At the beginning of this year, Pope Francis declared 2024 to be a year of prayer in preparation for the year of Jubilee (2025). The Holy Father explained that the Year of Prayer is dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer - prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, prayer in the world.”

As breakfast finishes after the miraculous catch of 153 fish, Jesus asks Peter, ‘Do you love me?’ In fact, as the story continues, we learn that Jesus asked Peter this question three times. He then invites Peter to ‘feed my sheep’. Many scholars suggest this happens three times to mirror Peter’s three-fold denial during Jesus’ passion. It helps Peter to know he is forgiven and loved and helps him to look forward to where he is now being called.

Scripture does not tell us why Peter decided to go fishing not long after Jesus’ resurrection. Did he know it to be an activity which would enable him to think, process and ponder what had happened in recent days? Was he wanting to get in touch with the many experiences he had with Jesus, even miraculous encounters on the very lake where he was now out fishing? How was he feeling when he spent a long night out and caught nothing?

Today’s blog is a reflection written from the point of view of the disciple who was walking with Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. I pray it helps you to enter into the story.

Have you ever gone long distance walking? Most people have at some stage in their lives, and it was something I enjoyed doing, even though it was the primary means of travel anyway. Somehow it helped to clear my head, so I would go when I was worried, stressed, confused, sad. I would walk to all kinds of places, along clearly defined paths and through scrubland, through desert like places where the dust would coat my feet, and along the shore where the gentle waves would cool me after a long day, over rocks, up mountains, through tall grass, – you name it, and it is likely to be territory that I have traversed.

A beautiful resurrection story worth reflecting on during Eastertide is that of Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18). In this reflection, Mel shares what the experience of Jesus calling her by name could have been like. Have a read, and ponder with Jesus how he calls you to respond.

If I told you there in Japan, they grow square watermelons because they will stack better in the shops, would you believe me, or would you be filled with doubt? Leave that one in the back of your mind for a moment, and come with me on a journey with Thomas, commonly referred to as the doubter.

There’s a story told about yet another flight cancellation where a single member of staff was left rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travellers when one angry passenger pushed to the front of the line, insisting that he be served immediately, and given a first-class seat on the next flight out. The staffer replied, “I am sorry sir! I’ll be happy to try to help you, but you’ll have to take your place in the line, and I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out.”

Do you remember what it was like to learn to share? That grudging allowing of someone else to have or use a toy that you wanted? Do you remember how excruciating it felt? Like it was killing you on the inside?

When I was sixteen, I participated in the local cathedral passion play. As there are never enough boys wanting to be part of such things, I was given the role of St Peter. At the second-last rehearsal, we were given our costumes, and I was somewhat disappointed to find that mine was a purple sheet folded in half with a slit for my head and two seams up the sides to create arm-holes. Surely St Peter deserved something better!

I’ve stopped counting the number of engaged couples who have moaned to me about the all-consuming nature of planning a wedding. Their desire is to commit their lives to one another, not to host a huge event! But for almost the entirety of their engagement, the relationship is subsumed by details that seem far away from the heart of what they are doing: invitations, menus, clothes, decorations…

The musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda begins with a Tim Minchin song: “My mummy says I’m a miracle.  My daddy says, I'm his special little guy.  I am a princess, I am a prince.  Mum says I'm an angel sent down from the sky.” The song lyrics form an ironic contrast with the story of Matilda, an unwanted child whose remarkable intelligence is not just ignored, but sneered upon by her parents.

Even if you try, we know all too well it’s kinda hard to ignore global superstar Taylor Swift right now. As the one most listened to female artist worldwide and an influential voice for the young (and not only the young) it’s worth asking the question whether as Christians we should be listening. This blog will dive headlong into why Taylor’s mastermind has earned her a unique place in this world and why I should have my eyes open to this if Jesus is the real king of my heart.

I don’t know about you, but at about this time every Lent, forty days seems like a long, bleak stretch of time. It’s probably mostly to do with the thought of going without whatever of life’s pleasant things that I have chosen to give up this Lent!

Looking for a Christian take on the whole Taylor Swift phenomenon? This blog was originally published in 2021 from our resident Swiftie and pop-culture correspondent wannabe, Berna

In case you missed it, Taylor Swift released new music last week, much to the delight of her fans and the likely dismay of her exes, who generally get a bit of a roasting in her catchy tunes of love and loss.

During the second half of this year, our Pentecost Retreat Intensive (which was run as in-person 4/5 day retreats in Canberra and Sydney in June) has been attended by a further 35 participants in various formats: Kathryn ran a small group based in Penshurst (Sydney), while Judy and Berna hosted online small groups and our program of videos and small group sessions was run by our friends at the Yona Shalom prayer group in Townsville.

God gifts each one of us with the life that is best for us. Can you see the gift of God in your life at present? The particular gift given of each group in religious life is called our charism. Charism means a gift freely and graciously given, a grace.

My favourite retreat ever has been this year’s Claiming Hope: Creative Healing Retreat. It was an opportunity to bring whatever needs we had for healing to Jesus in creative prayer times that used all sorts of mediums.

No, this is not one of those corny jokes that have a rather lame answer that casues you to groan, but the foundation of one of the most poignant moments I have experienced in my work in youth justice. My role sees me providing prayer services for the clients on a fortnightly basis, and music and song has proved to be a powerful means for connecting them into a prayerful space.