As I walked through the heart of European cities Cologne, Brussels and Amsterdam, I saw so many gothic church buildings standing in the midst of high energy bustling crowds below. Many of these churches are no longer functioning as worshipping places but museums for tourists to admire as ‘relics’ of once-upon-a-time civilisation of Europe.
In my parish, I often meet people who remind me of those I knew during my diaconate training in Noble Park and Keysborough.
One day, I was reading my Facebook page as I always do at certain times of the day and I saw this beautiful quote, “God doesn’t say NO to our prayers. God has three answers, either he says, 'Yes, at a later time,' or 'I have a better idea'.
How did you encounter Christ? This was a common question when I was a seminarian when we were asked about our vocation story.
If you enter in any Filipino house, the first thing that the owner will ask you, and it is almost like a greeting, is, “Have you eaten?”
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 a world filled with busyness, stress, and distractions, Jesus extends His gentle call to surrender our burdens and discover solace in His presence.
“Do not be afraid.” This is the message of Jesus in today’s gospel. Yet, right now all over the world there are many things that we are afraid of, including war, political upheaval, violence, outbreaks of disease, and so much more. All we have to do is watch the News each day to see all of this in the world around us. So, it’s really difficult to say that we shouldn’t be afraid.
Today is a very meaningful Sunday for me, as I have just begun my first mission here in this parish. I am still learning your names, your stories, and the life of this community. Thank you very much for your kindness and warm welcome.
The first reading today is from the Book of Deuteronomy and in fact is well linked with today’s Gospel reading, which urges us to listen to the voice of the Lord and keep His commandments and statutes throughout our lives.
In today’s first reading, we could hear Paul and Barnabas reaching out to the Jewish people and Gentiles. Gentiles means anyone who is not Jewish.
