Thirty Second Sunday of the Year

Today’s Gospel reminds us that God’s surprising or unpredictable presence can come upon us. This is the way that God chooses to call, send, or encounter people. In fact, God is always present but the surprise is on us. Life presents us with lots of unknowns and we need to be ready for them. Maya Angelou says: ‘Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.’ We are call to be concerned in every moment to build God’s reign by sharing the oil of justice, mercy, and all the blessings so critically needed in our world today. The gospel focuses on doing things differently. The ‘oil’ in the gospel is not the commodity people fight over but about thinking and acting differently. It may involve looking ‘foolish’ according to the world whether business, politics, or religion because it is God who is working whether we recognise it or not.

A Juster(ER) Generation is a podcast series from the Edmund Rice Centre about conversations that matter. In this episode, professional Rugby League player Sione ‘Ofa Finefeuiaki talked about his life and his involvement with social work after retiring from rugby. He played professional Rugby for eight years for Sydney Roosters, Melbourne Storm, Manly Sea Eagles and the Newcastle Knights.

Our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will shortly head to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in the Cook Islands (6-10 November) but will he support the Pacific-led Port Vila Call, a statement that seeks the urgent phase out of fossil fuels and the transition to a fossil fuel-free future across the Pacific? We sincerely hope so.