About the organisation

The Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education has, for the last 26 years,  challenged popular beliefs and dominant cultural values, asked the difficult questions, and looked at life from the standpoint of the minority, the victim, the outcast and the stranger. As a community of many faith backgrounds and none, our work is built on Catholic Social Teaching principles and Gospel values as we strive for a world in which:

• The needs of the poor take priority over the wants of the rich;
• The freedom of the dominated takes priority over the liberty of the powerful; and;
• The participation of marginalised groups - and of the marginalised earth itself - takes priority over the preservation of an order which excludes them.

Seventeenth Sunday of the Year

The scriptures invite us to continually check our image of God. It seems that a critical and questioning faith is not only acceptable but is vital. Many see God as judgmental, angry, vengeful, vindictive, dominating or simply aloof. Certainly not tender!! It is reinforced by many who claim to be believers. In the face of injustice, violence and corruption God seems to invite questioning. Abraham keeps posing the question of justice and compassion and keeps doing it because his view of God is of one who will act justly he is emboldened to pray/argue/protest as he does. Abraham was being stretched as to the meaning of true justice and true humanity where the world is not abandoned to destruction.

Sixteenth Sunday of the Year

The classic story about Martha and Mary is explained as the difference between contemplation and action. Mary, sitting beside Jesus, is the poster child for contemplation, and Martha as the image of a person of action. It can be challenging for people who feel like they must be doing something. With each news cycle, we are reminded that there something to respond to, an action to combat the hatred and violence ever-present in our society. There is no time for the luxury to just sit and listen to Jesus. Yet, we are called to do this. We are called to be present to Jesus.  The readings offer two ways of being present to Jesus – not putting one above the others. Could it be a message about timing?