Seasons
Silence and Space
28 May 2023
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…
Silence and Word
28 May 2023
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…
Doubting faith
21 May 2023
Ascension Sunday When I was 21, I was living in a formation house as my first year of attempting to follow this desire to be a priest. Towards the end of the first year I got sick. But before I realised that I was getting sick, I had come down with Chicken pox and as…
Called and Chosen
12 May 2023
Mass from St John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Campbelltown with Fr Richard Healey Friday in the Fifth Week of Easter (Friday 12 May 2023) First Reading ‡ Acts 15:22-31 It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and ourselves not to burden you beyond what is essential. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 56:8-12 I will praise you…
Chosen
7 May 2023
Easter – Sunday 5 Play MP3 Watch video Resources 00:00:00 Sometimes it can be really difficult to accept the simple claims that the gospel makes to know that we are indeed loved with this amazing intimacy of life and goodness to trust. 00:00:21 That God actually wants us to have that experience of this intimacy,…
More than enough life
30 April 2023
Easter, Sunday 4, Year A. One of my pet peeves are the shallow stereotypes that abound around ideas of “What does it mean to be a Christian?” Tight-laced, Straight. Goody 2 shoes. Narrow. Conservative. Anti-Environment. Homophobic. Backward. It is really hard to live well against this. I’m sure you faced this often enough when you…
Hope along the road
23 April 2023
Sunday 3 in Easter, Year A In this Catholic Mass, we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Easter with a focus on the Gospel of the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). Join us in exploring the theme of Hope along the road as we reflect on the journey of the disciples on their way to Emmaus….
Breathing Mercy
16 April 2023
Sunday 2 in Easter – Sunday of Divine Mercy This year, during this season of Easter, we will be working our way through this first letter of Saint Peter. We don’t really know when it was written, there were no markers to kind of indicate when that happened. Peter used a secretary called Sylvanas to…
Resurrection Bodies
9 April 2023
Easter, New Creation, Seasons, Teaching
First Reading ‡ Acts 10:34.36-43We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 117:1-2.16-17.22-23This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Second Reading (option 1) ‡ Colossians 3:1-4Look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is. Gospel ‡ John 20:1-9The…
Why did Jesus die?
8 April 2023
A reflection on the Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Play MP3 When I was a kid, the only thing that I seemed to want to do was to be older and bigger, you know, big enough that I was able to go out the back with my older brothers, with Dad on…
Passionate love revealed
3 April 2023
Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday, Year A Commemoration of the Lord’s EntranceYear A ‡ Matthew 21:1-11Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. At the Mass First Reading ‡ Isaiah 50:4-7 I did not cover my face against insult and I know I will not be ashamed. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 21:8-9.17-20.23-24 My…
Unbind him
25 March 2023
Lent 5. Year A Lazarus – El’Azar (God is my help) we are told that Jesus loves Lazarus, along with his two sisters, Miryam + Marta. Yet, when he hears that Lazarus is sick, he delays. How odd! What is going on? Have you felt like God is delaying in answer to your prayers? WTF?…
Will you believe?
19 March 2023
Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A First Reading ‡ 1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13 In the presence of the Lord God, they anointed David king of Israel. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 22(23) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Second Reading ‡ Ephesians 5:8-14 Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you….
Thirsty
12 March 2023
First Reading ‡ Exodus 17:3-7Give us water to drink. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 94:1-2,6-9If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Second Reading ‡ Romans 5:1-2,5-8The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. Gospel [longer form] ‡ John 4:5-42The water that I shall…
Guided by a cloud
5 March 2023
To have a sense of where you’re going is something that is so crucial. We all now take it for granted with our phones offering us GPS and our cars giving us guidance and direction along the way. But it’s still within our living memory of what it was like to try and find your…
Temptation Training
26 February 2023
Lent Sunday 1, Year A Remember the last big meal. How did you feel after? Food coma. Not clear thinking. Sleepy. Suggestible. Jesus goes into the wilderness. 40 days and nights. He fasts, so he’s not in a food coma. Open to God. 40 – highly symbolic. Israel in the wilderness 3 testings – very…
Called to Worship
7 January 2023
The Epiphany of the Lord First Reading ‡ Isaiah 60:1-6The glory of the Lord shines upon you. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 71:1-2.7-8.10-13Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. Second Reading ‡ Ephesians 3:2-3.5-6The revelation means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body. Gospel ‡ Matthew 2:1-12We have…
Being Blessed
31 December 2022
Mary, Mother of God – Octave Day of Christmas My dear mother has kept a diary all her adult life. It does not contain her deepest thoughts, feelings or secrets, but it is an accurate chronicle of the events in her life and that of our family, with all the comings and goings, trips and…
Christmas Reversals by night
24 December 2022
We are all very familiar with the Christmas story and the Christmas Gospel that we just read from the Luke 2. But in some ways the story is even more familiar than we think – and yet still radically different. For we all know stories that begin about the rich and famous. Our newspapers and…
Christmas Reversals by day
24 December 2022
We are all very familiar with the Christmas story and the Christmas Gospel that we just read from the Luke 2. But in some ways the story is even more familiar than we think – and yet still radically different. For we all know stories that begin about the rich and famous. Our newspapers and…
Advent Questions
10 December 2022
Third Sunday in Advent, Year A. John began his ministry as we saw last week with a very clear idea about where he sat, where he fitted within the broad spectrum of Jewish life and indeed of what we call salvation history. His sense that like Elijah that he clearly knew the kind of model…
Advent Call
4 December 2022
Second Sunday in Advent, Year A First Reading ‡ Isaiah 11:1-10He judges the poor with justice. Responsorial ‡ Psalm 71:1-2.7-8.12-13.17Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Second Reading ‡ Romans 15:4-9Christ, the hope of all people. Gospel ‡ Matthew 3:1-12Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Play…
Advent Hope
27 November 2022
Advent, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year A
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….
Pentecost – Reception
5 June 2022
Easter, Season of Growth, Seasons, Solemnity, Year C
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…
Ascension Presence
29 May 2022
Ascension day can be a very confusing experience. For many people the imagery and artwork that accompany this feast does not help to clear the confusion. Picturing the feet of Jesus beneath a cloud that is taking him away from us does not help. Whenever an image is encountered in the scriptures, our first question…
Gracious New Jerusalem
21 May 2022
Easter, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
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…
New Creation People
15 May 2022
Easter, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
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….
Follow the True Shepherd
8 May 2022
Easter, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
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…
Transformed by love
1 May 2022
Easter, Season of Growth, Seasons, Year C
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…