Talk, talk and more talk.

How do you feel? I don't just feel confused. I think I am confused. Plus, I think it's my own fault. I talk too much.

I read once a description of a bloke. A critic of his, friendly critic (the best kind of critic) said of that other bloke "He hasn't got one unpublished thought!"

Since about '02 I've copped a lot of flak, mainly from "friendlies". I'd come to the conclusion over many years that the best way to get through life was to be Catholic ie. open to all.

Let everyone know what you're on about. Don't have angles, don't have spin, just "what you see is what you get".

If they see what you're on about, some will offer to help. So I've ended up with no unpublished thought. Maybe I'm not good at explaining what I'm on about.

I talk in my own parish church. I'm supposed to do that. It's my duty. Every day there's a dozen people mostly the same ones. That's every day for 34 years!

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there's at least 100 at every wedding. We have about 60 weddings a year. I talk there, too.

On Sundays, we have a couple of baptisms/christenings. There's a bunch of people at each event, sometimes 100. I talk there, too.

Then there's the 200 at weekend Masses. They're the catholic critical mass, the general membership. The ones who give character and colour to South Melbourne Catholicism. God bless them. More talk from me, this time unashamedly, about the glory of God and the salvation of souls, the "in house" core business. Jesus of Nazareth gets a big run "in house", as you would expect, if not accept.

Then there's the not infrequent funeral during the week. Another 100 people, mostly not church goers, but spiritually on standby and some, not so much talk from me.

I may well, dear readers, have talked myself to a standstill.

But, then I saddle up weekly to appear with John Safran, Jewish, intellectual, satirist, humorist, on TripleJ radio. More talk, generally to persons unknown except the 20 somethings who write to the station's guestbook from all over the world.

I've also got this blog page, where such ramblings end up (as well as in the parish newsletter). This blog links to a podcast, courtesy of podcast network wunderkind Cameron Reilly and indefatigable tekkie, Michaela Walsh, whose father, Michael, died this week after a long illness. Sorry for your loss Michaela.

6000 people listen to the podcast. Another 450 people subscribe to my blog through email and 100 through Feedburner. My critics,  "friendlies", say I'm showing off, narcissist. I think I'm just "putting in". I'm confused, you see. Maybe I should stop talking to people and talk to God! That's where I'm confused. I thought that by talking to people I'm talking to God who loves, even likes, us. I believe there's no longer us, them God - just WE.

So, while I'm working it all out, more or less, I'll turn up at Triple J and this weekends 2 weddings, 3 baptisms, 1 intemment of ashes, 3 weekend Masses and talk some more.

Shaun Micallef, host of SBS "Newstopia" is our first guest on Triple J. Then, Mary Zournai, writer, philosopher and our intrepid film reviewer talks us through "A mighty Heart", a detailed account of the 2002 search for kidnapped Wall St Journal reporter, Daniel Pearl.

Next is Christian Kerr, author of "The Crikey Guide to the 2007 Federal Election".
Finally, Gary Lucas, internationally acclaimed New York guitarist.

R.J.M

Comments

[genevieve]

Tell me who these so-called friendlies are, Father, and I'll send a few grim thoughts their way.
Bleeding hell. Of course you are putting in. Glad to see Cameron is still helping out, too. I did think the "Ninjas" was a top idea.
All that matters is how you feel about talking. As long as you're happy with the content, keep putting it 'in'.
Thanks for all your magnificent work on the Net and the airwaves, as well as your ministry. As the French would say,
"Formidable".

[genevieve]

PS I mean I will send the thoughts purely using the power of my mind.
Of course. Totally non-violent, non-verbal protest.

[Joey Kurtschenko]

Friendly fire isn't, but how do you avoid it when people live their lives like they're at war? Shoot shoot, bang bang, and all the rest of it. We're taught conflict before we're taught teamwork. Knights kill the dragon and the establishment of a kingdom afterwards is all fairly arbitrary.

Might is perceived as being right in this world, and you are perceived as being quite mighty due to everything you do. If a friendly can attack you and win they'll feel elevated and validated. Thus you will be a target.

Same thing happened to Jesus, though, so you can't be doing too badly.

[Rick Giles]

Your philosophy, or in this case theology, tells you if you're talking too much or not. Bob taking the soapbox was a deliberate act prompted by wisdom. I don't think you're confused. Maybe you feel confused becasue you've lost contact with that wisdom. Need a bit of art to remind you? Maybe a bit of alone time looking at the city from a tall building?

Keep talking. There's no way we've run out of things to talk about!

Rick,
New Zealand

[Bronwyn]

I love a good gasbag!

Without talking, how else are we to learn, grow, gain, lose, evolve?

[Michaela]

Genevieve - the Ninjas aren't dead, we have just evolved. Email me by clicking on my name linked from the page http://fatherbob.thepodcastnetwork.com/
to join our wiki where we share ideas and information

[greenwords]

Dear Bob, please keep talking and then talk some more.

[Mr X]

G'Day there Father Bob,

Thank you for your responce on the guest book. I see that John didnt have the time to respond. I should have created an account with your name I think.

Well, I am a current serving member in Iraq and I am a big fan of your show. I am not able to say to much about what I am doing, but I would love to write about my feeling on some the the misconceptions that the world has in particuler with the Americans.

I was very excited when you mentioned me on the radio, of coarse it took a while for me to hear it on the pod cast but excited non-the less. So please Father Bob, I have aterible habit of rambling, so tell me what you want to know and I will definetly write about it.

Cheers,

MRX

[Slim]

Bless you Father Bob! Putting in? You certainly are.

[Ivan]

Hi, my name is disman-kl, i like your site and i ll be back ;)

[Ivan]

Hi, my name is disman-kl, i like your site and i ll be back ;)

[Heralzj]

Herald forever!

[Hughes]

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[Hughes]

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