Social Justice Sunday

I came across a weblog from Steve Goodier that contained some interesting quotes that, I feel, are very appropriate for this Social Justice Sunday.

Someone asked the comic, Flip Wilson, about his religion. He answered, "I am a Jehovah's Bystander."
"A Jehovah's Bystander?" remarked his friend. "I never heard of a Jehovah's Bystander."
Flip said, "Well, they asked me to be a witness, but I didn't want to get involved."

Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Edward Everett Hale: "I am only one, but I am still one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something, and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."

Amanda McKenna

Stand Up Against Poverty Day

In 2007, 43.7 million people worldwide participated in Stand Up events (including Over 107,000 Australians), setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest single coordinated movement of people in the history of the Guinness World Record.
Let's join the action!

Lowitja O’Donoghue

Lowitja O’Donghue announced her retirement from public speaking at a Reconciliation Week gathering at St Peter’s Cathedral on May 27.
In her swansong speech she sang!
You can find her speech here.....
You can view highlights of the speech here.....

Her biography can be read here....

Hesed Community Celebrating

We were privileged to have been able to join in 25th anniversary celebrations of the 'Hesed Christian Community' at St Joseph's Parish, Tranmere.
Fr Peter Galvin celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving and spoke beautifully about the Community in his homily.
A good number of supporters and past and present community members attended and enjoyed a lunch in the parish hall.
We were particularly impressed by the large number of people who spoke during the lunch about the Hesed Christian Community and especially the past and present members, all of whom spoke from the heart.
Link
To contact Sr Pat: phone 8333 2837
14/19 Ellis St, Magill

Bravo Peter Goers!

I won't bore you with my opinion of the 'Sunday Mail', but I must commend columnist Peter Goers, for his education story.

What a refreshing change to get such a positive story about schools, and in this case, a number of Catholic schools.

Peter's article is entitled:

"Bravo! You're a class act - Lessons learnt in the spotlight."

Link

Social Justice Sunday, September 28

Each year on the last Sunday of September the Australian bishops release a Social Justice Statement.

We are asked to read the Statement and to discuss and understand the issues presented.

More importantly, we are asked to act to the best of our ability and circumstances to address the issues of Social Justice.

This year's statement is: 'A Rich Young Nation: The challenge of affluence and poverty in Australia.'

You can download your copy here
The text only version (MS Word) is a small download - 171kb

The illustrated version (pdf) is 1212kb

Word of God

A world Synod of Bishops on the Bible has been called by Pope Benedict XVI

The Synod will take place from October 5-26 in Rome to discuss:

• the importance of the Scriptures in the life of the church,


• look at the Bible’s role in Catholic prayer and liturgy,


• evaluate its role in ecumenical and interreligious relations and


• discuss ways to improve biblical literacy at every level of the church.

Pope Benedict XVI has named six female scholars to be among the 41 experts to serve as resource people for the synod members, making it the largest number of women ever participating in a Catholic synod.

Pope Benedict also named 19 women to be among the 37 synod observers; the observers attend all synod sessions, participate in the synod working groups and are given an opportunity to address the entire synod assembly. Like their male counterparts, most of the women observers are professors or leaders of religious orders, Bible-based Catholic lay movements or large Catholic organizations.

Fair Trade Reduces Poverty

On August 1, 2008 international trade talks seeking a new era of economic cooperation collapsed in Geneva after seven years of negotiations.
This is very bad news for the world’s poor.
Global cooperation is essential to make trade fair, to address poverty and to curb global warming.

U.S. and European farm subsidies distort world commodity markets and undercut subsistence farmers overseas.
U.S. agricultural subsidies have grown out of a political system that rewards big money and defies reason.

Chinese and Indian protection measures are aimed at protecting farmers that live at levels often not far removed from subsistence.

Buy Fairtrade products

The easiest way to support Fairtrade is to buy Fairtrade! The next time you visit your local supermarket look for Fairtrade Certified products – they’re easy to find, just look for the Label. Main products stocked include; coffee, tea and chocolate.

Victorian Abortion Bill

Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO is a professor of law in the Institute of Legal Studies at the Australian Catholic University and Professorial Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Law, University of NSW.

He writes about the Abortion bill in 'Eureka Street' magazine.

Read more....

Another article worth reading comes from Bishop Prowse, writing in the 'Herald Sun'.

"A mockery of human rights"

Read more....

For those of you with broadband connections visit here to view a 'Life before Birth' video.

'The Age' newspaper has an interesting article about 'freedom of choice'

"The abortion bill seeks to constrain the rights to follow one's conscience."

Read more....

The following article I found at 'Eureka Street':- "When life begins in an ICU".

Read it here....

Fun keeps you close to God

It is worth thinking for a moment of all the people who bring fun into our lives. They give us life, and we should thank God for them. What we laugh at we can rise above. Humour and hope are inseparable companions.
Some who profess to be Christians believe, mistakenly and sadly, that there is no place for fun in religion. So steeped in their attachment to sin are these unfortunates that they overlook religion as our connection to God and others. Fun connects us. Sin disconnects. It's the wrong focus and it shows in their demeanour. Instead of coming to Communion to partake joyfully in the Hospitality of God the Host, their faces reveal the sort of misery and gloom that envelops constant watchers of television news. They have forgotten that Christians are meant to be people of the Resurrection, incurable optimists who keep on believing, trusting, hoping, and working for the possibility of change. - Fr Chris Gleeson,

Link:- Province Express

Abortion Legislation

The Australian Catholic Students Association has condemned legislation currently before the Victorian Parliament which will decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks as well as forcing medical professionals to perform an abortion if the mother's life is at risk.

Patrick Giam, ACSA's Media Officer, attacked the portions of the bill that violate medical professionals' right to conscientious objection as totally unacceptable.

Link: ACSA