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Scripture Reflections

THE early morning sun struck its first shafts of warmth through the panels and bezels of the stained glass wall of St Francis Xavier's Parish church near North Sydney station

Talking about the apostles Peter and Paul, we may immediately think of the two greatest missionaries of the infant church, the two founding pillars of the Christian mission.

God-is-with-us-image---150I recently came across this story which somehow stuck with me for quite a while.

Tong, aged 13, lives with the Missionaries of Charity in my neighbourhood, just next to our Parish and the Mother of the Perpetual Help Centre in Nong Bua Lamphu Thailand. I have known him for quite some years, he joined Bible-sharing seminars and youth outings and is that kind of a teenager that doesn’t cause any trouble – others do sometimes.

 

In almost all cultures, we show our hospitality by offering people food. For many of us, we see food as a way to connect

Friends, we come once again to what’s been described as ‘The Preacher’s Nightmare’ the Trinity Sunday. 

 

Friday, 06 June 2014 11:45

Pentecost

One of the biggest temptations amongst modern day Christians is to think exclusively about the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Triune God, as if they have some secret strategies of controlling and directing her movements within and without the boundaries of their churches.

Saturday, 31 May 2014 09:19

The Ascension

The Ascension must have been an astonishing event. As an actual happening it is attested in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles.

 

Imagine there are two people having this conversation: “If you really love me, then prove it!”

You-are-loved---150On the island of Flores, where I live, there is a home for people with special physical and mental needs. Run by the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, it is by the sea in the town of Labuan Bajo on the western tip of the island.

Just before Easter I visited the home. I was overwhelmed by the joy of the residents. 

 

Today’s readings tell us how the early Church accepted the challenge of keeping Jesus’ memory alive in the Christian community by fashioning it into a serving and worshipping community..

On the 8th of May 2014, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has just released a very strong Statement on the Federal Government’s cruel treatment of Asylum Seekers ...

 

The story of the Lord's appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is probably one of the best developed and deeply insightful of the appearance stories in the Gospels.

 

Today we celebrate not only the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday but we also celebrate the canonisation of two outstanding popes of the last century.

Faithbook---150Ten days before Easter a friend of mine started to post the countdown towards the Feast of the Resurrection on his Facebook page. Somehow I was struck by this simple gesture as it reminded me to ponder a bit deeper on the Feast. In actual fact, we were already given 40 days of Lent for the proper preparation which also marks the importance of these days.

May I just invite you to pause a moment and to ask yourself: Now, after the feast, how do I feel the joy of Easter?

 

Thursday, 17 April 2014 11:35

Easter Sunday

ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb […] and saw the stone removed from the tomb.

 

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