Season of Growth

Sunday 4 in the Season of Advent This week saw the release of the first post-Covid super blockbuster movie, the sequel to the 2009 movie Avatar, which is still the highest-grossing movie at the box-office (US$2.9b). I saw the new movie on the opening day, in 3D. Avatar: The Way of Water, runs to over…

Advent – Welcome! From the Greek word “parousia”, meaning arrival or coming: ready or not! 4 full weeks this year with Christmas on a Sunday. The longest it can be. Next year, with Christmas on a Monday, it is the shortest (3 weeks and 1 day). Won’t have Christmas on a Sunday again until 2033….

The Solemnity of Jesus the Christ, the King of the Universe First Reading ‡ 2 Samuel 5:1-3 They anointed David king of Israel. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 121:1-5 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. Second Reading ‡ Colossians 1:12-20 He has taken us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Gospel ‡…

Sunday 33 in Year C First Reading ‡ Malachi 3:19-20 The sun of righteousness will shine on you.Responsorial ‡ Psalm 97:5-9The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.Second Reading ‡ 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 Do not give anyone food who refuses to work.Gospel ‡ Luke 21:5-19 Your endurance will win you your life. I must say that I…

Sunday 28 in Year C All ten ‘lepers’ were cured – but only one was fully healed Healing comes from the God of Israel. We cannot be fully healed while the world remains so divided. Humans love to have boundary lines. I suspect that most of us thought very little about state borders in Australia…

Sunday 27 in Year C First Reading ‡ Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4The just will live by faithfulness. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 94:1-2.6-9If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Second Reading ‡ 2 Timothy 1:6-8.13-14Never be ashamed of witnessing the Lord. Gospel ‡ Luke 17:5-10If you had faith! Very occasionally on a cold winter’s morning…

Sunday 26 in Year C First Reading ‡ Amos 6:1.4-7You who give yourself to licentiousness and revelry will be exiled.Responsorial ‡ Psalm 145:6-10Praise the Lord, my soul!Second Reading ‡ 1 Timothy 6:11-16Obey the commandments until the coming of the Lord.Gospel ‡ Luke 16:19-31During your life good things came your way just as bad things came…

Sunday 25, Year C First Reading ‡ Amos 8:4-7 The Lord God spoke against those who buy the poor for money. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 112:1-2.4-8 Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor. Second Reading ‡ 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Let prayers be offered to God for everyone; he wants all people to be saved. Gospel…

Sunday 24, Year C 3 Parables of Joy. Finding what was lost. Jesus hosts the tax collectors & sinners as his special, honoured guests. The accusation thrown against Jesus regularly – behold a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. A refrain. When we hear a set of parables like this,…

Sunday 23 in Year C As a child – I really didn’t think about slavery. Later, after studying a little history, I thought slavery no longer existed – but I was wrong! In fact – although estimates and exact definitions vary – there are more slaves in total now than in any period of human…

Sunday 22 in Year C First Reading ‡ Sirach 3:17-20.27-28Humble yourself and you will find favour with the Lord.Responsorial ‡ Psalm 67:4-7.10-11God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor. Second Reading ‡ Hebrews 12:18-19.22-24You have to come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.Gospel ‡ Luke 14:1.7-14All…

Sunday 21, in Year C. Jesus continues his road trip from Galilee to Jerusalem, which he begins in Luke 9:51 (eight weeks back on Sunday 13C) – heading for suffering and death. He knows the reality of rejection and disciples dropping off when the novelty wore off. He continues to invite us into God’s greater…

First Reading ‡ Jeremiah 38:4-6.8-10You bore me to be a man of strife for the whole world. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 39:2-4.18Lord, come to my aid! Second Reading ‡ Hebrews 12:1-4Let us bear patiently the struggle placed upon us. Gospel ‡ Luke 12:49-53I have come not to give peace, but discord. Play MP3Sunday resource

Sunday 19 in Year C First Reading ‡ Wisdom 18:6-9Just as you struck our enemies, you made us glorious by calling us to you.Responsorial ‡ Psalm 32:1.12.18-20.22Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.Second Reading [longer form]  ‡ Hebrews 11:1-2.8-19We will look for the city designed and built by God.Gospel [longer form]…

Sunday 18 in Year C First Reading ‡ Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23What do people gain by all their work? Responsorial ‡ Psalm 89:3-6.12-14.17In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge. Second Reading ‡ Colossians 3:1-5.9-11Seek the things that are above where Christ is. Gospel ‡ Luke 12:13-21To whom will all this wealth of yours…

Lord, teach us to pray! What a great request. I doubt if any person who is trying to faithfully follow God thinks that they are praying too much, or too well. We all desire to grow in our prayer. To spend our time in God’s presence in a way that is more fruitful and more…

I like walking, and for many years now have tried to walk around 10km/day. Ideally this is bushwalking, but with our constant rain and flooding, many areas are closed, damaged, or way too muddy for pleasant walking. Instead, I now do lots of urban walking. I enjoy exploring new housing estates that surround our region….

One of the great challenges in understanding a parable like the Good Samaritan is recapturing the original impact it would have had to those who first heard Jesus tell this short story. The first problem is that we are over familiar with the basic story. The second is that the word Samaritan has lost its…

In 1966, Christians made up 88.2% of the Australian population. 25 years later in 1991 it was 74%. Another 25 years later in 2016 it had dropped to 52.1%. Now in the just-released data from the 2021 Census, we are no longer a majority Christian nation, with only 43.85% of people identifying as Christians. The…

Sunday 13 in Year C.Patronal Feast of the Diocese of Wollongong: The Immaculate Heart of Mary First Reading ‡ 1 Kings 19:16.19-21Elisha rose and followed Elijah and became his servant. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 15:1-2.5.7-11You are my inheritance, O Lord. Second Reading ‡ Galatians 5:1.13-18My brothers, you were called to freedom. Gospel ‡ Luke 9:51-62Jesus resolutely…

One of the truly great things about the gospels is that they remind us that the disciples are not magically transformed the first time they meet Jesus. It takes time for them to get to know him and slowly begin to understand what he is all about. I imagine that they were pretty chuffed at…

TRINITY SUNDAY – The divine dance The biggest challenge in approaching a deeper understanding of the nature of God is being Western. Having a Western mind is really useful for science and computing + engineering. It is really not all that helpful for God. It began with the Greeks who loved making distinctions and treating…

More than 30 years ago while in pre-seminary formation, I was told a quote from a Russian Orthodox monk, who died in the nineteenth century, St Seraphim of Sarov (1754/1759-1833). The quote is – “the goal of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.” Seraphim goes on to say that like many…

Sixth Sunday in Easter, Year C. We arrive at almost the very ending of the bible with our reading from Revelation 21 today. We are given the vision of the new Jerusalem as it descends and heaven and earth are fully reunited once again. The city is enormous – 12,000 stadia (2,400km) in each direction…

Fifth Sunday in Easter, Year C. You shall be my people – and I will be your God. The Gospel passage that we hear today is sandwiched between two awful moments. Immediately before Judas is outed as the betrayer of Jesus. He takes the bread from the dish of Jesus and leaves the upper room….

John 10 – festival of Dedication/Lights – the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, occurring during the Jewish month of Chislev 25 (during our December – Hanukkah often occurs near Christmas). The second half of John 10 happens two months after feast of Tabernacles (John 7: 1 – 10:21). Same place (temple area in Jerusalem) but a different…

Easter 3C Last week the disciples were locked away – together in fear, distress, grief and anxiety. Jesus came and stood among them. Shalom! Peace be with you. He showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. He breathes the breathe of new life, the gift of the Holy Spirit upon them. He…

Second Sunday in Easter, Year C. First Reading ‡ Acts 5:12-16The numbers of men and women who came to believe in the Lord increased steadily. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 117:2-4.22-27Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. Second Reading ‡ Revelation 1:9-13.17-19I was dead and now I am to live for…

Commemoration of the Lord’s EntranceYear C ‡ Luke 19:28-40 – Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. First Reading ‡ Isaiah 50:4-7I did not cover my face against insult and I know I will not be ashamed. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 21:8-9.17-20.23-24My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Second Reading…

Play MP3Watch videoSunday 5 in Lent, Year C.First Reading ‡ Isaiah 43:16-21 I am doing a new thing and I will give drink to my people.Responsorial ‡ Psalm 125 The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.Second Reading ‡ Philippians 3:8-14 Because of Christ I look upon everything else as useless in…