The Humble Birth of Jesus: A Reflection on the Significance of Christmas The Gospel of John and the Letter to Titus As a podcaster and a spiritual guide, I recently had the opportunity to delve into the profound significance of Christmas and the birth of Jesus. During a religious service, I found myself reflecting on…

Embracing the True Nature of God: A Reflection on Mary’s Encounter with Angel Gabriel Challenging the Common Perception of God As a religious leader, I often find myself questioning the common perception of God. Many people tend to view Him as grumpy and easily angered. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. When God…

Finding Joy in Every Circumstance This sermon is a powerful exploration of joy, freedom, and identity. I’d like to share some of the key insights and lessons from this sermon with you. Rejoicing in the Lord Always: A Commandment and a Challenge The sermon began with a discussion of the commandment given by Paul to…

Finding Peace and Unity in Exile: A Reflection on Personal Hardships and Natural Disasters Introduction Today I explore the concept of exile, drawing parallels to personal hardships and natural disasters that disrupt our normal activities. This blog post is a reflection on that episode, where I discussed the historical exile of the people of Jerusalem…

Embracing the Season of Advent: A Journey of Hope, Sin, and Transformation Understanding the Significance of Advent As a priest and a religious leader, I often find myself answering questions about the season of Advent. Many people are confused about its significance, often drawing parallels with Lent and the traditions associated with it. However, Advent…

A Journey of Understanding: Reflecting on Gospel, Grace, and Extending Love Beyond Boundaries Initial Confusion and Evolving Understanding I found myself reflecting on a particular gospel passage that has significantly shaped my understanding of Christian life. Initially, I was confused about how this passage fits into the grand scheme of my faith. I grappled with…

The Power of Conversations and the Parable of Talents Fr Richard Healey shares his insights on two contrasting conversations he had with fellow priests, which was both enlightening and deeply thought-provoking. It revolved around the Gospel reading about the parable of the bags of gold, also known as the parable of talents. The Parable of…

A Night in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre An Unforgettable Sabbatical in Jerusalem In 2017, I embarked on a sabbatical that led me to the heart of Jerusalem, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This journey was not just a physical one, but a spiritual exploration that left an indelible mark on my…

Embracing Integrity and Grace: A Reflection on Christianity and Spirituality A Personal Journey into the Heart of Faith Last night I attended the engagement celebration for my niece in Nowra. As a deacon and assistant priest in the church, I had the honour of being closely acquainted with the groom’s family. This experience, along with…

The Intersection of Love, Justice, and Personal Annoyances The Annoyances of Life and the Call for Justice I found myself reflecting on the various things that annoy me, such as people not adhering to traffic rules. It’s a common enough grievance, but it led me to a deeper conversation about the importance of justice and…

Surrendering to God’s Will: A Personal Reflection on Giving All to Him The Tax System in First Century Israel and the Background to the Gospel In the first century in Israel, the tax system was a significant aspect of daily life. Taxes were imposed by the Roman Empire, and the collection process was often met…

Embracing Celebration: A Reflection on Weddings, Invitations, and God’s Love The Unconventional Wedding of Sarah Wilkinson I recently delved into a fascinating news article about a woman named Sarah Wilkinson. Sarah made the bold decision to proceed with her wedding, despite not having a partner. This unconventional choice sparked a discussion about the potential disappointment…

Reflecting on Love, Grief, Loss, and Justice: A Journey Through Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospel Today’s sermon was a deep dive into the themes of love, grief, loss, and justice, as portrayed in love poetry, the writings of the prophet Isaiah, the psalm, and the gospel.  Love Poetry and the Prophet Isaiah: A Tale of Grief…

In this message, Fr Richard Healey reflects on a theatre production they attended and draws parallels between the unity and synchronisation of the production and the desired unity within the church. They discuss the importance of actions aligning with beliefs, referencing the two sons in the gospel. The speaker then references a poem or song…

“God is generous and God will pour himself out as much as we are able to receive. And our lives are about growing in that capacity to be able to be used and to receive the goodness of God.” Fr Richard Healey So many of us have a whole mix of memories from our childhood,…

“The only way to let go is the way of mercy, the way of forgiveness, the way that doesn’t say that it didn’t matter, that thing is not significant. Yes, it happened and it was crucial and it was awful, but still from my side of the street, I have that obligation to let it…

The Power of Compassion in Conflict Resolution Today we reflect on a topic that is often overlooked but is crucial in our daily lives – how to respond to arguments, fights, and disputes. Fr Richard delivered a powerful sermon that emphasized the importance of addressing these situations with compassion and mercy. The Gospel’s Teachings on…

Fr Richard delivers a thought-provoking homily centered around the nature of a mirror and its ability to reverse our way of thinking. Drawing parallels to the ongoing experience of COVID-19 in NSW, the speaker reflects on past lockdowns and the new skills people had to acquire, such as cutting their own hair. Moving on to…

We live in an age of scientific discovery and continuing exploration. There’s a new space race and lunar exploration is back in the news. We’re also devoting resources and energy to exploring more our inner worlds as well as outer space. Do an internet search on self-help & self-discovery and you’ll get millions of hits for…

So welcome to Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church! Now, what does it actually mean to be a Catholic Church? Catholic means universal. Universal means everyone. Everyone is included. It dates back to St Cyril of Jerusalem in the early 2nd century. It was the first recorded use of this term catholic. And I guess…

There are so many situations that we face in our lives where. It’s we’re just. Overwhelmed. But things just get too much for us and I think. Both our first reading and our gospel today, when we read the bigger context, provide those. Why does Jesus need that alone time well earlier on in the…

Sometimes we have an experience that was so sublime, so magical, so amazing – that we struggle to even share all its details with a close friend. Even when it is photographed, and videoed, and instagrammed to within a millimetre of its life, some things can defy simple, adequate descriptions. Maybe the event wasn’t even…

One of the things that I kind of find myself struggling with as I grow older is some of the stories that I heard and learned when I was a child, and particularly in church circles. Some of those stories about the Saints and heroes of the faith. Like the only thing that I really…

Play MP3 This year the last few Sundays seem to have been inviting us to reflect upon the very essence of who God is, how we stand in the presence of God, how we make sense of the nature, the quality of God. Last week, the Apostles were first named as such: they were sent…

I suspect that when many of us hear this kind of talk about being sent, about being called to go out to be part of the mission of Jesus, that we get very uncomfortable about that. We’re like, yeah, you know, that’s fine for the good sisters; that’s fine, maybe even for those crazy priests…

The fact that we need to have this Feast day is a testament to the nature of of humanity. That the scriptures are so full of these details about the compassion of God, about the mercy of the Lord, about the Lord who is full of steadfast love, who is so committed absolutely to the…

Many polls indicate that few census Catholics believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This may also explain why so many of the people who once gathered each Sunday to celebrate with us, have not returned after the pandemic. If you do not believe that in receiving the Eucharist you actually receive…

Trinity Sunday What is God life? When I was a kid, I had a pretty clear idea. God was an old dude with a long white beard. He sat on a big golden chair. He had a kindly face, but a really short fuse. He seemed to get ticked off by almost anything at all….

I grew up in the country. I don’t think I really noticed a couple of key things until much later – because often you only notice things when they’re not there anymore. But there were two things. When you would go outside, particularly on a night like this, pretty chilly kind of night. The night…

I grew up in the country. I don’t think I really noticed a couple of key things until much later – because often you only notice things when they’re not there anymore. But there were two things. When you would go outside, particularly on a night like this, pretty chilly kind of night. The night…