Talitha kumi.

Just a few thoughts

·       "Don't be too hard on yourself. There are plenty of people willing to do that for you. Love yourself and be proud of everything that you do. Even mistakes mean you're trying." -- Susan Gale

·       We pray for the followers of all world faiths, that Interfaith Harmony Week (1-7 February) will draw them together in service of the human family.

·       May students, returning to school this week, find it a time when they build up friendships, renew their quest for knowledge, and grow in their sense of fairness and justice to all.

Reflections

ü “Who touched me?”

ü Hope In The Face Of Suffering

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Pope Francis clarifies comments on sin and homosexuality

Ø Truth from the Heart of God

Musical Reflection

¯  As Christ is For Us

¯  O Bless the Lord

The Power to Heal

·       "You must always be willing to truly consider evidence that contradicts your beliefs and admit the possibility that you may be wrong. Intelligence isn't knowing everything, it's the ability to challenge everything you know." – Anon

·       "Children Learn From What You Live, Not From What You Say"

·       May teachers and students start the new school year with energy and confidence.

Reflections

ü Sunday Reflection from Frank Brennan

ü A Mission Statement

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Constitutional recognition through a Voice

Ø Love Speaks the Truth

Musical Reflection

¯  O How Blessed

¯  Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

The Sermon on the Mount is for everyone!

Just a few thoughts

·       "You need to know what life you want (as well as what life you don't want), then you have to muster up the will and the drive to go after it." -- Bob Greene

·       Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

·       May every Christian live with faith and charity so that they can receive the blessings pronounced by Jesus and so grow in holiness and live in the service of others.

Reflections

ü Australian Women Preach

ü The Good Life

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Australia Day: a long perspective from 65,000 BCE

Ø “The Australian Wars” is a three-part TV series on SBS looking at The Australian Wars, or the Frontier Wars,

Musical Reflection

¯  Alleluia! Raise the Gospel

¯  Kyrie

How is it that you have no faith?

Just a few thoughts

·       "If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you do not have a goal -- you have a wish." -- Steve Maraboli

·       Josephite Sr Michelle Madigan comments on the Alice Springs crisis:

For the 7 years after our Josephite SA Reconciliation Circle witnessed onsite the shameful passing of the 2007 NT Intervention legislation in the Senate with the combined Coalition/Labor vote. (It was also accompanied  by associated government cuts to community funding; cessation of the Aboriginal Work for the Dole scheme; winding back of the permit system to enter Aboriginal lands;& the ruling to cease bilingual schooling) 

Later Intervention legislation (renamed 'Stronger futures') was shamefully extended by the Gillard government for a further 10 years.
‘Punitive government policies’: What did they expect?

Reflections

ü Sunday Reflection – Paths To Happiness

ü Sunday Reflection - Justice and Love

ü Help!

The Signs Of The Times

Ø How Serious Is Laughter?

Ø Anger Does Its Work

Musical Reflection

¯  We Are the Light of the World

¯  Make Your Home in Me

Mustard Seed

Just a few thoughts

·       If you don't know where you're going, any road'll take you there --  George Harrison

·       Bad times, hard times, this is what people keep saying; but let us live well, and times shall be good. We are the times: Such as we are, such are the times. – Augustine

·       May we allow the Spirit to work in our lives, so that whatever good we do will bring glory to God, and not to ourselves.

Reflections

ü Australia day Reflection

ü No Light Squibs of Mirth

ü The presence of God

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Faith in Divine Presence

Ø Is the Universe on Our Side?

Musical Reflection

¯  Bread For The World

¯  The Blessing Australia

Always was, always will be……..

Just a few thoughts

·       There is always something new to learn in the life of faith.

·       Let us return again to the good we are seeking, and ask what it can be. – Aristotle

·       How sad it is to learn that the organiser of the Adelaide Survival Day event is undermining the promotion of the referendum on The Voice

Reflections

ü Homily for Australia Day 2023

ü The Beatitudes

The Signs Of The Times

Ø This Australia Day, all eyes are on the Referendum

Ø What to watch, read and listen to this January 26

Musical Reflection

¯  The Blessing (featuringAustralia's First Peoples)

¯  Yaama + You're the Voice

Belief in Christ

Just a few thoughts

·       "When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are." - Donald Miller

·       Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. -- George Bernard Shaw

·       We pray for the First Peoples of Australia and for all who have made their way to this land. May Australia Day this year strengthen our desire for solidarity and justice.

Reflections

ü Proclaiming the Good News to the whole of creation.

ü Followers and Admirers

ü A Transformational Encounter

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Foundation calls for sharing of First Nations truth

Ø Josie Alec, First Nations Lead, Australian Conservation Foundation, writes:
1. Let’s keep building our understanding of what January 26 means for First Nations Peoples

Listening from the heart primes us to understand other people's perspectives, breaking down the differences between us.

For my community, January 26 marks the start of settler colonialism, massacres, stolen generations, and the death of carefully maintained ecologies across the continent. It's a day of mourning. That's why many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people oppose this day.

2. Let’s accept the true history of Australia

Hurt and pain will not pass by being ignored. Australia must face both the colonial history of genocide and the structural disadvantages that First Nations people continue to face here.

By honestly facing the past, we can shape a better future. Together.

3. Let’s respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

For decades now, January 26 marches have been paired with festivals that celebrate First Nations music, art and food – like the Birak Concert here in Perth, Yabun in Sydney, Share the Spirit in Melbourne, and Survival in Adelaide.

It's a powerful thing to have many First Nations cultures of Australia thriving and visible on this day, and all throughout the year. Make sure to get involved. You can find all of the marches and events happening across Australia on January 26 right here.

Musical Reflection

¯  Australian Blessing

¯  You’re the Voice in Gamilaraay language

To be a Christian is to enter into a new family, a larger family, where everyone must be seen as a brother or a sister.

Just a few thoughts

·       "The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours -- it is an amazing journey -- and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins." -- Bob Moawad

·       May the members our of own families be blessed this day.

·       I was surprised and taken aback when I realised that our parish was not celebrating a special Australia Day Mass. In this year of a referendum about The Voice of Indigenous Peoples in our constitution it would seem to  have been a very special occasion.

Reflections

ü Invited to be Brothers and Sisters of Jesus

ü The older I get, the less confident, in some ways, I am becoming. I don't always know whether I'm following Christ properly or even know exactly what it means to follow Christ, and so I stake my faith on an invitation that Jesus left us on the night before he died: To break bread and drink wine in his memory and to trust that this, if all else is uncertain, is what we should be doing while we wait for him to return. -- Ron Rolheiser

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Australia risks UN blacklisting after failing to meet prison obligations

Ø O Blessed Bus! – A great story from USA

Musical Reflection

¯  Nearer, My God, to Thee

¯  We Are the Light of the World

The option to refuse and reject the gift of salvation

Just a few thoughts

·       "Be strong enough to stand alone, be yourself enough to stand apart, but be wise enough to stand together when the time comes." -- Mark Amend

·       May the light of salvation dawn on all people and bring them joy and freedom.

·       May Christians who endure persecution keep faithful to Jesus, and know that he understands and feels for their pain.

Reflections

ü Let There Be Light

ü We need light, and we need joy.

The Signs Of The Times

Ø In many churches the Sunday before Australia Day is celebrated as Aboriginal Sunday to stand in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples.

Ø Behold I am doing something new ... maybe

Musical Reflection

¯  The Lord's Prayer-It’s Yours

¯  Shine, Jesus, Shine

Trying to keep up with Jesus

Just a few thoughts

·       The dedicated life is worth living. You must give with your whole heart. -- Annie Dillard

·       May the light of salvation dawn on all people and bring them joy and freedom.

Reflections

ü Australian Women Preach

ü Sunday Homily by Frank Brennan

The Signs Of The Times

Ø When I went to high school in 1960 our History textbook was “Australia since 1606”
Why 1606? It was the year in which Europeans first stepped on Australian soil and interacted with indigenous people.
Years later teachers were offered courses in Aboriginal Studies – uncomfortable truths became exposed!
And here we are in 2023 and we still hesitate to acknowledge that Europeans, our ancestors, invaded, colonised this country without ever having any agreements, treaties or Indigenous input into our “Constitution”.
History is recorded and justified in the language of the powerful.

Ø Unpleasant Truths

Musical Reflection

¯  Live The Gospel

¯  Come and Follow Me

 

Sanity

Just a few thoughts

·         Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create. -- Roy T. Bennett

·         May Pope Francis be blessed with the strength and health he needs to maintain his apostolic mission.

Reflections

ü Questioning the status quo is not madness

ü Light For The World

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Green light for SA's Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Ø The One And The Many – Ecumenical And Interfaith Relations

Ø Big Picture Thinkers

Musical Reflection

¯ The Beatitudes

¯ Live The Gospel

Apostles

Just a few thoughts

·        "The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs, one step at a time." -- Joe Girard

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

Reflections

ü Spending time on the mountain

ü The presence of Jesus is transformative and life-giving. He makes no conditions or demands, and no sacrifices have to be offered as a means of payment or to gain God’s favour and protection. All we need to do is bring ourselves.

The Signs Of The Times

Ø The cost of making ends meet

Ø Disrupting the Status Quo

Musical Reflection

¯ The Eyes and Hands of Christ

¯ Lord, You Have Come

Evangelisation

Just a few thoughts

·        The world shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. -- Anais Nin

·        If we step back from the superficial perspective of job equals a pay slip we can begin to search for meaning: How many opportunities do we have each day to connect meaningfully with others? Do we take those moments and make real contact? Do we honour the people we meet? Do we take the time to appreciate the power we have to bring meaning to our relationships? Do we honour our own time? Do we look for new creative ways to perceive and approach our work? -- Alex Pattakos

·        May we seek our unity around the table of the Lord

Reflections

ü Spreading the Good News

ü The desire for love and the mercy of Christ

The Signs Of The Times

Ø A day off to work on reconciliation

Ø What Were We Thinking?

Musical Reflection

¯ The Little Light of Mine

¯ Two Fishermen

Healing on the Sabbath!

Just a few thoughts

·        Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -- H. Jackson Brown Jr

·        We pray for all champions of nature. May their determined efforts to bring an end to environmental devastation win global support.

·        May the Spirit continue to move in the hearts of all people of goodwill, so that they will do good even when others misjudge or criticize them.

Reflections

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

ü Let’s Not Give In

The Signs Of The Times

Ø The Voice is an invitation to the Australian people

Ø Surrendering to Our Soul Gift

Musical Reflection

¯ Go Make a Difference

¯ Hope is the Thing with Feathers