Living the Gospel–Pete Gilmore–Long Table (In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke we find the story of Pharisees being scandalised by Jesus eating with sinners. But Pete wonders what was happening on the other side of the room, the tax collectors and prostitutes looking over saying, I can't believe you're eating with those people, they're so judgmental. The truth is that Jesus is a righteous judge who is rich in mercy who welcomes all and calls us to repentance. Remember that it's a big, long table that we sit at and there's room for everyone and Jesus doesn't make mistakes about who is invited to the table.)

On The Journey This Week: Fr Brian Lucas’ gospel reflection on witness, humility, righteousness and World Mission Sunday. Mother Hilda on where to look for enlightenment, Plus, Fr Mike Delaney, Trish McCarthy and Pete Gilmore.

Gospel Reflection–Fr Brian Lucas–Be My Witness (This Sunday is World Mission Day; this year's theme is “You shall be my witnesses.” Fr Brian says today's gospel is the contrast between two different attitudes in the relationship to God, humility, and righteousness and it's a good lesson in the way the missionary disciple responds to God's grace. Each year, Catholic Mission focuses on a particular mission church. This year, it's the church in Ethiopia struggling through a disastrous famine. We take the opportunity to give thanks to God for all that we have received in God's love, and then we demonstrate God's love by bringing the Kingdom of God into our world, a world of justice and peace.)

Milk & Honey–Trish McCarthy–Look Deeper (Trish is encouraging us to ask some pertinent questions to see things a little bit differently, to look deeper and get to the heart of the matter. Take a deep, penetrating vision into the deeper aspects of the person, the matter, or the situation. My encouragement for you this week is to take a little more time in perceiving situations and people, to ask yourself what is the real issue, the heart of the matter? And asking what does this person need me to be for them today? Before getting caught up in the superficial aspect of these moments.)

Wisdom from the Abbey–Mother Hilda–Where Shall I look? (Mother Hilda’s story of a disciple who approached his master and asked where to look for enlightenment? The master replied that the disciple would find it here and now in the present moment if only he looked here and now. Mother Hilda says isn't it mostly true that we are somewhere else? How many of us are really rooted in the present reality? What would happen if we took each moment as it comes? God is eternally creating the present moment. The past is gone. And the new is yet an unknown surprise. Try living the present moment this week and see what it does for you.)

God in the Everyday–Fr Mike Delaney– Big Hairy Audacious Prayer (Fr Mike revisits one of his earlier reflections on big audacious prayer and explains that the idea came from a proposal that the clergy in Tassie pray for the people of our State that there might be an increased awareness of the need for God in their lives and a renewed sense of their calling to be missionary disciples in the world. I hope that you will accept my challenge to pray with me on this journey and that together we might seek the same response not just for the people of Tassie but for the people where you live as well.)

Wisdom from the Abbey–Mother Hilda–Where Are You Coming From? (Mother Hilda retells a story from Bishop Fulton Sheen on the death of a man with mental illness and how various people described their understanding of the situation that caused the man to take his life. All their comments were valid in their own way, but not complete. Bishop Fulton went on to speak about how we come from our own understandings and perspective, it's only God who sees the whole picture. Mother Hilda says we begin to see things the way God does, when we become familiar with God through the Scriptures. So, in the situation of which Bishop Fulton spoke, the person who sees things as God does, would weep for the utter anguish and despair inside anyone who felt that the taking of their own life was preferable to staying on board.)

Men Alive–Robert Falzon–The MenAlive Story. Robert is in conversation with Journey Editor, Max Norden, on his life journey from Western Australia, time in the seminary, his eventual marriage and successful business career that led him to establish the Men Alive ministry. Robert says he saw a need to reach out in a missionary way to men who couldn’t see the relevance of God in their life. He describes the early days of this ministry outreach with Peter Shakhovskoy, Peter Gabauer and Mark Lysaght and how one event in Brisbane created a demand Australia wide for this men’s ministry. Robert explains how a Men Alive weekend event is structured and the journey that men are taken on sharing their stories about God and God’s work in their life. Because men are usually focused on doing practical things, the weekend also focus on issues like building up their marriage by being a better husband and father, raising children, and how to contribute to their faith communities. Robert also explains the father & son weekend, “Growing Good Men” and how it builds a new relationship between fathers/grandfathers and their sons/grandsons. In the last 20 years, 35,000 men have participated in Men Alive events across Australia and New Zealand.

Milk & Honey–Trish McCarthy–Bearing Fruit (Trish reflects on the quote from John 15:5, “Those who remain in me, with me in them, bear fruit in plenty.” Henri Nouwen writes beautifully about this in his book "In the house of the Lord” where he writes fruit can only come forth from the ground of intimate love. We can see this spiritual insight tangibly when we visit an orchard, or a vineyard, or even the neighbour's veggie garden, gifts from the Earth springing forth. In the same way, the fruits of the spirit such as joy, peace, kindness, goodness, are always experienced as true gifts, often surprising us in daily life when we least expect it. Lok at ways you can create optimal conditions for the fruit of the spirit to grow in your life.)

Gospel Reflection–Fr Ken Cafe–Prayer Love and Mercy (Fr Ken says that there's some unjust judge, and a bit of the widow and all of us. Jesus tells us in the Gospel to pray continually and not lose heart. Do we pray just for what we want, or do we pray for what God wants? Fr Ken says it’s not about saying our prayers, but what does our prayer life achieve in making God’s justice become real in my life and in the lives of people with whom I meet. Prayer is a willingness to be open handed, open hearted, open minded, open to new ideas, to new ways of praying, to new ways of being a person of love, and a person of mercy.)