Sunday reading

Reading for pleasure, but if I learn something along the way, that's gravy...

Christ The Teacher: Ask And You Will Receive

These teachings from Luke are about persistence in prayer. Jesus tells his disciples not so much what they are to pray for, but how they are to pray; pray persistently, shamelessly, relentlessly.

Never give up demanding of God what you desire.

Jesus has just taught his disciples the “Our Father”. One of its petitions is “Give us each day our daily bread”. The parable which follows immediately exemplifies this prayer of petition. Read more »

Gospel Story: Mary and Martha

The story of Jesus at the home of Mary and Martha is one of the better known stories in the Bible. It gives us an insight into Jesus and his friendships.

The two sisters and their brother Lazarus lived in Bethany, near Jerusalem, and kept ‘open house’ for Jesus and his disciples. Naturally. visits like these could be stressful to the household. Read more »

Christ The Teacher: Is It Lawful To Divorce One’s Wife?

Jesus’s teaching on marriage and divorce comes in response to a ‘test question’ posed by the Pharisees.

What his opponents were asking was whether a man could divorce his wife on any grounds, which was the liberal opinion of the day, or only because of adultery, which was the conservative opinion.

Jesus replies by referring to the chapter on creation in the book of Genesis. Read more »

Church Venerates Saints Michael, Gabriel And Raphael - Archangels

If the angels are God’s messengers and forms of his presence on earth, then the three archangels are the ways in which God protects, guides and accompanies us.

The origins of the three archangels are complex. They come into the Jewish scriptures and folklore from other cultures.

Nevertheless as specific names – Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – they stand for certain events in Israel’s history, and describe God’s saving presence in those events. Read more »

Gospel Story: A Sower Went Out To Sow

The thirteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel introduces us to Jesus’s use of parables.

A parable is a wise saying or a fictitious short story used by Jesus to expound his teaching.

It leads the listener to concede a point that he himself does not immediately perceive as applicable to himself, so the lesson goes home. Read more »

Relic Of St. Francis Xavier Arrives In Australia

A relic of 16th century Jesuit missionary, St. Francis Xavier, has arrived in Australia ahead of a 3-month tour of the country that is expected to draw tens of thousands of pilgrims.

“St. Francis has always held a special place in the hearts of Catholic Australians,” said Auxiliary Bishop Peter Comensoli as the relic arrived in Sydney Sept. 16. Read more »

Gospel Story: Who Do People Say I Am?

Peter’s confession of the divinity of Jesus comes at a turning point in Jesus’s ministry.

Many things fall into place: Jesus progressively reveals that whereas he is indeed the messiah, he’s not going to be the kind of messiah his disciples expect.

And that Peter, whose profession of faith wins his praise, will become the leader of the small group of disciples. Read more »

Church Commemorates The Exaltation of the Cross

Today’s is a feast rich in history and in symbolism.

In symbolism, first: we know that the first Christians were so ashamed of the cross that it is never found among the first icons of the faith. For the cross, like a gallows, was ignoble, the punishment meted out to outcasts and slaves.

By contrast, Jesus is shown divine and resplendent - not human and broken. But God willed that this very instrument of shame should become our means of glory and redemption. Read more »

Holy Land Experiences Boom In Tourism And Pilgrimages

Visits to Jesus’ homeland know no crisis. On the contrary, this year, the Holy Land has witnessed a big boom in the number of incoming tourists, particularly from Italy.

This is according to data published by the Israeli tourism office. It should be noted that the figures in question relate to tourism in general, not just to pilgrimages.

Religious tourism is, nevertheless by far the most widespread reason for which people visit the Holy Land – at least as far as trips from Italy to Israel are concerned. Read more »

Gospel Story: The Ten Bridesmaids

This parable, found only in Matthew, combines homely detail with a tragic end.

The scene is familiar: a wedding feast with all its preparations. The high point is the bridal procession where the groom leads the bride from her father’s house to his own for the wedding ceremonies, and the feast to follow.

The bridesmaids are part of the bridal party. As the wedding ceremonies were held at night, the bridal couple was accompanied by torches and lamps. Read more »

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