Like Jesus, we all need a “deserted place” where we can connect with God and the things of the heart. It may be a daily, set time for prayer, a gentle walk in a park, a quiet corner of the back-yard or even a bathrobe - whatever keeps us aware of God’s presence in our life, and energises us to reach out in service to others., reflects Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The first step towards finding freedom from whatever it is that restricts us is to recognise whose authority we choose to follow. Once we recognise that the source of living with wholeness is Jesus himself, we then have to take the steps to embrace his teaching, and to allow our conduct to be guided by the authority given to us by God’s Spirit planted deep within us, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The immediacy of the response of Simon, Andrew, James and John to Jesus’ invitation to join him is the kind of response that the in-breaking of God’s reign on earth is required from everyone courageous enough to call themselves disciples, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The busyness of modern life sometimes results in a loss of our ability to listen effectively to one another. There may well be a need for us to relearn how to listen - to the people close to us, to those we meet at work, while shopping and everywhere else, and, indeed, to God, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The Spirit of God who anointed Jesus as Messiah, the Christ of God, and confirmed him in his mission to the world, also continues to hover over each of us brothers and sisters of Jesus, inviting us to continue the mission of Jesus by reaching out to the lost and alienated, healing those who are hurting, feeding the hungry, freeing those who are imprisoned by fear, doubt, depression and loneliness, and bringing peace and justice and mercy to everyone with whom we engage, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.