Twentieth Sunday of the Year

The word wisdom crops up in the call to live wisely. Though there is the conventional wisdom in contrast to everyday foolishness. Yet, in the Bible’s upside-down world, ‘foolishness’ is seen as wisdom. We see it in the God who endures hatred and rejection. We see it in the God who prefers to be with the weak and unjustly treated rather than the powerful. Wisdom is not about esoteric knowledge but about doing.

Reflections for the Feast of the Assumption

After the Second World War, Mary was declared as assumed into heaven, body and spirit after her death by Pope Pius Xll despite Catholics having already believed this. Experts were concerned that such a new dogma might complicate relations with other Christians. What is important is the timing of this move. Pius XII became pope in March 1939, six months before the Second World War began. The global upheaval that marked the first decade of the papacy of Pius XII produced a veritable litany of the debasement of human dignity. 

Nineteenth Sunday of the Year

At this time cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, not unlike many other cities around the world are still in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its Delta variant. Personal freedom is a precious which should not be taken away by unnecessary policing by the state. But, we must remember that personal freedom need not interfere with the preferential option for the poor or the preferential option for the weakest amongst us. We are meant to be in relationship with others and health is a matter of collective responsibility for those most at risk. This is what we mean by the ‘common good’. This was not evident in the ugly and violent demonstrations this last weekend.