocesan right, in the Archdiocese of Hobart on the 12th March 2021 (see Codex Iuris Canonici, 1983, 312-320). The LEB live according to their canonically approved statutes.
The LEB started as the consecrated brothers within the Public Association of Christ’s Faithful, Apostles of Perpetual Adoration (APA), under the APA’s statutes. The APA was established in the Archdiocese of Perth in 2006 by Archbishop Barry James Hickey, and granted permanent status by the same, in 2010. The groundwork of the brothers begun in 2010. Formally established under the name Little Eucharistic Brothers of Divine Will in 2013. In 2014 the LEB moved to the Archdiocese of Hobart, Tasmania. In 2021 the LEB was granted distinct canonical status from the APA, while retaining a spiritual bond.
We’re based in the Archdiocese of Hobart, in the Australian State of Tasmania, on rural acerage just outside the coastal town of Dover. Our House of Brothers (Hebrew: Beit Achim) is located in a beautiful valley. Our little community resides in the Sacred Heart Parish of the Huon Valley.
The Little Eucharistic Brothers of Divine Will were “founded with a contemplative missionary purpose to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in places where there is a need in the Church, above all, in Australia, particularly in rural areas, with a preferential option for Tasmania. (Statutes, 14).
The central aim of the community is to foster a more perfect life, living and witnessing to an incarnational lifestyle patterned on the hidden life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. As a largely contemplative endeavour, this primarily involves carrying out works of piety and spiritual charity, to sanctify such ‘Nazareth-like’ outposts for the love and glory of God, the salvation of souls, and the upbuilding of the Church, primarily by way of Eucharistic Adoration, promoting thereby public worship. Should the community have its own priests, then above all, likewise, by the celebration of the Holy Mass and the ministration of the other Sacraments. (Statutes, 15).
As contemplative-actives, our apostolate involves an element of active mission and ministry as an outflow of our contemplation.
We are active contemplatives. Our way of life is primarily contemplative but we are not cloistered. Our way of life is patterned on the Hidden Life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and involves an active presence in our local parish community, and in the archdiocese abroad, with an apostolate of Catholic teaching.
We see ourselves as monacelli, “little monks.” A term drawn from the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta. Professed brothers live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Following the contemplative tradition, prayer, study and work are the three central pillars of our way of life. (Key to any balanced human and Christian life, there’s also recreation).
“The Church urgently needs the deep breath of prayer, and to my great joy groups devoted to prayer and intercession, the prayerful reading of God’s word and the perpetual adoration of the Eucharist are growing at every level of ecclesial life.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 2013, sec. 262).
In addition to daily Holy Mass and the Divine Office, brothers ordinarily spend one to two or three hours in Eucharistic Adoration each day. One of these hours is ordinarily in common. Extended time in silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a emphasis of our prayer life. In this time brothers worship God, grow in relationship with Him, spiritually contribute to the building-up of the Body of Christ, and make reparation and intercede for the world.
Ordinarily, Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer) are prayed in common. The other hours are ordinarily said individually.
The daily Rosary, and true devotion to St. Joseph are features of our prayer life.
Study undertaken in the name of Christ (Col 3:17) rekindles the flame of the Holy Spirit in the soul. He increases love in the heart and light in the mind. Even outside initial formation, study is an ongoing part of a brother’s life, tailored to his formation needs and interests, and more importantly, the needs of the community and the good of the Church. Study helps a brother first, to furnish his contemplation with sacred thoughts, to help Him ponder upon and love God and the sacred mysteries, and in turn, intercede for the world; and secondarily, to equip him for the apostolate and evangelisation.
Aside from the work we do as part of the apostolate and our ministry, there’s domestic chores, land maintenance, hand craft, and admin work. Since 2016 we’ve agisted several cattle.
Inspired by the trust in Divine Providence exhibited in the Acts of the Apostles and the mendicants, we rely on Divine Providence to sustain our needs and the needs of our apostolate.
By God’s grace, we would seek to have small households of brothers – if possible, ideally, one among these in each household an ordained priest – located in rural areas, relative “Nazareths,” to adore Christ there, provide a stable Catholic “religious” presence in the local community and to help contribute to the local parish.
The LEB habit is burgundy red, a sign of the Precious Blood, a testimony to the community’s Eucharistic devotion.
The scapular is black, a sign of the Hidden Life, the Cross and renunciation of one’s own will.
Our main patron is St. Joseph, under the title, Head and Shield of the Holy Family.
We have six secondary patrons:
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St. John of the Cross
- St. Charles de Foucauld
- St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
- St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
- St. Hildegard of Bingen
Additionally, St. Gilbert of Sempringham was a key foundational influence.
LEB Crest
The central triangle is a symbol of the Holy Trinity. The Divine Name in Hebrew is spelled out (YHVH), with the extra letter above, rendering the pronunciation “Jesus” in Hebrew. The three effusions from the triangle represent the divine works of creation, redemption, and sanctification which are really one work of God’s Will. Moving out, there’s a Host within a monstrance. The rays represent the light of the Divine Will flowing upon the earth (north, east, south, west) from the Godhead manifest in Christ and His Real Presence.