It’s only a few weeks since a maritime refugee disaster occurred off our coast. While the aftermath has largely slipped off the radar of mainstream awareness – the question of developing humane asylum seeker policy remains untouched. Jack Smit of SafeCom is one of the most relentless and compassionate commentator/lobbyists I have come across forContinue reading “The SIEV-221 drama: lessons from a disaster”
Author Archives: wonderingpilgrim
We Three Kings of Orient Are…
… but not the magi of Bethlehem in Matthew 2:1-20! We don’t know how many there were – tradition varies from the popular three to the less known twelve. The magi are not described as “kings” – there are two kings in Matthews’s account – Herod and Jesus – and the nature of their respectiveContinue reading “We Three Kings of Orient Are…”
A New Year’s Resolution awaiting fulfilment…
A bit of bush doggerel for a job I have to get done… I sit by the fountain on New Year’s Day; the bricks shimmer and shine in burning heat. Through the parched bowls the leaves swirl and sway; no streams of water – the pump is beat! Beneath the cover the water is brackish;Continue reading “A New Year’s Resolution awaiting fulfilment…”
Gulp!! – every day??!!?
You’ve got to be kidding. WordPress has just issued a challenge to it’s blogging community to post something every day. This is meant to inspire confidence and competence in “fit-start” bloggers like myself. Well, I’m up for it – even though I’m a sprinter rather than a marathon runner! The trick will be to keepContinue reading “Gulp!! – every day??!!?”
Pray-as-you-go . . . daily prayer for your MP3 player
This is one of the most helpful on-line aids I have found for maintaining a daily discipline of prayer. The roughly 10 minute dailies are based on the Ignatian spiritual exercises. It is “prayer with muscle.” Pray-as-you-go . . . daily prayer for your MP3 player.
Drop in Guest
This bandicoot dropped in while Jenny & I were calling on my mother-in-law this afternoon. He is a regular visitor apparently, twice a day, and quite fearless and inquisitive. Good to see native fauna living symbiotically amongst us – although I might still keep my distance from some of the more reptilian ones in theContinue reading “Drop in Guest”
WA Council of Churches full of delightful surprises.
What a council we had today! It was hosted by the Syrian Orthodox Church, a small community which is itself hosted by the Norbertine Priory in Queen’s Park – a unique partnership. The richness of the opening prayer service in Aramaic (also bilingual) heralded a morning of celebrating good news of inter-church sharing at theContinue reading “WA Council of Churches full of delightful surprises.”
What more could you want in an Aussie Saint?
It seems Australia’s disadvantaged, including indigenous, mentally ill, and those seeking asylum, have a newly sanctioned advocate. Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop has become Australia’s first Saint. On a day of celebration owned by Catholic and non-Catholic, religious and secular, believer and non-believer, one of our own has been ushered into the select company ofContinue reading “What more could you want in an Aussie Saint?”
H2O
It’s Blog Action Day and the topic is “water.” I grew up with a love/hate relationship with the stuff. Loved playing with it. Hated the enforced swimming lesson that entailed jumping off the Port Adelaide wharf into the canal on the end of a rope. Swallowed lots of water and never went back. Never learntContinue reading “H2O”
World Communion Sunday
I used a day of leave to experience communion in a tradition quite different to that which I am accustomed, so I took myself off to the 10 am Choral Eucharist at St Georges Cathedral of the Anglican Arch Diocese of Perth, Western Australia. I have participated in communion services of the higher liturgical traditions before, most notablyContinue reading “World Communion Sunday”
