After overhearing the Pharisees complaining about him spending so much time with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus told a number of parables. In the Gospel reading on Sunday, three stories are told. They are sometimes referred to as the ‘Parables of the Lost’. The first story is that of the lost sheep where Jesus tells of the owner of the sheep who leaves 90 of them to fend for themselves while he goes after the one sheep that is lost. The Lost Coin is the story of a poor woman who lost one coin from her savings. She searched and searched the house, carrying on until her efforts were rewarded and she found it. The third story is the Prodigal Son that told the story of a father who forgave his son the bad choices he made and welcomed him home.

In each of the stories, the behaviour, response and attitude of the person who loses something precious images the behaviour, response, and attitude of God towards human beings “lost” through doing wrong. Taken together, the parables show that the main issue at stake is not so much sin and its forgiveness but the loss and recovery of human beings, who are so precious in God’s sight. The whole mission of Jesus is to reclaim human lives for God and to show people how much God values them by publicly celebrating that reclamation.

This week at Holy Spirit we value friendliness. Friendliness is a quality of openness and warmth that makes you feel welcome and at ease. Your friendliness is evident in your facial expressions, body language and, most importantly, in the way you treat other people. The ‘Parables of the Lost’ are a good reminder of God’s love and forgiveness and how we should treat other people. While we don’t have to be ‘best’ friends with everyone, we should always try to be friendly to those we meet or interact with. We can look at how we can spread God’s love and mercy to others. This week we pray that our students show the value of being friendly towards others by making everyone feel welcome and try to recognise everyone’s special gifts and talents to help them feel valued. We also pray they try to do what is right and to share God’s love for everyone they meet, particularly those people who seem lonely or sad.

Annual Blessing of the Animals
The annual House of Prayer Blessing of the Animals will take place in Anderson Park (under the cathedral trees) on Saturday 12 th of October from 9am. All are welcome to come along with their pets to mark World Animal Day. For more information contact the House of Prayer on 4728 9861.

Dressed by Vinnies Fundraiser
Join us for a morning of fun, fashion and food. Showcasing clothing from across our stores in Townsville, including brand names and new (unworn) clothing, complete with tags. Marvel at our Barbie doll fashion creations which will be auctioned on the day. You may be surprised by what’s on sale. So, come along and join in the fun. Sunday 27 th October from 9.30am at the Mercure Inn. All money raised will stay in Townsville to assist the local community through our home visitation program. Our target is $5,000. Tickets available from: Vinnies Book and Gift Shop, 219 Charters Towers Road, Hermit Park. Purchase in person or via phone on 4725 2380.
 

God bless.
Caroline Fuller