Fr John’s Reflection – The Invitation

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Most invitations today arrive by email, social media or text. But when a formal invitation arrives, it feels different. Someone has thought of us. Someone has made a place for us. Someone wants us to be there. And so, we ask: Can I come? What might I need to change to be there? Today, God places an invitation before each one of us. It is not simply an invitation to an event. It is an invitation to share his life.

The Feast God Prepares

Scripture often describes God’s invitation as a wedding feast. Isaiah pictures a banquet on a high mountain: rich food, fine wine and room for everyone. But the heart of the promise is this: God will gather his people. He will wipe away every tear. He will destroy death for ever. That is why we so often hear this reading at funerals. When someone we love is absent, Isaiah asks us to look beyond our sorrow. Our loved one is not forgotten. They are not lost to God. They are welcomed to the feast he has prepared. Even through our tears, we can say: “This is the Lord for whom we hoped. Let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us.”

The Gospel Invitation

In today’s Gospel, the invitation goes out. But some ignore it. Others refuse it. They are simply too busy. And that can happen to us as well. Life fills up. Urgent things take over. God’s quiet invitation is pushed to the side. Yet God keeps inviting. He opens the doors wide and welcomes everyone. His grace is not a reward for people who seem perfect. It is a gift offered to every person. So, the question is not, “Am I good enough to be invited?” The question is, “Will I open my heart and respond?”

Clothed for the Wedding Feast

Then there is the guest without a wedding garment. This part of the parable can trouble us. But the garment is not about appearances. It points to a heart willing to receive God’s grace—and to be changed by it. God welcomes us as we are. But he loves us too much to leave us as we are. He wants to clothe us in the mercy, compassion and new life of Christ. This is not something we earn. It is grace: a gift to be received and then lived.

Responding with Our Whole Life

So how do we respond? Saint Paul gives us a simple answer: by relying on Christ. Paul has known plenty, and he has known want. Yet his peace does not depend on his circumstances. He can say, “There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength.” The same grace is offered to us. In joy and in sorrow, in abundance and in need, God gives us what we need for today. And he strengthens us so that we can strengthen one another.

Taking the Next Obvious Step

Today, the Lord calls us back to what matters most. We are his beloved children. A place has been prepared for us. We do not need to pretend that everything is in order. We need only come with open hearts. Here at the Eucharist, Christ gathers us, feeds us and strengthens us for the journey. So let us bring him whatever we carry today. And let us ask for the grace to take one faithful step: to forgive, to pray, to serve, or simply to trust him again. We do not travel alone. Christ walks with us. His grace is enough. His feast awaits us. May we leave today knowing that we are wanted, welcomed and loved—and may our lives become God’s invitation to others.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – The Vineyard

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Most of us have driven past a vineyard at some time. Here in Australia, we are blessed with many of them, and with winemakers who really know the land. They look at the slope of the hill, the amount of sun, the soil and the kind of grape that will grow best there. It takes knowledge, certainly, but it also takes patience. You cannot hurry a vine. You plant it carefully, tend it faithfully and wait for it to bear fruit.

God’s Loving Care

That is the picture Isaiah gives us in the first reading. God prepares a vineyard for his people. He chooses good ground, clears away the stones and plants the finest vines. In other words, God does everything he can for the vineyard to flourish. He gives it every chance to produce good fruit.

But what happens? Instead of good grapes, the vineyard produces sour ones. We all know that reaction: one taste, a quick wince, and the glass goes back on the table. Something is not right. Isaiah is asking us to look at our own lives in the same honest way. God has given us so much—his love, his mercy, his word and one another. So, what kind of fruit are we producing?

A Gift, Not a Possession

Jesus takes the image a step further. A landowner entrusts his vineyard to tenants. He gives them a place to work, a crop to care for and a harvest to share. But little by little, they forget that the vineyard is a gift. They begin to behave as though it belongs entirely to them. They mistreat the owner’s servants and finally reject his son. When Jesus asks what should happen, the crowd gives a severe answer—and then realises that the story is about them. It is about us too. Everything we have is entrusted to us. Jesus wants us to receive those gifts gratefully, care for them faithfully and use them to bear good fruit.

What Are We Giving Our Attention To?

Saint Paul then gives us some very practical advice: “Do not worry.” Now, that does not mean our troubles are imaginary or that life is always easy. Paul is saying: bring it all to God. Bring the worry, the disappointment, the family concern, the uncertainty—bring everything to God in prayer. And then, he says, turn your attention towards what is true, good, just, pure, loving and worthy of praise. Because what fills our minds will gradually shape our hearts, and what shapes our hearts will shape the way we live.

Listening for the Right Voice

On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to meet Dom Christopher Jamison, a Benedictine monk. He spoke about the three Benedictine vows: stability, obedience and conversatio morum, which means the daily conversion of life. He also spoke about what is sometimes called the “attention economy”. So many voices are competing for our attention—the phone, the news, advertising, social media and all the noise around us. That raises an important question: whose voice are we listening to? What words are shaping us? The Christian life is not simply about occupying a place in the world. It is about becoming the people God calls us to be and bearing good fruit where he has planted us. That happens through prayer, through listening to God’s word and through honest conversations with the people around us.

A Question for the Week Ahead

So here is a question we might carry with us this week: What am I giving my attention to, and what kind of fruit is it producing in me? Each of us has a little patch of the vineyard to care for—our home, our family, our parish, our friendships and the ordinary responsibilities of each day. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to listen to his voice, to care well for what he has entrusted to us and to bear fruit that others can recognise as goodness, peace and love.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Love Made Visible in Our Actions

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The Gospel reminds us that faith is revealed not only in what we say, but also in the way we live. Discernment begins when we bring our choices before the Lord and ask: Which path will help me to love more generously? It is natural to think about the cost—in money, time or personal sacrifice—but Jesus gently invites us to look beyond the cost and to notice the person who needs our care.

What We Love Shapes Our Lives

Pedro Arrupe speaks beautifully of this Gospel way of life: “Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” His words invite each of us to ask what truly holds our heart and shapes our daily decisions.

A Rule of Life Shaped by the Heart

God longs for us to become people who listen attentively to his word and allow it to take root within us. A rule of life can help us make room for prayer, compassion and faithful service. It is not simply a list of duties to complete. It is a way of opening our hearts to the Gospel, so that, little by little, Christ forms us into people who are generous, faithful and life-giving.

Seeking the Good of the Other

St Paul speaks directly to us as a Christian community. He calls us to be united in heart and purpose, held together by the love of Christ. We are not asked to ignore our own needs, but neither are we to become so absorbed in them that we fail to see the needs of others. Christian love makes room for both honesty and generosity.

This kind of love asks us to loosen our grip on whatever closes our eyes or hardens our hearts. As we learn to notice the person before us, we become more like Christ, whose love is never distant or withheld, but always seeks the good of the other.

The Vulnerable Face of Christ

On this Migrant and Refugee Sunday, Pope Leo asks us to remember the children and young people who are among the most vulnerable in the experience of migration. They are never merely numbers in a report. Each one is a beloved child of God, with a name, a family, a story and hopes for the future. Their lives call forth our compassion and our prayer.

Each year, millions of children and adolescents are forced to leave their homes because of war, poverty, violence, environmental disasters and other tragedies. Behind every journey is a family facing fear, loss and uncertainty. The scale of this suffering can overwhelm us, but the Gospel asks us not to look away.

For many children, suffering continues long after they have crossed a border or reached a place of safety. Some have lost parents, siblings or friends; others have witnessed terrible violence. Some wait through painful separations while hoping to be reunited with family. Others travel with their parents through exhausting and traumatic conditions. We also hold in prayer those separated from their parents through repatriation. Each of these children deserves to be received with dignity, patience and tenderness.

Solidarity Over Indifference

Even amid such darkness, the light of solidarity continues to shine. Ordinary people choose not to pass by on the other side. Families open their homes and share the warmth of family life. Educators serve in reception centres. Volunteers and aid workers tend the hidden wounds carried by children along migration routes and in our cities. Our own parish community is also invited to ask how we might pray, welcome, listen and offer practical support. Every small act of mercy tells a vulnerable person: you are seen, you are valued and you are not alone.

A Call to Practical Love

Brothers and sisters, our response to migrants and refugees must not be governed by fear alone. The Gospel asks us to bring our concerns honestly before the Lord and then to allow him to enlarge our hearts. Perhaps this week we can begin with one simple step: a prayer, a conversation, an act of welcome or support for those who serve displaced families. In the vulnerable person before us, Christ comes close. May we have the grace to recognise him and the courage to respond with practical love.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – A generous God and a welcoming parish

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The Same Work, but Different Reasons

Most of us know that the same job can mean very different things to different people. Imagine three street cleaners having a cup of tea at the end of the day. Someone asks them, ‘Why do you do this work?’

The first says, ‘It pays the bills and gives me enough to enjoy life. I am saving for a surfing trip to Bali.’ The second says, ‘I do it for my family. I want food on the table and a good education for my children.’ The third says, ‘I want our town to be a good place to live. I like meeting the people along the way, hearing their stories, and helping our streets feel cared for.’

All three are doing the same work. All three are doing something worthwhile. But each one sees the work through a different window.

God’s Generosity Is Greater Than Our Measure

That is close to what Jesus places before us in today’s Gospel. Workers are called into the vineyard at different hours. Some arrive early and carry the burden of the day. Others come much later. At the end, the landowner gives each one the same wage. We can understand why those who started early grumble. We might have felt the same. ‘Surely, after all these hours, we deserve more.’

But Jesus is not giving us a lesson in payroll. He is showing us the heart of God. The vineyard belongs to God, the invitation comes from God, and the reward is God’s gift. No one earns a larger share of God’s love by having arrived first.

The Parish Is God’s Vineyard

That speaks directly to us as a parish, especially as we celebrate fifty years of parish life. Some people here remember their early days. You helped establish the community, organize the first gatherings, teach children faith, care for the grounds, prepare the liturgy, visit the sick, raise funds, and make sure there was always a cup of tea and someone to welcome a newcomer. Much of that faithful work was quiet and unseen, but it laid good foundations.

Others have joined the parish more recently. Some have moved into the area. Some have returned to Mass after many years. Some may still be wondering whether this is truly home. I have arrived rather late in the parish story, perhaps at the eleventh hour. Yet the Gospel says that every one of us is called into the same vineyard and welcomed by the same generous God.

Holding the Gate Open for Others

So, our jubilee is not only a time to look back with gratitude. It is also time to ask what kind of parish we are becoming. Are we a community where the long-standing parishioner and the person at Mass for the first time can stand beside one another? Are we ready to make room for the family that arrives late, the person who does not know when to sit or stand, the child who makes a little noise, the grieving person, the lonely person, or the person who is simply trying to find their way back to God?

Sometimes in parish life we can begin to think, ‘I have been here longer. I have done more. I know how things are done.’ Experience is a gift, and faithful service deserves our gratitude. But experience becomes even more beautiful when it helps another person find a place. The best way to honour those who built our parish is not to close the gate behind them. It is to hold the gate open for the next person whom God is inviting in.

Making Christ Visible in Our Parish

Saint Paul gives us another simple measure. He says, ‘For me to live is Christ,’ and he asks that our everyday lives be worthy of the Gospel. In parish terms, that means Christ should be visible not only at the altar, but also at the church door, in the car park, in our meetings, at morning tea, in the parish office, in our care for the sick, and in the way we speak about one another when we disagree.

The Ordinary Work of the Kingdom

The work of the vineyard is often very ordinary. It is learning someone’s name. It is noticing who is standing alone. It is making a phone call. It is bringing a meal. It is forgiving an old hurt. It is inviting a young family to become involved. It is thanking the person who quietly does the same task week after week. These small acts may not look dramatic, but they make the Kingdom of God visible among us.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us to seek the Lord while he is still near and to return to the God who is rich in forgiving. Perhaps today the Lord is near to us in the person sitting a few seats away. Perhaps the invitation to return is meant for someone who has felt on the edge of parish life. Perhaps God is asking each of us to put aside comparison and rediscover gratitude.

A Parish with the Generous Heart of God

As we celebrate the years behind us and look towards the years ahead, let us remember this: the parish is not ours to possess. It is God’s vineyard, and we are blessed to work in it together. Some began early. Some came later. Others are still on the road. But the Lord continues to go out, hour after hour, calling people in.

May we become a parish with the same generous heart as God, grateful for those who have laboured faithfully, ready to welcome those who arrive at the eleventh hour, and willing to use our hearts, our heads and our hands so that every person may discover a home here and encounter the love of Christ.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Forgiveness and the Love That Protects

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A Question from the Heart

Peter comes to Jesus today with a question many of us have asked in one form or another: “How often must I forgive?” Perhaps behind his question is a real hurt, a difficult relationship, or someone who keeps doing the same thing. Peter wants a number. He wants to know when he has done enough.

He suggests seven times. That sounds generous. But Jesus answers, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” In other words, forgiveness is not something we keep in a little account book. God does not count out mercy to us, and Jesus asks us not to live with a calculator in our hearts.

That is beautiful, but it is not easy. When the hurt is deep, forgiveness can take a long time. It may begin not with warm feelings, but with a small prayer: “Lord, I do not know how to forgive this. Please begin the work in me.” Sometimes that is all we can honestly pray, and God can work with honesty.

Love Protects

Today is also Safeguarding Sunday, and the theme is simple: “Love Protects.” Those two words belong together. If we love someone, we want them to be safe. We listen. We notice. We take concerns seriously. We do not look away because the truth is awkward or painful.

This is especially important when we speak about forgiveness. Today’s Gospel must never be used to tell someone who has been harmed, “You just have to forgive and move on.” Jesus is not asking victims to pretend that nothing happened. Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is not silence. It does not remove the need for truth, justice, accountability, or appropriate consequences.

Mercy That Reaches the Heart

The servant in Jesus’ parable is forgiven an enormous debt, but he refuses even a little mercy to another. The tragedy is that the mercy he received never reached his heart. He walked out of the master’s presence unchanged.

Jesus is inviting us to let God’s mercy travel from our heads to our hearts. We all stand before God with empty hands. Everything is a gift: our life, our faith, every new beginning, every chance to start again. When we remember how patiently God deals with us, we can become more patient with one another.

But God’s mercy is never careless. The Lord sees the wound as well as the sin. He draws close to the person who is hurting. He protects the vulnerable and calls wrongdoing by its name. Mercy and justice are not enemies; they belong together in the healing work of God.

What Protective Love Looks Like

So, what does “love protects” look like in an ordinary parish? It may look very simple. It is learning the names of our children and making sure they know the trusted adults around them. It is listening carefully when a child or vulnerable person says that something does not feel right. It is following our safeguarding practices, even when they feel inconvenient, because love does not leave safety to chance.

It also means noticing the older parishioner who has not been at Mass for a few weeks, the person living alone, the family under pressure, or the person quietly struggling with mental health. Safeguarding is not merely paperwork. It is the daily habit of seeing people, listening to them, and making room for their voice.

And when someone raises a concern, love does not rush to defend a reputation. Love first asks, “Are you safe? How can we help?” A healthy parish is not one where no one ever speaks about difficult things. It is a parish where people know they can speak, where they will be heard, and where concerns will be handled properly.

Saint Paul tells us that love is patient and kind, and that love always protects. Protective love is not suspicious or fearful. It is simply awake. It has its eyes open. It is gentle enough to listen and courageous enough to act.

One Small Step

Perhaps there is someone we need to forgive. Perhaps there is a relationship in which we need clearer boundaries. Perhaps there is someone vulnerable whom we have not noticed. Today the Lord may be inviting each of us to take one small step: to pray, to listen, to speak, to seek help, or to offer compassion.

We do not do this alone. The same God who is “slow to anger and rich in compassion” walks with us. The Lord does not rush the work of healing. He stays close, patiently restoring what has been wounded and teaching us how to love with wisdom.

May our parish be a home where mercy is real, truth is welcomed, and every person—especially every child, young person, older person, and vulnerable person—knows that they are seen, heard, valued, and safe.

Because this is what the love of Christ looks like among us: a love that forgives, a love that heals, and a love that protects.

Amen.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Foundations of Faith

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What are the foundations on which we build our faith? Today’s readings gently bring us back to the heart of the Christian life: our care for one another. In Ezekiel, God is not inviting us to stand over others in judgement, but to love them enough to be concerned for their life, their choices, and their journey with God. Faith is never just private. It draws us into responsibility, tenderness, and courage.

When we hear this reading, we can hear the Lord asking us to become companions for one another in faith, hope, and love. This is the kind of community God is forming among us: not a community quick to criticise, but one ready to heal; not a community that gives up on people, but one that keeps believing that grace can still do beautiful things in every human heart.

Of course, we can only become a reconciling community when we remember our own need for mercy. Each of us stands before God as someone loved, forgiven, and still being healed. That is why the sacrament of reconciliation is not simply about naming our faults. It is about opening our lives to the mercy of God and then becoming people through whom that same mercy can reach others.

Listening with Open Hearts

The psalm gives us a simple but searching prayer: “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” We know how easily the heart can become hardened — through disappointment, weariness, resentment, or fear. Sometimes we grumble. Sometimes we lose hope. Sometimes we let the faults of others become louder than the voice of God.

But the Lord never stops calling us to good pasture. He calls us to a place of nourishment, rest, honesty, and renewal. When we listen to his voice, our hearts become softer. We begin to see others with more patience. We begin to see ourselves with more humility. And little by little, grace teaches us how to love again.

The Debt of Mutual Love

St Paul gives us a beautiful way of thinking about Christian life. He says that the only debt we should carry is the debt of mutual love. Love is not a burden that weighs us down; it is the holy obligation that keeps us human, keeps us connected, and keeps us close to the heart of Christ.

This love seeks the good of the other. It does not ask, “What can I get?” but “How can I help this person come closer to life, goodness, and peace?” In a parish, in a family, in any community, this kind of love builds trust. It creates space for respect, compassion, and forgiveness. And it begins with allowing God to love us first, so that his love may flow through us to those around us.

Christ Present in Difficult Conversations

In the Gospel, Jesus gives us a promise full of comfort: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” He does not promise to be present only when everything is easy or when everyone agrees. He promises to be with us even in the difficult conversations, the awkward moments, and the painful work of reconciliation.

That is a deeply pastoral word for us. Sometimes love means having the courage to speak, not to shame or condemn, but to help someone find their way back. True correction, in the Christian sense, is never about winning an argument. It is about saving a relationship, restoring dignity, and opening a path toward conversion and healing.

St Paul reminds us that love does no harm to a neighbour. So perhaps the question for us today is this: how do we love one another when someone is struggling, drifting, or losing direction? We do it by walking with them, by listening with them, and by trusting that Christ is already present wherever two or three gather in his name.

Today, let us ask the Lord for hearts that are not hardened but open: open to his voice, open to his mercy, and open to one another. May we become a community where people are not written off but gently called back to life; a community where love speaks the truth with tenderness; a community where Christ is recognised in our midst, guiding us home to the Father.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

 

 

Fr John’s Reflection – Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

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How do we encourage people to follow Christ with their whole lives? This question is placed before us in baptism, when we are called to renounce all that leads us away from God and to profess our faith. Our baptismal calling stands at the heart of our Catholic life. Just as our birthday marks our birth into a family that sustains and nurtures us, our baptismal day marks our birth into the family of faith. It is a day worth remembering and celebrating.

Forming Young People in Hope

As we prepare to celebrate this weekend, we are invited to ask how we can help our young people know Jesus more deeply. The presence of many people at Mass each Sunday reminds us that faith is celebrated not only in prayer, but also in the way we live. We are called to be missionaries of hope.

We also need to ask our young people to help us discover what is truly pleasing to God. They carry wisdom that can ignite the fire of faith in others—and in us. We have much to share with them, but they can also renew us as people of faith, hope, and love.

Losing Life to Find It

The Gospel invites us to ponder a love that does not avoid the realities of suffering and death. Jesus shows us that God is willing to surrender everything for our good. To follow him is to learn that life is not something we possess for ourselves alone. As Jesus says, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Two truths emerge from the teaching of Jesus. First, life is not a private possession, but a gift entrusted to our care. Each day we are called to give thanks for what we have received and to use it generously. Second, our relationship with God is not a bargain in which we trade one thing for another. God embraces us in a way that frees us to become true disciples.

A Living Sacrifice

St Paul writes to the Romans, urging them to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This means allowing our behaviour to be shaped by God’s will and learning to discern what is good. Such discernment requires prayer, reflection on the world in which we live, and positive action that reflects God’s love and mercy.

Our faith is not abstract. It is an active engagement between prayer, reflection, and action. We need to know what is good and what helps us become good people. Our love must be more than skin deep. Together, we are called to build a way of life that transforms our own lives and the world around us.

Three Practical Invitations

  • Pray with the Gospel: Create space each week to listen to the Gospel before coming to Mass, reflect on what the Word is saying today, and choose one practical step to put it into action.
  • Share our charisms: Help people discover the gifts the Holy Spirit has entrusted to them for the good of others and support one another in sharing these gifts rather than keeping them as private treasures.
  • Have conversations that matter: Listen with the ears of the heart. One practical step could be to form a study group to reflect on Magnifica Humanitas: The Grandeur of Humanity.

St Carlo Acutis gives us a concrete example of this way of life. Through his Eucharistic devotion and generous care for those in need, including within his own family, he expressed a deep love for God. Like him, we are called to rise in faith, hear the voice of Christ, respond to the needs of others, and offer our lives for God’s good purposes.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Who do you say I am?

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Who do you say I am? This is probably the most important question that Jesus asks his disciples. The responses they give look to compare him to someone else that they have heard about or are familiar with. They have heard the stories about the prophets from the past; some may have witnessed the teaching of John the Baptist. It is only Peter who does not make this type of comparison but seeks to encounter Jesus in his divine nature. He is not just any person, but he is the fulfilment of what the prophets taught.

So, on our own day how do we respond to the question Jesus asks of us. This is more than just familiarity but seeks us to encounter the person of Jesus as he is. This encounter calls us to listen to his teaching about what it is to discover the realm of God. We are called to discover how the Spirit of God unbinds us from what prevents us from seeing Jesus more clearly that we may be bound more intimately in the divine embrace of the Trinity.

When we look at how we encounter Jesus we can be left with different points of who it is that we meet. The word office is often used by a person who leads, and how this is applied to Peter not just as an apostle but as one who has been given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. When we reflect on this passage we are called to reflect on how he exercises his ministry. This is where we can see how Pope Leo as a successor of Peter, a symbolic role in the life of the Church has more than just a titular role, but he is called to sanctify, teach and govern people. This threefold ministry is important in how we encounter Jesus in the life of the Church. We are called to be people who develop an intimate prayerful relationship with God. We learn to reflect on how that relationship guides our thinking and how we are known by God. Also, good governance should make the mission of Jesus more easily proclaimed in our own time.

St Paul notes this in his letter to the Romans, he seeks to plumb the depths of God and discover a wisdom that draws us deeper into that relationship. This is more than receiving desired outcomes where we can figure out what God wants. What St Paul stresses is that God will provide what is needed rather than us telling God what needs to happen. While we look at part of the puzzle God is all in all. We can start to see God’s hand at work in all things without making any one thing into God.

I remember reading a book by Paul Davis called “The Mind of God” where he sought to understand how we might encounter God. He made the bold statement that mathematics was the language with which God wrote the universe. This is not just about theoretical theories but an application of these theories to real life. As such we know that in any science it can open doors for us but there is also a certain artistry to life that can be captured moment by moment.

This is where we are called to notice the language that guides us to know Jesus as he is not just as we would have him be. Our way of encountering him unfolds his presence at the heart of our lives. This is not just learning to follow him out of what others say but a willingness to open ourselves to who he is for us and our community. The question that will shape our lives returns to the beginning when Jesus asks us who do you say I am. This will shape our whole life and the life of our community.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Do our prayers fall on deaf ears?

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How often do we believe our prayers go unanswered or overlooked? We make heartfelt requests, but they seem to fall on silent ears. This is the situation presented by the Canaanite woman who makes an earnest prayer that her daughter may be released from the oppression of the devil. Yet Jesus seems not to hear her. The disciples even wanting to avoid a scene ask Jesus to provide what she is asking because she is making so much of a fuss.

When Jesus does give a response, he seems to focus solely on the people of Israel who are lost. Her plea only becomes more urgent when she falls at his feet and says help me. The response about throwing scraps at the house dog seems to be dismissive of her concerns. Yet still she pleads that even this small amount will help her.

What Jesus acknowledges is the faithful persistence of the Canaanite woman to seek out the good for her daughter. This can give hope to us too in bringing our lives before God. The emphasis here is that our prayer does not fall on deaf ears but seeks to provide healing and strength to those in greatest need. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others.

So how do we become people of prayer? This is central to the concern of Isaiah when he says that we need to become a people of integrity who care for justice. Much of this concern is shared in the latest social justice statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops that centres on social cohesion and the things that can drive us apart from each other. It notes that we need to be aware of the profound impact on individuals, families and communities. It reminds that behind the statistics are parents skipping meals, delaying medical care, housing insecurity and increasing anxiety for the future. The burden is often taken up by those who are most vulnerable, those on fixed incomes, people living with disabilities, first nations people, refugees, and workers on low paid or insecure employment. Central to the covenant that Isaiah speaks about is the need to recognise how we are formed in the image and likeness of God. We observe the sabbath and keep the covenant so that we can form a house of prayer for all people. This is not to isolate us from each other but a living concern for those who meet us in daily life.

The principles of the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, the universal destination of goods and the preferential option for the poor offer a moral framework for responding to the crisis. These principles call governments, businesses, communities and individuals to ensure that no one is left behind and that economic decisions serve people, not profit alone. Our Catholic agencies provide practical everyday assistance by providing emergency relief, housing assistance, financial advice and advocacy.

Practical actions are encouraged, including noticing those who may be struggling, offering practical help, volunteering, donating, engaging in advocacy for fair wages and affordable housing, and working collaboratively at local and national levels. Above all, the bishops invite us to become “prophets of hope” — people who respond to hardship with compassion, courage and faith.

As St Paul speaks to the Romans we seek to discover the reconciliation of the world from the dead. We are called to be people who are awake and aware of what the resurrection means. The resurrection of Jesus calls people from death into life. It is possible to become people who focus on the mercy of God. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. We become engaged with the living heart of our faith. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others. Just as the Canaanite woman brought her concerns before God for the good of another, so can we through our own intercession provide for the needs of another. To be people who engage our minds, hands and hearts in seeking what is good for another, not just ourselves.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

 

Fr John’s Reflection – Sailing into headwinds

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We can often be caught up in the drama of many modern movies that have lots of action and intrigue. The story often unfolds that we become aware of the people we should care about and what they are trying to escape from. These introductions are important as they provide the groundwork for what follows. Without these introductions we would not feel any connection with the people who are pivotal to the story.

The sound of the gentle breeze convinces Elijah to step out of the cave. The handheld out by Jesus convinces Peter to hang on for dear life. The two stories parallel each other. Elijah had retreated into the mountains because he believed that his life may be in danger following the events on Mt Carmel. Peter believes that he may sink under the waves under the ferocity of the storm. Yet both discover that it is not in the storm, earthquake or wind that the power of God is evident but rather in the calm that follows these events. This is a question that engages us to have the courage to allow God to meet us in the storms of life. Often in our darkest night the light of Christ will shine!

So how do we place ourselves in the story. St Ignatius in his spiritual exercises introduces the form of prayer known as Imaginative Contemplation. This form of prayer follows a similar pattern to Lectio Divina that seeks to explore more deeply how we see the scripture touching our daily lives. This allows scripture to be more than just words written on a page but a Living Word that captures our mind, body and soul. The first step is to set the scene into which we are immersed. In the case of Elijah this is in a cold dank cave in the mountains for Peter it is in a fishing boat tossed about on the Lake of Galilee. Then we imagine what the characters look like and listen to the words they say. Our focus is allowing them to leap off the page and draw us into the unfolding drama. We are not just called to be passive observers but to notice what parts of the story most touch us today and how we become involved in the action.

The questions that seem to occur to me are what moves us deeper into prayer? Where do our lives become enmeshed in the story line. Do we pay attention to the spectacular effects of the storm or are we drawn to a quiet place. In our own lives we can be touched by events that seem to be out of control but then to whom do we turn?

We can be like St Paul speaking to the Romans where he says that even though he is in union with the Holy Spirit that is sorrow is so great and his mental anguish so endless that he is drawn to making difficult decisions. He is willing to be cut off from Christ if it would help others discover him. I don’t know if I would be able to say the same thing. Is our desire for the good of another willing to entrust everything to God.

So, there we are often caught up in the boat with Peter battling to make headway. They encounter Jesus in what they first think is an apparition or a ghost. They are terrified. Yet amid their fear Jesus reaffirms that they are to have courage and not be afraid. Then Peter says if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water. Jesus simply says come. When Peter keeps his eyes on Jesus, he can walk on water! Yet when he feels the force of the wind he starts to sink. Even then when Peter says save me Jesus stretches out his hand immediately. The wind drops and all is calm again.

Will we allow Jesus to meet us in our daily struggles and the times when we seem to be up against strong headwinds and violent storms?

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)