Traversing Emmaus

Homily for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered (in the evening) in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Gladstone, Qld.

"Listen to this... you who say 'by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales, we can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’..." (cf. Am 8:4-7).

"High above all nations is the Lord, above the heavens his glory. Who is like the Lord, our God, who has risen on high to his throne yet stoops from the heights to look down, to look down upon heaven and earth. From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from the dungheap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes, yes, with the princes of his people." (cf. Ps 113).

"My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone... there is only one God, and there is only one mediator... Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time... In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument." (cf. 1 Tim 2:1-8).

"Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property... [In the end, however], the master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.'" (cf. Lk 16:1-13).

Artwork: "Last Judgement", by Stefan Lochner, (c. 1435).

Homily for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered (in the morning) in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Gladstone, Qld.

"Listen to this, you who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country...  The Lord swears it by the pride of Jacob, ‘Never will I forget a single thing you have done.’..." (cf. Am 8:4-7).

"Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor." (cf. Ps 113).

"My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved..." (cf. 1 Tim 2:1-8).

"Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.”... ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’" (cf. Lk 16:1-13).

Artwork: an etching in the Bowyer Bible, by Jan Luyken.

Homily for the Feast Day End of Term Mass of St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, at Canoe Point, Tannum Sands.

"In the beginning God created heaven and earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, with a divine wind sweeping over the waters. God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that light was good..." (cf. Gen 1).

"In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him. What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light..." (cf. Jn 1).

Artwork: "Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata" by El Greco (1585 - 1590).

Homily for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (Wednesday in the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time), delivered in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Gladstone, Qld.

"On the way through the wilderness the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’ At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived." (Num 21:4-9).

"Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.’" (Jn 3:13-17).

See Bishop Michael McCarthy's motto and coat of arms here.

Artwork: "The Brazen Serpent" in the painting on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel, by Michaelangelo (15th Century).

A conversation with a class on retreat at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, looking at virtues for leadership.

"The human virtues are stable dispositions of the intellect and the will that govern our acts, order our passions, and guide our conduct in accordance with reason and faith. They can be grouped around the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance." (CCC1834).

"Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the "virtue of religion." Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor." (CCC1807).

Now, the Father's love, mercy, and forgiveness is afforded to all unsparingly and is sufficient for all, but "this outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us. Love, like the Body of Christ, is indivisible; we cannot love the God we cannot see if we do not love the brother or sister we do see. In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father's merciful love; but in confessing our sins, our hearts are opened to his grace." (CCC 2840).

Artwork: Wanderings in the desert map, (c. 1641).

Homily for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in St Patrick's Church, Calliope, Qld.

"The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down now, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have apostatised. They have been quick to leave the way I marked out for them; they have made themselves a calf of molten metal and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice. "Here is your God, Israel,” they have cried “who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘I can see how headstrong these people are! Leave me, now, my wrath shall blaze out against them and devour them..."' But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God... So the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." (cf. Ex 32:7-14).

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me into his service even though I used to be a blasphemer and did all I could to injure and discredit the faith... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them; and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all..." (cf. 1 Tim 1:12-17).

"The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke [in] parable[s] to them... [the] hundred sheep; [the] woman with ten drachmas; [the] man with two sons..." (cf. Lk 15:1-32).

Artwork: "The Worship of the Golden Calf" by Filippino Lippi (15th C.).

Homily for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mt Larcom, Qld.

"What man indeed can know the intentions of God? Who can divine the will of the Lord...?
Who could have learnt it, had you not granted Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from above? Thus have the paths of those on earth been straightened and men been taught what pleases you, and saved, by Wisdom." (cf. Wis 9:13-18).

"In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge." (cf. Ps 90).

"This is Paul writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became... if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you would me." (Phil 9-17).

"Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple; and indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’" (cf. Lk 14:25-33).

Artwork: "Divine Mercy" by Eugene Kazimierowski (1873–1939).

Homily for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in St Peter Chanel Church, Tannum Sands, Qld.

"What man indeed can know the intentions of God? Who can divine the will of the Lord...?
Who could have learnt it, had you not granted Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from above? Thus have the paths of those on earth been straightened and men been taught what pleases you, and saved, by Wisdom." (cf. Wis 9:13-18).

"In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge. Make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants." (cf. Ps 90:3-17).

"This is Paul writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became... if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you would me." (Phil 9-17).

"Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple... none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’" (cf. Lk 14:25-33).

Artwork: "The Institution of the Eucharist" by Nicholas Poussin, (c. 1640).

A Traversing Emmaus miniseries for the Season of Creation (1st Sept ‐ 4th Oct).

This is an ecumenical season that annually unites all Christians around the world to pray and act for our common home.

Episode 3 continues with the opening paragraphs of Laudato Si in which the Pope firstly canvasses what is meant by "integral ecology" (i.e. a vision of life in which all that is human, natural an spiritual, touches upon the questions of ecology — this is paragraphs 10-12). Secondly, the Pope sign-posts where the document is headed as part of the corpus of Catholic social teaching — what its missionary and evangelical hopes are (par. 13-16).

You can view the entire Laudato Si document at the Vatican website, available here: https://bit.ly/3q0IBda
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A Christian prayer in union with creation

Father, we praise you with all your creatures.
They came forth from your all-powerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love.
Praise be to you!
Son of God, Jesus,
through you all things were made.
You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,
you became part of this earth,
and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.
Today you are alive in every creature
in your risen glory.
Praise be to you!
Holy Spirit, by your light
you guide this world towards the Father’s love
and accompany creation as it groans in travail.
You also dwell in our hearts
and you inspire us to do what is good.
Praise be to you!
Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined
to everything that is.
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good, advance the weak,
and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.
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A prayer of conversion,

Ever present God,
giver and sustainer of everything that has life,
maker and fulfilment of all that exists,
although we fail to respect your creation,
listen to the prayers of our heart:

We too are creatures.
Turn our hearts to your love and care for all creation.
With you we gave names to all living things.
Turn our minds to your vision of the heavens and the earth.
We live off the bounty of earth, sea and sky.
Turn our hands to your stewardship.

Through Christ, in whom all things are made
and held in being,
we pray for the power of your Spirit:
to transform our words and actions,
to care more deeply for all creatures,
to save what is threatened,
to mourn what is lost,
to seek Christ in the cry of the earth
and the cry of the poor,
and
to give glory to your name through all creation.
Amen. 

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You can see the ACBC's JEP Office publications, such as the Social Justice Statement 'Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor', prayers and other resources here: https://bit.ly/3Ro2XZb

You can follow the international Laudato Si Movement here: https://bit.ly/3eeE7wR

May all of this lead to a deep and lasting ecological conversion for us all, wherever we are, with whomever we live and work.

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

Artwork "Das Paradies" by Jan Brueghel the Elder, (c.1620).

A Traversing Emmaus miniseries for the Season of Creation (1st Sept ‐ 4th Oct).

This is an ecumenical season that annually unites all Christians around the world to pray and act for our common home.

Episode 2 looks at the opening paragraphs of the document — the two subsections being 'Nothing in this world is indifferent to us' (par. 3-6), and 'United by a common concern' (par. 7-9).

You can view the entire Laudato Si document at the Vatican website, available here: https://bit.ly/3q0IBda
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A prayer for our earth

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
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Cry of the earth, cry of the poor prayer

Lord, when we listen with your ears we hear:
the bush grown more silent,
the birdsong less vibrant,
the stream’s sluggish ripple.
Have mercy and open our ears.

Lord, when we look with your eyes we see:
the soil depleted,
the sky smudged,
the oceans rubbished and the great currents slowed.
Have mercy and help us to see.

Lord, when we look with your eyes we see:
the workers who struggle to get by,
the women subjected to violence,
the people who are excluded.
Have mercy and help us to see.

Lord, when we listen with your ears we hear:
the sound of hungry children,
the distress of the mentally ill,
the silent pain of homeless women and men.
Have mercy and open our ears.

Send your Spirit upon us Lord to renew our sight,
to restore our hearing,
and to reclaim your reign of justice for all people
and peace for creation.

Amen.
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You can see the ACBC's JEP Office publications, such as the Social Justice Statement 'Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor', prayers and other resources here: https://bit.ly/3Ro2XZb

You can follow the international Laudato Si Movement here: https://bit.ly/3eeE7wR

May all of this lead to a deep and lasting ecological conversion for us all, wherever we are, with whomever we live and work.

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

Artwork "Das Paradies" by Jan Brueghel the Elder, (c.1620).