The missionary zeal of the Jesuit order

Just a few thoughts

• “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” -- Willie Nelson

• May we not judge by appearances,  but rather, with the gift of wisdom, recognise the uniqueness of every individual. 

Reflections

• Helping those who are ready to be helped

• Disturbing our prejudices

The Signs Of The Times

• Catholics encouraged to identify themselves in annual census

• How Jesus Uses Scripture

Musical Reflection

• Love Divine, All Love Excelling

A Father who shows no partiality

Just a few thoughts

• However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. -- Willie Nelson

• May this International Day of Friendship help us to value our friends and to reach out to the lonely in a spirit of genuine friendship.

• We pray for all who work in the delivery of government services, that they will treat their clients with respect and be well respected in return.

Reflections

• We all have to be both conservative and progressive at the same time!

• Drag the net, collect everyone and leave it till later to sort things out.

• Focusing the Gospel --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Jesus Christ Superstar – great music, limited theology

• Celebrating Mary MacKillop in August

Musical Reflection

• Love Is His Word

A special family

Just a few thoughts

• Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart. -- Mahatma Gandhi

• May the example of Martha, Mary and Lazarus bring blessings upon each of our families, so that brothers and sisters can be friends, and that healing by restore broken bonds.

• We pray for the diverse nations in Australia’s neighbourhood, that they will share an unshakeable commitment to care for the earth, our common home.

Reflections

• Jesus wept.

• Trust in God

• The pearl beyond reckoning --reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Technology must serve truth and the common good: Pope Leo

• Seventy-five years on, the Refugee Convention still matters

Musical Reflection

• Lord, you give the great commission

The Divine Gardener

Just a few thoughts

• Poverty is a national waste as well as individual waste. We are all diminished when any of us are denied proper education. The nation is the poorer – a poorer economy, a poorer civilisation, because of this human and national waste. -- Gough Whitlam

• May God look with great mercy on those  whose lives are entwined with evil, so that they can be saved. 

• We pray for the powerless, that the suffering inflicted on them by war, poverty and a changing climate will be relieved by a new global movement of justice and peace.

Reflections

• We don’t have the full picture.

• The sinner and the saint live side by side.

• What do we live for? --reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• The “Just War” and the Recent Popes

• Pope urges young people not to be ‘couch potatoes’

Musical Reflection

• Where Charity and Love Prevail

The smallest acts of kindness…….

Just a few thoughts

• One man can make a difference and every man should try.” -- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

• May the Spirit of Jesus permeate the whole Church so that it becomes known as a community of genuine love

• We pray for leaders in all the world’s great faiths, that they will demonstrate discernment and integrity in their exercise of moral authority.

Reflections

• There's more hope for us not-ok people than we dare imagine.

• Gardener's Glory and Baker's Delight

• Exchanging everything we have for the sake of the kingdom --reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

• AI developments require ‘new spiritual, ethical and political framework’

Musical Reflection

• Come to the Feast

The Kingdom of Heaven is worth more

Just a few thoughts

• Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. -- Carl Jung

• May grandparents and the elderly be treated with respect, be honoured for their wisdom, and be cared for in their needs, especially where frailty limits their abilities.

Reflections

• Two Minute Homily

• Discover meaning and recognise value

• Frank Brennan’s Homily --reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Unfinished Business and the Communion of Saints

• The Catholic Church removes 'just' from the theory of war

Musical Reflection

• Instruments of Peace

Apostle James

Just a few thoughts

• One tree can start a forest. One smile can begin a friendship. One hand can lift a soul. One word can frame the goal. One candle can wipe out darkness. One laugh can conquer gloom. One touch can show you care. One life can make the difference. Be that one today. – Anon

• May those in leadership in the Church not seek power over others, but rather be filled with the spirit of a servant.

Reflections

• “Sons of thunder”

• Overcoming that sense of self-entitlement

• Layers of Wisdom --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Israel’s prison policy exposes Western media silence

• Who was Homer, author of the Odyssey?

Musical Reflection

• The Fullness Of God

What kind of soil am I?

Just a few thoughts

• Not to give up under any circumstances should be the motto of our life: We shall try again and again, and we are bound to succeed. There will be obstacles, but we have to defy them. So do not give up, do not give up! Continue, continue! The goal is ahead of you. If you do not give up, you are bound to reach your destined goal.” -- Sri Chinmoy

• May the work towards Christian unity not falter, but be a constant movement forward until the will of Christ, that all may be one, is realised.

Reflections

• My heart as soil

• Reaching the hearts of those listening.

• What Do We Desire? --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• The cost of making the ABC optional

• Genocide, the word Albanese and Wong will never utter

Musical Reflection

• Make of Our Hands a Throne

A patron saints of Europe

Just a few thoughts

• A happy day doesn’t need to be a perfect day. -- Peng Joon

• We pray that in the face of disappointment and failures in our relationships we will find in St Bridget of Sweden one who understands the difficulties of love and the peace of forgiveness.

• We pray for overseers of their nation’s water resources, that they will keep them healthy, manage them wisely, and ration them justly.

Reflections

• Don’t forget God’s kindnesses

• A small amount of willingness is all that is needed

• One Really Valuable Pearl --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• When the weather turns against the poor

• Mary MacKillop as Change-maker

Musical Reflection

• I Am The Bread of Life

The yearning of the heart

Just a few thoughts

• Living in gratitude is the key to having a peaceful heart. -- Gabbie Deeds

• We pray that St Mary Magdalene, ‘apostle to the apostles’ will teach us how to be apostles in today’s world.

• We pray for the distraught people of Venezuela, that with the world’s help they will rise from their grief and set out on the long road to recovery.

Reflections

• The first witness to the resurrection

• Let us never doubt the influence our love can have on others.

• The parable of the wheat and darnel --reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• What one night sleeping rough can and can’t do

• Government’s social housing push well behind target

Musical Reflection

• O God, You Search Me

Families

Just a few thoughts

• Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great. – Cher

• May our parish community be strong in the respect each person extends to others.

• We pray for the mighty of the world, that they will be converted to use their power in the cause of justice and mercy.

Reflections

• Mother Mary

• Belonging to the family of God.

• Wheat and weeds --reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Multiculturalism is the middle ground Australia needs

• Our Sometimes Stingy Hearts

Musical Reflection

• The Kingdom Of God [Taize']

Ravenna

Just a few thoughts

• Correction does much, but encouragement does more. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

• May we, in all our relationships, love tenderly, in all the circumstances, walk humbly with our God.

Reflections

• God's sign!

• God’s Word

• Working for the Kingdom even if the harvest is not within our horizons --reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Being Christian Means Being Alive

• The disappearance of political shame

Musical Reflection

• The kingdom of God is justice and joy

We are all works in progress.

Just a few thoughts

• Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best. -- St. Jerome

• We pray that in a world full of the weeds of greed, lies, violence and corruption, we will find in the word of Jesus the grace to be generous, truthful, peace loving and to act with integrity.

• We pray for our families and friends, that we will gracefully accept each other’s limitations and rejoice in our shared strengths.

Reflections

• Two-minute homily

• Dealing with one another

• Frank Brennan’s Homily --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• People escape counting

• No case for muzzling ABC and SBS reporting on Israel

Musical Reflection

• Lord of all hopefulness

Even a flickering wick can become a source of great light for others

Just a few thoughts

• I saw that you were perfect and I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more. -- Angelita Lim

• We pray that as we have asked God not to forget the poor, we also will not forget them in their needs.

Reflections

• A  light for my path

• A good Christan is not one who knows and keeps all the rules.

• An Inclusive Church --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Breaking up is hard to do

• How the Royal Commission should define antisemitism

Musical Reflection

• Thy Word

His will is not simply a set of instructions to follow, but an invitation to walk with Him

Just a few thoughts

• Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. -- Barack Obama

• World Day for International Justice – may itl strengthen the observance of International Law, ensure that accountability for war crimes is achieved, and enable the oppressed to be released from their situations.

Reflections

• The Law and the Spirit

• Don’t lose sight of the big picture

• Dealing with the Darnel --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Catholic Religious call out racism towards First Nations People

• How poverty disappeared from Australian politics

Musical Reflection

• There's a Wideness in God's Mercy

I will give you rest

Just a few thoughts

• The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them. -- Jim Rohn

• We pray for refugees and asylum seekers who find more and more that they are blamed for their situations of great need as free nations become less and less understanding and respectful of their plight.

• We pray for governments, community groups, parents and teachers, that their combined efforts will succeed in regulating social media and eliminating harmful content.

Reflections

• The ego is incapable of humility.

• The weight of responsibility, injustice, grief, expectations -stop carrying it alone

• God is always at work in our lives in ways we may never realise until all is revealed --reflection for last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• From blasphemy to beloved – it’s time again for Jesus Christ Superstar

• The government asked charities what reform was needed; it has the answer

Musical Reflection

• Prayer of Trust

The love of God and the pursuit of truth - one single journey

Just a few thoughts

• If you want to succeed in your life, remember this phrase: That past does not equal the future. Because you failed yesterday, or all day today, or a moment ago, or for the last six months, the last sixteen years, or the last fifty years of life, doesn't mean anything... All that matters is: What are you going to do, right now? -- Tony Robbins

• We pray for scientists and health authorities, that their dedication will help protect vulnerable populations from the spread of deadly diseases

Reflections

• Potentially the most divisive word is ‘I’.

• Jesus has revealed the business of heaven, not to the learned, but to the children.

• Seeds of hope --reflection for last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• The Narrow Gate

• More economic myths that are holding us back

Musical Reflection

• Seek Ye First

Indifference – a failure to care

Just a few thoughts

• The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw

• May we recognize God’s miracles in the events of our daily lives, in creation and in other people, and so give thanks.

• We pray for farming and fishing communities, that their work of providing food for the world will be done faithfully and sustainably.

Reflections

• How much of God’s word is reflected in our lifestyle?

• Reflecting on our day

• Deepening and interiorising our faith in the time of crisis --reflection for last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• ‘Living in fear’: Almost half of renters struggling to pay rent

• The NDIS was built around need. Now it's built around cost

Musical Reflection

In God’s eyes, no gesture of love is insignificant

Just a few thoughts

• F-E-A-R has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours. -- Zig Ziglar

• May we learn that God’s grace is powerfully active in the simplest acts of kindness, even in offering a glass of water to one in need.

• We pray for the whole human family, that all its members will be stewards of creation, caring for the earth to the glory of God.

Reflections

• There are people who crush life all around them and call it restoring peace.

• Can't get over it, you can't get under it, you've got to go through it!

• Yearning for God’s Goodness --reflection for last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• A very expensive way to fail a child

• The responsibilities of giving

Musical Reflection

• The kingdom of God is justice and joy

God continually scatters the seed of his word

Just a few thoughts

• This is how we grow: by being defeated by greater and greater things. -- Rainer Maria Rilke

• Let us pray for each other, that we will listen attentively to the word of God, reflect upon it with sincerity and allow it to be fruitful in our hearts and lives.

• May we all learn to share our faith freely with each other and grow together in solidarity

Reflections

• Two-minute Homily

• The Generous Sower

• Frank Brennan’s Homily --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Inviting Each Other to Our Better Selves

• Celebrate 160 years of Josephite education

Musical Reflection

• Ave Maris Stella

Seek God above all

Just a few thoughts

• Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.” -- Abraham Lincoln

• We pray that in this ancient Great Southern Land of the Holy Spirit, all will be able to live with equal opportunities for education, health care, support systems, and housing, as we observe National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Week.

Reflections

• Fear - a feeling of awe and reverence.

• Who will be my messenger?

• Respecting Creation --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• NAIDOC celebrates Indigenous teachers but sees challenges ahead

• If we know gambling ads cause harm, why are they still everywhere?

Musical Reflection

• Sing Out, Earth and Skies!

His disciples will never suffer alone.

Just a few thoughts

• Creating a successful team is essentially a spiritual act. It requires the individuals involved to surrender their self-interest for the greater good so that the whole adds up to more than the sum of the parts. -- Phil Jackson

• We pray in this National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Week that every indigenous household will receive that Divine Peace which has the power to sustain, enliven and make joyful every household.

Reflections

• The things that are very alive – love, intelligence, faith – don’t keep till tomorrow

• Beware!

• The Fruits of Redemption --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• The 8 women Leo selected to figure in his encyclical

• Catholic sector sees benefits and risks in AI technologies

Musical Reflection

• Sing to the Mountains

Leaving room for God’s providence.

Just a few thoughts

• I changed my password to ‘incorrect’ so whenever I forget what it is, the computer will say 'your password is incorrect.’ – Anon

• We pray that, around the world, the Church will be an instrument for peace and justice, working together with people of goodwill for the good of all.

• We pray for school leaders, teachers and ancillary staff, that they will find great joy in seeing the children in their care grow and thrive.

Reflections

• Luggage is always for the future.

• Our God of the Everyday

• A Surprising Teaching --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Pope Leo’s challenge to profit-driven progress

• A fair compromise but the real wage gap remains

Musical Reflection

• One Love Released

God’s call never overrides human freedom

Just a few thoughts

• They laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at them because they're all the same. -- Kurt Cobain

• May we, in this Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Week, pray for the disproportionate number of them who are in prison and juvenile detention and work for a new approach within our justice system for their good.

Reflections

• Jesus picked twelve followers. Straightforward?

• A ministry of healing, outreach, and care.

• A well-fitted yoke makes otherwise impossible tasks possible --reflection for next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Campaigners welcome delay in gambling ad changes

• Caritas online platform makes it easier put faith into action

Musical Reflection

• Bread of Life