It is never Jesus’ way to destroy his enemies.

Just a few thoughts

• "If people work together in an open way with porous boundaries – that is, if they listen to each other and really talk to each other – then they are bound to trade ideas that are mutual to each other and be influenced by each other. That mutual influence and open system of working creates collaboration." -- Richard Thomas

• May St Jerome, who lived in Bethlehem, and dedicated his life to the translation of the Sacred Scriptures into Latin, the language of the people, be a sure guide for biblical scholars today who honour him as patron.

• We pray for nations, companies and individuals who have amassed great wealth, that they will hear and respond to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth

Reflections

• There’s hope for us all.

• We are always learning.

• A Man Just Like Me – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Everything is Wrong About Them, Except Themselves

Musical Reflection

• There is a Reason

God's providence works through our decisions and actions

Just a few thoughts

• "Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening." -- Nelson Mandela

• May this International Day of Food Loss and Waste strengthen our commitment to buy food wisely and use it carefully, so that we can share generously with the poor.

• We pray for nations, companies and individuals who have amassed great wealth, that they will hear and respond to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.

Reflections

• Angels are symbols of God’s ever-loving relationship with us.

• Signs of God’s presence, power and care in our lives

• What can we not afford to ignore? – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Pope Leo sees role as one of building bridges, avoiding polarization

Musical Reflection

• Blowin' In The Wind

Do We Have The Means To Change Someone’s life?

Just a few thoughts

• May migrants, who leave their homelands in the hope of a new future for their families, be accepted and have the opportunity to contribute to the harmony of their new land.

• “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” – Plato

• We pray for economic reformers, that they will fire our imaginations with a vision for a fairer world and lay the groundwork for its realisation.

Reflections

• Two Minute Homily

• The Zion and Israel of scriptures

• Rags and Riches – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Australians urged to offer hope to refugees

• The Church’s Economic-Social Teachings

Musical Reflection

• Table of Plenty

St Vincent de Paul

Just a few thoughts

• "Go to the poor: you will find God" – St Vincent de Paul

• May the members and volunteers of the St Vincent de Paul Society always see their opportunities to assist those poor and struggling in the community as moments of great grace.

• “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” -- John Holmes

Reflections

• The idea of a suffering Messiah

• St Vincent de Paul

• A Truly Human Life – Next Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Rise in people facing gambling-related harm

• Pro-life rally urges education and awareness

Musical Reflection

• As Christ is for us

A relationship with Jesus

Just a few thoughts

• “Strength of a character isn't always about how much you can handle before you break. It’s also about how much you can handle after you've been broken.” -- Robert Tew

• We pray on this International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, that the General Debate at the United Nations General Assembly will be achieved.

• It has been said that there are an estimated 170,000 Australians who do not have a place to call “home” each night, and there are 8 MILLION empty bedrooms at the same time.

Reflections

• They were expecting a political Messiah

• Growing in the relationship

• The Great Divide – Next Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Why America lives by the gun

• Australia Should Do More to Offer Hope to Refugees

Musical Reflection

• Give Me Ears to Listen

Curiosity

Just a few thoughts

• “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” -- Maya Angelou

• We pray God’s blessing upon all taking part in the General Debate of the United Nation’s 80th General Assembly, that with the highest ideals, they will work for peace, justice, and mercy for all peoples.

• We pray for civil authorities in every nation, that they will serve their community with integrity and foster a healthy spirit of unity in diversity.

Reflections

• Not now. Life is too hard.

• Know Jesus

• The real point of the dishonest steward – last Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Justice must be animated by wisdom, love, and mercy – Pope Leo

• A Jubilee of Welcome, Justice, and Hope

Musical Reflection

• Pilgrims of Hope

Proclaiming the Gospel by word and lifestyle

Just a few thoughts

• "Faith is about trusting someone or something. It involves a step beyond what is obvious or proven into an unknown, which we take on someone's promise." -- Anon

• We pray for the poor whose lives and livelihoods are most at risk in every form of natural disaster, that they will receive the attention and assistance that justice demands.

• May those who remain faithful to God in the midst of persecution and discrimination, especially in the Middle East, across Northern and Central Africa, and in China, continue to put their trust in the Providence of God.

Reflections

• Jesus called the twelve together

• Love and mercy in action

• Messengers of Jesus

The Signs Of The Times

• Forgiveness and dignity are key to justice: Pope Leo

• The true meaning of discernment

Musical Reflection

• Lord Whose Love Through Humble Service

“Insiders”are those who hear the word of God and do it.

Just a few thoughts

• "Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality." -- Earl Nightingale

• May the General Debate of the 80th United Nations General Assembly starting today witness a groundswell of support for peace and justice everywhere.

• We pray for a just global economic system, that in this Jubilee of Hope the world’s economies will be reformed to raise up the poor, not burden or exploit them.

Reflections

• Discipleship - unconditional following of Jesus

• Do we only hear God’s word…….

• What do we choose to serve? – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Doing the Right Thing Because It Is the Right Thing

Musical Reflection

• Stewards of The Earth

Be clever when you do good.

Just a few thoughts

• "Surprise yourself every day with your own courage." -- Denholm Elliott

• We pray for Pope Leo, Vatican diplomats, bishops’ conferences and local bishops, that they will be guided well by the Holy Spirit in their dealings with national governments.

• May we prove to be trustworthy people in the small and large issues of life, generating hope in all who are struggling in life.

Reflections

• Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great

• Two Minute Homily

• Be Shrewd – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Genocide betrays the living and the dead

• Cut emissions 70% by 2035? There’s only one policy that can get us there

Musical Reflection

• Come as You Are

The world around us does not always make it easy for faith to grow strong.

Just a few thoughts

• "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

• “People who laugh actually live longer than those who don’t laugh. Few persons realize that health actually varies according to the amount of laughter.” -- James J. Walsh

Reflections

• The soil is the heart

• The Soil of My Heart

• Lifting Up the Poor – Next Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Creating an ecosystem of care

• Pope tells new bishops they must address abuse claims promptly

Musical Reflection

• Love Divine, All Love Excelling

Women disciples

Just a few thoughts

• "One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world." -- Malala Yousafzai

• "Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend." -- Lao Tzu

• May more efforts be made by the free nations of the world to secure a good and safe future for the millions of refugees languishing in camps in many places

Reflections

• His women disciples

• Women hold up half of the Sky

• Investing Wisely – Next Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• There is no justice without compassion

• Positive Parenting Conference

Musical Reflection

• Blest Are They

Trying to rehabilitate and not to punish

Just a few thoughts

• "Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." -- Paul Boese

• May Australia increase its sense of justice and generosity and work to secure humanitarian aid to Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar and Afghanistan.

Reflections

• Who is this woman

• The Repair Shop

• Being messengers of truth and mercy, of forgiveness and joy

The Signs Of The Times

• Pope Leo’s first formal interview

• Third phase of synodal process a ‘step forward’ for Church

Musical Reflection

• Stewards Of Earth

Christ as the piper

Just a few thoughts

• "Don't confuse peace with quiet. Don't confuse quiet with agreement." -- Mona Eltahawy

• "If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose." -- Bishop T.D. Jakes

Reflections

• Listening with an unprejudiced mind and heart

• Recognising wisdom

• How the cross lays bare our rejection of God – Last Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Why nostalgia kicks harder in September

• Each newcomer to our shores is created in God’s image

Musical Reflection

• Draw Near

God drew near to us in His Son

Just a few thoughts

• "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." -- Leonard Cohen

• May love nourish respect, so that the violence which is destroying societies can be turned around into a dialogue for peace.

• We pray for all promoters of a healthy planet, that their efforts to bequeath a habitable world to future generations will bear abundant fruit

Reflections

• He reached out and touched the bier

• To encounter Christ is to encounter life

• The lot of the widow in those days

The Signs Of The Times

• An Open Christianity

• Charlie Kirk's assassination is a test of US democracy and of our public character

Musical Reflection

• We Are The Body of Christ

The community exists for the well-being of the individual members and each member is committed in turn to the well-being of the community.

Just a few thoughts

• "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" -- George Carlin

• May those who stand alongside people who suffer do so with love, offering support and encouragement.

• We pray for all who wield social influence, that they will use the media at their disposal to foster a culture of respect, inclusion and solidarity.

Reflections

• Love implies community

• Everyone is in Jesus’ family

• A divine paradox – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Dive into democracy

• Missionary Discipleship

Musical Reflection

• We Are The Body Of Christ

Whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Just a few thoughts

• "All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy." -- Spike Milligan

• Safeguarding Sunday – May it deepen the commitment of all Catholics to the safety and wellbeing of all children, youth and vulnerable people, so that their dignity is honoured.

• We pray for victims of injustice, imprisonment, torture and execution, that in all their pain they will never abandon the hope of final redemption.

Reflections

• Prophecy—Challenge and Comfort

• Two Minute Homily

• For God so loved the world……….

The Signs Of The Times

• Does God have a sense of humour?

• Overcoming an Exclusionary Faith

Musical Reflection

• Gather The People

Hearing and Acting

Just a few thoughts

• "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." - Buddha

• May our hearts be pure, so that what we say and do reflects good intentions and our listening to Jesus lead all to act with integrity.

Reflections

• Getting a handle on thinking and talking
• A Tree and its Fruit
• A Question -- Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Safeguarding Sunday - turning conversations into action

• National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN)

Musical Reflection

• Be still for the presence of the Lord

Affirming others

 

Just a few thoughts

• "Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." -- Thomas Jefferson

• May we be honest about ourselves - our shortcomings, failures, sins and weaknesses – so that we can better appreciate God’s loving mercy.

Reflections

• Ouch!

• Pot, Kettle

• The Kingdom of God is … -- next Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Government urged to help 2500 patients stuck in public hospitals

• How small acts change the world

Musical Reflection

• Dear Lord and Father of mankind

Give and love with no trace of self-interest

Just a few thoughts

• The secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday." -- Wilma Rudolph

• May we all be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, in gentleness and patience.

Reflections

• The ‘how’ of Christian life.

• We always have a choice between reacting and responding.

• Peace with Creation

The Signs Of The Times

• Catholic leaders link climate action and global peace

• Cardinal says Gaza violence caused by years of hateful language

Musical Reflection

• Help Us Accept Each Other

The Gospel’s reversal of secular values

Just a few thoughts

• "You build on failure. You use it as a steppingstone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space." -- Johnny Cash

• May the poor be a primary concern of Christians, so that we learn how to be just with this world’s resources and with our own material possessions and time.

Reflections

• Blessed are you who are poor

• Blessed are you…..

• A hard gospel: what does it mean to hate your mother? – last Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Archbishop Coleridge faces retirement with ‘mixed feelings’

• Calls for end to nuclear weapons

Musical Reflection

• Be Still My Soul

Jesus constantly prayed

Just a few thoughts

• "The power of gathering: It inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive." -- Alice Waters

• May the members of the St Vincent de Paul Society be richly blessed on this, the feast day of their founder, Blessed Frederick Ozanam, and abound in good works among God’s poor.

• We pray for our parish community, that we will gladly bear one another’s burdens and help carry each other’s cross.

Reflections

• “My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on his word.”

• Lord, what task have you in mind for me?

• What’s to Hate? – Next Sunday reflection

• The Signs Of The Times

• 'Let her voice echo'

• Learning from Thomas Merton

Musical Reflection

• Be Still My Soul

Mother of Emmanuel

Just a few thoughts

• "Love is the bridge between you and everything." – Rumi

• May we honour our ancestors today, knowing that the family tree of each one of us is unique and sacred.

• International Literacy Day - May this day enhance the ability of people to read and write, especially where girls are forbidden an education and where it is disrupted by war, famine and poverty.

Reflections

• “Mother of God”

• God with Us

• Requirements of Discipleship – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Father’s Day

• Bishops say Church must be safe place and place of welcome

Musical Reflection

• Tend the Ground

Putting God first

Just a few thoughts

• "Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul." -- Walt Whitman

• We pray for the fathers who are present and the fathers of this congregation, that they will receive all the blessings which they need, and show to their families wisdom, care and love.

• We pray for leaders of the world’s nations, that they will forsake war and empire-building and dedicate themselves to nurturing the wellbeing of the human family.

Reflections

• My Own Heart

• 2 Minute Homily

• Walking in his footsteps

The Signs Of The Times

• Mapping out a more informed Church future

• Vinnies to mark three major feast days this month

Musical Reflection

• Take My Hand, Precious Lord

The generosity of creation sustains us

Just a few thoughts

• Having looked at a variety of sources for interesting images related to our daily readings I have come to the conclusion that the Christian Art website is by far the most interesting, so I will stick with it.

• "Few things are more satisfying than seeing your children have teenagers of their own." -- Doug Larson

• May each one of us embrace that hope promised by the Good News and learn how to be servants of it for others.

Reflections

• Overruling man-made laws concerning the Sabbath

• Listen deeply

• Being Successful – Next Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• How resentment fuels the climate wars

• Experiencing 'Church' As God Intended?

Musical Reflection

• Light Dawns on a Weary World

A balance between the old and the new

Just a few thoughts

• "Few things are more satisfying than seeing your children have teenagers of their own." -- Doug Larson

• A life without love and without truth would not be life. – Pope Leo

• We pray that all which has been created in and through Jesus will be honoured and preserved during this year’s Season of Creation.

Reflections

• ‘Live in the present’

• How do we wait for the Lord?

• Seeing Differently – Next Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• People dumping in the Pacific

• Becoming a Practising Mystic

Musical Reflection

• Unless A Grain of Wheat

Leaving your boats behind

Just a few thoughts

• "I am thankful the most important key in history was invented. It's not the key to your house, your car, your boat, your safety deposit box, your bike lock or your private community. It's the key to order, sanity, and peace of mind. The key is 'Delete.'" -- Elayne Boosler

• We pray for those who, in imitation of the fishermen, have literally left everything to follow Christ, that they may remain faithful, cheerful and trusting.

• We pray for refugees and asylum seekers still languishing in a limbo of uncertainty in Australia, that effective steps will be taken to settle their claims promptly and fairly.

Reflections

• Leaving boats behind….

• When we trust Jesus and listen, transformation follows.

• How to relate to God and each other with humility as taught by Jesus – last Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Archbishop calls for ‘better, more hospitable Australia’

• Pope’s prayer for September: Respecting, protecting God’s creation

Musical Reflection

• The Galilee Song

 

Dreadful thought!

Just a few thoughts

• "Surround yourself with people who know your worth. You don't need too many people to be happy, just a few REAL ones who can appreciate you for who you are." – ANON

• May those in our families who are sick receive our support and be given the gift of healing.

• We pray for the Catholic community in Australia, that the Social Justice statement on homelessness and mental ill-health will impel it to keep offering ‘signs of hope on the edge’.

Reflections

• Dreadful thought: like the people of Nazareth we have the power to prevent miracles.

• God’s reign is to be found wherever we are

• Let Love Live – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• A pastoral heart just the remedy

• Pope: Choose love of God and neighbour for true human flourishing

Musical Reflection

• All good gifts

An impressive teacher

Just a few thoughts

• "Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness." -- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

• May we develop our consciences carefully with the help of the Church, and so stand peacefully before God.

• We pray for all who grieve parents, brothers, sisters and children killed in the world’s fields of war, that their anguish and pain will hasten an end to brutal bloodshed.

Reflections

• Hope in the Lord

• Welcoming those who are rejected by others – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Pope calls for end to ‘pandemic of arms, large and small’

• Focus on fragile creation

Musical Reflection

• O God, Our Help in Ages Past

What being a Christian means

Just a few thoughts

• "The most radical thing any of us can do at this time is to be fully present to what is happening in the world." -- Joanna Macy

• World Day of Prayer for Creation – May all of us be inspired to embrace this work of caring for our common home, and so give leadership in society.

• We pray for the human family, that this day will inspire it to plant ‘seeds of peace and hope’ in a world under threat from rising temperatures and sea levels.

Reflections

• How we can be ‘Holy Troublemakers’

• Will I Listen?

• Two life-sustaining virtues – Sunday reflection

The Signs Of The Times

• Creation Changemakers campaign

• Time to deepen solidarity with migrants and refugees

Musical Reflection

• Take the Word of God with you as you go