Homily for Our Lady, Help of Christians, delivered in Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Gladstone, Qld.

"Wisdom brings up her own sons, and cares for those who seek her. Whoever loves her loves life, those who wait on her early will be filled with happiness. Whoever holds her close will inherit honour, and wherever he walks the Lord will bless him. Those who serve her minister to the Holy One, and the Lord loves those who love her. Whoever obeys her judges aright, and whoever pays attention to her dwells secure. If he trusts himself to her he will inherit her, and his descendants will remain in possession of her; for though she takes him at first through winding ways, bringing fear and faintness on him, plaguing him with her discipline until she can trust him, and testing him with her ordeals, in the end she will lead him back to the straight road and reveal her secrets to him." (Eccl 4:12-21).

"Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever." (Ps 113).

"The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save... For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength." (cf. 1 Cor 1).

"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala." (cf. Jn 19).

Artwork: "Madonna del Popolo" by Frederico Barocci, (1545 - 1612).