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May Retrospective

 

Politics in May begins with Labour Day holiday and concludes with National Reconciliation Week . This is the month where we focus on the issue of Domestic Violence and acknowledge the value of volunteers in our community. There’s something for everyone during May including World Naked Gardening Day and of course the boost to the flower and card industry on Mother’s Day.

In the middle of May I posted a greeting to my my Muslim friends as they began their practice of Ramadan  i am pleased to feature the AFL image acknowledging the  Muslim community at this time.

Catholics have a busy month with the customs of honouring the Virgin Mary with processions and festivals. This year Aussies were asked to join a national rosary to “circle the country”  There was a bit of religious imperialism added to the prayer: “We are praying for the future of our country and committing our nation to God and to the immaculate Heart of Mary.” Not sure there was a plebiscite about that bit.  I like the idea of inviting people to pray for Australia at a time when the Royal Commission   has recommended sweeping changes to religious and  other institutions, when it demonizes asylum seekers and refugees, when it incarcerates First Nations peoples at an alarming rate and when corporate greed is supported by Government.

On Sunday 13th May I went on a  rosary pilgrimage to reflect on our country, its needs and our mission. I took the words of Bishop David Cremin’s message as a focus.

“I support very much this good apostolate of promoting the Rosary at this time when there is so much poverty (and) bloodshed and refugee problems in our world,”

This pilgrimage began  at 3.00 pm at the Sorry Day Plaque in King George Square and concluded at  5.00pm, at sunset at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens in Alice Street.

 

One of the May celebrations that doesn’t get a mention in Catholic Church bulletins is May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. I had a mention in the promo for my  2018 image of the Storey Bridge lit up in colours of the rainbow.

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Photography

Updated Albums

Special Features

Odd spot of the Month

The back of my head captured during a liturgy at St John’s Cathedral

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Just Dates: June

June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month 

3 Anniversary of Mabo Decision (1992)

4 International Day of Innocent Children  / Tiananmen Square Massacre 1989

5 World Environment Day

8 World Oceans Day

10 Myall Creek Massacre

11-17 Men’s Health Week

12 World Day Against Child Labour

14 World Blood Donor Day

16 International Day of the African Child

17 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

17-23 Refugee Week

20 World Refugee Day

23 United Nations Public Service Day

26 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking / International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

30 Introduction of Unemployment Benefits Australia

Some more Community Celebrations  you might like to mark with me!!

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Mary, Mother of Equality, Pray for Us

As a young boy I have a vivid memory of the first Marian Procession I attended at the local convent of Stella Maris in North Geelong.  The candlelight movement of women in dark habits singing the Lourdes Hymn took me into a world where heaven touched earth and all tears were wiped away.

In my mother’s kitchen a small Icon of Our Lady of the Way sat alongside the detergent just above the sink where our daily dishes were washed.  My grandmother was a member of the Legion of Mary and walked the streets of her neighbourhood to join  families who prayed the rosary as the Fatima Statue moved from house to house.  Each rosary with finish with a rousing chorus of Hail Queen of Heaven that echoed down the street

Whoopi Golberg brought a new generation of people the spirit of Marian Hynms and devotion spiced up and inviting with a freshness and adventure that reflected the reality of the young woman of Palestine more faithfully than the Living Parish Hymnal.

The most popular Marian prayer in Catholicism has been the Litany of Loreto.  Its invocations of Mary under Biblical and popular titles has  made it a feature of Catholic Spirituality in chant and languages

And just when we thought we had given Mary every conceivable title  Pope Francis  added a new  one, Mother of the Church.  As one who has been called “First Disciple” Mary also stands as a model for equality.  For those of us who identify with the LGBTIQ faithful this  feast offers another opportunity to acknowledge  the spirituality  of equality.

As an older Queer Catholic I continue the venerationof  Mary in  the Litany to which I have added invocations from my life and experience.

As well as the litany there is  custom of decorating statues in popular culture with flowers and rosaries,  and even money.  I also continue this  custom of bringing elements of my life such as the rainbow colours to decorate and honour the place of Mary in my spirituality.

In this month of May  we invoke Mary, Mother of Equality, Pray For Us.

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April Retrospective

April began with that weird juxtaposition of Easter and April Fool’s Day. As well as attending  the ritual festivities at St Stephen’s Cathedral on Easter morning I also joined a lively discussion  following Evensong at St John’s Cathedral: Christ Foolery: The Ministry of the Fool in The Christian Tradition  My contribution to the discussion was the introduction of  the patrons of my Holy Irritant blog, St Christina the Astonishing, Virgin and St Basil the Holy Fool whose icons  lead this month’s reflection.

My Easter celebrations continued into the second week of April when I joined the Catholic Byzantine Community of Our Lady of Protection in Woolloongabba who celebrated the feast using the Julian Calendar.

Careering Into The Future

This month  marks a milestone in my career as I bid farewell to friends and supporters at Micah Projects after more than 12 years of employment.

The invitation to celebrations that went out through various networks included this amazing image that says much about my work and ethic. A few years ago I created “ Bananaman”, a promotional character for our fledgling social enterprise in South Brisbane. That enterprise now includes Hope Street Café.

Bananaman has made his curtain call. The work of social change and advocacy includes wild humour, a good dose of eccentricity and a costume from eBay. The costume may be retired but the eccentricity and wild humour will continue in my work as a Community Jester.

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Performance of the Month

The Story of Brisbane  with award-winning actors Therese Collie and Tim Mullooly was an extraordinary foray into history, local writers and  secrets of the Brisbane Powerhouse.  There will be a separate post coming about this soon,

Movie of the Month

If you only see one film this year make sure it is STOP THE BOATS. Simon Kurian has produced a documentary that exposes the stark brutality of the current culture of inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees who come to our shores.

The film is harrowing, graphic and honest in its exposure of the abandonment of global responsibility, compassion and justice by our recent Governments formed by the two major political parties.

STOP THE BOATS will tear your heart apart. inspire your action to begin a new language and practice about asylum seekers and refugees and hopefully disturb your political conscience.

The ANZAC Mass

You can hardly reflect on April in Australia without a reference to ANZAC.  In recent years I have attended the ANZAC morning Mass at St Stephen’s Cathedral. While I respect the intention of praying for those have died in our armed forces I am disturbed by the presence and parading of military weapons during the liturgy. See my blog post here

April Photography

Great Stuff Found Online

Exhibition of the Month

The AFTM Emerging Artists Exhibition supports talented local outsider artists to further develop their creative vision under the guidance of a professional mentor and support from AFTM. This year’s selected artists were shortlisted by a panel of judges from over 300 entries in last year’s Brisbane Festival Exhibition. They are: Felicity Clarke, Margarita Iakovleva, Filippe Lombardo, Amy Mack and George Moraitis.

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At the Exhibition Opening with George Moraitis

Under the mentorship of Art Consultant, Elizabeth Bates, the 2018 Emerging Artists have been given the opportunity to take part in an exhibition.

Exhibition continues to late June 2018 -AFTM Gallery, 136 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. Make appointment to come in to view  T 07 3151 6655 E aftm@wmq.org.au

Political Commitment of the Month

Today and every day until #Nabka, May 15 I will wear my #Keffiyeh. This act is a statement of solidarity with the protests in Gaza and a condemnation of the Israeli Government and military for their abuse of human rights.

As an Australian I wear my Keffiyeh to protest the silence of our major political parties and our diplomatic failure to censure Israel for its violence against the Palestinian Community.

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Just Dates: May

28 April – 7 May   Bike Week (Qld)

29 April -6           Heart Week

1          International Workers Day /   World Asthma Day

3           World Press Freedom Day

5           International Day of the  Midwife / World Naked Gardening Day

6           World Labyrinth Day

6-12     International Composting Awareness Week Australia

7           Worldwide Day of Genital Autonomy  

10          World Lupus Day

10-16 Schizophrenia Awareness Week

13       Mothers Day

13 – 19   Food Allergy Awareness Week

15            International Day of Families / Al Nabka 

17            International Day Against Homophobia /  World Telecommunication and Information  Society Day

20-26    National Palliative Care Week

21           World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

21-27 National Volunteers Week

22           International Day for Biological Diversity

25-31        Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories

26           National Sorry Day

27 – 3 June          Reconciliation Week

29           White Wreath Day / International Day of UN Peacekeepers

31    World MS Day

Community Celebrations 

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February-March Retrospective

The months of February/March this year mark a significant milestone as I reach my 65th year, five short of my biblical allocation. On  23rd February I celebrated  my 65th birthday and on 8th March I celebrated the 65th anniversary of my baptism.

This milestone is usually associated with  the transition to retirement, pensions, concessions and the status of a senior citizen. 

I have collected a series of plastic cards that affirm my status. I am a card carrying member of National Seniors Australia,  COTA, and as of now I carry my Qld Seniors Card with me for discounted public transport and other advantages listed in a handy booklet. Combined with my cinema cards I calculate my cost of living to be almost zero!!

Feature Photography for February-March

Additions to established albums

Social Media

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Supporting Palestine 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today and every day until #Nabka, May 15 I will wear my #Keffiyeh. This act is a statement of solidarity with the protests in Gaza and a condemnation of the Israeli Government and military for their abuse of human rights.

As an Australian I wear my Keffiyeh to protest the silence of our major political parties and our diplomatic failure to censure Israel for its violence against the Palestinian Community.

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