Sunday, October 31, 2021

The Essence

Just a few thoughts

·        We unite in prayer on the eve of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, motivated by the words of Pope Francis and 40 leaders of faith, spoken on the Feast of St Francis, patron of the environment. “Future generations will never forgive us if we miss the opportunity to protect our common home. We have inherited a garden, we must not leave a desert for our children.”

·        "Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength."  --  -- Betty Friedan

·        “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.  --  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Reflection.

ü Australian Women Preach – Sunday Homily

ü Sunday Homily  --  Frank Brennan

The Signs Of The Times

Ø The careful choreography of plenary  --  Francis Sullivan

Ø Care of the Earth  --  Fr Paschal Kearney

Musical Reflection

¯ The love of my Lord (As Gentle as Silence)

¯ Touch the Earth Lightly

¯ Take The Word Of God With You

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Disciples are not to seek honours, but to place themselves at the service of others

Just a few thoughts

·        Live with compassion

Work with compassion

Die with compassion

Meditate with compassion

Enjoy with compassion

When problems come,

Experience them with compassion.

  --  Lama Zopa Rinpoche

·        “The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist. For man it is to know that and to wonder at it.”  — Jacques Yves Cousteau

Reflection.

ü True Christians put their self-value in the kind of person they are for others

The Signs Of The Times

Ø In UK the laity and especially women organised a synod independent of the Church – The Root and Branch Synod. The result of that synod was a statement titled The Bristol Text. It begins with an Abstract – a summary, and then follows a more detailed explanation.. It is a very significant statement and can be read here.

Musical Reflection

ü Lord Whose Love Through Humble Service

ü I Will Sing Forever of your Love

ü Ode To Joy-Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Friday, October 29, 2021

Rules V Compassion

Just a few thoughts

·        We, the Church, so much need to recover a vital sense of the teachings of Jesus, and if we did, it would revolutionise the way we understand our mission in the world. There would, for example, be far more emphasis on deeds of love than on ritual observances.  --  Fr Paschal Kearney

·        "A person's most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen, and a hand willing to help others."  --  Helen Barry

Reflection.

ü Healing on the Sabbath

ü When the outsider, someone without status or position, is the 'model of faith'  --  Homily for last Sunday from UK

ü Australia has ‘ethical obligation’ to help neighbours  --  CathNews

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Poor-blaming lets governments off the hook  --  Claire Victory, SVDP

Ø What happened at the Plenary Council?  --  Kevin Liston

Musical Reflection

¯ In Faith and Hope and Love

¯ Set Your Heart on the High Gifts

¯ Send Down the Fire

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Every single one of Jesus’ followers was called to be the ‘salt of the earth’ and the ‘light of the world’ and to behave in such a way that people would be led to God.

Just a few thoughts

·        “It is not the church building which makes us holy; rather it is we who make the church building holy by our presence in it.”  -- from a Gospel reflection

·        We pray for those who feel that they are in a hopeless situation, that through the prayers of St Jude, hope of the hopeless, they may believe, trust and look confidently to the future.  --  Lord, hear us.

·        "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes... including you."  --  Anne Lamott

Reflection.

ü The apostle Jude asked a question:- “Lord, what is all this about?”

ü Called and sent--  Reflection from Brisbane

The Signs Of The Times

Ø The 2021 Walter Silvester Memorial Lecture will make a timely contribution in addressing these challenges. Titled ‘Truth, Treaty and Transformation’, it will be co-presented by Jason Kelly, member of the First People’s Assembly, and Professor Frank Brennan SJ AO, member of a Commonwealth Government’s group overseeing the Co-Design Process for the Indigenous Voice.
Here is Frank Brennan’s contribution – video, 38min

Ø Were the good old days in the Catholic Church really that good?  --  Claire Victory, SVDP

Musical Reflection

¯ God, Beyond All Praising

¯ Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

¯ Ubi Caritas

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Be the best you can be

Just a few thoughts

·        That the Church will be a community which accompanies each other on life’s journey, so that none feels alone or abandoned.  --  Lord, hear us.

·        That the Church will always be a gathering of peoples from East and West, North and South.  --  Lord, hear us.

·        It’s alarming – more blah, blah, blah but no new measures to deal with climate change!

Reflection.

ü The Kingdom of God – the Presence of God.

ü The door of life  --  Reflection from Brisbane

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Catholic Church will be ‘everywhere’ at COP26  --  CathNews

Ø Foodbank report shows many Australians going hungry  --  CathNews

Ø Plenary Council 2021: Josephite Sr Monica reflects on the First Assembly

Musical Reflection

¯ Christians Let Us Love One Another

¯ Center Of My Life

¯ In Christ There Is No East Or West

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

A network of relationships

Just a few thoughts

·        We are made by love, we are made of love, and we are made for love.  --  ~Khurshed Batliwala

·        For faith leaders and heads of state, that they will be freed of ambition and devote themselves in selfless service to the good of the community.  --  Let us pray to the Lord.

·        That the Church may always be a safe place, especially for the weak, frail and vulnerable, just as the mustard tree is a safe shelter for the birds.  --  Lord, hear us.

·        1985: Return of Uluru to the traditional owners, the Anangu people

Reflection.

ü What is the kingdom of God like?

ü 'Kingdom seeds'  --  Reflection from Brisbane

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Expert urges parishes to be ‘communities of care’  --  CathNews

Ø Pope makes global appeal to keep migrants safe  --  CathNews

Ø Turning Your Listening On  -- S Goodier

Musical Reflection

¯ In Christ There Is No East or West

¯ Breathe on me breath of God

¯ One Lord

Monday, October 25, 2021

They were for law, he was for mercy.

Just a few thoughts

·        For all taking part in next week’s climate summit in Glasgow (31 October – 12 November), that they will pledge to take the actions needed to protect the earth, our common home.  --  Let us pray to the Lord.

·        May peace come to the troubled parts of our world through the skillful diplomacy of people of integrity.  --  Lord, hear us.

Reflection.

ü Sunday Homily  --  John Foley

ü Woman of faith  --  Reflection from Brisbane

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Holy And Unholy Fear  --  Ron Rolheiser

Ø Archbishop Coleridge backs Uluru Statement

Musical Reflection

¯ Gather in Your Name

¯ Alleluia! Give the Glory

¯ Dear Lord and Father of mankind

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Go; your faith has saved you

Just a few thoughts

·        For those entrusted with the task of preparing for the second session of the Plenary Council, that they will continue to attend to all voices and to the promptings of the Spirit.

·        The deliberations of the Plenary Council suggest that the Australian church is being challenged to identify itself with Bartimaeus rather than the sons of Zebedee. With him it must relinquish the cloak of security and ask to see again.

Reflection.

ü Australian Women Preach- Sunday reflection

ü Sunday Homily  --  Fr Frank Brennan

ü Justice Will Abide

The Signs Of The Times

Ø World Disarmament Week

Ø 1945: Establishment of the United Nations

Musical Reflection

¯ Seek Ye First

¯ I'll Be Always Loving You

¯ We walk by faith

Saturday, October 23, 2021

There is always hope of transformation.


Just a few thoughts

·        That our hearts may be temples of the Spirit, and our words and actions be led by the Spirit, so that we always live for Christ.  --  Lord, hear us.

Reflection.

ü Natural Revelation: Does God exist?  --  3rd episode in a new series of podcasts from the Brisbane diocese.

ü When Suffering Visits  --  S Goodier

The Signs Of The Times

Ø In a state of synodality  --  Eureka Street

Ø The choice between happiness and reward: Blessed are the poor in spirit  --  Joan Chittister

Ø Experts see synod as ‘biggest consultation exercise in human history’  --  Synod of Bishops on Synodality

Musical Reflection

¯ I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

¯ Come to the Water

¯ Remembrance

Friday, October 22, 2021

Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Just a few thoughts

·        Author of The Kindness Revolution, Hugh Mackay, talks about how as humans we need to be social, included and accepted to find a pathway to kindness.

·        I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.   --  Michael Jordan

Reflection.

ü Natural Revelation: Does God exist? (part 1)  --  3rd episode in a new series of podcasts from the Brisbane diocese.

ü If you do it with your eyes closed you are not looking at the present but at the past.

ü Praying for those who go before us --  Reflection from Brisbane

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Pope shares letter from survivor of clergy abuse

Ø Indigenous youth suicide ‘a national disgrace’  --  Francis Sullivan

Musical Reflection

¯ You Are the Voice

¯ All my hope On God is founded

¯ The Summons

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Respecting the other includes respecting them in their difference

Just a few thoughts

·        For a right attitude to religious faith, so that we do not condemn others or discriminate against them because their faith is different from ours.  --  Lord, hear us.

·        For refugees and asylum seekers in Australia who see violence and injustice consuming their homelands, that their pain will be eased by local networks of support.  --  Let us pray to the Lord.

Reflection.

ü Respect each other in our differences  --  Daily Prayer

ü  Fire in the heart of Jesus --  Reflection from Brisbane

ü How God reveals himself in the humility of selfless service – Homily for last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Pope Francis said he knows "it often annoys people" when he promotes Catholic teaching on social issues like poverty, migration and ecology, but he is going to keep doing so because the Gospel demands it.

Ø Pandemic continues to put workers at risk of poverty  --  CathNews

Ø Questions on Submarine Spending  -=-  Bishop Vincent Long

Musical Reflection

¯ Gather the People

¯ Like A Shepherd He Feeds His Flock

¯ All That Is Hidden

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Love empowers, it does not disempower.

Just a few thoughts

·        That those who are gifted with riches and security may realize, through this annual Anti-Poverty Week, that they have a serious obligation to come to the aid of the poor.  --  Lord, hear us.

·        For the leaders of nations, that they will take the decisive steps needed to deal with the climate crisis and protect the earth, our common home.  --  Let us pray to the Lord.

Reflection.

ü Collaborating with Jesus  -- Yesterday’s reflection from Brisbane

ü Flavour of the Gospel  --  Fr Andrew Hamilton

ü  Persevering in faith --  Reflection from Brisbane

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Assembly over: where to from here?

Ø Plenary Reflections #5: Sally FitzGerald

Ø Discussion about Wednesday’s Plenary Council session including Fr Philip Marshall

Musical Reflection

¯ Our God Is Here

¯ I Received the Living God

¯ Lift Up Your Hearts