69. The Soul
Welcome back to Term 3! Hopefully you’ve had a fulfilling and restful holiday with friends and family. Although, sometimes a holiday doesn’t really feel like a holiday, right? Sometimes there are tasks that come up, challenges to overcome and sleep that we can’t seem to catch up on. Sometimes, our holidays can get so busy that when we return to work, it feels as though we’ve barely had a moment to breathe.
In this edition of The Soul, we will explore the fruit of peace. We will look at how we can find peace in the busy moments of our lives - both at work and in the holidays, and discover ways in which we can rest in the peace that God has given us.
Whenever we reassure someone who is experiencing fear, anxiety, or despair, we are acting in the divine image. Throughout salvation history, God has continually offered peace and reassurance that God is in our midst and that we will have a future. Let’s face it, the world we live in can be a very scary place, not just for little children, but also for us adults and we all need peace and reassurance.
It’s no secret that one of the most often-repeated lines in Scripture is “Do not be afraid” or some variation thereof (fear not, be not afraid, do not fear, peace be with you, and so on). Even Jesus’ last words to his disciples before ascending into heaven were words of reassurance encouraging peace: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Reassurance, and peace are the benefits of accompaniment. Sometimes, people just don’t want to be alone. When we accompany others through difficult times, we don’t have to have all the answers. We only need to assure them that they are not alone and that they are going to be OK (while noting that, for some, that OK-ness will be eventual, not immediate). One of the reasons we proclaim the Gospel is to reassure people of the nearness of God and of God’s saving grace bringing with it a peace this world cannot give.
- Peace - Volume II Album, Spotify, Apple Music - Pray gently with these well known modern worship hymns that have been re-imagined for a more peaceful prayer experience.
- The Lord's Prayer (Matt Maher) - The next time you pray the ‘Our Father’, take the opportunity to look inwards as the prayer sums up the entire Gospel and every word brings us into divine communion with the Lord, Jesus Christ.
- Instrument of Peace (The Porter’s Gate) - As we meditate on this week’s theme, may St Francis’ Peace Prayer continue to flow into our week.
- Holy Forever (Chris Tomlin) - May we proclaim God’s Holy name forever as the heavenly Angels, Saints and creation cry out, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord’.
- There are a number services available to support your wellbeing that you can access from the comfort of your home. Click here to read more.
- Peace might seem like something difficult to achieve in some of the trying challenges that family life presents us, but there are some practical steps we can all take to promote peace in our daily lives. Click here to read more.
- All Saints Centenary Kempsey - Members of the Macleay Valley Parish congregated to celebrate 100 years of the All Saints Catholic Church on Sunday (July 17) with special guests the Bishop of Lismore Gregory Homeming and Australian novelist Thomas Keneally.
- NAIDOC Celebrations - It is great to see schools celebrating NAIDOC Week in diverse and dynamic ways. This year’s theme was Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! Although NAIDOC Week was during the school holidays, many schools celebrated in the final week of Term 2 and some will be celebrating this week. Here are some photos from around the Diocese.
- Plenary Council - The Second General Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia was held during the first week of the holidays. To find out more and see highlights from the days, visit their Facebook page or click here.
- Reclaiming Evangelisation with Fr Mike Schmitz - Why make disciples? Join Fr Mike Schmitz as he explores what our tradition tells us about calling and forming disciples, and how Jesus’ Great Commission will renew our parishes.
- Paper Cranes of Peace - Peace itself is a gift of the Great Creator of all things. This article features the story of two year old Sadako who was impacted by the atomic bomb of Hiroshima, and describes how prayer can achieve peace.
- 3 Minute Retreat - This daily 3 minute retreat is a short prayer break at your computer that can give you 24 hours of peace. Take a moment to reflect on Galatians 5:22-23 and spend just 3 intentional minutes with God.
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