Peace in the Universe

May 3, 2019

Elaine Wainwright suggests that the latest space discoveries invite is to read John 14:23-29 with a whole new appreciation of love and relationship in the cosmos.

At this time of year we ponder more explicitly the extraordinary moments of death and life that weave their way through our experience. These moments are always with us, but at Easter our faith communities invite us to attend to this rhythm of life and death even more intimately.

With attentiveness we can expand our horizons with growing ecological awareness. We recognise that these patterns are woven not just in the in the human community but in the fabric of the entire universe.

While I was composing this reflection an article by Dennis Overbye arrived in my inbox called “Darkness Visible, Finally: Astronomers Capture First Ever Image of a Black Hole”. It opened a whole new appreciation of John’s text for me…

Continue reading the article below:

Tui Motu Issue 237, May 2019 (PDF)

Elaine Wainwright is a biblical scholar specialising in eco-feminist interpretation and is currently writing a Wisdom Commentary on Matthew’s Gospel.
Photo: Event Horizon Telescope collaboration et al. www.NASA.gov

Palm Sunday Rally

May 2, 2019

Another huge Palm Sunday, standing with refugees.

Thousands of people across Australia marked Palm Sunday on 14 April with rallies and demonstrations in support of refugees and asylum seekers, and calling for an end to offshore detention. Over 1000 people gathered in Sydney, and over 5000 in Melbourne. Significant numbers of people attended other centres, including Adelaide, Alice Springs, Armidale, Bendigo, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Forster, Hobart, Launceston, Lennox Head, Newcastle, Perth, Townsville, Whyalla, Wollongong and Yass.

*Rev. John Barr, Fr Claude Mostowik and Fr Shenouda Mansour*

In Sydney’s Belmore Park, football commentator Craig Foster reminded people that the deaths on Manus and Nauru weighed heavily on the conscience of Australia.

Reverend John Barr, Father Claude Mostowik MSC and Coptic Orthodox priest Fr Shenouda Mansour, joined together to call on the humanity of Australians to end the imprisonment of the hundreds of refugees in the Manus and Nauru prisons. Fr Claude encouraged people to keep coming to rallies, to keep agitating, despite the difficulties and indifference. Rev. Barr said our humanity depends on how we treat the poor and oppressed. Fr Shenouda reminded the crowd that the innocent victims of bureaucracy are not numbers, but people, people like us, and we must stand with them. All speakers voiced the desire that a strong message be sent to Canberra, the message that refugees are welcome.

Unfortunately, this Palm Sunday gathering across so many Australian cities and towns did not rate a mention on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) News that night, 14 April. What did feature was a festive march through the streets of Cobar NSW by a couple of dozen citizens, applauded by friends and supporters, (an event not connected to refugees). In response to a complaint, the ABC stated that editors must “take into account the relative newsworthiness of different stories and the resources required to report them.” The complainant was assured that the absence of an item did not reflect on its “newsworthiness”, and was referred to an online resource for news on asylum seekers.

Thus the government’s prevention of news-gathering on Manus and Nauru, is accompanied by the silence of the national broadcaster. Choosing to broadcast a minor festivity in a small country town in preference to an event involving many thousands of people denouncing government policy is an indication of the success of the attacks on the ABC by government and certain powerful media outlets.

The conscience of Australians must continue to be stirred. People must join together to end the scapegoating of refugees. We must keep writing letters, going to rallies and talking with family and friends, because our humanity depends on it.

Susan Connelly rsj
April 2019

Photo provided by Susan Connelly rsj. Used with permission.

NetAct Federal Election Kit

May 1, 2019

‘The NetAct Election Kit’ is offered to you to assist in reflecting on some of the critical issues that face us at this time.

The upcoming Australian Federal Election on Saturday 18 May 2019, is a real call for us to act as Gospel people on behalf of the vulnerable in our society.

You’re invited to view the kit provided below:

NetAct Federal 2019 Election Kit (PDF)

NetAct
(A Project of Catholic Social Justice, Welfare and Educational Agencies)

Thumbnail image: Election Day Vote by OrnaW obtained from Pixabay. Used with permission.

ANZAC Day War Poem

April 25, 2019

In commemoration of ANZAC Day on 25 April, please enjoy “In Flanders Fields”, one of the most quoted poems from the war.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

“In Flanders Fields” is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres. According to legend, fellow soldiers retrieved the poem after McCrae, initially dissatisfied with his work, discarded it. “In Flanders Fields” was first published on December 8 of that year in the London magazine Punch.

It is one of the most quoted poems from the war. As a result of its immediate popularity, parts of the poem were used in efforts and appeals to recruit soldiers and raise money selling war bonds. Its references to the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the remembrance poppy becoming one of the world’s most recognized memorial symbols for soldiers who have died in conflict. The poem and poppy are prominent Remembrance Day symbols throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly in Canada, where “In Flanders Fields” is one of the nation’s best-known literary works. The poem is also widely known in the United States, where it is associated with Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Kathleen Hitchcock rsj

Image: Poppies by James Wainscoat obtained on Unsplash. Used with permission.

International Earth Day 2019

April 22, 2019

*Photo by Anika Huizinga obtained on Unsplash.*

The Gift of Earth

If we look around us, wherever we are at this moment, there is nothing we can note with our senses that is not gift of Earth. It does not matter how far or distant from nature the elements we are observing are, the source is Earth. The ceiling of the Sistine chapel, the Sydney Opera House, the local shopping centre, the instrument you are using to read this paragraph, all sourced from Earth, channeled often through human creativity and expertise.

But we too are Earth and, sadly, often distance ourselves from all that is natural, all that is created. Humanity places itself apart from the natural world. Our faith, however, tells us all creation does not come from nothing but from God, whom the mystics describe as No-thing but unmeasurable love.

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Easter Greetings from Sr Monica Cavanagh

April 21, 2019

Greetings on this great feast of Easter.

So they, the women, left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples – Jesus is risen.Mt 28:8

As Pope Francis reflects: ‘The Easter Triduum is the memorial of a drama of love that gives us the certainty that we will never be abandoned in life’s trials’. Over these past days of the Paschal Triduum, we have journeyed with many emotions. We have experienced fear and courage, betrayal and faithfulness, grief and joy and despair and hope. We have heard the heartbeat of God’s love as we, like John the Beloved, have leant upon the breast of Jesus at the last supper; we have touched the heartache of Peter as he denies the one to whom he has pledged his life; we have experienced the despair of Judas and the cowardice of Pilate and stood faithfully at the Cross with Mary. We have sat in the darkness of the tomb and touched those dark places within as we have grieved with the people of New Zealand and the people of Rwanda celebrating the 25^th anniversary of 100 day genocide in their nation. We have touched into the suffering of Jesus from all corners of the world where war, drought, famine, floods and earthquakes have destroyed homes and livelihoods. From these seeds of hardship new life begins to emerge – new life born of the hope of Easter. We have seen New Zealanders unite as one, embracing difference and standing as one with their brothers and sisters. We have heard stories from Rwanda of forgiveness and reconciliation and we have heard stories of great rejoicing as yet one more person is rescued from the rabble of a natural disaster.

These are the Easter stories of today. Like Mary Magdalene, may the actions of our daily lives proclaim that Jesus is truly alive as we welcome the dawning of a new day, transform our fears into acts of courage, reach out with a hand of hope to a refugee, listen to the story of our first peoples and celebrate the beauty that surrounds us in the gift of creation. In and through these moments, we experience the spirit of that first Easter, rising once again as we proclaim ‘He is risen Alleluia’.

May this Easter be filled with deep peace and joy as we move forward as people of the Resurrection filled with the light of the Easter candle.

Sr Monica Cavanagh rsj
Congregational Leader

Image Sunshine Cross Religion by StockSnap obtained on Pixabay. Used with permission.

Dianne’s Life Commitment

April 18, 2019

On Sunday 24 February 2019, the sisters gathered in the chapel at St Joseph’s Convent Kensington (South Australia), and burst into joyous song with “Come sing out our joy to our God.”

They were celebrating the fact that their dear friend, colleague, Associate and Affiliate – Dianne Colborne – was making her Life Commitment as a Sister of Saint Joseph.

The Celebrant for the occasion was Fr James McEvoy, a long-time friend of Dianne’s.

During the Reflection after the Readings, Genevieve (Gen) Ryan rsj focused on the reading from Jeremiah 29 in which God says:

I will come to you and fulfil my good promise to bring you to this place.Jeremiah 29

Gen traced the unfolding of God’s plan and call to Dianne by drawing our attention to many occasions and incidents in her life. She told how Dianne started her journey into Josephite life as a very young woman in 1970. Nudged by God’s Spirit, she moved away from the formal journey towards religious life and, in 1971, she came to Adelaide where she lived out her discipleship as a teacher, principal of Catholic Schools and, in due course, a Pastoral Associate in the Adelaide Archdiocese.

As we know, every Religious Order has its charism and spirit. It is difficult to define that charism but once a person is drawn to a particular religious community it is easy to recognise it in her life – especially by those already living it. Long before Dianne made any moves to formalise her commitment, other Josephites recognised our Charism in her.

She is now a Sister with Life Commitment and the Eucharistic celebration during which she professed her vows is still resounding in the hearts of all who were present.

Once the celebrations surrounding her commitment were over, Dianne returned to Western Australia where she is Co-ordinator of a Retreat Centre at Safety Bay, near Perth. There her ministry is one of hospitality and welcome to those who come seeking to deepen their relationship with self, others and God.

View a reflection from the Mass of Dianne’s Life Commitment here (PDF)

View photos from the celebration in the gallery below: