Today's Food For Thought

"Do not be mislead: Bad company corrupts good character."

Reflections from Rome

Before reciting the Angelus prayer at noon on Sunday, 20 July, Pope Francis explained the meaning of the previous week's Gospel reading and the parable of the wheat and the tares.

The parable, he said, is a teaching of Jesus which addresses "the problem of evil in the world and highlights the patience of God."

The Pope explained how the Devil sows evil amidst the good seed of the world, but God is patient, separating the wheat and the tares at his final judgment. He stressed that unlike mankind, which is "sometimes in a hurry to judge, classify, place the good here and the bad beyond, God knows to wait."

"He looks at the 'field' of every person's life with patience and mercy," the Pope said. "He sees much better than us the dirt and the evil, but He also sees the seeds of good and looks forward with confidence for them to mature. God is patient, he knows to wait."

He pointed out that it is thanks to this "patient hope" of God that the same weeds, in the end, can become good wheat.

But he cautioned that evangelical patience does not mean indifference to evil. "One cannot make confusion between good and evil," he said. Instead, the disciple is called to imitate the patience of God, "nourishing hope with the support of an unshakable faith in the ultimate victory of the good, that is of God."

Eventually, he concluded, the evil will be removed and disposed of. On the day of the final harvest, the judge will be Jesus "who sowed good seed in the world and who himself became a 'grain of wheat', died and rose again."

"At the end, we will all be judged by the same standards by which we judged: the mercy we gave to others will also be used with us," the Pope said. "Let us ask the Virgin Mary, our Mother, to help us to grow in patience, hope and mercy."

Welcome to St Luke's Catholic Church Wantirna.
Our parish priest and the parishioners wish you peace and every blessing.

St. Luke's Parish is a member of Knox Deanery.
Are you new to the parish and wondering how to make yourself known? If yes, please read the information below.

Our Mission Statement: We, the Parish of St. Luke, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are committed to continue building the Kingdom of God by being a Community of Disciples, living God's Word reaching out to all people.

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Are you New to the Parish?

Are you new to St. Luke's Parish and wondering how to introduce yourself?

Firstly, Welcome! to St Luke Catholic Church Wantirna.

We hope you find our website helpful in us welcoming you. Our parish priest, Father Joseph Amal SDB, along with the parishioners wish you peace and every blessing. We welcome all who choose to belong to our community.

Visitors are always welcome to our services.

Please do one of the following:

1. Introduce yourself to our parish priest after Mass.
2. Fill in the New Parishioner Details and Census Forms and take them to our parish office during the week.
3. Contact the Parish Office.

If there is any area in the life of the Parish which you would like to become involved in, please don't hesitate to enquire.