Faithfulness sometimes disturbs a comfortable situation

Just a few thoughts

• Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life. -- James Cromwell

• We pray for the gift of peace so that every division caused by hatred, greed and the thirst for power, will be healed.

Reflections

• A commitment to love, no matter what

• Knowing the love of Christ

• Upon These Two -- reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• A diligent God

• Governor-General calls for decency and civility

• Snippet –Go about our lives knowing that we are the ones responsible for ending the senseless hate, click-baiting gotcha moments, point-scoring put-downs, and mindless character assassination.

Musical Reflection

• Sing a new song unto the Lord

Jesus places value on quietly doing what needs to be done

Just a few thoughts

• Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. -- Sam Ewing

• May each one of us be prepared to meet Jesus, the Son of Man, when he comes to us in death, and gently surrender our being to his love and glory.

Reflections

• God chose to become powerless in Jesus.

• If Christ came today, would he find us building bridges, sharing our blessings and caring faithfully for others?

• Jesus and the truth behind a trick question on Caesar. -- reflection for Last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Security briefing for anxious MPs

• Read The Conversation for better standards of journalism

• Snippet – I am disgusted by the extreme, sensationalising, polarising language used by the Advertiser regarding the attack on Helen Haines. She would never use language like that.

Musical Reflection

• Lord of all hopefulness

Who is knocking on our door?

Just a few thoughts

• I never lose. I either win or learn. -- Nelson Mandela

• May those who are burdened with fear, anxiety and depression find, through the prayer of the Church and the kindness of people, a way to regain hope.

• We pray for all who are struggling to cope with the cost of living. May all sectors of society join forces to work for a fair and inclusive economy.

Reflections

• To serve and not to be served

• Jesus comes to us each day…...

• What is your ultimate commitment? -- reflection for Last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• How World Mission Sunday shaped Leo’s vocation

• Catholic Women’s League SA Unite

• Snippet – What are the root causes of anti-social behaviour?

Musical Reflection

• We Remember

People should always matter more than possessions

Just a few thoughts

• The miracle is this: The more we share the more we have. -- Leonard Nimoy

• May the rich realize that they have a responsibility, through justice, to come to the aid of the poor.

• We pray for the leaders of states where the death penalty still stands. May they move to abolish it without delay.

Reflections

• Measuring wealth by checking how much we have given away.

• Gratitude for each day That is is gifted Us.

• Called to be an alternative society under God’s rule -- reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Whether I like it or not, if they exist they are loved

• The campaign to save Ask Izzy, a free online directory connecting people in crisis with essential services

• Snippet – The Gospel guides us in our call to be the social conscience in the time of unbridled, questionable progress.

Musical Reflection

• I'll Be Always Loving You

What are we doing with the life God has entrusted to us?

Just a few thoughts

• Who is the happier, they who have braved the storm of life and lived, or they who have stayed securely on shore and merely existed? -- Anon

• We pray for our world broken by war, especially in the land from where Jesus sent the Apostles to proclaim the Gospel to the nations, and between the Christian nations of Russia and Ukraine, that Jesus will be their true Peace

• We pray for all who preach the word of God, that they do so with conviction, power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Reflections

• Two Minute Homily

• Demanding perfection from others

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

The Signs Of The Times

• When it comes to finance the Australian government cannot govern. That power was given away. It means that in this respect Australia is not democratic; the will of the people is moot."

• Snippet – I have only read 8 of the bottom 50 books listed in ABC Radio Nationals public poll of our Top 100 books – Check the poll here

Musical Reflection

• Love Divine All Loves Excelling

Antioch – where followers of Jesus were first called ‘Christians’.

Just a few thoughts

• You aren’t wealthy until you have something money can’t buy. -- Garth Brooks

• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty --may poverty not be taken lightly, but be a springboard for the Church to become “a Church which is poor for the poor.”

Reflections

• The spirit of truth

• Declaring ourselves for Jesus Christ

• Giving Praise to the One God -- reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• How World Mission Sunday shaped Leo’s vocation

• Protest is a right, not a licence

• Snippet – “The Warmun Whipping Tree” – the healing power of forgiveness

Musical Reflection

• Sing To The Mountains

We are single threads in a tapestry God has created.

Just a few thoughts

• It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. -- Ursula K. Le Guin

• World Food Day – may nations include the needs of the hungry in their budgets, especially through effective programs where people are traumatised by war and natural disasters.

Reflections

• The urge to be superior

• Living not by truth but by safety.

• Our Only Lord -- reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Celebrating 100 years of World Mission Sunday

• What difference does writing make?

• Snippet – This weekend ABC Radio National presents the countdown to Australia’s 100 “Best Books”

Musical Reflection

• Holy God We Praise Thy Name

The “castle within”

Just a few thoughts

• Beauty comes from within, not from what you wear. -- Adele

• we pray for those who are involved in many community organizations of service to others, that they will see such voluntary works as an expression of their faith, and be carried out with kindness and respect for others.

• We pray for climate scientists, that they will show the world how best to meet the challenge of global warming and win support for effective action.

Reflections

• Saint Teresa of Ávila

• Hypocrisy is practically the only thing Jesus railed against in the gospels -- reflection for Last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Ecological challenge of our time is more urgent than ever – Pope Leo

• Encyclical takes root in communities around the world

Musical Reflection

• God Has Chosen Me

The Church was not a club for saints

Just a few thoughts

• Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. -- Desmond Tutu

• May we never be hypocrites in our faith by saying one thing and then doing the opposite

• We pray for the members of our parish community, that whether rich or poor, hungry or filled, we will draw strength from God like Paul the apostle.

Reflections

• “Do as I say; don’t do as I do.”

• What do we Neglect?

• What is your ultimate commitment? -- reflection for Last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• A Discipleship of Equals

Musical Reflection

• The Servant Song

What we place into the hands of the poor, we place into the hands of Christ!

Just a few thoughts

• Will you look back on life and say, ‘I wish I had,’ or ‘I’m glad I did’? -- Zig Ziglar

• Breast Cancer Awareness Day – may it encourage those who research this disease, and may all who live with it or are in remission, receive respectful care.

• We pray for foster parents, that their willingness to welcome others’ children into their homes and hearts will encourage many to follow their example.

Reflections

• We are unique in this.

• Live faith in freedom and love

• Authentic discipleship by faith in action -- reflection for Last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Congregations to mark Day of Sorrow and Promise with prayer

• Serving through conserving

Musical Reflection

• O God, You search Me and You Know Me

Searching for wisdom

Just a few thoughts

• I have no regrets, because I've done everything I could to the best of my ability. -- Robert Redford

• May all the spiritual children of Abraham – Jews, Christians and Muslims – be true to their heritage and worship the one true God, respecting every person as brother and sister.

• We pray for those who farm the land or the oceans to produce the world’s food, that their work will be both fruitful and sustainable.

Reflections

• The “sign of Jonah”

• A  sumptuous feed -reflection for This Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Top End meeting marks 40 years since St John Paul II’s historic visit

• Navi Pillay’s Nobel is a vote of confidence in international law

Musical Reflection

• O God Beyond all praising

The persistence of God

Just a few thoughts

• The opposite of poverty is not wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice. -- Bryan Stevenson

• May each one of us help to reshape the Church in the spirit of Jesus so that no one feels excluded or rejected, but rather be welcomed as sisters and brothers, equal in dignity through the grace of baptism.

Reflections

• Two Minute Homily

• Are our hearts ready?

• Frank Brennan’s Homily -reflection for This Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• South Australia’s green gold rush gathers pace

Musical Reflection

• Shine Jesus Shine

Hear the word of God and keep it

Just a few thoughts

• It doesn’t matter who you used to be, what matters is who you’ve become. -- Robert Tew

• Mental Health Day -help us to overcome any temptation to discriminate against and ridicule people who struggle with this condition in its complex forms.

Reflections

• One in Christ

• Guide me, Lord

• The Wedding Banquet -reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Australia’s climate policy – a crime against humanity

• Healing community

• Snippet –Nobel Peace Prize - Navi Pillay has been "a steadfast, independent voice of justice”

Musical Reflection

• Lead Me Lord

Newman

Just a few thoughts

• You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you. -- Josh Shipp

• May we be able to live by faith and not by law, and so find true freedom to live for God and our neighbour.

• We pray for the Australian community, that everyone will come together in a solidarity of gratitude, not grievance, in response to the nation’s challenges.

Reflections

• The virtue of vigilance

• The Cross of Self-Sufficiency

• The Divine Wedding -reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Australia's fight against inflation has a moral blind spot

• Using interest rates to fight inflation is dumb, unfair and overdue for a rethink

• Snippet --Aged Care - more people are approved for a Support at Home package than the system is funded to deliver. The backlog is growing. More than 106,000 are on the waiting list.

Musical Reflection

• Shepherd Me, O God

The Father hears us and will give what is ultimately good

Just a few thoughts

• You can’t make everyone happy. You are not a pizza. -- Anon

• World Sight Day – May those who are blind or have diminished sight, will know the presence of God guiding them, and make their own unique contribution to a world of peace.

• We pray for the members of St Vincent de Paul conferences and parish outreach teams, that their work in God’s vineyard will bear much good fruit.

Reflections

• Does God answer my prayer?

• Ask anyway!

• Hypocrisy is practically the only thing Jesus railed against in the gospels -reflection for Last Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Immersion to Country with Catholic Mission

• “Someone who says, ‘I’m against abortion,’ but says, ‘I’m in favour of the death penalty’, is not really pro-life” – Pope Leo XIV.

• Pope Leo’s early moves suggest a robust approach to synod reform

Musical Reflection

• You Satisfy the Hungry Heart

 

Our time is precious

Just a few thoughts

• We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the centre of the universe. -- Elie Wiesel

• May the kingdom of God extend over the whole world so that all people can live together in peace and harmony, with justice and mercy, free from religious persecution.

Reflections

• He is everywhere

• I am with you always!

• We are not owners but stewards -reflection for this Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Environment in the spotlight during feast of Creation

• CSSA cautions against humanitarian intake reduction

Musical Reflection

• Bread Of Life, Hope Of The World

Silence can be the presence of Someone

Just a few thoughts

• If I had to prescribe two things to improve health and happiness in the world, it’s movement and play. -- ~ Jason Nemer

• May this Active Aging Week bear much fruit in a healthier life style, and reward those who assist them.

• May we carry out our daily duties in a spirit of service and hospitality, attentive to the word of Jesus through which we discover the will of God.

Reflections

• Priorities

• Opportunities to serve and listen together

The Signs Of The Times

• AI may not be becoming superintelligent. It may be becoming distorted

Musical Reflection

• Table of Plenty

Allowing compassion to interrupt our plans

Just a few thoughts

• A great relationship is not only finding the person you have fun with but also finding the person you want to be bored with. The beauty of long-term relationships is often hidden in boring, ordinary moments. -- James Clear

• May we, on this World Teachers’ Day, rejoice in the vocation of men and women who serve in schools, universities, and other education facilities, that by respecting their students they will also inspire them.

• We pray for all users of social media, young and old, that they will not allow their minds to be filled with hateful things but with all that is good.

Reflections

• Who should I be neighbour to?

• Many heads are better than one.

• What is the kingdom? – reflection for This Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• The Original Sin

Musical Reflection

• Come To The Feast

What fruit are we bearing for Him

Just a few thoughts

• If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month. -- Theodore Roosevelt

• May today’s 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi unite all Christians in living lives of simplicity, having a deep respect for the poor, being intent on the care of our planet, all placed on the foundation of prayer and love for Jesus.

Reflections

• Two Minutes Homily

• Frank Brennan’s Homily – reflection for This Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• The Conspiracy of Accidents Through Which God Speaks

Musical Reflection

• Prayer of St. Francis

Douaumont

Just a few thoughts

• One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least somebody’s listening. -- Franklin P. Jones

• May governments take seriously the issue of global warming, and here in Australia make bold decisions for the long term future of our planet and country.

Reflections

• The ways of God will always be beyond our human comprehension.

• A  healing and hope-giving word

• Our brains love stories – reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Prayer is not complete without social justice

• Australia had abolished slavery. So how did we justify 'blackbirding'?

Musical Reflection

• Lord of All Hopefulness

Guardian Angels

Just a few thoughts

• Just smiling at someone walking down the street can make the person’s day. -- Mariska Hargitay

• International Day of Non-Violence - may it cause all people to pause and reflect upon their own behaviour, words, and thoughts, so that avoiding violence we all may be peacemakers in our relationships.

Reflections

• God's thoughts

• God accompanies us in very many ways

• God at the Centre – reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• When stories of suffering become stories of blame, compassion gets lost

• Standing in Solidarity

Musical Reflection

• To You, O God, I Lift Up My Soul

Loving God faithfully in the smallest things.

Just a few thoughts

• Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave. -- Mary Tyler Moore

• We mark this International Day for Older Persons that they will always receive respect, their wisdom be honoured, and that the care offered to them will be dignified, just and kindly.

Reflections

• The witness of young people

• True Childhood

• The Vineyard of the Lord – reflection for Next Sunday

The Signs Of The Times

• Grow peace

• Inflation and interest rates up. Who's to blame?

Musical Reflection

• Healer of Our Every Ill