The liturgical year draws to a close with this Feast of Christ our King.
This was instituted in 1925, at a time when the world needed to hear loudly and clearly that the way to peace, harmony, and the fulfillment of peoples rests in and with Christ. All forms of government and all forms of headship of states must find their model in Christ. All nations must allow Christ to be King. Only then is real peace and genuine harmony achievable. Is this unrealisable? No, everything is possible for God but He waits patiently for every human heart to claim Christ as the King of the whole world and the whole created order.

The image is Christ the King by C.B. Chambers, circa between the 1920 and 1950 (used on the website of the Archdiocese of Sydney)

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As we come towards the end of the liturgical year, and the beginning of Advent, the Church always reminds us of the last things of our own life and the cosmic event that is the Second Coming of Christ. While awesome and of immense significance, these will be times of hope for all who have remained faithful and in friendship with Christ.

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There are many lessons for us always in Holy Scripture. The two widows presented to us in this Sunday's readings demonstrate genuine and real kindness; not being nice; not being polite; but exactly what kindness is and should be. As Jesus teaches the apostles and disciples what this means, He reveals to us that real kindness makes demands upon us.

If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:

frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au

Also if you would like to support me in this work, please send me an email and I will provide details for how you can make a donation. After a very unsatisfactory experience with Buy Me A Coffee, I would prefer to handle this directly myself. Thank you.

The Scripture readings are centred upon love this Sunday. Charity is the virtue infused into our souls at Holy Baptism that enables us to love God for His own sake and to love others out of love for Him.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus shows us this charity perfectly because He has divine love within a human heart. By divine grace, although not perfectly in this life, that is also possible for us.

The Australian composer whose name I couldn't recall is James McCauley and he worked with Richard Connolly. Together they have left to the Catholic Church in Australia some worthy and memorable hymns. Look them up!

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frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au

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Bartimaeus, the blind man, is healed of his blindness by Jesus in this Sunday's gospel reading.
The joyful and trusting faith of Bartimaeus is both an example for us and an encouragement to us. It is a reminder that faith saves us, liberates us, and draws us deeper into the mystery of our redemption, which is presented to us at every Holy Mass.

The statue in the photograph is Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus, by Johann Heinrich Stöver, 1861

If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:

frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au

Also if you would like to support me in this work, please send me an email and I will provide details for how you can make a donation. After a very unsatisfactory experience with Buy Me A Coffee, I would prefer to handle this directly myself. Thank you.

We continue to witness the apostles being taught and formed by Jesus in this Sunday's gospel reading. As we do this, we too are formed, taught and instructed. This Sunday we are called to examine the connection between suffering and humility, but also obedience in following Jesus. Then also, once more the wider question of who will be saved?

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Also if you would like to support me in this work, please send me an email and I will provide details for how you can make a donation. After a very unsatisfactory experience with Buy Me A Coffee, I would prefer to handle this directly myself. Thank you.

This is the question that the apostles ask Jesus after they witnessed the conversation between Him and the rich young man.
A reasonable question in the circumstances it is. But Jesus leads them to understand both what it means to be saved as well as the role of money and wealth in the life of His followers.

The image is by Heinrich Hofmann, "Christ and the Rich Young Ruler", 1889

If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:

frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au

Also if you would like to support me in this work, please send me an email and I will provide details for how you can make a donation. After a very unsatisfactory experience with Buy Me A Coffee, I would prefer to handle this directly myself. Thank you.

No longer does our society understand marriage as God does. It's part of the spiritual decline of the West.
It is harder for us to remain faithful to what Christ taught us about marriage, which we also call Matrimony since it has been raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. But it's not impossible because, as in all things. God makes the demand and gives the grace to obey the command.

The image is the marriage of Mary and Joseph by Raphael

If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:

frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au

Also if you would like to support me in this work, please send me an email and I will provide details for how you can make a donation. After a very unsatisfactory experience with Buy Me A Coffee, I would prefer to handle this directly myself. Thank you.