+ Thursday – a few thoughts, today’s Gospel ….. AND let’s include a voice recording option this time

Dear brothers and sisters on Thursday,
I hope you’re going okay and have as good a Thursday as possible. I’ve spoken to a number of people again in the past day and there are some encouraging stories of people’s kindness and initiatives. Even just to share a couple of supermarket stories, someone offered to get some groceries for one of the shelf packers who looked tired and was knocking off shortly. And another at the checkout paid for the person in front with a crying child – who only used cash but was then in tears herself having forgotten she’d spent $50 of that cash on petrol earlier.
Among many other kindnesses, a number of parish members offered on the weekend to be ‘phone tree’ contacts from this week onwards for people who don’t use or have the internet. And so they’ve been calling their phone tree person each couple of days for a check in chat and to update anything from this Parish news.
About recent and future posts:
You might have seen the mini liturgy I put together for yesterday’s Feast of the Annunciation. Being now a previous post, there’s no problem if you want to use it as you  can always go back to a recent post. So you’re still welcome to pray through that mini liturgy from yesterday with its included short homily and suggested reflections and prayer steps.  There’s actually also an embarrassing mystery photo at the end of it!
I’m keeping the structure of this post simple  – with a key purpose today being to introduce another element into this Parish Blog space. Earlier in the week (check the Monday evening post) we saw how this space can be used to very easily access some video material. One click and you’re viewing – only hitch could be if your volume is down, but for those new to regular online stuff, you’ll become familiar with a bit of practice so try not to feel beaten if something goes wrong. It’s likely to be something simple. Call or email and we’ll make sure you get assistance. Anyway, that video capability will hopefully give us some great options in the weeks / months ahead. But wait ….
The next helpful piece of our Parish Blog space
The addition today is to show how we can use voice recordings and also access them with a simple click. And that too is going to give us a ton of possibilities, whether for homily reflections, a guided prayer or meditation, hearing from someone in the parish on a topic etc etc. If we don’t have to always use video, but can easily use voice recordings, I think it will encourage us to personalise a message more often.
Today – the Gospel and the Voice Recording idea to try out
So for today, here goes. It’s just today’s Gospel for you to read and ponder – and a then a spoken scripture reflection from me – by which we’ll introduce ourselves to using voice recordings in the Parish Blog space.
To start, light a candle if you wish or otherwise here’s
a visual of one on the altar at OLOW church
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John    ( 5:31-47)
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘Were I to testify on my own behalf,
my testimony would not be valid;
but there is another witness who can speak on my behalf,
and I know that his testimony is valid.
You sent messengers to John,
and he gave his testimony to the truth:
not that I depend on human testimony;
no, it is for your salvation that I speak of this.
John was a lamp alight and shining
and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave. But my testimony is greater than John’s:
the works my Father has given me to carry out,
these same works of mine testify
that the Father has sent me.
Besides, the Father who sent me
bears witness to me himself.
You have never heard his voice,
you have never seen his shape,
and his word finds no home in you
because you do not believe in the one he has sent.
‘You study the scriptures,
believing that in them you have eternal life;
now these same scriptures testify to me,
and yet you refuse to come to me for life!
As for human approval, this means nothing to me.
Besides, I know you too well: you have no love of God in you.
I have come in the name of my Father
and you refuse to accept me;
if someone else comes in his own name
you will accept him.
How can you believe,
since you look to one another for approval
and are not concerned
with the approval that comes from the one God?
Do not imagine that I am going to accuse you before the Father:
you place your hopes on Moses,
and Moses will be your accuser.
If you really believed him
you would believe me too,
since it was I that he was writing about;
but if you refuse to believe what he wrote,
how can you believe what I say?’
The Gospel of the Lord.
You might want to spend some moments reflecting on the Gospel – and then the following is the voice recording I was mentioning – Just click the PLAY sign to start… you might have to just click it once more.  And then it’ll only take a few seconds for the audio to load and start
Voice Recording – Some simple Scripture reflections shared with you – from me
With friendship in God’s mission,
fr Paul
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