Holy Spirit Retreat Day. Saturday 7th December, 2019.

Holy Spirit Retreat Day. Saturday 7th December, 2019.
Sacred Heart Parish. 50 Fairway Drive, Clear Island Waters, Qld 4226. Commencing 9am. At the Parish Hospitality centre. Bookings essential.

PARISH CENSUS 2019

PARISH CENSUS 2019

Do I Really Belong?

One of the most common statements I hear from people when I first meet them around our parish or in the broader community is: “I actually belong to your parish”. What I have come to understand over the years is, there is a difference between “belonging to the parish” and “living within the parish boundaries”. When I think about it, this last group doesn’t actually ‘belong’ to the parish, but might need to use it at some time in the future for a baptism, wedding or funeral. I suppose it’s just a sign of how people’s view of parish life has changed over the years, as well as an indication that people belong to a vast range of clubs, groups or social networks that don’t always allow sufficient time for involvement in Church on a weekend. An attitude of “We’ll find you when we need you” is a common attitude.

 Of course, this makes it very difficult for pastors in a parish to know who does belong and who is passing through. In the ‘olden days’ of Catholic parish life, nearly every family who attended Mass regularly was known to the priest and was involved in some way with the ministerial or pastoral life of the community. Given the substantial decrease in priest numbers over the past   10 years, there is now some concern as to how we will be able to provide pastoral care and services to this large and relatively unknown group who are nominal Catholics, unknown to us until they need us. (Of the 90 funerals and 170 baptisms celebrated this year, only a small number were known to the parish.) It is a case of how we will be able to supply services when the possible demands are unknown.

To this end, I have decided to instigate a parish registration program, beginning with a Parish Census to be conducted over the next two weekends at all weekend Masses. Via this registration program, we can at least start with the people who wish to acknowledge Surfers Paradise Parish as their principal faith community. This will allow us initially to know who our “parishioners” are, and hopefully give the parish leadership some idea of how we might best provide a range of programs, liturgies and sacramental services into the future. Secondly, this registration will allow us to communicate with our parishioners through more effective use of emails and newsletters to keep people informed of events, timetables and on rare occasions, cancellations. The days of simply staying in contact by phone or the parish newsletter have become limited and we do want to stay in touch to share good news and the occasional sadness that allow people to stay connected to their faith community.

The information collated through the Census is only for parish use and will be treated with the strictest confidence. I can assure you, we simply want to get a clearer idea of who belongs to our parish and who is prepared to put their name to that belonging; who wishes to be part of the community or who simply wishes to need us when the occasion arises. This is just the first in a few steps towards a more effective way of using our limited resources to stay connected to a large group of faithful people, a group who are proud to be known as “parishioners who belong”. 

Fr Peter Dillon PP

TO FILL OUT A CENSUS FORM PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK:

https://fs19.formsite.com/paulkelly/qkg9cqi3ka/index.html?1574311743665

1) The Christmas Vigil Mass Nativity Play and 2) A Fun Day with God, Holiday Activity Session

We invite children between the ages of 5 and 12 years to join us in either or both of the following activities:

1) The Christmas Vigil Mass Nativity Play

(Tuesday 24^th December at 5pm)

If you would like to be part of our Christmas Nativity Play as a shepherd? a sheep? an angel? Mary or Joseph? then please come along to our practices to be held at Sacred Heart Church on

Tuesday 17^th Dec 10:45am-12:15pm;

Thursday 19^th Dec. 10:45am-12:15pm and

Monday 23^rd Dec. 10:45am-12:15pm

2) A Fun Day with God, Holiday Activity Session           

on Sunday December 22^nd beginning at 10:00am

(after 9:00am mass) and concluding at 2:30pm.

Through a day of creative activities including drama, craft and music, we aim to support the faith journey of our parish children and their developing spirituality as they explore the Gospel stories and message of the advent season.

The activities have been prepared by Lorraine Wynne (Evangelisation Brisbane) and Carole Danby. Lorraine will assist and guide a team of volunteer parishioners as they present the activities to our children. Parents and /or      teenage siblings are also most welcome to assist. 

To enrol in the Fun day with God holiday activity session:   see application form:

https://fs19.formsite.com/paulkelly/egvrcydkyq/index.html 

Look out for more information in next week’s newsletter OR email our Children’s Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson at AndersonCM@bne.catholic.net.au to indicate your child’s interest in attending or a family member’s (adult’s or teenager’s) willingness to volunteer to assist in ensuring the success of these events for our younger parishioners.

Thanks in anticipation of your support! 

Message for Dying Peacefully - No Euthanasia Sunday

Brisbane Archdiocesan parishes and others across Queensland are observing “Dying Peacefully – No Euthanasia” Sunday on November 17, outlining the church’s ‘Care First’ approach of support for palliative care services as opposed to the introduction of so called “voluntary assisted dying” (VAD). The initiative was recommended by Archbishop Coleridge as it became clear the issues of VAD and palliative care, which itself is much more than the sedation of pain, were not well understood in the community. Catholic support for better palliative care is grounded in the common good of society. Better end-of-life care begins with better conversations about death and dying, and how we can die well in ways that do not undermine the foundational values of our society.

Jordanian Bedouin friend of Marguerite McMahon giving a tour of St John The Baptist Church in Madaba

From a recent pilgrimage. Tour organiser Marguerite McMahon  being given a tour of St John The Baptist Church in Madaba

On the provision of high-quality end-of-life care

16 Religious Leaders sign a Common Statement on the provision of high-quality end-of-life care

https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/articles/16-religious-leaders-sign-a-common-statement-on-the-provision-of-high-quality-end-of-life-care/

28 October 2019

A number of religious leaders have come together to underline their commitment to palliative care and a rejection of legalisation of ‘voluntary assisted dying’ in Queensland. There is significance in so many religious groups finding common ground on this issue.

         

Common Statement with images and signatures

The full text of the document, released publically on October 28, 2019, is included below:

A Good Death: Queensland Religious Leaders’ Joint Statement on the provision of high-quality end-of-life care

Our Vision for Queensland

As leaders of religious organisations in Queensland, we believe that our society should be caring and compassionate, founded on the promotion of human dignity, human freedom and the common good. We believe that:

• All Queenslanders are worthy of being valued and feeling valued by our society, regardless of the circumstances in which they find themselves. Our leaders and laws should affirm the fundamental worth of all Queenslanders at every stage of life in every circumstance of life.

• All people are free and capable of living meaningful and purposeful lives. The meaningfulness of our lives as free beings and as a community should be affirmed and fostered by society, including our government and government agencies.

• As a community we should work together to secure the common good. The common good is all the material and social conditions necessary for all individuals to live truly meaningful, purposeful and fulfilling lives in and through their relationships with others. These conditions include access to high-quality health care, aged care and end-of-life care that address people’s physical, psycho-social and spiritual needs.

Hearing the Question Properly to Start the Right Conversations

We understand that some Queenslanders are experiencing extreme physical, mental or emotional suffering. When these people tell us that they think the best solution would be for us to help them to take their own lives, or even end their lives for them, we should be very concerned. To respond by giving them the legal and physical means to do so is to fail in our responsibility as a society on at least two counts:

• It is a failure because we have done nothing to improve the circumstances that lead to people experiencing such unnecessary and avoidable suffering in the first place. This is especially problematic when the means do exist as evidenced by the very positive experiences of high-quality specialist palliative care.

• We have failed in our responsibility to affirm the worth of every Queenslander and the meaningfulness of every life, leading some among us, especially the most vulnerable, to believe that they are worth nothing and that they would be ‘better off dead.’ This can never be regarded as a compassionate response to the crisis of suffering.

‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ is not dying well

Death is part of life. Dying well is an important part of what it means to flourish as individuals and communities. We maintain that ‘voluntary assisted dying’ is not dying well. We believe that the Queensland Government should maintain the current laws and improve palliative care for a flourishing Queensland based on human freedom, human dignity and the common good.

• Queenslanders are being denied the choice of best practice end-of-life care

‘Voluntary assisted dying’ legislation undermines human freedom because such legislation seems to offer a misleading choice: you can choose to die horribly or you can take your own life. High-quality specialist palliative care means that death does not have to be horrible. High-quality specialist palliative care also means that you do not have to take your own life to avoid a horrible death. High quality palliative care is not merely a third option; it is best practice. Queenslanders do not yet have universal access to such specialist palliative care that addresses the physical, psycho-social and spiritual needs of people. This problem should be addressed by providing all Queenslanders with access to this best practice end-of-life care.

• Do we really want a law that tells us that we will all eventually be worthless?

‘Voluntary assisted dying’ undermines the foundational social affirmation of the equal worth of all human individuals by legally enshrining the idea that some human lives are not worth living. It legally enshrines the idea that these ‘lives-not-worth-living’ can be directly and intentionally ended with the aid and blessing of the state. Making such ideas into law gives the impression that this is the proper attitude of and for our society. Such a message puts vulnerable people at risk of coercion and elder abuse.

People who feel that they are a burden, or who already feel that their lives are worthless are particularly vulnerable. But we are all vulnerable to the suggestion that there may come a time when, no matter how successful and important we may be, we will become dependent on others for our care. We fear the guilt of being a burden on other people, the loss of control over our own lives, and the potential humiliation that can come from having to rely on others for our basic needs. How much more so would we feel this way if the law implies that we are indeed a burden, that we are right to think that we worthless, and that the right and noble thing to do would be for us to end our lives before we become a burden on those we love and on society? Such a law undermines the reality that we flourish both as individuals and as a society precisely in and through our caring for others and being cared for by others. In this, ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ affects other people’s rights, not just those of the patient. Human beings and human societies are at their best when they are involved in relationships of mutual love, concern and consideration, sometimes as givers and sometimes as receivers of such care. The law should foster such interactions, not undermine them.

• It’s the wrong message when we have a crisis of suicide in our state

‘Voluntary assisted dying’ undermines efforts to address the crisis of suicide in Queensland. The government and our society should not be affirming the idea that some lives are not worth living at a time when Queensland has the second-highest suicide rate in Australia.

Consequently, we maintain that ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ should not be legalised in Queensland.

Dying well does not mean prolonging life at all costs or living in pain

We want to make our position clear. We oppose the legalisation of any direct action specifically intended to bring about the death of a person. This includes the provision of lethal substances for that purpose or the administration of such lethal substances by any means for that purpose.

We continue to support the long-held moral and legal distinction between such direct intentional actions to bring about the death of a person and:

• proportionate refusal, withholding or withdrawal of medical treatments that promise little or no benefit, or that are overly burdensome at the end of life

• appropriate intentional provision of medication to alleviate symptoms of pain and suffering.

It is clear that these legitimate practices are not well understood in Queensland. Many people believe that the medical fraternity – or indeed their religion – requires them to prolong life at all costs, regardless of the burden. Many people also think palliative care is like euthanasia because the ‘pain medications will kill you anyway’. This is not the case.

As religious leaders, we commit to doing our part to support initiatives to educate people concerning:

• appropriate refusal, withholding and withdrawal of treatment;

• the distinction between alleviating pain and direct intentional killing; and

• the benefits of high-quality specialist palliative care that addresses the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of people.

We strongly endorse government initiatives in this direction. We believe better end-of-life care begins with better conversations about death and dying and how we can die well in ways that do not undermine the foundational values of our society.

We Support High-Quality Palliative Care, Education, and Better Conversations about Dying

The better answer to the suffering we see is to address the circumstances using the best practice available. We support all efforts to empower Queenslanders to make meaningful choices about their end-of-life care and to develop a world-leading healthcare system that genuinely takes care of people from the cradle to the grave.

• The problems evident in aged care should be urgently addressed.

• Palliative care services should be improved both in quality and in accessibility.

• Support and resourcing for the spiritual dimension of healing, and so for chaplaincy and spiritual care in hospitals should be prioritised.

• Education about what high-quality palliative care is should be supported and myths that create false and unwarranted fears and uncertainties about the dying process should be refuted.

• Support and encouragement should be given to research into better palliative care and into how palliative care can foster lives that have meaning and value in a society that affirms
human dignity at every point.

Signatories

• Most Rev Dr Phillip Aspinall – Archbishop, Anglican Church Southern Queensland
• Rev David Baker –Moderator, Qld Synod, Uniting Church in Australia
• Rev Peter Barson – Director, Ministry Resourcing & Christian Education, Presbyterian Church of Queensland
• Mr Geoff Charles – Conference President, Churches of Christ
• Most Rev Mark Coleridge – Archbishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane
• Dr Joe Goodall – Moderator, Qld Congregational Fellowship
• Rabbi Nir Gurevitch – Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation
• Pastor Gary Hourigan, State Chairman, International Network of Churches
• Rabbi Levi Jaffe – Brisbane Hebrew Congregation
• Mr Habib Jamal – President of the Islamic Council of Queensland.
• Elder Carl R. Maurer – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Area Seventy – Pacific Area
• Pastor Carl Mutzelburg – Acts 2 Alliance
• Rev Stewart Pieper – Acting General Superintendent, Queensland Baptists
• Rev Rex Rigby – Wesleyan Methodist Church, District Superintendent Sth Qld
• Rev Paul Smith – Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Australia, Queensland District.
• Pastor Gary Swenson – State Ministries Director, Australian Christian Churches Qld / NT

A Reflection for this coming weekend - Catholic 766 : Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C - Sunday, November 17, 2019

https://homilycatholic.blogspot.com/2019/11/thirty-third-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html

Catholic 766 : Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C - Sunday, November 17, 2019

Homily Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C  - Sunday, November 17, 2019

First Reading: Malachi 3:19-20

Psalm: Ps 97:5-9. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice

Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Gospel Acclamation: Luke 21:38. Alleluia, alleluia! Lift up your heads and see. Your redemption is near at hand.

Gospel: Luke 21:5-19

Image: Shutterstock licensed.  Photo by Seth Aronstam. stock photo ID: 1212006451. "Boulders from the Roman destruction of the second Temple alongside the western wall in Jerusalem, Israel."

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 Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C  - Sunday, November 17, 2019 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/33c-faith-hope-and-love-ep-188/s-FxUK3  (EPISODE: 188)

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 It is what is inside that counts.  That could be one theme that jumps up from this weekend's scriptures.  .Our Lord, who is God made flesh, was born into this world to usher in the Kingdom of God.  He did and said many things in the furtherance of this Kingdom. But each and every action he did was an expression and a consequence of his nature as God and as a concrete exposition of the values of God in action. Our Lord today warns his disciples, yes, the ornaments and workmanship of God's Temple in Jerusalem is superb. But this beauty is merely a shadow of the inner significance of God who lives with his people. Its God within that matters. And in any case, this outer fabric of the Temple will be torn down and destroyed.. but the inner reality of God's abiding presence with his people never ends, no matter what happens.  Amidst the shocks and tragedies around every corner of this uncertain life, if we stay firmly focused upon and connected to the inner reality of Christ, in all things, we will stand strong no matter what happens.   This…

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The scene in the gospel is a really shocking one. Some people were admiring the beauty of the superb Temple of God in Jerusalem, only for Jesus to say. There will come a day when not one stone will be left lying on another.

It is unthinkable,// shocking.//

Although the temple was not a mere building. It was God's house. SO, it would be more like admiring the beauty of St Peter's in Rome, and rightly to be quite unable to comprehend or even bring oneself to think of this focal point of our universal faith lying in ruins. What a horrific thought. But, that is how shocking these words were to its listeners. And when the Temple did indeed lie in ruins after the Roman Armies destroying it. The people felt utterly lost. It must have been as if the end of the world had come. People still weep at the small part of the Temple wall that has been rebuilt. Endlessly mourning its loss.

The gospel shines its insightful light upon the massive efforts we put into building up a vision only to have it be torn down again by circumstances, whether by natural disasters and accidents, or by the negligence or malice of others.

It is timely to think of things like this, as Our Lord warns us to put our efforts into building up that which lasts forever. That which can never be touched or torn down.

This weekend, Jesus warns his disciples that there are tough, stormy times ahead, not only for him but for all who follow him and in fact for the wider community of the Jewish people in Israel in his time.

 But in the midst of this, he still offers hope:-  "Do not be fooled -- the end has not come."

He rightly predicted that there would be wars and natural disasters. many which will shake the foundations of society and frighten many. but he calls us to remain resolute and keep focusing on the gospel.

In all of this, he says. "don't be shaken. Do not be thrown by the tumult around you. Keep on working diligently without hesitation. Keep witnessing to the truth of my message. I will be with you. I will be faithful to you. even if following me causes persecution and even (for some) breakups in ordinary family and social relations."

 But again, this is an invitation to think and pray carefully about what we are putting our energies into. what are we building? Because, some buildings, (MOST buildings, are not built to last forever.) and even the ones that are intended to last forever, DON'T!!!

Jesus is not just talking about a physical building. what are we putting all our hopes and dreams and energy into? because there may be a time when exactly that which is the object of all our time, effort and energy, will be knocked down (by a natural disaster, illness, the bad-will of others, and so many other reasons). so Jesus implores us to put our energies and priorities into his Kingdom and its values that can never be torn down. The reason that the early Christians endured such persecution, such horrors, and kept faithful was they KNEW JESUS. They met him, they walked with him. Or they met those who did. So they willingly would go to their deaths for what their Lord stood for.

 We will not be left standing unless we connect ourselves to the one true spiritual building that endures forever. Christ. the Foundation stone and fortress. We need to daily deepen our knowledge and love of the person and message of Jesus . to deeply allow Our Lord to immerse us in his heart and mind. . and may we catch on fire with his person and message and values.

 And let us reflect often. Open this spiritual question about our priorities and choices.

What are we building??? Are we building something so closely connected to Christ's gospel that it will never be torn down?

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 References:

Fr Paul W. Kelly

My Daily Visitor reflections, Nov/Dec, 2010

Image: Shutterstock licensed.  Photo by Seth Aronstam. stock photo ID: 1212006451. "Boulders from the Roman destruction of the second Temple alongside the western wall in Jerusalem, Israel."

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 Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.

NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly

Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.

Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy.

Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.

  [{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins. **]

 Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).

 { "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski

Featuring the. Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/

"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn: Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly.

For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/

Contact us at paulwkelly68@gmail.com

Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources.

May God bless and keep you.

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C

(Sunday, November 17, 2019)

 (EPISODE: 188)

 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)

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 {{Goodness and kindness to you all}}

 As we begin the Holy Eucharist, let us acknowledge our sinfulness, so as to worthily celebrate the sacred mysteries.

 Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life: Lord, have mercy// //Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy//Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood: Lord, have mercy//

 May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

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 Memorial Acclamation

 3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.

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Sundays Ordinary III

 Euch prayer two

 Communion side. pwk: RH

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{I am very grateful for you joining us for this special time of prayer and reflection. }

 Go in peace.

Support for drought-affected farmers and rural communities

Support for drought-affected farmers and rural communities

PRAYER FOR RAIN

God of compassion,
we wait and watch for your gift of rain
to water the soil and make the barren land come alive again.
We wait and watch for the gift of salvation
to free us from hatred, greed and fear
so that we may live again as people of faith, hope and love.
We make this prayer in the name of our Saviour who comes to be with us. Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God, forever and ever. Amen.

The drought that is devastating wide sections of the nation is touching parts of the Brisbane Archdiocese. The South Burnett, Cherbourg, Somerset and Lockyer Valley regions are drought-declared.

The Archdiocese is now helping our parishioners who are struggling on their drought-affected properties. Every week, we welcome into our churches those people praying for rain to help the animals and the properties that are so dear to them.

We pray with them and we now ask for your support to ease their struggle until rain arrives.

Gifts over $2 to this Archdiocesan Drought Appeal are tax-deductible. Donations will be sent to our parish priests in the drought-declared areas for distribution to those families that they know need our help.

Please donate today by calling Catholic Foundation staff on 07 3324 3200 or make a gift now online by visiting: https://catholicfoundation.org.au/drought-relief-appeal/. 

Your support will go directly to those Archdiocesan families who are experiencing the worst of this drought.

Let us pray this prayer daily, in union with our brothers and sisters all over this nation: 

Eternal God,

In wisdom and love you created our earth to sustain us and give us life.

We turn to you now in faith, hope and love, asking you to look with favour on our drought-stricken land, on our starving animals, on our failing crops. 

Strengthen, sustain and give new heart to our farmers and to all who are affected by drought; be with those who support them. In your loving providence, send abundant rain and restore our parched earth. 

Father of all compassion, hear our prayer through Jesus Christ your Son, in whom the promise of new life has dawned, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life: Renew your faithful people; Renew the face of the earth.

Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Mary, help of Christians – Pray for us.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – Pray for us.