Love Made Visible in Our Actions

The Gospel reminds us that faith is revealed not only in what we say, but also in the way we live. Discernment begins when we bring our choices before the Lord and ask: Which path will help me to love more generously? It is natural to think about the cost—in money, time or personal sacrifice—but Jesus gently invites us to look beyond the cost and to notice the person who needs our care.

What We Love Shapes Our Lives

Pedro Arrupe speaks beautifully of this Gospel way of life: “Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” His words invite each of us to ask what truly holds our heart and shapes our daily decisions.

A Rule of Life Shaped by the Heart

God longs for us to become people who listen attentively to his word and allow it to take root within us. A rule of life can help us make room for prayer, compassion and faithful service. It is not simply a list of duties to complete. It is a way of opening our hearts to the Gospel, so that, little by little, Christ forms us into people who are generous, faithful and life-giving.

Seeking the Good of the Other

St Paul speaks directly to us as a Christian community. He calls us to be united in heart and purpose, held together by the love of Christ. We are not asked to ignore our own needs, but neither are we to become so absorbed in them that we fail to see the needs of others. Christian love makes room for both honesty and generosity.

This kind of love asks us to loosen our grip on whatever closes our eyes or hardens our hearts. As we learn to notice the person before us, we become more like Christ, whose love is never distant or withheld, but always seeks the good of the other.

The Vulnerable Face of Christ

On this Migrant and Refugee Sunday, Pope Leo asks us to remember the children and young people who are among the most vulnerable in the experience of migration. They are never merely numbers in a report. Each one is a beloved child of God, with a name, a family, a story and hopes for the future. Their lives call forth our compassion and our prayer.

Each year, millions of children and adolescents are forced to leave their homes because of war, poverty, violence, environmental disasters and other tragedies. Behind every journey is a family facing fear, loss and uncertainty. The scale of this suffering can overwhelm us, but the Gospel asks us not to look away.

For many children, suffering continues long after they have crossed a border or reached a place of safety. Some have lost parents, siblings or friends; others have witnessed terrible violence. Some wait through painful separations while hoping to be reunited with family. Others travel with their parents through exhausting and traumatic conditions. We also hold in prayer those separated from their parents through repatriation. Each of these children deserves to be received with dignity, patience and tenderness.

Solidarity Over Indifference

Even amid such darkness, the light of solidarity continues to shine. Ordinary people choose not to pass by on the other side. Families open their homes and share the warmth of family life. Educators serve in reception centres. Volunteers and aid workers tend the hidden wounds carried by children along migration routes and in our cities. Our own parish community is also invited to ask how we might pray, welcome, listen and offer practical support. Every small act of mercy tells a vulnerable person: you are seen, you are valued and you are not alone.

A Call to Practical Love

Brothers and sisters, our response to migrants and refugees must not be governed by fear alone. The Gospel asks us to bring our concerns honestly before the Lord and then to allow him to enlarge our hearts. Perhaps this week we can begin with one simple step: a prayer, a conversation, an act of welcome or support for those who serve displaced families. In the vulnerable person before us, Christ comes close. May we have the grace to recognise him and the courage to respond with practical love.

 

A generous God and a welcoming parish

 

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

A generous God and a welcoming parish 

The Same Work, but Different Reasons 

Most of us know that the same job can mean very different things to different people. Imagine three street cleaners having a cup of tea at the end of the day. Someone asks them, ‘Why do you do this work?’ 

The first says, ‘It pays the bills and gives me enough to enjoy life. I am saving for a surfing trip to Bali.’ The second says, ‘I do it for my family. I want food on the table and a good education for my children.’ The third says, ‘I want our town to be a good place to live. I like meeting the people along the way, hearing their stories, and helping our streets feel cared for.’ 

All three are doing the same work. All three are doing something worthwhile. But each one sees the work through a different window. 

God’s Generosity Is Greater Than Our Measure 

That is close to what Jesus places before us in today’s Gospel. Workers are called into the vineyard at different hours. Some arrive early and carry the burden of the day. Others come much later. At the end, the landowner gives each one the same wage. We can understand why those who started early grumble. We might have felt the same. ‘Surely, after all these hours, we deserve more.’ 

But Jesus is not giving us a lesson in payroll. He is showing us the heart of God. The vineyard belongs to God, the invitation comes from God, and the reward is God’s gift. No one earns a larger share of God’s love by having arrived first. 

The Parish Is God’s Vineyard 

That speaks directly to us as a parish, especially as we celebrate fifty years of parish life. Some people here remember their early days. You helped establish the community, organize the first gatherings, teach children faith, care for the grounds, prepare the liturgy, visit the sick, raise funds, and make sure there was always a cup of tea and someone to welcome a newcomer. Much of that faithful work was quiet and unseen, but it laid good foundations. 

Others have joined the parish more recently. Some have moved into the area. Some have returned to Mass after many years. Some may still be wondering whether this is truly home. I have arrived rather late in the parish story, perhaps at the eleventh hour. Yet the Gospel says that every one of us is called into the same vineyard and welcomed by the same generous God. 

Holding the Gate Open for Others 

So, our jubilee is not only a time to look back with gratitude. It is also time to ask what kind of parish we are becoming. Are we a community where the long-standing parishioner and the person at Mass for the first time can stand beside one another? Are we ready to make room for the family that arrives late, the person who does not know when to sit or stand, the child who makes a little noise, the grieving person, the lonely person, or the person who is simply trying to find their way back to God? 

Sometimes in parish life we can begin to think, ‘I have been here longer. I have done more. I know how things are done.’ Experience is a gift, and faithful service deserves our gratitude. But experience becomes even more beautiful when it helps another person find a place. The best way to honour those who built our parish is not to close the gate behind them. It is to hold the gate open for the next person whom God is inviting in. 

Making Christ Visible in Our Parish 

Saint Paul gives us another simple measure. He says, ‘For me to live is Christ,’ and he asks that our everyday lives be worthy of the Gospel. In parish terms, that means Christ should be visible not only at the altar, but also at the church door, in the car park, in our meetings, at morning tea, in the parish office, in our care for the sick, and in the way we speak about one another when we disagree. 

The Ordinary Work of the Kingdom 

The work of the vineyard is often very ordinary. It is learning someone’s name. It is noticing who is standing alone. It is making a phone call. It is bringing a meal. It is forgiving an old hurt. It is inviting a young family to become involved. It is thanking the person who quietly does the same task week after week. These small acts may not look dramatic, but they make the Kingdom of God visible among us. 

The prophet Isaiah reminds us to seek the Lord while he is still near and to return to the God who is rich in forgiving. Perhaps today the Lord is near to us in the person sitting a few seats away. Perhaps the invitation to return is meant for someone who has felt on the edge of parish life. Perhaps God is asking each of us to put aside comparison and rediscover gratitude. 

A Parish with the Generous Heart of God 

As we celebrate the years behind us and look towards the years ahead, let us remember this: the parish is not ours to possess. It is God’s vineyard, and we are blessed to work in it together. Some began early. Some came later. Others are still on the road. But the Lord continues to go out, hour after hour, calling people in. 

May we become a parish with the same generous heart as God, grateful for those who have laboured faithfully, ready to welcome those who arrive at the eleventh hour, and willing to use our hearts, our heads and our hands so that every person may discover a home here and encounter the love of Christ. 

 

Forgiveness and the Love That Protects

A Question from the Heart

Peter comes to Jesus today with a question many of us have asked in one form or another: “How often must I forgive?” Perhaps behind his question is a real hurt, a difficult relationship, or someone who keeps doing the same thing. Peter wants a number. He wants to know when he has done enough.

He suggests seven times. That sounds generous. But Jesus answers, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” In other words, forgiveness is not something we keep in a little account book. God does not count out mercy to us, and Jesus asks us not to live with a calculator in our hearts.

That is beautiful, but it is not easy. When the hurt is deep, forgiveness can take a long time. It may begin not with warm feelings, but with a small prayer: “Lord, I do not know how to forgive this. Please begin the work in me.” Sometimes that is all we can honestly pray, and God can work with honesty.

Love Protects

Today is also Safeguarding Sunday, and the theme is simple: “Love Protects.” Those two words belong together. If we love someone, we want them to be safe. We listen. We notice. We take concerns seriously. We do not look away because the truth is awkward or painful.

This is especially important when we speak about forgiveness. Today’s Gospel must never be used to tell someone who has been harmed, “You just have to forgive and move on.” Jesus is not asking victims to pretend that nothing happened. Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is not silence. It does not remove the need for truth, justice, accountability, or appropriate consequences.

Mercy That Reaches the Heart

The servant in Jesus’ parable is forgiven an enormous debt, but he refuses even a little mercy to another. The tragedy is that the mercy he received never reached his heart. He walked out of the master’s presence unchanged.

Jesus is inviting us to let God’s mercy travel from our heads to our hearts. We all stand before God with empty hands. Everything is gift: our life, our faith, every new beginning, every chance to start again. When we remember how patiently God deals with us, we can become more patient with one another.

But God’s mercy is never careless. The Lord sees the wound as well as the sin. He draws close to the person who is hurting. He protects the vulnerable and calls wrongdoing by its name. Mercy and justice are not enemies; they belong together in the healing work of God.

What Protective Love Looks Like

So, what does “love protects” look like in an ordinary parish? It may look very simple. It is learning the names of our children and making sure they know the trusted adults around them. It is listening carefully when a child or vulnerable person says that something does not feel right. It is following our safeguarding practices, even when they feel inconvenient, because love does not leave safety to chance.

It also means noticing the older parishioner who has not been at Mass for a few weeks, the person living alone, the family under pressure, or the person quietly struggling with mental health. Safeguarding is not merely paperwork. It is the daily habit of seeing people, listening to them, and making room for their voice.

And when someone raises a concern, love does not rush to defend a reputation. Love first asks, “Are you safe? How can we help?” A healthy parish is not one where no one ever speaks about difficult things. It is a parish where people know they can speak, where they will be heard, and where concerns will be handled properly.

Saint Paul tells us that love is patient and kind, and that love always protects. Protective love is not suspicious or fearful. It is simply awake. It has its eyes open. It is gentle enough to listen and courageous enough to act.

One Small Step

Perhaps there is someone we need to forgive. Perhaps there is a relationship in which we need clearer boundaries. Perhaps there is someone vulnerable whom we have not noticed. Today the Lord may be inviting each of us to take one small step: to pray, to listen, to speak, to seek help, or to offer compassion.

We do not do this alone. The same God who is “slow to anger and rich in compassion” walks with us. The Lord does not rush the work of healing. He stays close, patiently restoring what has been wounded and teaching us how to love with wisdom.

May our parish be a home where mercy is real, truth is welcomed, and every person—especially every child, young person, older person, and vulnerable person—knows that they are seen, heard, valued, and safe.

Because this is what the love of Christ looks like among us: a love that forgives, a love that heals, and a love that protects.

Amen.

Building on good foundations

 

Foundations of Faith

What are the foundations on which we build our faith? Today’s readings gently bring us back to the heart of the Christian life: our care for one another. In Ezekiel, God is not inviting us to stand over others in judgement, but to love them enough to be concerned for their life, their choices, and their journey with God. Faith is never just private. It draws us into responsibility, tenderness, and courage.

When we hear this reading, we can hear the Lord asking us to become companions for one another in faith, hope, and love. This is the kind of community God is forming among us: not a community quick to criticise, but one ready to heal; not a community that gives up on people, but one that keeps believing that grace can still do beautiful things in every human heart.

Of course, we can only become a reconciling community when we remember our own need for mercy. Each of us stands before God as someone loved, forgiven, and still being healed. That is why the sacrament of reconciliation is not simply about naming our faults. It is about opening our lives to the mercy of God and then becoming people through whom that same mercy can reach others.

Listening with Open Hearts

The psalm gives us a simple but searching prayer: “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” We know how easily the heart can become hardened — through disappointment, weariness, resentment, or fear. Sometimes we grumble. Sometimes we lose hope. Sometimes we let the faults of others become louder than the voice of God.

But the Lord never stops calling us to good pasture. He calls us to a place of nourishment, rest, honesty, and renewal. When we listen to his voice, our hearts become softer. We begin to see others with more patience. We begin to see ourselves with more humility. And little by little, grace teaches us how to love again.

The Debt of Mutual Love

St Paul gives us a beautiful way of thinking about Christian life. He says that the only debt we should carry is the debt of mutual love. Love is not a burden that weighs us down; it is the holy obligation that keeps us human, keeps us connected, and keeps us close to the heart of Christ.

This love seeks the good of the other. It does not ask, “What can I get?” but “How can I help this person come closer to life, goodness, and peace?” In a parish, in a family, in any community, this kind of love builds trust. It creates space for respect, compassion, and forgiveness. And it begins with allowing God to love us first, so that his love may flow through us to those around us.

Christ Present in Difficult Conversations

In the Gospel, Jesus gives us a promise full of comfort: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” He does not promise to be present only when everything is easy or when everyone agrees. He promises to be with us even in the difficult conversations, the awkward moments, and the painful work of reconciliation.

That is a deeply pastoral word for us. Sometimes love means having the courage to speak, not to shame or condemn, but to help someone find their way back. True correction, in the Christian sense, is never about winning an argument. It is about saving a relationship, restoring dignity, and opening a path toward conversion and healing.

St Paul reminds us that love does no harm to a neighbour. So perhaps the question for us today is this: how do we love one another when someone is struggling, drifting, or losing direction? We do it by walking with them, by listening with them, and by trusting that Christ is already present wherever two or three gather in his name.

Today, let us ask the Lord for hearts that are not hardened but open: open to his voice, open to his mercy, and open to one another. May we become a community where people are not written off but gently called back to life; a community where love speaks the truth with tenderness; a community where Christ is recognised in our midst, guiding us home to the Father.

Take up your cross

 

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

How do we encourage people to follow Christ with their whole lives? This question is placed before us in baptism, when we are called to renounce all that leads us away from God and to profess our faith. Our baptismal calling stands at the heart of our Catholic life. Just as our birthday marks our birth into a family that sustains and nurtures us, our baptismal day marks our birth into the family of faith. It is a day worth remembering and celebrating.

Forming Young People in Hope

As we prepare to celebrate this weekend, we are invited to ask how we can help our young people know Jesus more deeply. The presence of many people at Mass each Sunday reminds us that faith is celebrated not only in prayer, but also in the way we live. We are called to be missionaries of hope.

We also need to ask our young people to help us discover what is truly pleasing to God. They carry wisdom that can ignite the fire of faith in others—and in us. We have much to share with them, but they can also renew us as people of faith, hope, and love.

Losing Life to Find It

The Gospel invites us to ponder a love that does not avoid the realities of suffering and death. Jesus shows us that God is willing to surrender everything for our good. To follow him is to learn that life is not something we possess for ourselves alone. As Jesus says, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Two truths emerge from the teaching of Jesus. First, life is not a private possession, but a gift entrusted to our care. Each day we are called to give thanks for what we have received and to use it generously. Second, our relationship with God is not a bargain in which we trade one thing for another. God embraces us in a way that frees us to become true disciples.

A Living Sacrifice

St Paul writes to the Romans, urging them to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This means allowing our behaviour to be shaped by God’s will and learning to discern what is good. Such discernment requires prayer, reflection on the world in which we live, and positive action that reflects God’s love and mercy.

Our faith is not abstract. It is an active engagement between prayer, reflection, and action. We need to know what is good and what helps us become good people. Our love must be more than skin deep. Together, we are called to build a way of life that transforms our own lives and the world around us.

Three Practical Invitations 

·       Pray with the Gospel: Create space each week to listen to the Gospel before coming to Mass, reflect on what the Word is saying today, and choose one practical step to put it into action.

·       Share our charisms: Help people discover the gifts the Holy Spirit has entrusted to them for the good of others and support one another in sharing these gifts rather than keeping them as private treasures.

·       Have conversations that matter: Listen with the ears of the heart. One practical step could be to form a study group to reflect on Magnifica Humanitas: The Grandeur of Humanity.

St Carlo Acutis gives us a concrete example of this way of life. Through his Eucharistic devotion and generous care for those in need, including within his own family, he expressed a deep love for God. Like him, we are called to rise in faith, hear the voice of Christ, respond to the needs of others, and offer our lives for God’s good purposes.

Who do you say I am?

 

Who do you say I am? This is probably the most important question that Jesus asks his disciples. The responses they give look to compare him to someone else that they have heard about or are familiar with. They have heard the stories about the prophets from the past some may have witnessed the teaching of John the Baptist. It is only Peter who does not make this type of comparison but seeks to encounter Jesus in his divine nature. He is not just any person, but he is the fulfilment of the what the prophets taught.

So, in our own day how do we respond to the question Jesus asks of us. This is more than just familiarity but seeks us to encounter the person of Jesus as he is. This encounter calls us to listen to his teaching about what it is to discover the realm of God. We are called to discover how the Spirit of God unbinds us from what prevents us from seeing Jesus more clearly that we may be bound more intimately in the divine embrace of the Trinity.

When we look at how we encounter Jesus we can be left with different points of who it is that we meet. The word office is often used by a person who leads, and how this is applied to Peter not just as an apostle but as one who has been given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. When we reflect on this passage we are called to reflect on how he exercises his ministry. This is where we can see how Pope Leo as a successor of Peter a symbolic role in the life of the Church has more than just a titular role, but he is called to sanctify, teach and govern people. This threefold ministry is important in how we encounter Jesus in the life of the Church. We are called to be people who develop an intimate prayerful relationship with God. We learn to reflect on how that relationship guides our thinking and how we are known by God. Also, good governance should make the mission of Jesus more easily proclaimed in our own time.

St Paul notes this in his letter to the Romans, he seeks to plumb the depths of God and discover a wisdom that draws us deeper into that relationship. This is more than receiving desired outcomes where we can figure out what God wants. What St Paul stresses is that God will provide what is needed rather than us telling God what needs to happen. While we look at part of the puzzle God is all in all. We can start to see God’s hand at work in all things without making any one thing into God.

I remember reading a book by Paul Davis called “The Mind of God” where he sought to understand how we might encounter God. He made the bold statement that mathematics was the language with which God wrote the universe. This is not just about theoretical theories but an application of these theories to real life. As such we know that in any science it can open doors for us but there is also a certain artistry to life that can be captured moment by moment.

This is where we are called to notice the language that guides us to know Jesus as he is not just as we would have him be. Our way of encountering him unfolds his presence at the heart of our lives. This is not just learning to follow him out of what others say but a willingness to open ourselves to who he is for us and our community. The question that will shape our lives returns to the beginning when Jesus asks us who do you say I am. This will shape our whole life and the life of our community.

 

Do our prayers fall on deaf ears?

 

How often do we believe our prayers go unanswered or overlooked. We make heartfelt requests, but they seem to fall on silent ears. This is the situation presented by the Canaanite woman who makes an earnest prayer that her daughter may be released from the oppression of the devil. Yet Jesus seems not to hear her. The disciples even wanting to avoid a scene ask Jesus to provide what she is asking because she is making so much of a fuss.

When Jesus does give a response, he seems to focus solely on the people of Israel who are lost. Her plea only becomes more urgent when she falls at his feet and says help me. The response about throwing scraps at the house dog seems to be dismissive of her concerns. Yet still she pleads that even this small amount will help her.

What Jesus acknowledges is the faithful persistent of the Canaanite woman to seek out the good for her daughter. This can give hope to us too in bringing our lives before God. The emphasis here is that our prayer does not fall on deaf ears but seeks to provide healing and strength to those in greatest need. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others.

So how do we become people of prayer. This is central to the concern of Isaiah when he says that we need to become a people of integrity who care for justice. Much of this concern is shared in the latest social justice statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops that centres on social cohesion and the things that can drive us apart from each other. It notes that we need to be aware of the profound impact on individuals, families and communities. It reminds that behind the statistics are parents skipping meals, delaying medical care, housing insecurity and increasing anxiety for the future. The burden is often taken up by those who are most vulnerable those on fixed incomes, people living with disabilities, first nations people, refugees, and workers on low paid or insecure employment. Central to the covenant that Isaiah speaks about is the need to recognise how we are formed in the image and likeness of God. We observe the sabbath and keep the covenant so that we can form a house of prayer for all people. This is not to isolate us from each other but a living concern for those who meet us in daily life.

The principles of the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, the universal destination of goods and the preferential option for the poor offer a moral framework for responding to the crisis. These principles call governments, businesses, communities and individuals to ensure that no one is left behind and that economic decisions serve people, not profit alone. Our Catholic agencies provide practical everyday assistance by providing emergency relief, housing assistance, financial advice and advocacy.

Practical actions are encouraged, including noticing those who may be struggling, offering practical help, volunteering, donating, engaging in advocacy for fair wages and affordable housing, and working collaboratively at local and national levels. Above all, the bishops invite us to become “prophets of hope” — people who respond to hardship with compassion, courage and faith.

As St Paul speaks to the Romans we seek to discover the reconciliation of the world from the dead. We are called to be people who are awake and aware of what the resurrection means. The resurrection of Jesus calls people from death into life. It is possible to become people who focus on the mercy of God. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. We become engaged with the living heart of our faith. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others. Just as the Canaanite woman brought her concerns before God for the good of another so can we through our own intercession and providing for the needs of another. To be people who engage our minds, hands and hearts in seeking what is good for another not just ourselves.

 

Sailing into headwinds

 

We can often be caught up in the drama of many modern movies that have lots of action and intrigue. The story often unfolds that we become aware of the people we should care about and what they are trying to escape from. These introductions are important as they provide the groundwork for what follows. Without these introductions we would not feel any connection with the people who are pivotal to the story.

The sound of the gentle breeze convinces Elijah to step out of the cave. The handheld out by Jesus convinces Peter to hang on for dear life. The two stories parallel each other. Elijah had retreated into the mountains because he believed that his life may be in danger following the events on Mt Carmel. Peter believes that he may sink under the waves under the ferocity of the storm. Yet both discover that it is not in the storm, earthquake or wind that the power of God is evident but rather in the calm that follows these events. This is a question that engages us to have the courage to allow God to meet us in the storms of life. Often in our darkest night the light of Christ will shine!

So how do we place ourselves in the story. St Ignatius in his spiritual exercises introduces the form of prayer known as Imaginative Contemplation. This form of prayer follows a similar pattern to Lectio Divina that seeks to explore more deeply how we see the scripture touching our daily lives. This allows scripture to be more than just words written on a page but a Living Word that captures our mind, body and soul. The first step is to set the scene into which we are immersed. In the case of Elijah this is in a cold dank cave in the mountains for Peter it is in a fishing boat tossed about on the Lake of Galilee. Then we imagine what the characters look like and listen to the words they say. Our focus is allowing them to leap off the page and draw us into the unfolding drama. We are not just called to be passive observers but to notice what parts of the story most touch us today and how we become involved in the action.

The questions that seem to occur to me are what moves us deeper into prayer? Where do our lives become enmeshed in the story line. Do we pay attention to the spectacular effects of the storm or are we drawn to a quiet place. In our own lives we can be touched by events that seem to be out of control but then to whom do we turn?

We can be like St Paul speaking to the Romans where he says that even though he is in union with the Holy Spirit that is sorrow is so great and his mental anguish so endless that he is drawn to making difficult decisions. He is willing to be cut off from Christ if it would help others discover him. I don’t know if I would be able to say the same thing. Is our desire for the good of another willing to entrust everything to God.

So, there we are often caught up in the boat with Peter battling to make headway. They encounter Jesus in what they first think is an apparition or a ghost. They are terrified. Yet amid their fear Jesus reaffirms that they are to have courage and not be afraid. Then Peter says if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water. Jesus simply says come. When Peter keeps his eyes on Jesus, he can walk on water! Yet when he feels the force of the wind he starts to sink. Even then when Peter says save me Jesus stretches out his hand immediately. The wind drops and all is calm again.

Will we allow Jesus to meet us in our daily struggles and the times when we seem to be up against strong headwinds and violent storms?

Given more than enough

 

Would we set out to do our shopping without money in our pockets or at least our cards. There are almost daily reports of a cost-of-living crisis where people seek to make ends meet. The demands on the household budget where people seek to meet their immediate needs while also living a fulfilled life. This is where the readings for this weekend look at how meeting these pressures can leave us in a lonely place seeking to find a deeper purpose for our lives.

What do we seek when we come to Mass? The Gospel for this weekend points to coming to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. In our daily lives we can be crowded with people and events. Jesus gathers us so that we can be healed, forgiven and nourished. Spending time to be present to God and to each other can sustain us for the following week. Mass is the source and summit of our lives. We often come with what appears to not enough to feed us, we come with “five loaves and two fish”. This is the title of a book by Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen van Thuan who spent 13 years in prison, 9 of those in solitary confinement. It was in that lonely place that we celebrated Mass on his own and was found to convert the guards who were placed to keep an eye on him. Do we allow Jesus to meet us even in the empty space within us that only God can fill?

This is where the prophet Isaiah can help us to seek God even when we seem to be running on empty. He is asking to look to what can nourish our hunger and satisfy our thirst. He says, “listen, listen to me and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy.” What he says to us today are very simple but profound moments that help us to satisfy our deepest need.

He says pay attention. This is more than just pricking our ears up, but it is a way of being present to what motivates us in life. We need to leave aside some things that are undone so that we can attend to God. This means that we need to reorientate our lives and come to God even amid lives that can be occupied with many things. We need to find space in our lives where we can be alone with God. This may be in Church, in our homes or out on a daily walk praying the rosary. We need this time where we can listen to God meeting us in our daily lives. This is what will enliven our souls and enrich our days.

This encouragement comes from St Paul’s letter to the Romans, where he says, “Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ” Nothing can come between us even though the worries and practical circumstances of our lives seem to close in around us. He adds, by emphasis that there is no power or situation that come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, as we come to the Eucharist today sometimes, we can be focused on what has brought us here or what we need to do next. Yet here in this place Jesus meets us and sustains us. When the gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar maybe add your own silent prayer. Jesus has brought us together to feed and nourish us. What seems so little feeds many in super abundance. The Eucharistic miracle that we are present to each Sunday is not just to feed ourselves but to feed our world. This may seem incredible, but God calls us together to receive the gift of our lives, to bless us, to break open our hearts and to share what we receive for the good of the world. Where does God entrust us with this simple mission of praising his name forever?

 

How do we discern between good and evil?

 

How do we discern between good and evil? This was the request of Solomon when he was entrusted with the leadership of the people.

As we look back over the last three weeks we can start to notice three things.

That God still seeks to scatter the Word of God among us. This scattering is not just a random gesture but a genuine desire that this Word will bear fruit within us. We are told that three things prevent it from taking root. The first is that we only hear the word pass us by. It is just one word among many words, and we find that it can quickly vanish. The second is that we have an experiential response where we become excited by what we hear but then we move on to another experience and then another. Nothing can seem to satisfy us. The third is that we can have this long list of things that we have to attend to that we have no time to sit with the word.
It takes time and patience to provide us with the opportunity to be touched by the word of God. We need to make appointments with God and ourselves to be present and to turn up.

Last week we heard how easy it is for us when we have taken the time to pray and start to live the Gospel that we find that we live in an age that does not want to listen and reflect. We become moved by opinions and ways of living that seem to be at odds with what we hear. This can be distressing because it is easier to be caught up with the mob than discover our own calling to live the Gospel. The temptation is always to notice what is fashionable, powerful and relevant so that we can fit in.

This week we start to notice how the parables that Jesus teaches look to our own foundations. He talks about a pearl of great price and field with a precious treasure. What he is drawing us to consider is what is our own worth in the eyes of God. This is where we can discover how we are created in the image and likeness of God. Where we can become people who discern what is the next good thing that we must do.

The practice of meditating upon scripture allows us not just to hear the Word of God but to listen to it penetrating our own hearts. This encounter with God is not just words written on a page but on our lives. By chewing over the Word not just during our prayer but we discover that it can touch the context and environment in which we live. By allowing it to add savour to our day we can start to notice what we need to attend to and what we can let go. The Word of God is alive and active and as we have heard before it does not return to God without achieving its purpose.

St Paul stresses this in his letter to the Romans where he says, “we know that turning everything to good God cooperates with all those that he has called according to his purpose.”

As Christians we are called not only to encounter the person of Jesus but to notice how he accompanies us to become people who seek God. This is through our celebration of the Word of God and Sacraments. In meeting him we are drawn to a deeper communion. To find a God who sustains us and encourages us to find what truly brings life. We discover a wisdom that is ever ancient and ever new. Where will we find time over this week to listen to God’s Word and allow it to sustain us during the day?

In our own age where do we go seeking to find life?

 

We celebrated the Feast of St James on 25^th July. This is the person who was the first apostle to be martyred for the faith. He was taken by legend by two of his disciples and buried in a field in Northern Spain. In 823 a peaceful hermit, known as Pelayo, lived in his house in the Forest of Libredón. In the evenings, mysterious lights, coming from the forest, began to capture his attention. Surprised at the strange radiances, Pelayo decided to share his restlessness with Teodomiro, the Bishop of Iria Flavia, at that time. Both men came to the place where the flashes came from and discovered the Marmárea Ark, which was buried. So, the lights were interpreted as divine signs.

Inside it, rested three bodies. They were quickly attributed to Santiago the Apostle and the two disciples, Anastasio and Teodoro who guarded his remains until their death. The bishop immediately informed the King in those years, Alfonso II, of the surprising discovery. It was this discovery that initiated this place of St James Tomb as a pilgrimage place that is now known as Santiago de Compostella, or literally St James in the field of stars.

So why do millions of pilgrimages journey to Santiago in our day. This has become popular since Pope Pius XI and later Pope Pius XII saw it as an important place of pilgrimage for our modern age as it sought to reunite Europe after the ravages of war. Many movements that were birthed at that time took up the challenge to provide leadership to the Christian World including Cursillo, Opus Dei and the Neo Catechumenal way. But it recognised how the Christian faith was born at a time where destructive conflict had been ever present in people’s lives. There was a call to find a new way that sought to look deeply within their own hearts for a rule of life that could sustain them in a world that sought to rebuild hope. This includes such movements as Taizé, Focolare and Young Christian Workers among many others.

There was a desire to find life that allowed people to build on solid foundations.

In the gospel today we hear the same movement arising in people’s hearts the seeker, the finding, the joy and the seeking to invest everything in this treasure. In our own age this goes against the smorgasbord approach to life that seeks to find a little bit of goodness in everything.

We are called to develop a discerning spirit as we have heard over the last week that seeks to find good seed in our lives. It is where we are called to listen to the voice of God in scripture, in our sacramental celebrations and in our daily lives. Father Brendan Byrne SJ notes that in The First Reading, 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, “comes in here in the sense that what Solomon prayed for – and received – was a discerning heart, a heart that, amid all the wealth and opportunity with which he was surrounded, could tell what was of true and lasting value.”

As Father Brendan Byrne SJ comments: “The two brief parables encapsulate the essence of Christian spirituality. Christian life requires a measure of detachment. It requires freedom from being completely absorbed and immersed in the attractions, pleasures and concerns of this world – not because these are bad in themselves but because we have been 'captured' by a sense of God’s love and God’s future for us that relativises all these things and puts them in their place. We do not yet possess the treasure but the prospect of it, unseen but grasped in faith, is already working transformation.”

So, in our own age where do we go seeking to find life? What will sustain us in on journey of faith? Who do we discover that will help us discover the kingdom of God that is ever ancient and ever new?

We stand against violence and hatred, but we should not become violence and hatred

 Over the last week it has been possible to witness the things that can divide us.  It has also drawn much commentary which seeks to understand what is happening and the potential fallout for the rest of the world. During the week I have been revisiting my reflection on Jacques Philippe’s book on the Beatitudes, The Eight Doors. In it, he talks about when choosing a response between force and love we should always choose love. This is not because we are doormats but because we seek to recognise the dignity of each person and it is only by loving what we consider unlovable that we can restore and reconcile the other. As we know hate breeds hate and violence breeds violence. As Odette Churchill noted after her incarceration at Ravensbrook it is easy to see how the parasite of evil can transfer between hosts to infect the whole world. While we are called to stand against violence and hatred, we should not become violence and hatred.

The three parables for this weekend start with the words the Kingdom of God is like. This continues to draw on the image of the Sower that we heard from last week but also shows the reality of how an enemy will sow darnel in the field. This is often the contradiction that we see in our world today where people are quick to sow the words of hatred, suspicion, and division. Words that seek peace, hope and charity are often lost in the crowd. This is where we need to have a discerning heart because the voice of Jesus and the voice of the enemy can seem similar but are distinct.

The word of Jesus will show itself in the fruits it produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control whereas the fruits of the evil one lead hatred, despair, conflict, impatience, cruelty, malice, betrayal, lack of self-restraint and harshness. When we become aware of these conflicting voices in our lives there is a tendency to try and root them out. Yet it is through faithful listening that God is present and helps us to recognise the different voices. We are called to follow the voice of Jesus who will bring us to life and live it to the full.

As St Paul says to the Romans the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. Our prayer is not about finding the right words but a heartfelt desire to encounter the mind and heart of God. We see this in the Gospel that even the smallest act of kindness can provide shelter and comfort to others and can provide the leaven that produce a way of being present for the good of others.

How then can we live Christian lives in times of uncertainty and fear? It is easy to see how we can be caught up in a polemic which only increases tensions and divides people one against another. It can be seen too easily in racism, nationalism or sexism. The ability to take sides seems to be somehow too easy. Rather than seek to build bridges it is easier to build walls. These shuts people out not just in manmade structures but also in the barbed wire we wind around our hearts which stop others from coming too close.

So, when we look at the readings for this weekend there is a sense of a search that distinguishes power and authority. Wisdom helps us to witness how God’s Holy Spirit guides us to make good choices not just for ourselves but for the common good. A virtuous person seeks to discover an equanimity that seeks to grow in a healthy and lifegiving relationship with another person. What we see is not an attitude of retribution that seeks to judge or harshness on the other person. Rather it seeks to face the truth with faith, hope and love. In this way we do not allow one evil to breed new evils.

The Word does not return empty without achieving its purpose.

 

God seems to be a carefree gardener some might even verge on saying he is careless where the seed is thrown or even wasteful. This is not how we are taught to approach projects in our own gardens or in farming some land. The focus is on producing something that is useful or beautiful. We start to plant with the hope that we give the best opportunity for something to benefit others and ourselves.

Jesus uses parables that help us to notice where God speaks to us in our daily lives. The parable of the Sower of the seed is no different. The Word of God is called to take root in our lives. Lectio Divina helps us to notice how the Word needs to take root in our lives. This way of prayer allows for a gentle repetition where we are called to first notice what calls us to raise questions about where that Word touches our lives. When we repeat it for the second time, we can start to notice how the Word touches our hearts and helps us to listen with our hearts. When we repeat for the third time, we start to notice what nourishes us and feels like real food, by taking the Word into our daily lives we can start to have something that can sustain us through the day. By gentle repetition we become aware of what allows to provide good soil in which the Word can take root.

Yet in Isaiah we hear that the word from my mouth does not return to me empty without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do. This can change our perspective from looking solely at ourselves towards what the Word of God seeks to achieve. If it falls on the path birds are fed, if it lands in little soil it can hold tenaciously before final wilting for lack of nutrients, if it falls in the brambles it seeks to compete for the attention it deserves and if it lands in good soil, it can flourish and grow.

This echoes of the words of St Paul to the Romans. “It was not any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still remains the hope of being freed, like us from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.”  There is a tension in listening to the Word that it seeks to bring about what it is sent to achieve.

So, in the heart of the teaching that the disciples are contained in the following phrases.

·      You will listen and listen again, but not understand

·      See and see again but not perceive

·      For the heart of this nation has grown course,

·      Their ears are dull of hearing

·      And they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes

·      Hear with their ears

·      Understood with their hearts

·      And be converted and healed by me

This is where we seek to allow the Word of God to be heard and lived in our lives. We need to notice where the Word of God can flow off us like Teflon. The Word can be carried away by another stray thought of something that seems more urgent. There are times when the Word gives us temporary consolation but then drifts away like the mist. Then there can be many things that can keep us busy during the day that rob us of our freedom. Yet the practice of Lectio Divina can stay with us throughout the day. When we notice those moments that rob us of peace we can gently focus back on the Word or phrase that we have received for the day. And at the end of the day give thanks for the fruits it has produced in our lives. The Word of God does not return empty without achieving its purpose.

Sharing our stories

 

A little child is always open to the other person they encounter, especially their parents who have loved them into life. For the Parents, their lives are filled with joy and hope with their little child. We witness this in the dedication that are placed on the child who can for the first few years becomes the focus of the parents’ life. Children often teach their parents how to be good parents. This can be assisted by the teaching of others, but it is the day-to-day contact with each other that bonds them together. We pray that the yoke is easy and the burden is light!

As we celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday, we can learn how to be a still presence in this land. In his address to First Nations People in Alice Springs in 1986, Saint Pope John Paul II said “The silence of the bush taught you a quietness of soul that put you in touch with another world, the world of God’s spirit. Your careful attention to the details of kinship spoke of your reverence for birth, life and human generation. You knew that children needed to be loved, to be full of joy. They need a time to grow in laughter and to play, secure in the knowledge that they belong to their people”. We become part of the story as we see our lives interwoven with their own.  

Pope John Paul went on to say, “The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others. Christian people seek to be people of hope and joy. Remember always the simple joy of the little child, remember Jesus Christ bears the same yoke guiding us to opening our hearts rejoicing in the gift of the ancient cultures and traditions that have shaped our land and country for more than 60,000 years. Our country will become a nation of hope and light in the world that is in desperate need of peace. This is a peace that is not just an absence of conflict but an abiding presence of God that dwell deep within.

Echoing the words of Zechariah in Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo says in section 222, “The people of the world desire peace, and to their leaders I appeal with all my heart: Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate! War is never inevitable, Weapons can and must be silenced, for they do not resolve problems but only increase them. Those who make history are the peacemakers, not those who sow seeds of suffering.” In St Matthews Gospel, we notice this call for peace and humility is taken up by Jesus in revealing the truths of resolving conflict are often found in the youngest members of our community. To learn to trust another is to know them by knowing ourselves. This way of knowing is deeply intuitive and helps us to be at one with each other.

This is where we need to learn peace rather than live at a pace that is often driven by the circumstances of life. To discover a humility that reaches out with a gentleness that does not overburden us but gives us rest.  By learning to nurture our spiritual self we discover how we can be of service to our sisters and brothers. To be able to sit down and share our stories.

Be Holy

 

How we recognise holiness in another is developed through recognising holiness in ourselves. This helps us to notice what draws us closer to God in our daily lives. It calls us to become people who can listen to what brings us life and joy. This is explored in the Ignatian Examen where we can notice that God speaks to us in a language we can understand. The first act of the examen is to give thanks to God for this day. This allows us to then review where we have been given our full attention to the matters at hand and the places where we have become distracted from our core activity. By allowing ourselves these pauses through the day we can start to notice what brings us life and what brings life to others. This attentive listening to God in our daily lives then lets us notice the next step that we need to take. What will help others and myself grow closer to God. This is where we discover what it is to be holy by being prayerful and present to the possibilities to meet God.

In scripture we notice how people witness to the goodness in others that draws out the goodness in themselves. When Elisha breaks his journey for a meal when a woman of rank pressed him to stay with them. Her first instinct went beyond just sharing the table but providing a place for him to rest. This was not a once off invitation. This in return draws a response from Elisha when he sees her need for a son even though her husband is old. She can draw the goodness within Elisha to respond to her heartfelt need.

The Gospel of Matthew draws on this similar reciprocal nature of holiness. When he says anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me. This again recognises the goodness in us that can notice the goodness in others. Thus, a person who welcomes a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, the person who welcomes a holy man will receive a holy man’s reward, and even the simple task of giving a cup of water to a disciple will not lose their reward.

This stands in contrast to the open lines of the Gospel that talk about where our preferences are directed. This is not to say our families are not important as they nurtured and supported us into life. Yet one of the hardest things I hear parents say is letting their children follow their own way of life even at times when it breaks their hearts. What Jesus says is that we need to prepare them to make hard choices in living their faith and finding God amid a world that wants to silence them.

St Paul notes this in his letter to the Romans where he sees baptism as a dying to self so that we can rise to a new life in Christ. This new life looks to liberate us from the forces that deaden us inside. We start to discover what brings us true life that we are no longer focussed on our sins.

This is where we return to the beginning of discovering that we are called to become holy by discovering how God is at the centre of our lives. By being centred not just in our prayer, but in the environment, we live and the mission entrusted to us we reveal God to others. These simple steps help us to know that holiness is not just entrusted to a few select people, but it is at the heart of Jesus mission to say that the kingdom of God is close to you. It is in your hearts, and on your lips that you may proclaim that truth with your life.

 

How do we see with 20/20 vision

We are on the alert for dangers that may present themselves in our daily lives. Every day there is something new that we are called to focus our attention upon. Amid the things that can distract us from being authentic to our own calling how do we live amid a world of contradictions? This can become a pressing issue when we feel exposed to the temptations that confront us each day: to be powerful; to be spectacular and to be relevant. They can be like those that faced Jeremiah when his friends watch out for any mistake he may make. Jeremiah has the desire to meet God who probes the depths of his life. This is not just about having the right answers but the willingness to ask the right questions. Jeremiah wants to know how a God of justice will deliver the souls of the needy from evil men.

The theme of being a light on the hill seeks to uncover not our wrongdoing but the reality of God’s glory. The desire of God is not for us to be lost in darkness but to be drawn into the light of the day. Jesus encourages his disciples not just to focus on the material realities of life that if taken from us can feel like death. He looks at a more fundamental loss of losing our sight of God who walks with us in those losses. So often when evil befalls us, we can start to doubt our own worth and yet Jesus proclaims that we are worth more than thousands of sparrows. He allows us to invite God close and to declare God’s presence even in our darkest night.

So how do we acknowledge our need of God even in this darkest night. Paul grapples with the reality of the sin of Adam and how there was something deeper than just breaking the law but the breaking of a relationship with God. We can recognise the reality of the sin can cause a people to separate themselves from a God who seeks them out. This is why it is important to confess mortal sins not to draw attention to the sinful act but to address the injury caused by the act. This can be like a mortal blow that threatens death to the soul.

This is not easy to confess because in many ways the evil spirit seeks to play a three-card trick: to tempt us into wrongdoing, then to keep it secret and then pretend that he is more powerful than God in keeping us hostage to the effects of the sin.  This is acknowledged in the rules of St Ignatius in the first week of the spiritual exercises where he recognised the goodness of God and the reality of the effects of sin. St Ignatius helps to understand the internal movements of consolation and desolation that seek us to encounter God rather than leaving us isolated from the grace that we need to overcome sin. This is not to remove us from the world but so that in the world we seek to be people who can heal the wounds of sin and division.

Thus, we seek to draw confidence that allows us to adjust our vision to see God more clearly. The focus here is not on our sins but on the person of Jesus who seeks to meet us. It is this encounter that transforms us that brings life into focus so that we can see with 20/20 vision.

I will carry you on Eagles wings

In the Hobbit, Eagles seem to turn up at the right time to rescue Gandalf and his friends from danger. Tolkien often imagined that the Eagles would carry you towards the dawn of a new day. He said in reflecting on the Eagles, “May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.” It echoes the word of God calling to Moses on the mountain, “How I have carried you on eagle’s wings and carried you to myself. There is a deep bond between God and his people in which he seeks to embrace the themes of hope, freedom, and connection with the creative power of God.

This is where Paul writing to the Romans also emphasises how God seeks to rescue us even when we seem to at odds with him and might even be considered God’s enemies. It was this desire of God that sought to cover the distance between us through the profound act of reconciliation. This was the giving of a life for the sake of another so that they could experience the joy of God that makes us a priestly people and a consecrated nation. We are filled with a joyful trust in God through Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

This is a continuing event that hear described in the Gospel of St Matthew where the twelve disciples are called to cast out unclean spirits and heal people. The naming of the disciples whom he commissions to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is nearby. This saving mission is initially reserved to the lost sheep of the House of Israel where we notice how Jesus commissions them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out devils. This is considered a gift that they have received to pass on to others.

St Anthony of Padua reflected on this Gospel passage by saying, “So the religious soul finds in the heart of Jesus a secure refuge against the wiles and attacks of Satan, and a delightful retreat. But we must not rest merely at the entrance to the hole in the rock, we must penetrate its depths. At the mouth of the deep hollow, at the mouth of the wound in his side we shall, indeed, find the precious blood which has redeemed us. This blood pleads for us and demands mercy for us. But the religious soul must not stay at the entrance. When she has heard, and understood, the voice of the divine blood, she must hasten to the very source from which it springs, into the very innermost sanctuary of the heart of Jesus. There she will find light, peace, and ineffable consolations (https://www.azquotes.com/quote/893390).”

Yet he also cautioned those who listened to him when he said, “Men will surrender to the spirit of the age. They will say that if they had lived in our day, faith would be simple and easy. But in their day, they will say, things are complex; the Church must be brought up to date and made meaningful to the day's problems. (https://www.azquotes.com/quote/893390.)” This was said eight hundred years ago and yet we face the same challenges of proclaiming the truth with joy and simplicity. We seek to be the person that God called us to be rather than trying to imitate someone else.

Each of us in our own ways are called to be drawn closer to God. This is not by striving to be powerful, spectacular, or relevant but seeking to allow the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to form us and guide us. The Kingdom of God is within you it is in your heart and on your lips that you may live the truth with joy and peace.

Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up dying as photocopies

 

When I travelled the Camino back in 2003, we entered a small village called O Cebreiro. This is a place where one of the Eucharistic miracles took place. The story goes that in 1300 that on winter night with a blizzard raging a farmer attended the Church for Mass. The priest who had to travel up the hill from the valley below had grown cynical over the years and doubted the real presence of Christ. He wondered if it was worth braving the elements to celebrate Mass for just one person. After he prayed the words of consecration the bread became actual human flesh and the wine became blood. It is said that the statue of Mary bowed in adoration of the miracle. Both the host and the chalice were preserved and Queen Isabella commissioned reliques in which they could be venerated in 1486. The miracle was recorded in two Papal Documents (known as a bull) by Pope Innocent VIII in 1487and Pope Alexander VI in 1496.

Whenever we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, we are called to reflect on the statement made by Jesus where he states that “if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you will not have life within you.” This is a statement about how Jesus is present in the bread and wine that are offered at Mass that becomes His Body and Blood. This is not just a metaphor but a reality of how intimately he desires for His life to become our life too. Much as when people give blood at the blood bank it is given freely for us to be drawn into a deeper communion with the Body of Christ. This is not taken by force but out of his total self-giving for the life of the world. His desire is that as we receive this food for the journey, we seek to draw life from Him that draws us closer to eternal life.

It was this desire of Saint Carlo Acutis to not waste time where he wished to apply his skills of information technology, computers, and the internet. He was inspired by two inspirations from reflecting on the book of Job. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living the life of someone else.” And “It is only by saying ‘no’ that you can concentrate on the things that are truly important.”

Pope Francis echoed these sentiments when he said in Christus Vivit (Christ is alive) when he addressed young people. He saw that many young people, wanting to be different, really end up being like everyone else, running after whatever the powerful set before them with the mechanisms of consumerism and distraction. In this way they do not bring forth the gifts the Lord has given them; they do not offer the world those unique personal talents that God has given to each of them. As a result, Carlo said, ‘Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up dying as photocopies.’ Do not let that happen to you! (Christus Vivit 106).

He also understood that not all goods are equal but present themselves to us in a hierarchy of greater and lesser value. Only by saying ‘no’ to a lesser good can we say ‘yes’ to something greater. In the light of the rapid expansion of AI, Pope Leo has written the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. At its heart is the discovery of Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In him, the grandeur of our humanity is safeguarded and brought to fulfilment. True progress always springs from a heart open to others, an intelligence willing to listen, and a will that seeks what unites rather than what divides. For Carlo, information technology was to be seen for what it is: a tool to share the Good News, to connect, and to do good. In this way, he stands as a model for young people, and indeed for all of us, in how to use technology without being manipulated or controlled by it. Carlo saw the Eucharist as the stairway to heaven through his faithful participation in Mass and Adoration. He often said, “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of Heaven.” And again: “If we get in front of the sun, we get sun tans, but when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints.” It also inspired him to create a website that documented these Eucharistic Miracles.

As we prepare for the Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028, may we open our hearts ever more deeply to the real presence of Christ in our midst. May he draw us closer to himself, renew our hope, and make our lives a living witness to the joy and promise of heaven.