A TV Channel wanted to do a happy story for the week leading up to Christmas. The reporter had a mother with baby and child living in a car in rural Victoria – no room at the inn, so to speak. The reporter tried several government bureaucracies for an emergency solution. None was forthcoming.
So she tried me, sent cameras, came herself. I rang a friend who runs a shelter for women with children. A Christmas miracle! He can house them, if I pay, I agree. End of story.
Oh, no! The woman and children arrive at the refuge. There are, naturally, rules about visitors, especially blokes. The woman takes umbrage and leaves. Just, maybe, the bureaucrats had trouble not with finding suitable accommodation but with getting the woman’s approval.
I was meant to meet the family and the reported at the refuge, me with cash in hand for the rent. No reporter, no woman and children, no heart-rending Christmas story. But, there’s always, two sides to every story. The public servants may well be innocent. I’m still open to persuasion, if the same kind of situation arises.
Another reporter rang, not long after the dust had settled on the accommodation drama. This time the issue was an advertisement used to help sell Christmas gifts.The Three Wise Men arrive at Bethlehem bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.
As I understand it, the baby grabs a gift and throws it back at the visitors. The caption, the unique selling point, is “Give better gifts”. The reporter wants me to say it’s awful and should be withdrawn. I quibble, as usual.
I advised the reporter that, in societies with centuries of Christian culture behind them, the advertisement, the 'cartoon', may well be offensive.
In secular societies, like Australia, offence may well be in the eye of the beholder. Maybe, the advertiser should provide a warning that religious viewers may find the 'cartoon' offensive, giving them time to look away or make a cup of tea!
Secular Australians may well decide that the advertisement offends a sufficient number of religious/spiritual fellow citizens that the advertisement becomes too hot to handle.
Is life becoming so boring in Australia that the antidote is overwhelming entertainment or a best, infotainment?
And, another thing, volunteers pop out of nowhere at Christmas time. They inundate small local charities, like mine, with offers of hands on help. Great! The trouble is that small, local charities are usually flat out all year doing their compassionate best to answer immediate needs. Triple that output at Christmas. We’re embarrassed when we have to knock back seasonal volunteers.
But, volunteers of the world please don’t lose heart. If you get a knock back from me or any other ‘charity’, keep looking closer to home, even to needy relatives or friends and risk extending a helping hand. There’s an impressive groundswell of 'holy unrest' building among Australians, a real desire to see our 'commonwealth' shared by all. Christmas goodwill probably should end at midnight, December 25th, because, if it seeps into Boxing Day, it’ll be hit for six by India V Australia or belted off the court by the Tennis Open or swamped by the Yacht race.
Nevertheless, Christmas is the day to make real decisions about 2008. New Year’s Day is too late!
I’ll try to get a real Father Christmas to turn up at our Christmas Eve 7.30 pm service (Mass). He’ll walk into the crowd of 1000 ringing his bell and calling out Ho! Ho! Ho! He’ll make it to where I’m standing at the altar and he’ll say: 'I’m handing Christmas over to you and your community for safekeeping. It couldn’t be in better hands. See you next year.' Then he’ll leave. We’ll stay for another try.

I was a paperboy when I was 12, that's just after World War II. It was in Prahran, a suburb of Melbourne, that I threw newspapers over fences to land at the front doors of mainly cottage type dwellings.
There was the occasional 'big house' where you had to open the gate and place the newspaper on the front door mat.
Once a year we put a card in the paper: 'Christmas comes but once a year. Don't forget the paper boy.' Most customers did forget. A few didn't and somehow, either personally or via the newsagent put a few bob the paper boys way. Those were the days. A tip for 12 months services rendered, hail, rain or shine.
Christmas brings back memories. That's one of its main functions. Especially memories of people no longer with us, as we say. Christmas, therefore, is bitter sweet.
Last week a group of teenagers died in a road accident in Melbourne's west. Another group died in similar fashion in Alice Springs. Lots of families and friends and, because were all interconnected via omnipresent media, lots of strangers will have memories, this Christmas, of those young people. How will those memories be handled?
Well, this Sunday night at about 9.00 pm (est) on Triple J we'll interview Andrew Knight who's out to help us. He co-authored 'Dying to know . . . Bringing death to life'. It's a ground breaking celebration of life through 60 observations about mankind's most shared yet unspoken experience: death.
Why then, do we find it such a difficult subject to talk about? Through startling images, challenging words and striking insights, 'Dying to know' cuts through the taboos to place death firmly in the cycle of life. Quirky without being irreverent, accessible without being glib, and challenging without being disturbing, the book allows a way for families, friends and the media to frame an ongoing conversation about the nature of living and the reality of dying in a way that is engaging rather than depressing.
Now! Should I have gone there - about death, I mean? Well, the interview or the book itself just might shed light this Christmas on recent sad events and, as is likely, on disasters yet to be published.
For Catholic Christians there's a month's lead up to Christmas called Advent. Advent means arrival' (Latin, our old language, 'adventure').
We used to go without food and drink, like a little Lent. We have in churches an Advent wreath of greenery with four candles in the middle, 3 purple, 1 pink. We light one candle each weekend. Were up to 3, the pink one, this weekend.
The pink one, the happy coloured one, is a reminder that in the midst of Advent soul searching, we need to break the mindset in case it becomes oppressively sad. Even the texts of the Mass (Catholic Worship service), the vestments (Church service clothes) the singing, the whole ambience is happy. Happy feet would be good, if it was our western custom. When we lived in villages, all this worked well on the community's collective mood. Individuals found it easy to conform.
But, we now live in big towns and cities! It's extremely hard to change a neighbourhood's mood.
We achieved it locally last Sunday. We all gathered, the 'inclusive' brethren, at a local state school playground. The parents of kids at that school had invited, at year's start, the Christian education council to run religious education classes at the school, voluntary attendance, I believe.
The kids sang carols, Jesus, Mary and Joseph got a run, the hundreds present all had a whale of a time. It really worked for the spiritual awakening of all present.
Here, in this parish, we've chosen to celebrate Advent, with two big community meals - one for elderly parishioners (the eldest was 102!) and one for our 'guests', the hundred or so people, most of whom live in public housing flats or boarding houses, who come to our parish Open House (the 140-year-old mansion previously occupied by 4 resident priests).
Both of those events are spiritually uplifting for guests and hosts alike. The best gift you can give this Christmas is yourself in the service of others.

Heavenly Heroes Blood donation campaign Christmas & New Year Holiday period
Dec 2007 - Jan 2008
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service requires around 4000 units of blood per day to keep Australia's blood stocks at a safe and efficient level. One unit of blood can save three lives. At present in Australia, 80% of people will need blood products at some point in their loves, but only 3% donate blood.
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service loses approximately 1000 donations around any public holiday. The ARCBS must make up the 4000 donations lost, over the surrounding weeks to ensure we have enough blood. This means we need 4000 extra donations, and you can help!
Heavenly Heroes describes the many donors belonging to Christian groups throughout Victoria, who are committed to donating much needed blood. Heavenly Heroes runs every year at Easter and Christmas time -the two most significant dates on the Christian calendar. Roll up your sleeve and save lives!
Please phone 13 14 95 to book a time at Southbank Donor Centre. Cnr Kavanagh and Balston Streets.

Please stay after 10 am Mass next Sunday to set the chairs up for Christmas Eve.

What thread do I bring to weave into our Parish Tapestry?
On Remembrance Day Fr Bob spoke to us about the Unknown Parishioner and of the work that was done many years ago by many unknown parishioners to establish our Church here in South Melbourne. Many of us know very little about the people who built our Church, and were the foundation from which our faith has grown. We know very little of their lives, their hardships, their joys or their strengths. Yet with the strength of their faith and through the many hardships they would have had to endure, they created a community, a family that continues to this day. Creating a tapestry through which many people lives, over the years have weaved in and out, each bringing a different thread, a different colour to a tapestry that is strong in its weave, vibrant in colour and large enough for all of us to fit into.
This Advent, in preparation for Christmas, let each of us bring to our Parish tapestry, our own individual thread/gift of self, perhaps something to strengthen our parish life, or a giving of time to some one in your life who is in need.
Sue has left a sample of a tapestry that was done by the children from one of her schools. Please take a look to see what you may be able to do with your piece of cloth, the tapestry will not be put together till well after Christmas so if anyone needs a hand, please talk with Sue or Olwen.
How then does our Parish tapestry interweave within our Community tapestry?

Many thanks to those people who attended 'Our Advent Story' last Wednesday evening. Maria's presentation was beautiful, using songs and pictures to lead us through a moving and peaceful reflection of Advent - a time of preparation. I think for most of us the evening was a time to sit and take a breath from the busyness of everyday life, and to renew what is important to each of us at this time of the year. I am sure each one of us took home more than one thought to reflect on during these last days before Christmas. Maria will return on Ash Wednesday to lead us through our Ash Wednesday paraliturgy.

Sorry folks, last post I blogged in the blog book (trans. for oldies = I blotted my copybook).
I sent the text, already heavily laced with 'bobbiwaffle' to comrade Michael by fax.
However, I fed the machine with pages 2, 1, 3 - in that disorder. Comrade Michael posted them in that order. Even in that disorder there was a semblance of sense. At least friends would interpret it that way. Enemies would roll their eyes while muttering - the old fool's at it again.
Anyway, so long as Bernie Banton came out of it as a good bloke who died on duty - helping others. He was a speck in the ocean of the $ economy. He was a saint in the social economy (what Catholics call 'in house' the economy of salvation).
Kevin Rudd seems to acknowledge the twin economies. Homelessness is already high on the Federal agenda for close and generous attention.
Johnny Depp, filmster, is determined to do something for the homeless of Louisiana, USA. Alain De Bottom, English writer and social commentator, is forming an alliance of architects and developers to do something for homeless people in the UK and Africa.
We can't leave everything to governments. It's not fair to them or to us 'the people'. Surely Australian architects and developers could lower their sights from high-rise plush accommodation for the rich to low-rise and decent, affordable housing for the poor, deserving and undeserving alike.
In Melbourne, there's a magnificent edifice called Eureka. It dominates our skyline. It's crowned with a splash of gold and a slash of red. It proclaims the gold of the capital economy but also the red of the blood, toil, tears and sweat of the social economy.
Let me give credit where credit's due here.
Two of the men involved in Eureka's creation are supporters, indeed friends, of mine and my Foundation. They've both experienced the red as well as the gold and blue each as essential ingredients of human progress.
Adam Smith, a founder of the $ economy and author of 'The Wealth of Nations' warned his colleagues to respect the gold and the red equally. It would make a for a good Christmas if the rich among us, good luck to you, and the well enough off, the working poor and the underclass could experience their neighbourhood as home. Home is where the heart is.
The Jesus, Mary and Joseph story, mythical fact or historical fact doesn't faze me, covers changing addresses from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt and back again to Nazareth, from a fixed address to supported accommodation from emergency accommodation in a caravan to shared housing and a foreign but safe land and then the caravan again before resettling back home in a familiar neighbourhood. You've got to take heart, wherever you are.
Visit the sick this Christmas season and make the person feel at home with you. Write a letter to a prisoner friend or family member so they'll feel at home through you.
Give money to a local group feeding people at Christmas but, above all, put yourself out there as God's gift to humanity.
Thank the kid at the check out counter, the bus driver, the cleric at the church service, the paramedic at your domestic crisis.
As the story goes, the angels gave glory to God in the highest. Develop the story by giving glory to God in the lowest.
Your best Christmas present will be when someone says, or even, feels 'Thank God you're here'.

Last Tuesday, a Mass of Anointing celebrated by Fr. Bob set the scene for a time of community, companionship and good cheer.
A first-class Christmas dinner followed, in the hall, cooked on the spot, by the organizers and their helpers Barbara, Doris, Trish, Betty, Elaine, Diane, Marise.
Cohn, Kevin, Paul, Brian, Mario and Rick proved to be impeccable in their role as waiters for the occasion.
Entertainment was provided by the Golden Tappers. Mario Perrone's golden voice had the audience clamoring for encores. Sr. Joyce was the accomplished accompanist throughout.
Mary Heffeman, at 102, the oldest member present, cut the cake and was accompanied by the youngest one, Ava - all of 6 months.
A special word of thanks is extended to those who helped to set up the hall and tables for the party the night before. The tables looked beautiful and your contribution was very much appreciated. Thanks are also extended to Jamie and his Tae Kwon Do school for the help they give in clearing the hall and helping to put up the tables for us as well.
A final 'hip-hip' to the organizers Geraldine Crawford, Margaret Buzza, Carol Leahy, Edith Blenheim & Sr. Catherine. This was a real parish effort, greatly appreciated by those who were in attendance.