Today’s Gospel is once again, very familiar. We encounter it regularly as it’s reported in all the Gospels. It’s a story that’s fundamentally about our human need to be important. The last time he gathered with the disciples in the upper room before he was led out to his death, Jesus demonstrated what he understood … Read more
Have you ever been challenged to step outside your comfort zone? I like to watch cooking shows like Masterchef, and if contestants are to have any hope of winning they have to continually push themselves and take risks that can either succeed or fail. The same goes for Survivor; contestants push themselves to … Read more
I have a book on my bookshelf that I inherited from my Dad, called ‘The Hard Sayings of Jesus.’ Even though we like to fit Jesus into the ‘Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild’ mould, because that feels convenient and easy, these hard words of Jesus can trouble and disturb our equilibrium. Today’s Gospel is hard … Read more
The Feast of St Michael and All Angels is a day in the church calendar when we remind ourselves of the ‘unworldly’ reality that surrounds us – the community of saints, the great cloud of witnesses that urge us on, and heavenly beings who liaise between heaven and earth. Today’s great festival draws our attention … Read more
Who is the greatest? Although we might mock the disciples for their stupidity in this week’s Gospel reading, as they argue with one another about who was the most important, or most senior, or who had more rights, aren’t these the very things that preoccupy us? We may not put it in terms of who is … Read more
In today’s Gospel we are back with Mark’s fast-paced narrative, and we have an odd, perhaps even awkward pair of stories, that don’t present Jesus in the best light. In the first, Jesus is a long way from home, and by implication a long way from his Jewish compatriots, the children of Israel. When a … Read more
Today is the day in the Anglican calendar when we remember the New Guinea Martyrs. When the Japanese declared war in December 1941, it was clear that Papua New Guinea would soon be under threat of attack. Missionaries on the island were in acute danger, and yet although many civilians were evacuated, they stayed, believing … Read more
Our monthly Healing Mass tonight will not only provide a space for us to pray for healing of our bodies, but to also pray for the healing and cleansing of our Church, following the recent revelations of past abuse. Together in both ritual and prayer, gathered around bread and wine, we will express our sorrow for … Read more
It’s a good and holy practice to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord, whose feast day was Wednesday 15th August. And who we honour and celebrate in our Masses this morning. In the Roman Church, our sisters and brothers likewise honoured Mary, with the day focusing on her Assumption. An interesting dogma, … Read more
Over the past few weeks, we have had a recurring theme about ‘bread’, the most fundamental food in the human, or at least western, diet. Jesus feeds 5000 people on the hillside by miraculously multiplying a few bread rolls and fish. When the crowd following him become over-excited about this practical miracle and demanded more, he … Read more