One of the most frustrating things for a farmer is to have weeds in the fields. They steal whatever nutrition is there for his grain.
My Dad used to eat papaya and one day he decided to throw the seeds onto our lot near our house. Then he was surprised when one day the seed that he had thrown grew and soon enough it was producing fruit and my mum had no need to buy papaya anymore. You can just imagine how fruitful that soil was.
As we gather on this 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Word of God reminds us of the enduring invitation to find rest in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father.
In the 80s, there was a famous Protestant pastor in Manila named Ronald Remy. He was a very charismatic preacher. However, he made a stir one day when he declared publicly that he loved Jesus more than his wife.
As the Society of the Divine Word prepares for the 19th General Chapter as well as its 150th anniversary in 2025, the theme that has been chosen for reflection is, “Your Light Must Shine Before Others” (Mt 5:16): Faithful and Creative Disciples in a Wounded World.
As is indicative from the theme, there are many elements brought together to constitute the reality of today’s mission. How does this theme apply in our own Australian context? In this reflection, I would like to outline how the theme could be understood locally.
Building healthy parish communities is crucial if the Church is to become truly missional in today’s world, Fr Albano Da Costa said in his presentation for the first of the Divine Word Missionaries’ online lectures on mission.
The six-part ‘Mission and Dialogue Today’ lecture series is an education and ongoing formation initiative of the SVD Australia Province and attracted participants from around the country and around the world.
Well-known priest, lawyer and advocate, Fr Frank Brennan SJ visited Townsville and Palm Island recently and while there, presented information sessions to the local people about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Fr Manh Le SVD, parish priest at St Anne’s Parish on Palm Island, said Fr Frank’s visit, while primarily to attend a funeral for a local leader, was a great opportunity to share information on the Voice with the local Indigenous community.
As a new Syro-Malabar bishop begins his ministry in Australia, Fr Joe Jacob SVD says his own chaplaincy ministry to the Syro-Malabar community in Alice Springs brings him much contentment as he cares for the spiritual needs of migrants who are far from home.
Bishop John Panamthottathil CMI was ordained the second leader of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle in Melbourne on May 31.
SVD Communications Coordinators from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Manila, the Philippines, recently to share ideas and resources for spreading the Good News in effective and innovative ways.
Communications Coordinator for the SVD Australia Province, Fr Joseph Reddy SVD, said the purpose of the gathering was “to enhance the communication skills and media learning of the SVD Provincial/Regional Communication Coordinators of the ASPAC Zone”.
The theme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday this year is ‘A New Life in Christ’.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council says the theme for this special day in the Church calendar, to be celebrated on Sunday, July 2, relates to “the transformative possibilities that come when we walk God’s Way of love”. What an invitation!