I have often wondered what it would have been like to live in Galilee at the time of John the Baptist and Jesus. Imagine actually listening to John and watching the lines of people going into the river for baptism. If I had been there, would I have had the courage to join them? Now...

John’s Gospel, as we discovered when we read his ‘Christmas story’ at the start of his Gospel, was the last one written and it approaches the life and mission of Jesus in a highly reflective way. His account of Jesus’ baptism by John does not disappoint in this regard. What we have in today’s Gospel...

Even a cursory glance at US politics highlights the importance and power of endorsement when seeking to move into public life. Having the voiced support of Donald Trump, until very recently at least, was much sought after in the Republican Party. Likewise, well known actors, sportspeople, pop stars and social media gurus will be paid...

Imagine! A Christmas morning Gospel without a manger, angels, shepherds and a chubby-cheeked infant in the manger. This would be, very definitely, not the Gospel you’d choose to explain the Christmas story to children. It lacks the drama and imagery of Matthew and Luke and seems, in some ways, dry and without much emotion; more...

The Aboriginal peoples of Australia are recognised as being one of the oldest cultures in the world. For them all of creation was ‘dreamed’ into existence. It is called the “Dreamtime” and is the foundation of their rich spiritual beliefs and culture. Indeed, ‘dreaming’ is central to all cultures of the world. It is the...

INTRODUCTION: Can I earn my place in Heaven? Can anything I do give me a right to be with God? These are the questions Jesus unambiguously answers in today’s Gospel of the “Pharisee and the Tax Collector.” And the answer is a resounding ‘NO’ to both. So, why bother living a good life, and trying...

INTRODUCTION: The God of theology and philosophy is complex and complicated. Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to study them will know the hair pulling and desk thumping associated with every word, phrase, and concept explored. Yet, somehow, behind the words and concepts, lies a reality which is stunningly simple; Love! There are countless...

If you felt that Luke, in his Gospel, seems to have a strong dislike for wealth and ‘rich men’, you would not be too far wrong! For the second week in a row Luke begins with, “…there was a rich man who…” and for the second week in a row the ‘rich man’ is presented...

‘Multi-tasking’ was a buzz word a number of years ago. It became for a while a kind of badge of honour for the young. They could multi-task and the rest of the population were stuck in a single-track brain function which, the young claimed, made life exceedingly dull and boring. Teenagers swore they could study,...

Quite a number of years ago I was working in a boys Boarding/Day School in Australia. Each Sunday I celebrated Mass for the boarding community, which, as it happened, had quite a few boys from sheep farming families, living on ‘stations’ and farming huge swaths of land. I well remember one Sunday finding myself facing...