Sunday reflections

We often speak of learning from our mistakes, even though we sometimes fail to do so. Likewise, if you are interested in sport, you will often hear sportsmen or women speak of “taking the positives” from a contest they have lost, especially if it’s a narrow loss. 

In today’s gospel, we see again how deeply Jesus understands our human condition. He had watched how people behave when they attend a dinner gathering and noticed how they presume to seat themselves in positions of honour.

In “Walking in a Relaxed Manner”, Sister Joyce Rupp described how despite months of training and preparation, she never anticipated how difficult her 825 km walk on the Camino would be. She was often at the mercy of the weather and challenged by the rugged terrain.

Bearing in mind that Luke begins his gospel with stories surrounding the birth of Jesus and the angels joyfully singing – Glory to God in the highest heaven, and PEACE to people who enjoy his favour – it is not unreasonable for us to answer the Lord’s question with “Yes”.

A priest walked into a bar and made an announcement. “Anyone who wants to go to heaven, please stand up now.”

The story is told of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked.

A disciple says, “Lord, teach us to pray.” In reply, Jesus offers a four-point lesson in prayer.

In the human religious imagination, a tree is often understood to be a symbol of the connection between heaven and earth: branches, spread out and covering all beneath them, are joined by a trunk to roots plunged deep into the ground. The foliage above gives shade and protection from the harsh heat of the day, and fruit for our nourishment. Besides water (which like fruit ‘falls’ from above) human survival depends on shelter and food, both of which the tree provides.

There’s much discussion at the diocesan and national levels about mission renewal in keeping with what Pope Francis has said, “The joy of the church is to evangelise”. In one way or another we’re all involved in this mission, and as the pope has reminded us, ‘mission has a centre and it has a face.’