On The Journey This Week: Fr Rob Galea’s Gospel reflection on the King of the Universe. Mother Hilda on Hildegard and the mystery in the ways that our lives unfold. Plus, Fr Mike Delaney sees God in the everyday in pole dancing, Trish McCarthy calls all who are burdened to rest, and Pete Gilmore observes that growing orchids is a great example of faith without works is dead.

Gospel Reflection–Fr Rob Galea–King of the Universe (Today we proclaim that Jesus is the king of the universe, that Jesus is the king of the world. Look around, do you think that Jesus is the king of the universe? With all the wars and rumours of wars, the bushfires and floods, and all the things that are happening in this world, is Jesus, the king of this world? God is King because, in spite of the mess, in spite of our mess, he still loves us. This is the greatness of God. This is the kingship of God that He continues to love us and to choose us despite our brokenness. But we need to surrender to him, trust in him, and say God please take the throne of my heart.)

Men Alive–Robert Falzon–menAlive Max 22 National Conference (Robert Falzon gives an overview of the “Renewed” theme that men Alive have been focused on during 2022. The gathering had four workshops, the first one was “Returned, the journey of a man”, the second – “Restore, the importance of a prayer life and a devotional life”, the third – “Reclaim, healthy sexuality and intimacy”, And the fourth – “Reconnect, the power of authentic brotherhood”. The guys who present these workshops are ordinary men, they're not theologians, they're not pastors of churches, they’re ordinary men who share their lives in an ordinary way, but somehow God comes, and spectacular things happen within all those participating.)

The Bush Deacon–Josh Clayton–Pilgrimage (The Bathurst Diocese has had its first “setting out pilgrimage”, a pilgrimage for those preparing to attend World Youth Day next year. Josh says one of the things about pilgrimage is to keep it simple giving time to reflect on what is the most important thing in your life. Bathurst Diocese’s local pilgrimage included time in their cathedral, walking to the site where Mary Mckillop and Julian Tennison-Woods established the first settlement of Josephite Sisters in NSW, and time interacting with a Parish community. Josh encourages us to break away from everyday routines and take the time to think and to pray. Your local pilgrimage could be to your local church, a slow purposeful walk through your local community, or it could just be taking some time to walk around the block and pray allowing ourselves to be with our loving God.)

Catholic Mission–Fr Brian Lucas–Pauline Jerichot (Fr Brian Lucas tells the story of Pauline Jerichot, a wealthy French woman who realised that her privileged life needed to change after she became aware of the needs of the poor. She founded the Pontifical Mission Society with 10 workmates which now has become many thousands of people, worldwide. Her life gives inspiration to many young people. One takeaway from her life is don't waste your life, think about others, and when you give to others, you receive back so much more yourself.)

Gospel Reflection–Fr Mark De Battista–Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell (Fr Mark reflects on what the last things are for us personally – death, judgement, heaven, and hell. Death is the permanent separation of the soul from the body. In judgement God will reveal to us the good and the bad, where we've been courageous, virtuous, full of faith and mercy, and where we have been selfish, arrogant, pig-headed and stubborn. Hell is a real possibility and in hell we will be separated from God, utter misery, utter unhappiness. But in heaven we will see the blissful glory of God for all eternity. So, as we come to approach the end of the annual year, the liturgical year, let us remind ourselves once again that we are destined for heaven and to work for it with all our heart.)

Wisdom from the Abbey–Mother Hilda–Where Did You Last See God? (A story about a Sufi Mystic looking for his lost keys in the marketplace instead of at home where he last had them reminds Mother Hilda that we are sometimes like that when looking for God. We look in the wrong places for the answers we need. It's not God who's moved when we can't find him, it's us. Take up the familiar things of God as you've known them. And they’ll lead you to where he just might be taking you.)

On The Journey This Week: Fr Mark De Battista’s Gospel reflection on life’s last things, death, judgement, heaven, and hell. Mother Hilda says we are often looking in the wrong places to find God. Plus, Robert Falzon on renewing men through the menAlive ministry, Fr Brian Lucas tells the story of Pauline Jerichot, and Deacon Josh Clayton explains how to do a local pilgrimage.

The Call–Fr Dave Callaghan– What is Under the Bonnet (Fr Dave once knew a man who drove a car that looked like a Ferrari. He bought a kit car, the external shell of the car, which was fitted over the frame of a much cheaper vehicle, so he had a car that looked like a Ferrari, but it didn't sound like one or drive like one. In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were doing the same thing with their lives, they appear to people on the outside like good honest men, but inside are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. There is a constant temptation in the Christian life to just pretend, rather than put in the hard work of conversion. Instead of taking the cheaper option of just being a Christian on the outside, we need to be prepared to invest our whole life in the journey of transformation so that we truly become a Christian in reality and not just in name.)

Gospel Reflection–Fr Richard Healey–Resurrection Life (The Sadducees pose a case of succession of seven heirless brothers that they think will force Jesus to renounce the resurrection. Instead, Jesus replies that it’s a problem for the Sadducees only because they have not thoroughly comprehended the meaning of the resurrection. Resurrection life will not be the same as the present one, death will have been abolished and those whom God counts worthy of the age to come, as opposed to the present age, will have bodies appropriate for the new world.)