Twenty-Sixth Sunday of the Year

Luke is relentless and provocative in dealing with wealth and our proper relationship with wealth. Prosperity or abundance theology, that continues today, points to material wealth as a sign of God’s blessing and a negative judgment on poverty as was the case in biblical times. There is also the view that suffering in the present will later be compensated. Each view gives all power to God who decides the material wellbeing of people and thus exonerates us from responsibility for others. Jesus makes clear that God clearly sides with the poor, unimportant, broken and of no economic or social importance.

The Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education (Pacific Calling Partnership initiative) supported a tour to Sydney and Canberra of two prominent Pacific Elders- His Excellencies Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati, and Tommy Remengesau Jr., former President of Palau. A public webinar was jointly hosted by The Australia Institute and Edmund Rice Centre.

Twenty Fifth Sunday of the Year

We are a shrewd lot in this world

If there is a buck to be made

We will make it

If there is power to be gained

We will gain it

If there is a way to come out on top

We will damn the ones below

As we climb

We are a shrewd lot in this world