Northern Territory Filipino Catholic Community in Darwin, Northern Territory | Religious centre

Northern Territory Filipino Catholic Community

Locality: Darwin, Northern Territory

Address: Darwin 0810 Darwin, NT, Australia

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25.01.2022 Trust comes from a mutual exchange of genuine love. Good News Reflection for: Monday of the 34th Week of Ordinary Time November 23, 2020...Continue reading

25.01.2022 We are Jesus' flesh whenever we do what Jesus would do. Good News Reflection for: Tuesday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time October 20, 2020...Continue reading

23.01.2022 Everyone around you is an opportunity to give Christ the King a good name. Good News Reflection for: Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King November 22, 2020... Today's Prayer: Lord: Give me an alert spirit and a generous heart always ready to serve others. I want to follow You wherever You lead, taking Your love to heal, deliver and comfort my brothers and sisters. Amen. Today's Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 Ps 23:1-3, 5-6 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25:31-46 What does Jesus do as King? We don't usually think of shepherds as kings, but the scriptures this Sunday describe the kingly powers of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. A good king cares for his subjects the way a shepherd cares for his sheep. Kings increase the size of their reign and accomplish their work over the whole territory through their subjects. That's why Jesus says, "Whatever you do for one of the least of mine, you do for me." For example, our Good Shepherd-King wants to distribute food to the hungry, all the way to the farthest reaches of his kingdom. How does he get it done? He gives an abundance of food to some of us and commands us to take it to those who need it. What happens if we don't fulfill the King's commands? Do the starving people think the King is benevolent? No, they can only see his goodness when we do as he tells us to do. Look at the people who are around you. Each one is an opportunity to give the King a good name. What about the people whom you like least of all? What about those who've made you feel angry or intimidated or hurt? Well, ask this: What is he/she hungry for? If the answer's not obvious, ask the Holy Spirit. Observe that person long enough to identify the emptiness or pain or fears that are buried under the surface. Then ask this: What abundance has God given to me that this "least one" is lacking and needs from Christ our King? Can I show him/her the King's benevolence despite my feelings? When we say no to opportunities to share what we have, we are behaving like one of the goats whom the Good Shepherd-King separates from the sheep on the way to heaven. And when we say yes, despite the feelings that could make us goat-like, the King's good reputation spreads, and we are all blessed. Questions for Personal Reflection: What good things do you have in abundance? How readily do you share them? Who is of least importance to you? How can you take your focus off of what you don't like about them so that you can give them blessings from God? Questions for Community Faith Sharing: Have you ever done something good to someone who didn't deserve it? How did this affect your relationship with Jesus? What abundance do you see in each member of your family or faith sharing community that, when shared, blesses others?

23.01.2022 True humility means accepting praise and acknowledging that ultimately the credit goes to God. Good News Reflection for: Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent March 18, 2021...Continue reading

23.01.2022 A personal relationship with Christ's Holy Spirit is what transitions a sinful person into a holy person. Good News Reflection for: Monday of the Second Week of Easter April 12, 2021... Today's Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your Holy Spirit who helps us move away from our fallen nature and live a new life filled with Your grace, love, and holiness. Amen. Today's Readings: Acts 4:23-31 Ps 2:1-9 (with 11d) John 3:1-8 Is the Holy Spirit alive and active in you? Have you ever been asked, "Are you born-again?" Skip that question! Go directly to: "Is the Holy Spirit living within you, activating your faith, inspiring you to holy action?" Converting to Jesus Christ is not enough. A personal relationship with his Holy Spirit is what transitions a sinful person into a holy person. As we celebrate the risen Lord throughout the Easter season, the Church repeatedly reminds us that after Easter comes Pentecost. We see the disciples in our first reading today, praying so fully in the Lord that they become overflowingly filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who gave them unfettered boldness to proclaim God's word; without this, they were scared and ineffective. Does your faith in Christ free you from what seems intimidating or frightening? Does your faith give you powerful boldness and confidence, causing you to take action for the sake of continuing Christ's ministry? It was the Holy Spirit who filled the first Christians with rejoicing when they faced persecution. Are you able to rejoice in the midst of troubles? It was the Holy Spirit who inspired them to pray and then deepened their prayer. Is your prayer life in need of help? It was the Holy Spirit, not an earthquake, who shook the room in which the disciples were gathered. Does your faith shake up your life? Do you sense the powerful presence of God when you gather in community? In today's Gospel reading, Jesus puts the baptism of the Holy Spirit on equal level with the baptism of water. The two work together. Baptism by water cleanses us from sin. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be holy and resist new temptations to sin. Does your faith enable you to overcome repeated tendencies to sin? By water, God's holiness has replaced your fallen, sinful nature. By the Holy Spirit, God's holiness has become your true nature. The Holy Spirit is the key that unlocks our holiness: "No one can enter into God's kingdom without being born of water and Spirit.... Spirit begets spirit." We can only be Christ-like when his Holy Spirit is alive and active in us. We can only stay on the path to heaven when the Holy Spirit is our guide. We lack nothing that's needed for salvation and eternal life; the Holy Spirit was given to us fully during our Baptism, and this was confirmed in the Sacrament of Confirmation. To succeed in God's plan of salvation, we must unite our spirit to the activities of Christ's Spirit.

22.01.2022 We have to know for sure what the truth is. We can't stand firm if we're shaky. Good News Reflection for: Monday of the 18th Week of Ordinary Time August 3, 2020...Continue reading

22.01.2022 For Jesus, the only outsider is someone who refuses to come into the kingdom of God. Good News Reflection for: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time August 16, 2020... Today's Prayer: My Lord, I ask Your forgiveness for the times I have refused to help someone out of contempt for their appearance or condition. I repent in my heart! Heal my pride and give me a merciful heart like Yours. Amen. Today's Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 (with 4) Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15:21-28 Outsiders The Gospel reading for this Sunday challenges us to examine our tendency to judge others. The Canaanite woman had two reasons why the disciples might have judged her as unworthy of Jesus' attention: her gender and nationality. Of course, Jesus was there as Savior for the whole world, but the disciples didn't know it yet. To stretch their minds (and ours), Jesus waited for the Canaanite woman's faith to become so obvious that it would overshadow every limitation that had been imposed upon her. For Jesus, the only outsider is someone who refuses to come into the kingdom of God. But we don't readily think like this. Our Church is full of people who have been misjudged. Many feel outcast. We easily jump to wrong conclusions about each other. For example, how readily do you greet the people near you in the pew if you don't know them? How comfortable are you about engaging in friendly conversation after Mass someone who looks unhappy? Does your parish make it easy for single parents to come to extra activities at church by providing free babysitters? If you're divorced, do you assume that others are deliberately excluding you? That too is usually a misjudgment. Why do homosexuals feel outcast even though Church teachings have been issued that compassionately invite them to a holy lifestyle? Why are there lay people who feel blocked from being collaborators in ministry with their priests? Judging our fellow Christians causes them to suffer. It also allows unmet needs to continue in the Church, because the giftedness of the judged is being rejected. But if we remain conscious of our own tendencies to react to others with assumptions and judgments, we have the power to choose to be Christ for them and to receive Christ from them. Questions for Personal Reflection: Have you ever felt like an outsider? Even in the presence of Christ? How have you been pushed aside and neglected? What kind of damage did it do? Are you willing to try to again to get more involved? Questions for Community Faith Sharing: Whom are we most likely to judge? What is your parish doing -- or what have you personally done -- to heal some of the damage that was caused when others were misjudged? What else needs to be done?

21.01.2022 No one can validate us or heal us like God can. Good News Reflection for: Monday of the 5th Week of Lent March 22, 2021... Today's Prayer: You, Lord, have forgiven me everything. I, too, need to forgive and grow in true mercy, free from prejudices. Amen. Today's Readings: Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62 Psalm 23:1-6 John 8:1-11 Protected by God's mercy Have you ever been accused unmercifully? Whether we have been rightly reprimanded (like the woman found in adultery in today's Gospel reading) or falsely accused (like Susanna in the first reading), we feel terribly invalidated when we have to endure condemnation without forgiveness. Feeling remorseful for a genuine sin does not make it easier to accept the harsh reactions of others, so we defend ourselves rather than admit our guilt. We want to protect ourselves from a crushing sense of shame, so we try to rationalize away our sins. Does this really work though? No, only mercy can protect us. Only mercy can validate our worth. Without it, we try to manipulate people into liking us and approving of us and affirming us. The more we sin, the more desperate we become for other people's approval. And the more desperate we become, the less remorse we feel for what we've done wrong, because remorse is a feeling that says we deserve disapproval. When we're falsely accused, we feel empty and invalidated because the truth has been misjudged and we're at the mercy of others' wrong opinions of us. They're rejecting us and it's totally unfair. We hunger for their affirmation, and if we don't receive it, we defend ourselves and offend them. We convert our innocence into selfishness and pride and unloving behavior. To fill the emptiness and heal the wound, we need to realize that we've been forgiven by the mercy of God. The Sacrament of Confession gives us audible proof of this mercy. And we must understand that it's only God's opinion of us that really matters. Even if others refuse to give us mercy, if we know that we have God's mercy, we will have the peace and sense of personal value that we need. No one can validate us or heal us like God can. He alone loves us no matter what we do. Mercifully, when we deserve punishment, Our Father says: "I do not condemn you, because My Son took your punishment for you. I love you. Go on with your life and sin no more, but be assured that I will always love you, even if you sin this way again." God has more mercy to give us than we can imagine. Meditate on this and open yourself to his steadfast, merciful love. He wants to free you from the need to be validated and healed by people. This truth will free you to love others even when they sin against you. With Jesus, tell the Father: "I do not condemn them. Please grant them your forgiveness even if they do not ask for it." We forgive others not because they repent (some never will), but because God has been merciful to us. As we have received mercy from him, we become empowered to share his mercy with others.

21.01.2022 By keeping our eyes on Jesus rather than on those who fail to love us fully, his love for us fills our hearts to overflowing. Good News Reflection for: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time August 2, 2020... Today's Prayer: Praised be to You, Lord, because Your love wants to work wonders through our faith in You. Thank You for Your merciful power that restores us in body, soul and spirit. Amen. Today's Readings: Isaiah 55:1-3 Ps 145:8-9, 15-18 Romans 8:35, 37-39 Matthew 14:13-21 Are you dissatisfied with anyone? The readings for this Sunday make me thirsty and hungry! Can we go out to dinner after Mass? As we say in the responsorial Psalm, "The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs." Yet, despite knowing this, we think we never have enough. We are not content with what we have. Even when things go well, we're not fully satisfied. We want more. Especially in relationships. We feeling like we're starving for more affection. We crave more attention. Our guts grumble over not getting enough concern and support and approval from those who should give it to us. Every person in our lives has been called by God to be a provider of his love and concern for us. But no one loves us fully and perfectly, and some totally reject this calling. If because of this we live in a state of frustration and anger or cynicism or self-protective isolationism, we're always hungry. When we choose instead to forgive the imperfect people and turn to Jesus, he miraculously multiplies a little into a lot. By keeping our eyes on Jesus rather than on those who fail to love us fully, his love for us fills our hearts to overflowing. Feeling dissatisfied is a sign that Jesus is trying to get our attention; there's something he wants to give us that we're not yet open to receive. Our problem is: How is Jesus going to give us what we need if we can't see him and feel touched by him? To feel satisfied by an invisible God, we have to stay closely connected to him in prayer and in the Christian community that he's given us. We have to pay attention to what he's doing and through whom he's chosen to do it. That means getting more involved and expecting the unexpected! Questions for Personal Reflection: What are you hungry for? Who's not giving you enough of what you need? How can you find other ways of receiving this, with the help of God? Questions for Community Faith Sharing: Describe a time when God met your needs in an unexpected way. Who did you expect to get it from, and how did it happen that you received it another way? Did you receive more -- or less -- than what you had wanted? Was it satisfying?

19.01.2022 The only way to experience the support and love of God's household is to get involved in the family. Good News Reflection for: Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle July 3, 2020...Continue reading

17.01.2022 When you look at someone you don't like, who is Jesus to you in that person? Good News Reflection for: Friday of the 25th Week of Ordinary Time September 25, 2020... Today's Prayer: My Lord, today I accept You as my Savior and my God, to whom I consecrate my whole life. Thank You for loving me so much. Amen. Today's Readings: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 Psalm 144:1-4 Luke 9:18-22 The time to see Jesus "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus asks us the same question that he asked his first disciples in today's Gospel reading. In every circumstance of life, which we hear listed in the first reading, we either see Jesus as Lord and Savior, or we don't. When times are good, is he the one we thank for the blessings? When we accomplish a goal that we worked hard to achieve, do we give any credit to him? When it's time to weep because we've been hurt, do we look at the cross and see our pain in his agony and trust in the redemptive power of this sacrifice? When we feel angry - righteously so or otherwise - are we focused on those who irritated us or do we turn to Jesus for the ability to forgive and find peace again? When someone treats you unjustly, who do you say that Jesus is? How does he minister to you? When a boss or parent or pastor or other person in authority condescendingly puts you down and makes you feel inadequate, who is Jesus to you? Has he healed you from feelings of inferiority? When someone snubs your love and wisdom, who is Jesus to you? Has he shown you how to be patient? When your generosity and kindnesses have been abused, who is Jesus to you? Has he told you to go the extra mile and is he walking that road with you? When you feel unheard and your needs are ignored, who is Jesus to you? Is he listening? When your concern and caring for others is not returned, who is Jesus to you? Does he hug you? When forgiveness is hard, who is Jesus to you? Is he your source of strength? When you've sinned and need forgiveness, who is Jesus to you? Is he in the priest who waits in the confessional? When you've failed or you've made mistakes, who is Jesus to you? Is he the redeemer who works everything for your good? When your prayer life is dry and God seems far away, who is Jesus to you? Has he been interceding for you? When you feel passionate about doing a ministry and have no opportunity to do it, who is Jesus to you? Is he running ahead to open a new door for you? When you look at someone you don't like, who is Jesus to you in that person?

15.01.2022 God the Father has given you to Jesus so that Jesus can lead you to heaven. Good News Reflection for: Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed November 2, 2020... Today's Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for entrusting my life to Jesus. I think I'll see Your face in the end, thanks to Your endless mercy. Amen. Today's Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9 Ps 23:1-6 Romans 5:5-11 or Romans 6:3-9 John 6:37-40 Will you get to heaven? Do you sometimes wonder if you'll ruin your salvation and never get to heaven? In John 6:37-40, Jesus says: "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me." He's referring to you! God the Father has given you to Jesus so that Jesus can lead you to heaven. During your baptism, our Father in heaven said to Jesus: "Here Son, take good care of this one. Make sure he/she is going to make it home to heaven okay." Jesus replied, "I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I do your will." What the Father wants, the Father gets, unless the recipients of his love reject all of his efforts to bring them to heaven. This is equally true for your deceased loved ones. If they had any desire to be with Jesus while they were on earth, they of course - more than ever - wanted to be with him at the moment of death as he stood before them in the fullness of his love. When we meet Jesus face to face, everything becomes clear. We regret the sins that we have not yet purged from our lives, and Jesus lets us choose purgatory as a completely thorough purification process so that we can live eternally in the fullness of God's love. Let's keep in mind, though, that the fire of love today and throughout our earth-bound life is more sanctifying than the fire of purgatory. By purifying how well we love now - loving others even when it's difficult, forgiving others as often as they sin, and giving ourselves generously to the needs of others - we unite ourselves to God's love. St. Therese of Lisieux said that God prefers that we never experience the sufferings of purgatory. "As soon as you try to please him in everything and have an unshakable trust, he purifies you every moment in his love and he lets no sin remain. And then you can be sure that you will not have to go to purgatory."

14.01.2022 Failure does not mean that there's no hope of success. Good News Reflection for: Thursday of the 17th Week of Ordinary Time July 30, 2020...Continue reading

14.01.2022 Learn how to see the hope of resurrection in the pain of the cross. Good News Reflection for: Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord... April 4, 2021 Today's Prayer: Lord Jesus: Give me a thirst for seeking you and having a personal meeting with you. Help me recognize your presence in my life, even when you seem absent. Amen. Today's Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8 John 20:1-9 God has surprises for you! Celebrate! Today is the anniversary of the Great Surprise, and just as the first disciples were surprised to find the tomb empty, so too does God have some resurrection surprises in mind for you! In Easter Sunday's Gospel reading, there's a lot of scurrying around and excitement and hearing reports of some amazing news that no one yet understands. Even though Jesus had given them advance notice that he would rise again after being put to death, God's plans took them by surprise. They did not expect a resurrection. They didn't understand that it was a necessary part of the Messiah's mission. God's plans often take us by surprise. In so many situations of our lives, we don't understand that hard times are going to produce wonderful victories. We fail to realize that the empty tombs in our lives (the losses that we grieve) are the beginnings of important new growth. We cannot imagine how Jesus is going to redeem bad times into great blessings. We suffer through the hardships, just trying to cope, waiting for an opportunity to finally walk away from our crosses. Meanwhile, Jesus wants to give us an Easter morning because of the crosses. How can we recognize the glory of God when we're depressed? How can we realize our resurrections when we're cursing our crosses? It's impossible! To be the Easter people that we're supposed to be, we have to learn how to see the hope of resurrection in the pain of the cross. We have to trust that Jesus is always there, working a plan to redeem bad into good. We have to allow ourselves to be surprised by God. Questions for Personal Reflection: What trials are you still enduring? What cross are you still carrying? Are you still being nailed for something you did not do? Which of your desires or dreams is dying? Ask the Father to use your sufferings for the glory of his kingdom. What new life is this creating for you? Questions for Community Faith Sharing: What are some of the ways in which God has surprised you? How is this an experience of resurrection?

14.01.2022 How much help we receive from our angels depends upon our trust in God. Good News Reflection for: Memorial of the Guardian Angels October 2, 2020...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Whenever we're unhappy, it's a sign that we need to do something to make a change. Good News Reflection for: Wednesday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time October 21, 2020...Continue reading

13.01.2022 It is God's grace gifting you with a value that you are called to share with the world to help spread his kingdom. Good News Reflection for: Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr August 10, 2020...Continue reading

11.01.2022 Jesus is your reason to hope, not the circumstances nor the people in your life. Good News Reflection for: Friday of the 24th Week of Ordinary Time September 18, 2020...Continue reading

08.01.2022 Believing in God and loving Him without also loving all whom He loves is an insufficient faith. Good News Reflection for: Wednesday of the 24th Week of Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs...Continue reading

07.01.2022 As long as you stay close to Jesus, God will not allow any person or any situation to hurt you so badly that it destroys you. Good News Reflection for: Wednesday of the 15th Week of Ordinary Time Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church...Continue reading

07.01.2022 You are called to be the presence of Christ wherever you are and in everything you do. Good News Reflection for: Monday of the 22nd Week of Ordinary Time August 31, 2020...Continue reading

06.01.2022 By giving Christ's love to others regardless of how they treat us, we immerse ourselves fully into Christ's love. Good News Reflection for: Thursday of the 23rd Week of Ordinary Time September 10, 2020...Continue reading

04.01.2022 A sinful behavior that we fail to overcome is like an infectious disease: it spreads. Good News Reflection for: Monday of the 23rd Week of Ordinary Time September 7, 2020...Continue reading

04.01.2022 When we're ready to quit doing things our way, that's when Jesus shows us where and how to find success. Good News Reflection for: Thursday of the 22nd Week of Ordinary Time Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church...Continue reading

04.01.2022 You, right now, are part of that "great multitude" when you worship God enthusiastically. Good News Reflection for: Solemnity of All Saints November 1, 2020...Continue reading

03.01.2022 Jesus subjected himself to intense pains because He loves you! Good News Reflection for: Good Friday Celebration of the Lord's Passion... April 2, 2021 Today's Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for enduring the most extreme pain and the most horrific death out of love for humanity. Thank You for sacrificing everything to save us from the effects of sin. Amen. Today's Readings: Isaiah 52:13--53:12 Psalm 31:2,6,12-13,15-17,25 Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1--19:42 The healing gift of Christ's death Over the centuries since his death and resurrection, Jesus has revealed to mystics that those who meditate on his Passion are very dear to him. St. Augustine wrote that "there is no more profitable occupation for the soul than to meditate daily on the Passion of Our Lord." The crucifixes we see today are cleaned-up versions of the horrible torture that Our Lord suffered because of his love for us. Today, meditate on this love, this tremendous love. He willingly subjected himself to intense pains because he loves you and he knew it would do tremendous good for you. This is an infinitely valuable gift that Jesus has given to you and to me and to everyone who accepts it. Read today's Gospel passage while meditating on the fact that every moment of pain he suffered was offered for your benefit so that your sins would not destroy you. That's how important you are to God! That's how much he cares! Looking at Jesus on the Cross should cure any low self-esteem we have because it shows how highly he esteems us: He gave us heaven! Since he has done this for you, will he not also do everything else besides, if it's truly good for you? What sufferings have caused you to doubt yourself, or to think unkindly about yourself, or to feel poorly about yourself? Take them to the Cross. How? Imagine giving them to a soldier. Now, watch him nail them into the hands and feet of your beloved Savior. Let these wounds die with Jesus; no matter how badly they have hurt you, he has already taken the brunt of the beatings for you. In the Good Friday services of the Catholic Church, we venerate the Cross by kissing it. Let your kiss be a gift of "thank you" to Jesus. Then rest in the silence of the tomb with Jesus on Holy Saturday. Rest in the truth about how valuable you are to the Lord. On Easter Sunday, as we joyfully celebrate his resurrection, he has a glorious resurrection waiting for you! Spend sacred time with Jesus today by giving him a list of all the ways you feel bad about yourself. List the people who've ridiculed you and insulted you. List the times you've felt worthless. List the reasons why you feel unlovable. List everything that gives you low self-esteem. Then, while looking at a crucifix, meditate on the gift of sacrificial love that Jesus has given to you. Remember, he subjected himself to intense pains because he loves you! He knew it would bring you into the kingdom of God where he wants to spend eternity with you!

02.01.2022 We are all gifted enough to make a difference for God's kingdom, because our abilities come from him. Good News Reflection for: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time November 15, 2020...Continue reading