Thursday, July 13, 2023

Receiving and Giving

Just a few thoughts

·       There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -- Edith Wharton

·       "The longer you have to wait for something, the more you will appreciate it when it finally arrives. The harder you have to fight for something, the more priceless it will become once you achieve it. And the more pain you have to endure on your journey, the sweeter the arrival at your destination. All good things are worth waiting for and worth fighting for." -- Susan Gale

·       May all church agencies and organisations observe mandated child protection protocols with the utmost diligence.

Reflections

ü You received without payment; give without payment.

ü What kind of hospitality do we give

ü Stay Focused

The Signs Of The Times

Ø Freedom of expression must never be an excuse to despise others – Pope Francis

Ø United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples was adopted in 2007

Ø Have you read the Uluru Statement From The Heart?

Q. Being people of God in your sense sounds like a full-time responsibility. In practical terms, how can this become possible in our modern world with multiple work, family and community responsibilities and distractions?

Rafael. The church is people in the community, in every-day living. The People of God are in the midst of peoples and cultures. Properly, it recognises others as persons in their own cultures. That's where we have to break this notion of a church that is only centred on sacraments. We are a church that has to become a ‘Church at the Exit’, living with others.

If a parish only offers sacraments, that parish is a poor parish because it has nothing more to offer. It is not offering humanity. It’s not connecting people with the community. It's not humanizing relationships beyond the four walls of the building.

In Latin America, not in every place but mostly, this understanding of the People of God has been actualised in parishes so that they are not only centred around sacraments but also social and humanitarian activities. We must convert parishes to a model that connects the people with the community - where parishioners live with others.

~~Rafael Luciani is a lay expert at the Theological Commission of the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops

Musical Reflection

¯  Wide, Wide As The Ocean

¯  For the Beauty of the Earth

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