Dear Friends,

Psychologists tell us that prayer is good for our well-being because it helps us to reduce emotional distress and increases mental health. During prayers, hormones, e.g. oxytocin, are released that reduce activity in the brain’s emotional centers.

This Sunday’s Gospel focusses on prayer, While the parable seems to present prayer as nagging God for what we want, such a reading misses the point. God is not like the judge in the parable, worn down by requests and coerced to respond. The key is found in the description of the judge as corrupt and unjust. Since God can be neither, we must understand Jesus to be saying that if even an unjust judge responds to the persistence of the widow, how much more so will God listen to our prayers. God truly wants to hear our needs and respond generously. It is the final lament of Jesus that gets to the point of the parable. The lesson is about the persistence of the one who prays. God wants us to be like the persistent widow, staying in a relationship with God, confident that God hears and answers prayers. Then Jesus laments, “Will such faith be found when the Son of Man comes?” In this lament, Jesus notes how easy it can be for us to lose heart.

The persistence in prayers, however, should help us to respond to the mission that God calls us to undertake. In this context, Pope Leo XVI “urges every Catholic parish to take part in World Mission Sunday. He said: “Your prayers, your support will help spread the Gospel, provide for pastoral and catechetical programs, help to build new churches, and care for the health and educational needs of our brothers and sisters in mission territories.”

Our parish is already doing many activities mentioned by Pope Leo XIV, though we are not building a new church, but rather restoring it. I am pleased to announce that the Hills Council finally has granted the heritage exemption of the restoration of our OLD CHURCH. Now, we can speed up the project. I would like to thank Sharen Sordo, Daniel Johnson and Chris Worthington for your support during the process of application.

Prayer inspires and sustains mission work, while mission activity is seen as an expression of prayer. Being propelled by prayer, we move into action to spread hope and serve others. It is my intention to be part of the Parramatta Mission, a non- profit organization assisting people in need with meals, clothes and hospitality. Would we be able to volunteer for one day a week / fortnight to help prepare and serve meals? If you are interested to get involved and to be the faces and hands of Jesus to the needy in our local community?