Sunday reflections

What’s all this about living stones and stumbling stones and cornerstones in the second reading (from the First Letter of St Peter)? Let’s take a deep dive.

One of the most memorable moments in the Australian film Babe comes when the sheep explain that all border collies and kelpies are wolves. The dogs chase, nip, and intimidate. They move sheep by pressure and fear. Babe, however, learns another way. He listens. He speaks gently. And, astonishingly, the sheep follow him because they recognise that he means them no harm

Let’s take a few moments to imagine ourselves living in Jesus’ time: knowing him, following him, loving him. There was something unimaginably wonderful about being in his presence, listening to his teaching and learning from him. No one was excluded from his company and conversation. Everyone was welcome, even those who had previously been shunned or excluded or abandoned by the community, such as the tax collectors, the sick or disabled, or the no-hopers. It was so very good to be with him.

Everything depends on the Resurrection, which is why there is no other Feast in the Church’s calendar which is celebrated with such solemnity. Each day of the Octave is treated as another Easter Day.

The Stawell Gift is Australia’s oldest and most prestigious footrace. The event is held at Central Park in Stawell, Victoria, over the Easter weekend and features runners in a 120-metre race with the finals held on Easter Monday.

The journey of Lent has prepared us to celebrate Palm Sunday and commemorate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, his Passion and death. Are we ready to journey with Jesus Christ into Jerusalem and his Passion and are we ready to welcome Christ to journey with us in our life’s journey?

When Jesus says he is the light of the world what do we make of it? Have we ever experienced this light? Or do we live somewhere between the darkness and the promise of it, perhaps too caught up in the light of our phones to see the people around us?

Breaking boundaries is not always a good thing! In fact, we do well, for the most part, to stay within the boundaries set by family, community, workplace, church and state. However, if we are to grow in our calling to be missionary disciples of Jesus, we need to realise that Jesus himself was not afraid to question prejudices and break boundaries when the mission requires it.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for God’s glory, ‘kabod’, signifies the glorious manifestation of his presence. When this happens, the normally unseen and imperfectly known God makes himself known to his people in a visible and tangible way.