Monday, January 31, 2022

Liberation

Just a few thoughts

·        May those who work with people with severe mental illness be filled with courage and compassion, and always show them respect.

·        We pray for Pope Francis, that his prophetic calls for church renewal, for human solidarity and for care of the earth will be heard and heeded

·        "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."  --  Mahatma Gandhi

Reflection

ü Today’s Gospel Reflection

ü Sunday Homily  --  Frank Brennan

The Signs Of The Times

Ø    Building God’s Kingdom in the New Year

Ø    No One Is Expendable

Musical Reflection

¯      Age To Age

¯      All Who Hunger Gather Gladly

¯      Lead, Kindly Light

Sunday, January 30, 2022

The Good News!...Yeah,but……….

Just a few thoughts

·        "Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have and offer thanks for all the troubles we don't have."  --  Thomas S. Monson

·        The truths of the Good News can be very disturbing

·        We pray for prophets of peace and justice, that their words will dismantle tyranny and build the foundations of a new world.

Reflection

ü    Inside the Boundaries?

ü  Australian Women Preach

ü    Revolutionary Love

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Building God’s Kingdom in the New Year

Ø Virtues to keep in a changing world

Musical Reflection

¯      He's Got The Whole World In His Hands

¯      Gathered As One

¯      Ubi Caritas

Saturday, January 29, 2022

A symbol of our life

Just a few thoughts

·                    When we find life difficult or feel the burden of anxiety, may we place our trust in Jesus Christ and his calming love.

·                    May the Church be a community, which like the mustard tree, offers a safe shelter for all who are damaged by life.

·        "A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees."  -  Amelia Earhart

Reflection

ü    Inner peace - knowing Jesus is always very close to us

ü    A Welcoming Table

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Happy are peacemakers who wake up the rest of us  --  Joan Chittister

Ø Australia has plummeted in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index – the world’s most widely cited ranking of how clean or corrupt every country’s public sector is believed to be.

Musical Reflection

¯      The Summons

¯      The Earth Is Filled

¯      Didgeridoo Meets Orchestra

Friday, January 28, 2022

RIP Sr Janet Mead

Just a few thoughts

·         Sister Janet Mead, who turned The Lord's Prayer into a rock hit, dies aged 84

·         “Anger is the passion that moves the will to justice.”  --  St. Thomas Aquinas

·        "Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out."  --  James Bryant Conant

Reflection

ü For ‘kingdom’ say ‘presence’.

ü Goodness Exposed  --  Richard Rohr

The Signs Of The Times

Ø An Opportunity to Listen: Exploring 26th January  --  video discussion.

Ø The Catholic Church needs more screaming. We’ll all feel better.

Musical Reflection

Sr Janet Mead died on Wednesday

¯      Our Father

¯      Take My Hand

¯      Asperges Me Domine

Thursday, January 27, 2022

‘Let your faith produce good works.”

Just a few thoughts

·        May the goodness of our lives be a light, revealing the compassionate face of Christ to others.

·        We pray for Aboriginal Australians, the first people of this land, and for all who have come from different parts of the world to settle here with them. May the Holy Spirit lead all Australians to learn from each other, and to share and grow in love for one another as one nation.

Reflection

ü In the Christian life, we gain by giving, not by getting

ü Making Love With The Divine  --  Ron Rolheiser

The Signs Of The Times

Ø On remembering the First Fleet  --  Andrew Hamilton

Ø Celebrating the achievements of Aboriginal Elder Miriam-Rose

Musical Reflection

Lord You Give The Great Commission

Go Make Of All Disciples

Survival Day


Some 500 people gathered at Elder Park for the Morning Smoking Ceremony and acknowledging Aboriginal culture. It was good to be part of it.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Australia Day???

Just a few thoughts

·                    There was no actual country called Australia, when the colony of New South Wales was established.

Before the invasion and colonisation of the continent it was known as New Holland and later Terra Australis. The colonial empire declared it to be Terra Nullius! Is that what we are celebrating – the empty land?

It wasn’t until 1901 that the Commonwealth of Australia was officially named.

·                    Officially, the public holiday celebrating Australia Day on 26 January was only agreed upon by all States and Territories in 1994.

·         I am reading a novel, The Yield by Tara June Winch. It is a multiple award winning story of peoples and cultures dispossessed during colonisation. But it is , in spite of the horrifying elements, a tale about courageous and powerful reclaiming of destroyed identity.

·                    As much as our society would like Australia Day to be a celebration of the best of multiple cultures, it is just a denial of historical truths to do so on January 26.

Reflection

ü An Australian Indigenous Prayer Service was held last night. You can watch it here

ü Imprisoned by history's myths  --  Andrew Hamilton

ü Listening essential for dialogue: Pope

ü Voice to Parliament design report still doesn’t meet international human rights standards

Musical Reflection

¯ Dream Baby Dream

¯ Thou shalt not steal

¯ Treaty

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Jesus Commissions the Disciples

Just a few thoughts

·        “I live, no, it is not I, but Christ lives in me.”  --  St Paul

·        May we all come to a greater respect for the basic human right of freedom of religion.

Reflection

ü The Gospel reading is from the end of Mark’s gospel

ü God Loves Imperfect Things  --  Richard Rohr

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Aboriginal Christian Leader, invites the nation to #ChangeTheHeart tonight at 7:00pm ACDT

Tune into the national broadcast on the Common Grace website

Musical Reflection

¯ We Are Gathering Together Unto Him

¯      Peaceful Gregorian Chants

¯      Marliya

  Being Grateful  --  What an amazing story. Best played full-screen in order to read the text 

Monday, January 24, 2022

Our duty is to console those who are suffering

Just a few thoughts

·       May God protect students, teachers and staff as they move towards the opening of the school year, and may wisdom be given to those responsible for shaping a safe return to education at every level.

·      "The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you."  --  B.B. King

·         Love is our true essence. Love has no limitations of caste, religion, race, or nationality. We are all beads strung together on the same thread of love. To awaken this unity - and to spread to others the love that is our inherent nature - is the true goal of human life.  --  Ammachi

Reflection

ü    Today’s Gospel

ü    The Spirit of the Lord anoints us  --  Sunday Homily from USA

The Signs Of The Times

Ø    The duty we all have to stand up against falsehood  --  The Tablet-UK

Ø    Creation as the Body of God  --  Richard Rohr

Musical Reflection

¯ Peaceful Gregorian Chants

¯ All of Your Ways Are Peace

¹ NITV = National Indigenous Television – is part of the SBS TV network. There are a number of programs that can be watched at any time. Check it out here

¯ From Little Things Big Things Grow

Sunday, January 23, 2022

The good news was not that they would become rich, but that they could stand in their full dignity before God and the world.

Just a few thoughts

·        May we make Jesus’ mission of grace, healing and liberation our own.

·         We are all but travellers here  --  St Mary MacKillop

·         Australia Day on Wednesday – “honouring the establishment of the first permanent European settlement on the continent of Australia.”

Reflection

ü Sunday Homily  --  Frank Brennan

ü Australian Women Preach

The Signs Of The Times

Ø    Our parish is situated on the lands of the Kaurna people. What do we know about their history?
At the time of colonisation there were estimated to be about 700 people in the Adelaide Plains area of Kaurna country. This rapidly diminished to about 300 due to European diseases, the kidnapping of women and the arrest and transfer of many to the Port Lincoln area,, which was not part of their cultural history.

Ø    Today is Aboriginal Sunday.

Ø    The History of January 26

Musical Reflection

¯  Land Down Under

¯  My Island Home

¸  Last Year’s #Change The Heart service can be watched here

Saturday, January 22, 2022

Challenges and misunderstandings

Just a few thoughts

·        Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.  --  Pema Chödrön​

·        Transport drivers are struggling to supply food and other goods across the nation because so many have Covid or are affected by it. Let’s keep them in our prayers.

Reflection

ü From Jesus down, every true follower of Christ has faced misunderstanding, opposition and even verbal and physical violence. And this sometimes from within his own community.

ü A Part of Nature  --  Richard Rohr

The Signs Of The Times

Ø No prison inmate should be deprived of hope: Pope

Ø Ecumenism and the realities of life in the pews – does Christian unity have a future?  --  The Tablet-UK

Musical Reflection

¯ Where there is charity and love

¯ Instrument of Peace

¯ And a song reminding me of the deaths of Dad, Mum and sister Annie, who all died in January in years gone by - Scars in Heaven

Friday, January 21, 2022

The chosen 12

Just a few thoughts

·        "Kindness and consideration of somebody besides yourself keeps you feeling young."  --  Betty White

·        May we be apostles in the world, bringing the truth, mercy and justice of Jesus to our places of work, our communities, neighborhoods and homes.

·        We pray for our society, that it will work to improve its attitude toward girls and women and be respectful in thought, word and deed at all times.

Reflection

ü Today’s Gospel

ü Everything Is Connected  --  Richard Rohr

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Survival Day 2022 - Wednesday, January 26, 2022 At 12 pm
Tarndanyangga – Victoria Square

Ø Vinnies founder shaped ‘social Catholicism’  --  CathNewws

Ø Pandemic bonanza for billionaires

Musical Reflection

¯ The Reign of Mercy

¯ Bambelela

Thursday, January 20, 2022

He began to concentrate on teaching his disciples.

Just a few thoughts

·        A preacher was once asked to explain the doctrine of election. He said, "Well, it is this way: the Lord is always voting for the person, and the devil is always voting against; then, the person himself votes, and breaks the tie."

·        May the gathering of people from many places around Jesus help us to value deeply the multicultural nature of our society in which we live.

Reflection

ü Today’s Gospel

ü We Are the Earth  --  Richard Rohr

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Theology And Spirituality  --  Ron Rolheiser

Ø Smoking Ceremony -- by Australia Day Council of South Australia

Musical Reflection

¯ Will you come and follow me

¯ Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation

¯ The Voice of God Goes Out

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

For Jesus it is not a matter of keeping or breaking laws but of doing good.

 Just a few thoughts

·        Pope Francis:-

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Help us to recognize the evil latent
     in a communication
     that does not build communion.
Help us to remove the venom from our judgments.
Help us to speak about others
     as our brothers and sisters.
You are faithful and trustworthy;
May our words be seeds of goodness for the world:
Where there is shouting, let us practice listening;
Where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony;
Where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity;
Where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity;
Where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety;
Where there is superficiality,
     let us raise real questions;
Where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust;
Where there is hostility, let us bring respect;
Where there is falsehood, let us bring truth.
Amen.

·        Common Grace - A Time to Listen

Reflection

ü Christianity is about loving relationships not about conformity to laws.

ü Restoring Relationships  --  Richard Rohr

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Visiting the sick is a Christian imperative: Pope  --  CathNews

Ø The light from beyond the dome  --  Andrew Hamilton

Musical Reflection

¯ Canticle Of Creation

¯ Many and One

¯ Praise to You, O Christ Our Savior