Liturgies

This week, Narelle Mullins speaks of the challenge of seeing and being grateful for the “little things” with a gospel reminder from Jesus for the people to open their eyes to what is going on around them including John the Baptist and his message.

St Paul had a lot to say about gratitude. After his conversion, he suffered greatly at the hands of the authorities;. The communities he supported also suffered. Yet Paul constantly urged them towards gratitude. Was he a gifted psychologist who understood the human psyche and what it needs to flourish?

This advent we invite you to be grateful for those simple things we often take for granted. Terry will begin by inviting us to give thanks for that often forgotten and taken for granted wonder, the miracle of life.

Terry talks with Ingerid Meagher about the influence the various denominations and pilgrimages have had on her life and faith and how they have provided opportunities to broaden and enrich her perspective.

This weeks online homily holds an important message from Brother Steindl-Rast that is timeless and timely - focusing on the things for which we are grateful. Let's not be obsessed by everything that is going wrong but focus on what we can be grateful for.

Mahatma Gandhi once said "the greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane". When we return to a place of shared compassion, we can truly begin the work of restoring hope and life on our planet. Each week in our liturgies, we aspire to encourage each of us to find that place of shared compassion.

Marg talks with Terry about her life, especially her involvement with the SMX community and how important it is to her.

As we reflect on the year we realise that as the SMX community we walk with and alongside a loving presence just as the disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is in this presence we can open ourselves to change, it is here we can transform old opinions and expectations. It is here our sense of separateness melts and we are aware that we are part of the dynamic whole.

John Fitzwalter is an artist and a gallery owner. He talks about the role of the arts in helping us focus on that which really matters in our lives. He insists that we are not separate and that it is through the arts that we are able to gain connectedness.

This is the first of a series of one on one conversations we are planning. These will take the place of homilies and will focus on our community people and how they relate to what we do at St Mary's in Exile.