Seventh Sunday of the Year

Last week Jesus contradicted a culture that values the rich and powerful. Jesus turns our thinking upside down. Today’s gospel is connected to that of last week. The realisation that Jesus’ teaching can turn our thinking upside down and is diametrically opposed to conventional cultural values should guide us in how we read contemporary news, and about world events, and respond. Everything is the opposite of what our culture claims! Pax Christi Australia will have completed (February 19) a conference on the theme <Where does Australia’s Security Lie?> in a world where 1.4 million people die each year due to violence and 2 billion live in countries mired in fragility and destructive conflict.

Sixth Sunday of the Year

This week’s readings are not especially comforting with blessings and woes. As we reflect on them, we need to remember people who collected these texts already believed in a God of limitless compassion and justice and if we allow ourselves to be caught in it, God is utterly life-giving. We are aware of the world’s brutality which pains God’s heart and needs to touch our hearts. Jesus also opens us up to the reality where we can ignore what hurts our sisters and brothers or silence cruel and inhuman injustice. How many of us look away from the plight of Julian Assange, Bernard Collaery, First Nations people worldwide, asylum seekers, and Palestinian people. 

On the eve of what is widely celebrated as “Australia Day”, the Edmund Rice Centre has released a Statement calling for 26 January to become a day of reflection, compassion and liberation.

On 26 January 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip raised the Union Jack and proclaimed British sovereignty over the eastern part of the Australian continent.