This month’s celebration of the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, instituted by Pope Francis, struck a note with me and I’m sure for many others as well.

In my Pacific island culture, the elders in our families and in our villages are deeply honoured and I have beautiful memories of my grandparents and their special role in my life.

Ted Noffs, who died in 1995, was a man very well known to Sydney-siders for more than 30 years. A Methodist/Uniting Church minister, he founded the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross in 1964, as an outreach to society’s most vulnerable people.

There was a company, which was working in the forest and looking for a woodchopper. One day, two woodchoppers applied for the job. The manager said that they would only accept one. So he invited both of them to a test.

Jesus today sends forth his disciples to preach repentance and bring healing to peoples’ lives. The mandate is clear; no possessions, depend on the generosity of the people, but preach repentance and bring healing.

Each one of us, for sure, has stories or quotations from Holy Scripture that are very special. They may be linked to personal needs or simply to moments of personal enlightenment.

To borrow again a story from my friend, Fr Bel San Luis, there was a very devout man who is in his house when there was a huge deluge in town.

There was this story of a boy who was playing on a cruise liner with his alphabet blocks. Then in a few minutes, the ship encountered a storm.

This week is the 11^th Sunday of ordinary time. We continue our journey of faith, from Sunday to Sunday, to be nourished by Christ through his Words.

For the first thousand years of Christianity, bishops, priests, and all the faithful would talk about the Christian Community as the “real” body and blood of Christ.

There has been a saying going around our Community that the Feast of the Ascension reminds us that Jesus decided thereafter “to work from home”.