Fr Thomas’ Reflection for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

I have seen many people stopping in front of the closed doors of the Church and praying. The online Mass is very popular. Are they satisfactory? Surely not. The faithful are missing the Holy Communion and many approach me for the Sacrament. If it were not for the Eucharist, nobody would have missed the Church in this lockdown. If it was inspiring preaching that made them the church, it is very well replaced by presentations on social media, thanks to the advancement of technology.

Fr Thomas’ Reflection for the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Life is full of UFOs – Un-Finished Objectives.  There is always a long shopping list. ‘I want a new car, I want to buy a bigger, better house, I want this, I want that’.  The list is unending.  It seems to say that ‘what you buy is what you are’.  People are so crazy after luxury goods and it is making people anxious, worried, and fatigued.  In this race to satisfy self-appetite you forget to appreciate the real joy in life.  If you can walk on to the street and greet someone with a smile and a kind word, it would give a lot more joy than a racing car.  More people would be saying what a beautiful person you are because of your kindness to them than any high-end fashion pieces you wear.  A good examination of conscience and a prayer will give you much better sleep than any sleeping pill would.

Fr Thomas’ Reflection for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last weekend’s live streaming of the Vigil Mass had flaws. A number of people inquired about what happened. The total hits on the site doubled, because most people were trying more than once to get in. It’s another vindication that there is a great hunger for spiritual nourishment. In the current situation there are a lot of limitations. More than technical glitches, stay at home orders and closed churches mean we can’t have the Eucharist and Holy Communion for spiritual nourishment. We are very well aware of our limitations. At this juncture John 6:1-15 can be a special inspiration.

Fr Thomas’ Reflection for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I had to drop my holiday plans because of the ‘stay at home orders’. Holidays improve the efficiency of the ministry. So, what do you do when you are asked to retreat to the wilderness of a lockdown? I find Mark 6:30-34 a good guide for me to navigate through the current reality that is biting me and many others in Sydney.

Fr Thomas’ Reflection for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Churches are closed. If there is any Mass at all, it is online only. Is it the best time to have ‘Jesus talk’? If so, what is the best way to do it? Mark (6:7-13) provides a strategy which was tried successfully by Jesus and (after his resurrection) by his disciples in their hostile circumstances of the 1st century. Jesus, an itinerant preacher, went around preaching the Kingdom of God

Fr Thomas’ Reflection for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What can you expect from a building worker from a poor village? Nothing much I suppose. That is what Jesus was. We read in the Gospel that Jesus was understood by the people of Nazareth as the son of Joseph who followed the profession of his father, carpentry. The term carpenter in Jesus’ time meant someone who did any kind of building work. Nazareth was a poor village in Galilee, not known for anything spectacular. In fact, not just Nazareth, most of the Galileans of Jesus time were mostly poor. Though they did farming, their lands were owned by foreigners and locals were tenant farmers.

Fr Thomas’ Reflection for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Corona is back in Sydney. This time it is a more dangerous variant. Once again, we are to observe the 4 square meter rule and mask up everywhere. The unexpected spread of the virus has made us delay our Confirmation program and cancel singing. Many of the holiday programs are in turmoil. I myself have been planning a trip to Perth this week, only to end up in disappointment. I have taken the first dose of vaccine. Until a cure is found for COVID, vaccines and hygiene are the best we can do to keep our life safe.