Dear Parishioner,

It is possible to experience joy while feeling sad, angry, or happy.  That is because joy is altogether something other than a feeling.  Of course, many of us feel some form of elation when we hear the Gospel passage, ‘I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people’ or when we see a beautiful landscape.  When we are young, we confuse elation with supernatural joy.  While elation is a passing feeling, joy is more of an attitude rooted in unshakeable faith and hope.

This joy is an attitude, disposition, or orientation.  We don’t have to be a bubbly, happy-go-lucky person to be ‘joyful’- that would be confusing the externals with the internals.  Instead, joy brings us peace.  The anxiety we may feel when faced with human obstacles or challenges can be overwhelmed and trumped by the fundamental disposition of joy within.

This joy comes from Christ, the victor.  We know He rules, that He has conquered death, and that He invites us to live with Him.  That should colour absolutely everything we see.  We know that no matter what happens, whether good or ill, we will triumph with Him.  That is how joy can vanquish sadness.  Though we may experience physical loss or distress, joy can buoy us up via supernatural hope.

Adversities can be overcome.  No matter the struggle, we know who we serve, and He brings us joy.  Any other challenge can be taken in stride, knowing that God is in control.  Our faith tells us He knows what we need – and whether He gives us what we want or not, we know He is providing for us. But he 

God Bless

Canon Francis Brown

Dear Parishioner,

In the Palestine of New Testament times, it was customary for a wedding banquet to take place at night.  Jesus presses this scenario into service as a parable for His Kingdom.  The ten Virgins, or bridesmaids, represent all Christians as they wait for Christ to return at the end of time in glory.  But according to the parable, when He comes, He finds that half of them is unprepared.  They are not evil; just lazy, shallow, thoughtless.  They have been hoping to free wheel into the feast; maybe relying on the good works of others to get them there.  But according to the conclusion to our Gospel this weekend, instead they hear the spine-chilling sentence: Amen, I say to you: I do not know you. 

Jesus is speaking in Jerusalem, according to St. Matthew’s Gospel, in the last days before His passion and death.  He is looking ahead to the time of the Church, urging His disciples, in no uncertain terms, to spiritual vigilance.  Entrance to heaven, He teaches, is not simply assured for all.  We cannot expect to drift gently and without effort into eternal salvation.  Until the end of time, we must realise the necessity and urgency of preaching and living the Gospel; striving for true holiness of life; remaining always morally and spiritually awake.  Nowadays, that is not the message that is easy for people to hear.

In the centre of the parable this weekend there is a thrilling cry.  Behold the Bridegroom! Go out to meet Him.  He is coming from heaven to earth; from His Father’s glory to you and to me, here and now, in order to give Himself to us, in love, and without reserve.

God Bless

Canon Francis Brown

Dear Parishioner,

In Calcutta, India, there is a children’s home named Shishu Bhavan; founded by Mother Teresa, the home continues to be operated by her community, the Missionaries of Charity.  On the wall hangs a sign which reads:

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centred.  LOVE THEM ANYWAY.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.  DO GOOD ANYWAY.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.  SUCCEED ANYWAY.

The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow.  DO GOOD ANYWAY.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.  BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.

What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight.  BUILD ANYWAY.

People really need help but may attack if you help them.  HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY.

Give the world the best you have, and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.  GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.

Mother Teresa counselled her young charges that the challenges offered by this sign can be met only if human beings are motivated by a love and a respect for one another which looks beyond faults, differences ulterior motives, success, and failure.  Love such as this originates in God who has taken the initiative of loving all people; once that love is known and experienced, it becomes contagious and must necessarily spill over and inform all other relationships.

God Bless

Canon Francis Brown

Dear Parishioner,

One of the gifts that God gave us is our Catholic faith.  Jesus gave this to us through our Baptism.  Does this gift of faith end with our Baptism?  No, Jesus is also expecting us to share this gift of our Baptism by living and sharing our faith.

We read in the Gospel on Friday this week that there was a landowner who leased his vineyard to some tenants.  After a period of time the landowner was now demanding his share of their produce.  But they did not give him his share.  The tenants were ruled by greed that they kept to themselves the fruits of the vineyard.

The same is true with the gift of faith that Jesus gave us, Jesus expects us to share the fruits of our faith.  Let us not be content with the status quo or inaction let us move and do something so that we could share our faith, for this is what Jesus demands from us.

For example, why don’t we share our faith with the members of our family by inviting them to go to Holy Mass?  Why don’t we share our Catholic faith with them by having a regular time for family reflection about the words of Jesus in the Bible?  Ot perhaps by praying the Holy Rosary which can certainly strengthen the unity of the family.  What have you done so far with the gift of faith that Jesus gave through the Sacrament of Baptism?  Have you shared it already?

God Bless

Canon Francis Brown