C&SI - Summer Reflections Series 2026 - "Faith & Care for our Planet" - 6 Sept 2026 (S06E40)

0:00So good morning listeners and welcome to commentsy inspirations on this, the 23rd, in ordinary time. It's the 6th of September. My name is John Kelly and help me get into present this podcast. Shane Embrote, good morning to you Shane, how are you? I'm not too bad, John. How are we doing? Good, Shane. Thanks a lot, thank you for joining me. And now Shane will join me in welcoming listeners who are joining us from various parts of the world and who listen to us on our podcast online. And of course a special welcome as usual goes out to our listeners who are host phones, lonely or struggling in some way. And our listeners who support us each week in prayer. You're so you're so welcome indeed and thank you indeed for that prayer.

1:01Our weekly podcast does include notices about events, faith events, they could be local, they could be national and international. And with that we would invite listeners to share maybe some notices about those events so we can allow a fellow listeners to share in maybe some of those events that might be taking care that might be taking place maybe local or national or international. You can do that by emailing us and comments the inspirations at gmail.com that comments the inspirations at gmail.com where you can text us on 087 for 668950 others 087 4668950. And of course just a reminder again we can be heard and Spotify iTunes comments the inspirations on YouTube and we do have a president Facebook and that's that common see inspiration. So again just a reminder of our contact details common see inspirations at gmail.com is that email or you can text us on 087 4668950

2:04outside of our interest rates that's pretty fixed by using plus three five three. So when that would hand over to Cheyenne for science this week and any other bits and pieces you might want to share with us Cheyenne. Thank you. Thanks Jon. So of course we are now into September. So of course it is the prayer for the season of creation which of course kicked off last Tuesday on the first of September. Draw people's attention actually to the Pope's homily and the mass that he said in Rome and he said he he said it at the Lodato Sea village in Castellgandalfo and he urged he said it's not too late yet it's not yet too late to turn destruction into life and calling for Christians to embrace an ecological conversion and renew their commitment to caring for the creation for creation and the poor and he used I'd forgotten this but they've they've written a mass for

3:05the care of creation. Special text. The text of the prayers the mass. So obviously he was using that as well. So definitely where people's effort time to have a look about the Pope said about listening to the melodious voice of creation that it's a responsibility shared by all following the example of course of Saint Francis the of a CC. One thing I suppose just to be conscious of there has been an extreme online reaction against both that but also against the Pope's prayer and for the month of September which we're going to have in a few minutes. It's an extreme let's call it what it is it's an extreme right-wing mega response reaction against the Pope it's completely out of all order and completely taking things out of context it's been largely driven by some very high profile right-wing mega people in the United States online who it is very evidence

4:09some of them haven't actually read the Pope's intention for the month of September kind of one of them basically said the Pope's praying for you know the the care of creation where actually the church's responsibility is the salvation of souls and it's kind of going well there is talking about something it's too simplistic. So yeah so it's it's a pray for the Holy Father and the the the the the challenges that he faces. Obviously we keep in mind that it is the season of creation and as the gospel this week calls us to we also pray that those that have been at the Holy Father may have a conversion of hearts and listen to what the Holy Father is calling them to do. Now moving on John in terms of the church clouds and ins for the week so actually the first thing we're going to start off with is the Pope's prayer intention for the month of September which focuses on the intention for the care of water and not spit broad on that so have a listen to what

5:09Pope Leo has to say. the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit are men.

6:09the Lord of life you have given us the gift of water source of fruitfulness freshness and hope it quenches thirst nourishes the earth and heals wounds we thank you because it is also a symbol of your grace and love that renews us through baptism today we ask you to teach us to safeguard it with gratitude and justice and responsibility

7:33forgive us for turning it into a commodity forgetting that it is a universal gift of right without borders meant for all your children we see with pain so many brothers and sisters who lack clean water who walk for miles to find it who become ill due to its scarcity you may your spirit make us pilgrims of the essential able to live with simplicity denouncing waste and pollution defending the right of every brother and sister to drink without fear and without

8:36inequality may our care for water be a sign of love for the creator and the commitment to the lives of the poor educating new generations to value and protect the earth's resources Amen okay

9:44okay so that was our the Pope's prayer intention for the month of september as i said there's a little bit more nuance to that than some people are giving well worth to listen to it and i was sick to keep it in your prayers did you know actually john the the monthly prayer intention uh the idea of getting people to pray for the Pope's monthly intention was actually started out by pope leo the thirteenth oh okay so it's been gone on that long yeah and leo the thirteenth gave us to it's promoted by the apostleship of prayer yes or not yes so that's that's where that's that whole idea of the of the praying for the Pope's intention comes from as well and now because we can now hear it in english it's yeah it does actually make it it does make a bit a bit of a difference it does stick with you a little bit yeah it does it does what does read it yeah yes exactly now other bits and pieces that just caught our eye during the week one um was the the the baby bishops are in room this week john uh the new ones yes the the the 147 newly appointed bishops from five continents are taking part in their well in in in a normal working environment

10:50you'd call it their induction it's their uh phatic informed formation course addressing mission ministry safeguarding litigy and church governance and it's like okay guys so behave yourselves and best of luck with those that have recently been elevated to the episcopate uh then obviously of course there's quite a significant amount on the the Vatican news website this month of course about the care of creation there's an interesting one uh a doc an article written by is a bello piro called care for creation is a theological question and for those that kind of want to ponder things as to why this is an issue that the church is concerned about it's actually a nice summary in about a page and a half um yeah so it's watch your while kind of having a look at us everyone is connected the origin of the universe current science and faith the sabote principal conversion synagons creation and the creator um the cry of the earth of the poor it's it's it's it's a it's a good summary it's well worth taking the time yeah it's like about a page and a half so it's a virtue time

11:53and then one of the one that caught my eye actually was teamer less or as we would be more familiar with it in in Ireland a East Timor so um for those that are non Irish there was a there was a very public campaign of support for the independence of East Timor as it was then uh which was run in Ireland uh can't remember the end of the gentleman i remember he was a bus driver but i can't remember the name of the gentleman that led that campaign but it was interesting and during the week the marker remains of three former church leaders were returned to dilly um as uh basically the church in dilly as uh what's the word uh honored pastors who accompanied the nation through some of its most darkest chapters the three bishops were they had been buried originally in Portugal so they were they were brought home they were brought home to to to East now john moving on to the actual liturgical odds and ends for the coming week so we are in the 23rd week in ordinary time for those of us that are praying the salter we're on week three

12:59uh monday is the 7th of september and it's the feast day of blessed john maqai who is one of the markers of nagasaki he died he was burned alive in 1627 and he's the son of blessed ludu vicious maqai suetsu and he was martyred with his father in uh 1627 so they're one of the they're one of the group of the the markers of nagasaki in japan it's an interesting story he was a layman and he was the adopted son actually i should have said and um the maritres of japan are an interesting bunch because of the history that what happened after the persecution when christianity was nearly destroyed in japan they went into hiding but managed to preserve the faith in secret far about i think was about 300 years until japan reopened to the wider world again so it's it's an interesting story for those who would like to follow up on it choose uh choose day the 8th of september is the

13:59feast day of the nativity of the blessed virgin Mary so it's basically Mary's birthing for those that want to to market it's an interesting one the tradition comes to us from the east and from the proto-vangelic of saint james as opposed to the bible it's a nice one just it's a celebration of the feast day of our lady and the data she was born and um obviously it is nine months since the feast of the martyred conception yep okay so yeah right when's day is the 9th of september and it is the feast of saint kyrdan of klann Mcnoi's i think yes um so it's kyrdan of klann Mcnoi's on the irish calendar so obviously he's he's one of our one of our bigger boys because of the association with klann Mcnoi's born and russ common around five twelve he came to klann Mcnoi's into january five four five where he founded the monastery which was become one of the most renowned in europe he died at the age of thirty three where the monastery was still being built so he's

15:04the saint very much associated with klann Mcnoi's klann Mcnoi's is the monastic city and it's pretty much in the center of our land and it is an amazing place to visit if anyone is ever in the country or down that nick of the woods thursday the 10th of september is the feast day of saint peter clever i think it's with he's a catellonian born in 1580 he was a Jesuit we won't hold that against him in 1612 he was sent to cartagena in columbia and he worked for 33 years among the slaves until his death in 1654 um cartagena was a center of slave trade with its believed as manny is 10,000 slaves a year arriving there wow so during a tireless ministry he has said to have baptized more than 300,000 people so that's an interesting one then john friday next friday is the eleventh of september

16:08so of course um so on the from a liturgical point of view that's the feast day of blessed dominic dillin one of the irish martyrs on the irish calendar and from memory dillin was a dominicum obviously of course um it is the eleventh of september and so this year of course marks the 25th anniversary of 9 11 and for those yes and for those of us that were caught up in the events of that day in america it's not a day that goes by it's not an anniversary that passes us easily by and we remember all those that died on the day itself both in the towers in new york in the plane crash in pennsylvania and those that died in pentagon and the plane that went in there but we also remember as well i think those the innocent that died in the wars that followed um and the

17:11consequences that flowed from from from that horrific horrific horrific day so the 25th 25th anniversary it's it's hard to believe it's it's 25 25 years for those of us that were there it's it's only seems like yesterday then finally john on saturday the twelfth of september it's the memorial of the holy name of mary this feast was included in the roman calendar in 1684 to celebrate a particular battle or victory at vina in 1683 it was suppressed in the calendar revision after the council in 1969 and then it was restored to the calendar in 2002 just and tell me why it was restored in 2002 but it's just back in 2002 yeah the church the church does that it changes its minds i could you know the church yeah i could make a comment there now but i won't

18:12you won't you won't yeah yeah i won't i could i could make a comment there now but i'll be good so that's what we have in terms of the church in lousy ninsford the coming week uh and of course the big thing of course is the um we're obviously in the season of creation now the following week there's nothing major to jump out except monday and choose it yeah that's fine we cover those on next week's program um yeah we're good john good thanks latinay for that john so at that we might go for our prayer space today and again we're going for again for something from father patrick kehl where he gave a a beautiful hamlet there recently entitled why traditions are important and we're father where the piece in music by matt maher entitled because he lives i can face tomorrow but first of all let's listen to father patrick kehl as you share with us his thoughts on why traditions are important so different just uh two points if i made it this morning so firstly in our reading from the second half of the same poll to the cellonians he uses a word which we probably don't really notice uh

19:13goes over our heads when we hear it said but it's very very important crucial to our faith he says through the good news that we brought god called you so that you should share the droid of our lord jesus christ stand firm then brothers and keep the traditions we taught you either by word of mouth or by letter okay so tradition the word tradition in there is really really important because when you look at how christianity has developed throughout the centuries there was one christian church one catholic church for 15 centuries and then its split and has continued splitting ever since the time of the reformation so what does does our faith stand on like how do we know where right or how do we why should we think that we have anything different or anything special or anything more important than anybody else because a very uh standard approach in schools in

20:17society in general today is actually once you have any sort of faith or once you do the bit of spirituality your grand and ultimately all the religions are basically the same they are of some sort of religious text all of some sort of religious right and ultimately they're all just different paths to the same goal that's fairly common and it's actually rubbish religions are basically the same they are of some sort of religious text all of some sort of religious right and ultimately they're all just different paths to the same goal that's fairly common and it's actually rubbish so we're the same as christians it's absolutely not you know so you ask other world religions are all the religions the same they'll say absolutely not you know you ask juz is it the same to be a jiu or or a Muslim what would they say so no one believes that every religion is the same except catholics we don't have a very strong faith sorry that might sound a bit judgmental but like this isn't just my opinion are all world religions the same look at how they actually function in the real world are they the same they're not even close they're not even close so we made

21:19there may be common elements like yes usually there is some sort of a sacred text and usually there is some sort of a sacred right but that doesn't make all the world religions the same our understanding of god or understanding of justice our understanding of love our understanding of the dignity of of womanhood is this all is is this the same in all world religions absolutely not so we should be very careful it's not to think that all the religions are the same because if you look at the details there are absolutely not so how do we know that this is the faith that we should that we should believe okay our faith stands on three legs three for Protestants it stands on one solar structure right what Bible says and that's it which is a good start the only problem is the Bible is is a it's a long series of books written in very difficult or different times and difficult literary genres in a different language it wasn't written in English so understanding translating

22:22and tying the old testament to us together it's not easy and most of us and even those who have studied I mean I've done seminary thesis of seminary studying scripture it's even that's fairly superficial we get a general idea but like there's just there's so much in this so if I go off an tangent of my own and start my own church who's to say I'm understanding scripture correctly ultimately I'm relying on me but what do I know like even and even if I have studied even like there are people who spend their life studying one book of scripture like we have we had lectures whose all they did was study Saint John or all the study simple all the did was study a particular gospel like that's all they like it's incredible the amount that you can the amount of study you can put into one single book out of how many though okay so how do we know then that we're right our faith doesn't stand just on scripture scripture is

23:27one of the legs we scripture we also have sacred tradition now it'd be very careful to understand that one correctly and then the last one is my just aerial teaching so that the Lord has established a group of people who can interpret scripture with authority what you can what you consider bound on earth is considered bound in heaven which you can say loose on earth is considered loose in heaven so he did give authority to Peter and his successors to interpret scripture in his name okay so there is an authority that isn't just coming from me or what I like or what my preference is he has established a church within authority but that that middle one is sort of want to focus on today sacred tradition now tradition doesn't mean anything that was done in a local church because sometimes tradition local traditions can go wrong we're talking sacred tradition capital as capital T capital in the Calacan is normally written in capital T so it's a tradition for the

24:27universal church how was mass celebrated so the the readings the homily the presentation of the gifts the consecration of the gifts the distribution of holy communion at the reception of holy communion and then even the bringing wave holy communion to those who were in need these are age old traditions going the whole way back to the church the the way we celebrate the sacraments how the the hierarchy of the church works these are very very ancient traditions that we hold on to why because of our reading today and others like it stand firm then brothers and keep the traditions that we taught you whether by mouth or letter keep the traditions okay now aside aside note on that is the word for traditions is in Greek is paradoxes paradoxes right some Protestant

25:30translations not all of some Protestant translations want to get away from the word tradition because for them they stand on scripture alone so they don't they don't want any positive reference to tradition because their understanding is that tradition gets in the way of scripture tradition is a problem so they're trying to build on just scripture not on tradition so often in order to get it around a text like this they will translate paradoxes which we translate tradition to teaching so basically if it's positive hold on to the traditions some parts and translations will say we'll translate that hold on to the teachings but then in other places St Paul condemns me or human traditions and in those cases it'll be to translate a tradition so if it's negative it's translate tradition it's positive it's translate a teaching that's not very fair it's also your manipulating scripture so you shouldn't do that the word paradoxes is translate traditions so sometimes there are human traditions

26:32that do have to be have to be purified like there were some of those in Ireland too which aren't traditions of the church but were local traditions like people who committed suicide not been buried in church grounds that that that's a local tradition that was an Irish thing that was never teaching of the church children who died going to limbo again not teaching of the church but was a common belief within the church so you have to be careful to recognize what did the church actually teach and what did local churches do or believe because they're not the same thing so there are there is a need to at times purify the church from human traditions why at the same time holding on to sacred tradition and when you look at the GAA or you look at sports you look at weddings there's so much tradition involved you know the colors of a county at the the songs associated with a certain county the the chance the various parades starting your your

27:39ceremony at the end you know with in Irish to an Alhazarm and Karnschard Lachheir son Tibbardar these little this is so much tradition involved and all these traditions are considered good if you if if if whoever were to be suggested bless or no one actually speaks Irish maybe we should sing the national anthem in English I mean can you imagine the rock shans you know sing the national anthem in English but yeah but why not no one understands Irish anyway you find me 10 people 10 random people who can write the first line of the Irish national anthem in Irish with no mistakes I guarantee you I'd say it does even 1% of people who can write any power to the national anthem with no mistakes and they usually there'll be Irish teachers right so but to suggest in that we change that tradition and sing the national anthem in English there would be absolute rock shans why because it's considered a tradition and we know that this is this like this like links us these traditions link us to the past and to those who've gone before us and to those maybe who've led died and suffered for what we get to celebrate today so freely to these traditions it's a

28:43way of staying rooted it's also a way of not getting carried away with the next fleeting idea the next tradition the next fad and wrecking things in the meantime so our traditions when it comes to sport are considered sacrosanct it's important that in the churches will we recognize that our traditions it's not about being old hat or stock in the middle ages at all it's about being rooted in what God has given us so we stay rooted in what the Lord has given us we stay rooted in what the early church did and what the early church practiced and what the early church believed and that stops us from getting pulled every direction by the next fad by the next idea by the next fashionable thought in the church we have to be very very careful because it has happened in the past that there were different temptations if you want to call them or different ideologies which would have wrecked the church if the church had followed them I mean back in the early centuries just the idea of of Aryanism the God the Father is God and then at a certain point in

29:49history he creates Jesus who is very very powerful but isn't God from God light from light God true God from true God but he's he's created by God the Father he's powerful but he's not God in the same way that thought spread through the church like wildfire and the majority of the church became Aryan seeing that in Asia then sticks his heels in and with through preaching teaching and councils it was recognized and approved as teaching of the church again so we need this teaching authority that Jesus is God from God light from light true God from true God he is God as God the Father is God so is the Holy Spirit so how do we where does it say that in scripture well it doesn't where does it come from sacred tradition sacred tradition so these things are hugely hugely important so which we just careful if everyone says kind of speaks negatively about the

30:50door traditions of the church tradition of the church are fantastic that's not to say that every person the church or every priest in the church in the past or every bishop even every pope has been holy or perfect or above approach of course not but that's exactly why we get go beyond the person it's not about people what does the Lord teaching how do we know what he teaches through sacred scripture through sacred tradition and through magisterial teaching we take the people the personalities out of it what does the Lord teach and this is how we can be confident that our faith is true it's up because we consider ourselves better again it's not about people it's it's about what the Lord has given and how do we know what the Lord has given sacred scripture sacred tradition and magisterial teaching that's how we know so who has that we do so this is a this is a treasure given to us it's not a treasure that we create it was given

31:52to us and what's our responsibility to pass it on faithfully what's that called tradition of passing on sacred tradition to the next generation this is a good thing it's important that we rediscover this and have a healthy positive understanding of tradition so it's going to say something under gospel there is in time so we ask the Lord to renew our faith and renew our understanding of the treasure and privilege that we have in our faith of receiving the fullness of divine revelation amen I believe in the risen one I believe I overcome by the power of his blood

32:59I'm there I'm alive I'm alive because he lived I'm there I'm there I'm there let my soul join the world that never ends because he lives I I was dead in the grave I was covered in sin and shame I heard mercy call my name I hear the soul I

34:01am there I'm alive I'm alive because he lived I'm there I'm there I'm I Amen, amen, I'm alive, I'm alive because he lives. Amen, amen, let my soul join the world and never else.

35:06Amen, amen, I'm alive, I'm alive because he lives. Amen, amen, let my soul join the world and never else. Amen, amen, let my soul join the world and never else. Amen, amen, amen, amen. So welcome back again to the second part of Comuncy Inspiration. My name is John Keely, still joined by Shen Embross. And we're going to bring another recording from some of the recordings we had in the various

36:07New Venus and talks that happened throughout the year. This particular week it being the year of creation, the month of creation has shown just reminded us earlier on. We'll take one that Sister Betty Baker, a reflection, Sister Betty Baker, gave us from the Camarachne, in the country of the world, entitled Faith and Care for our Planet. And we've added that via piece in music by Marty Hogan entitled The Canticle of the Son. But first of all, let's listen to Sister Betty Baker. Good evening to everybody. Good evening, please. I was just thinking as I drove out what a beautiful part of the country it is, and it was lovely to be driving out from the city and to be coming into such peace, beautiful trees, and then a few years ago, in the distance. So maybe as we begin this little reflection on caring for our planet and our faith,

37:08the stark of where you're actually living and to appreciate its beauty, it's a gift. A gift that not everybody enjoys in particularly the southern hemisphere of our world. And talking about faith and caring for the planet, it's a huge issue. But I want to thank you for your time. Home, the world in which we live. And our faith reminds us again and again that we are custodians. We are stewards really of this world. And we have a clear moral obligation to ensure that everyone has access to its abundant resources. 8.3 billion people share this common home.

38:10Just think about it. 8.3 people share this common home. And even though we may feel very much on our own, we are all connected. And that is huge implications for us. We can no longer walk away, no longer say that it's not of my business, no longer just ignore the implications that degradation of the earth affects, especially the poorest people. And how do we connect it with our faith? My emphasis this evening is on faith as a spirituality. As a path we walk as our way of living, a way of being that believes that God cares about what is happening just now,

39:10that Jesus is forever active in our world. And that faith and belief not only changes my heart, but changes my lifestyle. So we allow God to happen. And how does he happen? He happens through us. Wherever we are, God is acting in us. He has no other way of acting in our world today. The scripture readings this evening, though written thousands of years apart, call us to nature, ask the beasts and they will tell you. Let nature speak. And it is shout, but can we hear its cry? Can we also hear the cry of the poor? All throughout the Gospels, Jesus has really clued into the natural world.

40:11And He uses images as you heard read in the Gospel from nature as examples of truths and lessons he wanted to teach. His parables of our God's reign are nature-based. He spoke about farmers sowing seeds, about vineyards, wheat and chaff, fig trees, mulberry bushes, harvest and fruit trees storms. He made a wide reference to animals and the life of nature, the birds of the air, sheep and goats, fish pigs. He let nature speak. And He himself withdrew to the mountains to pray. Many times he taught people from a boat on the lake and he experienced being in the desert. Host to nature and respect the rhythms of the earth. And our own lives reflect these rhythms too.

41:14We go through periods of growth as in spring, of action as in summer, of rest as in autumn, and in letting go as in winter. I just went to high like three areas. One very broad, I'm just going to pose a question. We could be answering it for months and years. And it's our responsibility to future generations. It's the big question and it's this. What kind of world do we want to live to those who come after us? To the children who are now growing up, to unborn generations. It's the big picture question that could rest in our hearts. Pope Francis said, from God's hands we have received a garden.

42:16We cannot leave a desert to our children. The second point I want to make is about our faith in action. Our care for the earth has to show itself in how we act, in how we behave. And I know that all of you, probably most people, are very conscious today of particular actions that impact. I'm just going to mention four. To avoid overconsumption and excessive shopping. Only by what we need and try to live simply. Support those who produce food locally. It's vitally important. So trees, especially native trees, it's one of our greatest gifts to the planet,

43:20whether it's at home or in countries where there are tree projects going on. And give room for biodiversity in your garden patch, in a local park or in your local graveyard. These are very impactful, among very impactful actions. And the third area I want to mention is our own spiritual path. Because I think our own spiritual path affects everything else. The actions we do and how we think about our wider world. This beautiful church on what you're doing, so much work at the moment, is a symbol of God's presence. It's a sacred place of worship for centuries. Outside and surrounding area, we have another beautiful cathedral, the cathedral of creation.

44:20Also a sign of God's presence. God has written a precious book where the letters are a multitude of created things. From panoramic vistas to the tiniest life form, nature is a source of constant wonder and awe. There is a divine manifestation in the blaze of the sun and the fall of the night, their words of Pope Francis. But he also reminded us that the greatest crisis today for us is a spiritual crisis. And that's why I say that our own spiritual path, our own faith path, is the most important one. He spoke of the many deserts in the world and he commented that the greatest desert is very often found within our own hearts. So what's the antidote to today's hectic pace?

45:22It's stillness, it's quiet, it's reflection, it's contemplation. So make time to look at the beauty around you, to be silent, to appreciate, to allow one renau to overtake you. Because nature speaks to us of the presence of God and inspires us to pray. Reject the constant hustle of life and embrace slowness. We are not achievement machines, though we offer not act as if we are. Resist constant speed, breed, adopt times of stillness. Two predominant ailments of our time are, as you well know, anger and anxiety. We experience these as individuals and as a result we are experiencing them in our own country and on a global scale.

46:29So be peaceful in thought, attitude and speech. Our attitude and words have a far reaching effect. There can be an antidote to the words of violence, war, exclusion and rejection that so many experience in our world today. Go for a walk in nature, be filled with wonder and all at the beauty of it and pass this gift unto your children and your grandchildren. Read nature poetry, stay with us, save us, say it out loud and let us sit in your heart, pray us. And for those of you who might be interested in nature poetry, James has a little booklet that he'll distribute at the end of the mass today and if he's short, he'll make some available during the week.

47:32And then we know that our own Irish heritage, our own poetry, our own Irish spirituality is full of nature poems. Poem is the talk to us that our science of God's presence in nature. And I'm going to finish with one that you will all know by heart and will be very familiar to us. Joseph Mary Plunkus, one among many. I see his blood upon the rose and in the stars the glory of his eyes. His body gleams amid eternal snows. His tears fall from the skies. I see his face in every flower, the thunder and the singing of the birds, our body's voice and caravan by his power, rocks are his written words.

48:32All pathways by his feet are worn. His strong heart stores the everbeating sea. His crown of thorns is tined with every torn. His cross is every tree. So let the words of the poem sit on your heart and maybe some thought will echo with you as you reflect on your own spiritual path in particular. Maybe actions that you might take up and the big question of our legacy to future generations. Thank you. Thank you.

50:18Thank you. Thank you.

51:18Thank you. Praise for the earth who makes life the brood, the creatures you made to let your life show, the flowers and trees that help us to know the heart of love. And I tell him the glory of God, and the creation is shall we fordure, come dance in the forest, come play in the field and sing sing the glory of the Lord.

52:30Sing sing the glory of the Lord. All welcome back again to the third part of Comincy Inspirations. My name is John Keyle, still joined by Sharon Ambrose. This is the part of our podcast each week where we re-refect on the word of God the Sunday Gospel before that. We invite Sharon as you should to pray this prayer, we always share before reading or reflecting on scripture, thank you. Lord, we thank you for putting us in the presence of your word which you inspired in your prophets. May we approach this word reverently, attentively and humbly. We not despise this word, but receive all it has to say to us. We know that our hearts are closed, offering capable of comprehending the simplicity of your

53:31word. Send your spirit to us so that receiving the word in truth and simplicity our lives may be transformed by it. Let us not be resistant, Lord. May your word penetrate us like a two-inch sword. May our hearts be open to it, let our eyes be closed, nor our minds wander. May we give ourselves entirely to this listening. We ask this Father and You, who used to recite the Psalms to Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanks for that, Jan. So, the Gospel for today, after the 23rd Sunday in ordinary time, is taken from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 15-20. Jesus said to his disciples, If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two cells. If he listens to you, you won't back your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you. The evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge.

54:35But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community. And if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven. Whatever you lose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven. I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them. The Gospel of this week for the Gospel of Matthew, Shane, any thoughts you might want to share with us please? Yeah, well, not too many, John. I suppose we've gone through a cycle of readings from Matthew's Gospel around, I suppose, relationships and whatnot. And we have here when I suppose, one which is in some ways a little practical. Jesus knew that there was going to be issues around relationships within the church.

55:40So he's setting, he's looking through it. And I suppose what it reminds us is we come together as a church, not as perfect people, but as sinners who are loved. And it's Jesus is speaking about what it means to belong to His church. So last week and the week before us, it was, you know, I found my church and not even the gates of hell will prevail against it. You know, so Christianity is not simply an individual relationship between me and Jesus. You know, you cannot be a Christian in isolation, you cannot be Christian in communion, it would in communion and in community. Christ gathers at people together, He creates a communion. And through baptism we are members of that communion. And so what happens one member of the body affects us all, you know? So and that works both ways because it's like my sin affects others and the sins of others can wound me.

56:46You know, so it's a two way street. But then the flip side that obviously then is my forgiveness can also become a source of healing for somebody else. And it's a reminder to us, I suppose, that there can be an unrealistic expectation that Christians should never experience conflict. But you know, Jesus says, if another member of the church of the community sins against you, he doesn't say if this happens, something is going to turn around with Christianity. He knows that the church is made up of normal human beings. And it's a reminder to us, I suppose, that the church is holy because Christ is holy. And the church is the body of Christ. So, you know, when I was looking at this and reflecting on this during the week and I was trying to read around it as well, but it's difficult enough gospel to do. You know, this was one of the key things that came up again and again was this reminder to us that the church is Christ's church. It's not us. It's the Christ is the body of Christ.

57:47And it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. So you have this tension that exists. You have this holy body with its frail human institutional members. You know, and it's the question is that whether there will be wounds, the question is what will we do when the wounds come? And he gives his ways of doing it. Now it was interesting, you know, if you were to look at it from a HR point of view, he's very on the ball. You talk to the individual one-on-one first and then you escalate it up to those in authority. And then if that doesn't work, it's a good look. You know, it's, you know, but it's interesting. It starts out one-on-one, you know. The dignity of the other person is still respected. Very important, yeah. And, you know, and it's a reminder to us that a person's sin is not their whole identity. You know, so when, you know, and it goes back to the question, if you send someone to prison,

58:48should it just be a case of punishment for the, for the crime against society? Are you also supposed to work on redeeming the individual and make sure there isn't recidivism? You know, so that's the question that's there. And of course, very much linked in, of course, to the idea of the sacrament of reconciliation, sacrament of penance, where we go to confess our sins to God and the priest acts both in as the, as the representative of the community and as the, and through the ministry of the priest, we have the action of the Holy Spirit, granting forgiveness through the liberating rewards of absolution. And then, you know, he talks about it as if, you know, if, if, if the person listens, the word he uses, you have regained that one, you know, you, it's not, it's, so the whole point of it is not to defeat a sinner, but it's to regain your brother or sister. So fraternal correction is the technical term that's used sometimes. But the other side of that is also asking us the question, okay, well, where am I in the discussion?

59:55Yeah. You know, am I willing to listen? Am I willing to dialogue or do I want to hold on to the grievance and the little bit of niggle? You know, and kind of say, well, he did that to me. And I'm holding on to that like, you know, you know, there's, let's, let's, let's be honest about it. We can all be very good at this, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, you know, and it's the reminder to us that it's, it's, you know, we, we are called to ask ourselves a question. Like, is it case of, will they have to say they were wrong? You know, and you're kind of going, well, no, that's not the point. You're being asked, dude, they want, do you want reconciliation or do you want vindication? Do you want healing or do you want revenge and get in stuck in the knife? You know, so it's not all one way traffic. Well, I'm in the right and he's in the wrong and you'll do, he'll do what I say. You know, so we've got to be very, very careful, you know, with that whole thing and got to be very careful about us. Um, I'd say, and I suppose it's, it's that whole thing, then, you know, if he refuses to listen

1:01:00to the community treating like a pagan or a tax collector. So it's, it's bringing across the point that there has to be consequences, I suppose, as well, because um, something we do not belong to Christ alone, we belong to his body, the church. And the church has authority because Christ has given that authority to the apostles and his, so and their successors. You know, um, so it's, it's, it's, it's, but it's a reminder to us that we're all always called to come back. And then that lovely bit that it finishes in where two or three are gathered in my name, I am among them. Lovely. You know, it's not just a comforting touch, it's a promise of Christ's presence. Um, you know, I, I know one or two priests, uh, that when they're beginning mass, they're not supposed to do it, but sometimes they'll say, Jesus has said, two or three or us are gathered and gathered in his name, he's there amongst them. So we gather in the name of, you know, and it's, it's that whole idea, but it's, it's not just the

1:02:05mass, it's just, it's not just the formal occasions, it's the couple, the elderly couple saying the rosary as they are in bed at night are it's the, the mother and daughter doomed the rounds at a holy well, or it is the small religious community praying that mine office together in a small room, you know, or it is at the few people that gather, you know, where, you know, the one or two faith for every week that gather where there is adoration in a parish church just to keep the Lord company for an hour or two, you know, that's like Jesus said, we're two or three are gathered in my name, I am there amongst them. You know, it's, it's, I suppose it's, you know, I was also a recognition that sometimes the gathering, it's not supposed to make you love you, dove and happy all the time, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, we have to be careful that it's, we don't reduce our understanding to of faith and

1:03:08religious experience to, you know, happy experiences and emotional response. There may be times where there's no consolation, there may be times of intense dryness, there may be tension between the people that are gathered. You know, I've participated in community prayer life with various different religious communities, right? And it always strikes me that these are people who have voluntarily gotten together. They're not family, you know, they're not stuck together because they're family. And they have to get on with each other, you know, but if you're having an argument with your brother, monk, and you still have to go up and say, if Esper is at six o'clock, you've got to get over it fairly quick, you know, but going back, I suppose the thing was that the promise that's there is that the promise that he will be with us creates our confidence that he is there,

1:04:10no matter what happens. No, we don't about it. That's good. Yeah. So those were a couple of complicated convoluted talks. Oh, they're okay, Shane. Thank you very much, John. We're all different and we all need to hear different things. And thank you very much, Nifish, Shane, those with us. No, thank you. I'll just go ahead and finish this with a little little reflection or part of a reflection that I picked up from Silvestro Flynn this week. And he says, once upon a time there was a man walking by a river when he saw somebody carried downstream and graved danger of drowning. Bravely, the man dived in and pulled the person to the bank. He'd just revived the victim when a second person was carried downstream. And again, he dived in and performed the rescue. There were unlockers. There were unlockers now who admire the man's courage. A third victim came downstream and once again the hero dived in and rescued. Then he gathered his coats and asked the unlockers to save any other victim who might appear.

1:05:13But you're such a good swimmer. They said, why are you going away? I'm going upstream to see where they are falling in. It's not sufficient for a Christian life merely to say my prayers and mine my own business. The salvation of others is my business. And sometimes these demands, sometimes this demands that I move upstream to confront the social issue of individuals wrongdoing. There's a challenge to us all know this week. That's from Father Silvestro Flynn. This particular week, Food for Thought. So we now go on our final piece in music. It's sung by Liam Lorton, a lovely singer, lovely priest. And this one is entitled The Clouds Veil. Next week from yourself and Shane, thanks a lot for joining us. Share it with your acquaintances and friends. The resources that we do provide here and come and see inspirations. And again, if there's anything you want to pass on to us, please email us and come and see inspirations at GMR.com.

1:06:15But next week for myself and Shane, thanks a lot indeed, though. Bye.