"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Shutterstock licensed stock photo ID: 251742775. "Rest for the weary-Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." By grace21
THE PASTOR'S POST
While driving somewhere last week, I happened upon a radio station I had never listened to before. I decided during these times of change that I need to expose myself to certain sounds and tastes I avoided or dismissed as not being to my taste. I listened to the station (4JJJ, for those of you who are interested) for at least ten minutes during which time I did not recognise one song, nor, for that matter, recognise one word of any of the lyrics. Now I'm not going to jump in here and say that the music was rubbish, because from what I hear, this station is one of the most popular stations for teenagers and young adults, neither of which I am, or ever was, as far as I can recall. What I do recall are the many hours I sat listening (and watching) the family stereogram, learning words of songs and trying to convince my sceptical parents that these were the greatest songs ever written. Nothing would ever be better and no future song would ever understand what life was really like for a child of the 70s (alright – 60s).
I recently heard my favourite social commentator, Hugh Mackay, remarking that the music which we really enjoy the most in adulthood is the usually music of our youth, particularly those of us who surrounded ourselves with radios and records from early morning to last thing at night, learning of love and loss, or heartache and happiness through the poetic musings of singers and songs. They were songs with words we could not only hear clearly, but believed they were written by someone who knew our insecure lives. Perhaps we all seek the comfort and companionship of that music which saw us through those challenging rites of passage, when only the lyrics and the rhythm of songs seemed to understand our unpredictable moods and emotions.
This can be equally said of the faith life of our youth. We recall its sounds and smells, its counsel and confusion. Perhaps it was the comfort of a time when prayers were set and our intentions sincere, a time when liturgies were unchanging and rarely confronting. A time when we didn't have to think so much as absorb what was taking place around us in the Church. Over the years we have been told that both celebrant and laity are to have active participation and engagement in the liturgy of the Mass. It's not simply enough to sit in Church and let the words and actions wash over us. Recently a concerned parishioner, commenting on the new translation of the Mass, expressed the wish that we could just leave things as they were and stop messing with the old Mass. It was then that I surprised her by saying that the "Old Mass" she was referring to was only in place for 40 years during which time there had been several minor changes that hadn't rocked her spiritual boat. It really wasn't so "old" after all, but it was something that became familiar, comfortable and probably no significant challenge to those who regularly participated in its celebration.
You might ask "Why can't music and fashion and faith just stay the same?" Why do things have to change, particularly those things that we are used to and make us feel safe and comfortable. The answer is simple: we change. Our life experiences and needs are constantly evolving. While the essence and truth stays the same, the context must shape itself around the changing nature of the world. It was one of the challenging aspects of Jesus' ministry, not to bring a new truth, but to frame that truth in ways that people could understand and live more effectively. Some people found his approach too confronting while others finally got to understand how they could relate to God with greater conviction and understanding.
Fr Peter Dillon PP.
NEXT WEEK IS "SEA SUNDAY"
This is when the church prays for those who live and work at sea. There will be a national Appeal for Stella Maris, Apostleship of the Sea, the official maritime welfare agency of the Catholic Church. Donations will provide practical and spiritual support to seafarers in these challenging times of COVID-19. Please give generously. Go to: bit.ly/seasundayaustralia
In preparation for the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year A. The resources can be found on the Liturgy Brisbane website and will be updated each week.
In these unique times where our Sunday Masses have been suspended, you may wish to read the Sunday readings and associated commentaries at home.
This resource is designed for families with young children and has been a joint endeavour of Liturgy Brisbane and Evangelisation Brisbane. An extract from the Sunday gospel is provided, along with some reflection questions, family activities and a worksheet for children.
THE GOSPEL THIS WEEKEND
There are so many wonderful readings and many of them we know so well, yet every time we hear them again we can get something new from them – a deeper richness to their timeless message.
For example, in this familiar Gospel, "my yoke is easy and my burden is light"… The Greek word in the original text of this gospel uses the word for easy or gentle as "Chrestos" which is astounding. It is so similar to the word Christos, meaning the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah and King.
In the time of Our Lord, people expected that the Messiah was going to be a warrior King who would come with power and force and violently overthrow the occupying forces of the Roman Empire and establish a new Kingdom on earth. They also believed that this Messiah or Christ would seek retribution upon anyone who had not lived up to God's law and bring down vengeance upon them. Then, along comes Jesus as the true messiah and he is not violent, forceful or military, but he is gentle and humble… The Christos turns out to be Chrestos… that is… "The Christ is gentle." His burdens on us are light. This is astounding and beautiful. Our Lord says, "learn from me for I am gentle and humble."
Often when we describe a yoke… or a burden… these words create the impression of hardship and difficulty… and yet… it is good to remind ourselves… that a yoke was ultimately designed to be used in order to make the task easier… to make it manageable… and tolerable….
With a heavy task, a yoke allows a person or an animal to lift a weight and carry a weight in such a way that distributes the weight and makes it possible and tolerable… over an extended period of time...
May God richly bless us and give us the joy, the rest and the relief that comes with this faith…, hope and love.
Fr. Paul Kelly
(Reference: William Barclay - Commentary on Matthew's Gospel | Image: Photo by Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash | Photo by Ihor Malytskyi on Unsplash)
"O REVERENT PELICAN!" (A Reflection by Fr. Paul).
(Picture in chalk and on board, by Sacramental Program Coordinator Cathy Anderson)
When I was training to be a priest, we had the option to learn a little bit of Latin. A few of us felt that since this was a very important part of the tradition of the Church, we should at least have an opportunity to have a grasp of it.
Our teacher would present us with old Latin hymns and get us to pronounce the Latin contained in these beautiful anthems. I was intrigued one day when we were reciting an old hymn set to the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a great Doctor of the Church. It was a hymn to Jesus. And the mysterious Latin words echoed out…. "O pie Pelicanus"…
I thought to myself…. How odd…. That sounds like… and it looks like Saint Aquinas is saying to Jesus: "O reverent Pelican" !!
How odd… Surely I have mistranslated…. But no… I had not… But why a pelican?… Why would a pelican be a symbol of Jesus?
Then I remembered seeing pictures of pelicans on some church tabernacles, and in some stained glass windows… and here lies an interesting story.
The symbolism of a mother pelican feeding her little baby pelicans, goes back to an ancient legend. In ancient thinking, the humble pelican was believed to be very self-sacrificing to its young, especially in times of famine…..The mother pelican was seen to wound herself (she "vulns" herself; as in another Latin word from the same derivation for the word 'vulnerable,' which means 'able to be pierced'). The mother pelican was observed to repeatedly strike her chest with her beak, to feed her young with her own blood, to prevent starvation. Another version of the legend was that the mother fed her dying young with her blood to revive them from death, but in turn lost her own life. This legend, as I mention, comes from a confusion about what people thought they were observing when they saw a pelican feeding its young. In fact, a pelican actually feeds her young by storing a watery form of food in its upper throat. When the bird needs to feed its chicks, it regurgitates the food by swiftly lowering and raising its neck repeatedly onto its chest; so this unusual action APPEARS as if it is piercing its own chest resulting in a reddish fluid flowing out (which is actually not blood but food), which the young then feed upon. So, even though it is a misunderstanding, the symbolism is still clear and beautiful.
Given this tradition, one can easily see why the early Christians adapted it to symbolize our Lord, Jesus Christ. The pelican symbolizes Jesus, our Redeemer who gave His life for our redemption and the victory over sin and death he made through His passion and death. He shed every single drop of blood to save us all… We were dead to sin and have now we have been revived and given new life through the body and Blood of Christ. Moreover, Jesus continues to feed us with His body and blood in the holy Eucharist.
Fr Paul.
(Shutterstock licensed stock photo ID: 1401303620. SEVILLE, SPAIN -April 9, 2019: Beautiful ancient wooden sculpture depicting the image of Pelican and babies above the tabernacle, on the altar inside Church of El Divino Salvador. By Nuntiya).
PARISH SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM - What's happening?
Confirmation
Due to CoronaVirus restrictions, the previously advertised Sacramental Program: Parent Information Session (July 20th or 21st) and the subsequent three Confirmation Preparation Workshops from late July to mid-August will not be offered in the usual face-to-face style. Instead we will offer children and parents the opportunity to complete an Online Confirmation Preparation Program.
After the completed online preparation work has been returned to the Sacramental Coordinator, the Confirmation celebration will be negotiated around the availability of the bishop and the health related restrictions in place at that time.
We are at the beginning of the process of converting our Confirmation material to suitable formats for use in the proposed Online Program. It is our hope that the Confirmation Preparation Program will be ready for use by late August. We anticipate that the program will bear some similarities to the types of information delivery and learning activities that children and families were provided during the recent school lockdown experience. We realise that this style of learning may stir a range of emotions, so we understand and support those families who may choose to wait until 2021 in the hope that we can return to our previous learning model.
Currently, forty children have enrolled for Confirmation Preparation in Surfers Paradise Parish. Once the online program is ready to go, our Sacramental Coordinator Cathy Anderson will email all enrolled families to offer those families the opportunity to participate in this different style of learning. If you know someone who is interested in their child participating in this program please ask them to go to our parish website: www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au and use the drop down menu: Sacraments, Sacramental Program and then complete the Sacramental Program Enrolment Form.
First Communion
As discussed more fully in previous newsletters:
Any of the 120 children who were confirmed in 2019, or earlier, or those who have moved from other parishes and expressed an interest in receiving the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time in Surfers Paradise Parish in 2020 are invited to email to express their interest in participating in the Online First
Communion Preparation program.
Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson: andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au
Cathy will reply by sending our Online First Communion Preparation material. This material may bear some similarities to the types of information delivery and learning activities that children and families were provided during the recent school lockdown experience. We would expect that children and an adult (or whole families where possible) would explore through discussion and prayerful reflection, the information provided via videos and text. Then we hope that children and adults would talk and research together to complete the associated activities.
In the meantime, we are hoping that restrictions around numbers for church gatherings and celebrations will continue to ease. The Celebrations of First Communions may occur over several parish masses but at this stage we cannot provide exact dates.
We assure you that our goal is to assist our parish children and their families to experience God's amazing grace more deeply through this sacramental journey and celebration so we welcome any communication that helps us to provide support for this important time in your family's life.
Surfers Paradise Parish Sacramental Team
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOP
Our Religious Goods Shops have many devotional items such as statues, chaplets, rosary beads, medals, holy cards, including gift lines for Baptism and other Sacramental gifts. For enquiries please ring 0404 805819
THE CATHOLIC LEADER
Access to the current and previous digital editions available here: https://catholicleader.com.au/digital-newspaper-covid19. The flipbook is downloadable in PDF and printable. First, enter full-screen mode by clicking the 'full-screen' button in the centre of the pages. Using the icons above the newspaper, you can select print or download. Alternatively, you can visit the website: https://catholicleader.com.au/
NOTE ON MASSES - BOOKINGS REQUIRED
We are now permitted to have up to 100 people attend Mass, provided we maintain all necessary distancing, cleaning and recording requirements as laid down by the health authorities.
There are a significant number of stipulations that must be complied with before we are able to achieve what is called an Industry COVID SAFE PLAN. (Some of which are included below). Achieving these requirements will require some organising of personnel and processes as well as working out the best way to be fair with access to all people, particularly those who have no internet access, but must rely on the telephone of information from a fellow parishioner.
At a meeting of the pastoral team, it was decided that the simplest way to begin was to celebrate mass every day at the same time in the same Church, until even more people are allowed to attend.
Presently only Sacred Heart Church has the space to accommodate 100 people distanced by 1.5m. We began these Masses on Wed 1st July. After these two weeks, we may have further restrictions lifted.
Mass will be offered every day at Sacred Heart Church at 9am including Saturday and Sunday. Please note, because of the restrictions, it is important that not everyone goes to the Sunday Mass. The Archbishop has exempted everyone from the obligation to attend Sunday mass during restrictions, so please consider booking for ANY of the masses of the week.
The understanding and support of so many parishioners during these demanding restrictions to the celebration of our faith has been outstanding. It is never easy to have to place such restrictions on a community that is so used to freely gathering often and in large numbers. That day will come again, but until then we should be careful and caring, so that we don't find ourselves having to restart the restrictions again because we were too impatient to take things slowly.
Bookings to the upcoming Masses:
Note - only people who have booked will be able to enter the church. PLEASE, if everyone attempts to book into the Sunday Mass, it will not work. It is only ONE of seven and everyone will not fit. If you are able to attend any of the other masses, that would be helpful.
We ask that people consult the parish website https://www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au, to keep up to date with any changes relating to masses.
EXPLORING OUR FAITH - THE BIBLE - ONE SINGLE BOOK, OR A LIBRARY OF BOOKS?
First and foremost, the Bible is the Word of God, given to God's faithful people over a long period of time. God has truly ensured that his word is alive and active and to be read, cherished, meditated upon and prayed over by all his children. God gave his word to his people by divinely inspiring its writers within the times and cultures that they lived.
The Bible is not one book, but actually a library of different books and letters combined together by faith communities over more than four thousand years. When modern people comment about the bible and mention certain books that are not accepted parts of the Canonical Bible, they show a misunderstanding of the process of collecting the Bible. It is not the case that the bible is just a book that we "dug up" and nor is the Bible a book that just fell from Heaven complete and written by the very hand of God. The bible is a living entity. It was gathered together, always with God's guidance and inspiration, as a collection of books (whilst other texts of the times were rejected) on the basis that God's inspired community of faith from which or to which it belonged "accepted these texts as a true and full expression of what they believed."
The community of faith VALIDATES the text and not the other way around. The reason that books like the (non-canonical) "Gospel of Thomas" and the likes are NOT part of the bible is because they contain things that even we can see today are odd and unacceptable and that the Community of Faith has consistently rejected as being "not representative of the true faith of the apostles as handed down in oral and written tradition." So, the idea, spread by conspiracy theorists or those who want to undermine the teachings of the Lord, that suggest there are hidden gospels that somehow the church has kept from us is ridiculous. These non-canonical writings can be read in different sources but I wouldn't bother. In my study, I had the opportunity to see the so-called "Gospel of Thomas," and it was so odd and so bizarre in parts that it was easy to see why the church communities many, many centuries ago definitively rejected them as inconsistent and unhelpful in the faith community's expression of faith and belief. And thank goodness for that. This original judgement of these formative faith communities was very sound and clearly inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. We are in very good hands.
Fr Paul Kelly Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
The Surfers Paradise Parish congratulates the Thein and McFarlane families who will have their daughters Holly and Darcie baptised at the Sacred Heart Church this weekend.
As these children begin their faith journey, please keep them and their families in your prayers.
Our faith sustains us through challenging times. Now, more than ever, your support is needed to help our Parish to continue valuable pastoral activities and to provide ongoing sustainability. To assist you to support the Parish during this time of isolation, you can give via http://parishgiving.brisbanecatholic.org.au
We will continue to serve you through online resources and webcasts. If you are able to continue to support us, we would be most grateful. For all those who have been making payments via credit card and those who have donated directly into the parish account, we thank you. The spirit of generosity is alive in our parish. If you would like confirmation of your donation or a receipt emailed to you please contact me at manager.surfers@bne.catholic.net.au
Yours faithfully,
Sonya Slater, Parish Manager
Have You Planned To Give To Your Parish? A Message From Fr Peter
How will COVID-19 pandemic change the way we financially contribute to the Parish? When weekend masses fully resume, will some restrictions remain? However, until then, due to the present restrictions, the 1st and 2nd Collections will be replaced with a collection point for cash/cheque/planned giving envelopes near the altar. You will be reminded at Mass to place your contributions there before or after Mass. What follows are some ways for you to contribute. These options are in order of preference which relate to the administration load for each contribution option.
1. Direct Debit (The most preferred parish option). The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the Parish that the sure and certain way to give without interruption is by Direct Debit. I strongly encourage you to consider this option. Unlike Credit Card giving, Direct Debit comes from your account directly to the Parish account. There is no need to update details when a new card arrives or the hassle of filling in forms every couple of years. A Direct Debit continues to roll smoothly. It is the least amount of work for Parish administration. The parish provides you with an annual receipt.
2. Parish Giving App https://parishgiving.brisbanecatholic.org.au/login. This is a secure way to give by Credit Card. It can be set up as a recurring weekly or monthly gift. Once you have set up the app it will generate a receipt by email.
3. Planned Giving Envelopes. The Parish is about to order the annual planned giving envelopes. Can you please let the Parish know, as soon as possible, if you would prefer to change to Direct Debit? The cost to the Parish is approximately $6 per set and we have reduced these envelopes to 160 sets. This has been the most popular means of giving. However if you wish, you could use a regular/plain envelope and allocate an amount to first and second with your name on the envelope. Remember, as you return to Mass, you will need to place your envelopes (before or after mass) at the collection point near the altar.
4. EFTPOS facility available. The Parish has organised EFTPOS for their piety shops and you will be able to contribute at the facility before or after mass. Upon request a receipt can be provided.
5. Cash/Cheque donations. Due to Covid-19 cash has been restricted in many locations and tap and go is the preferred option. But, the parish recognises that this continues to be the preferred way of giving for many of our parishioners. Cash donations will still work for the Parish, however, we encourage you in faith to consider Direct Debit.
6. Direct Credit. Upon request a form will be provided by the Parish. This function could be replaced by the Parish Giving App, where possible. This relies on heavier Parish administration. It is the least preferred way to give.
Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to being able to thank you personally when we are able to return to parish life as we have known it is the past.
Fr Peter Dillon, Parish Priest
| AROUND THE DEANERY - YOUTH ACTIVITY |
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."- Simon Sinek. What if every Friday night you could have a massive impact on someone else's life? We want you to be able to share your talents and abilities to impact not just yourself but the lives of young people on the Gold Coast. If you are a Young Adult (17-35 yrs old), we would love to hear how you want to serve the next generation. Our vision is to create a home and community for young people in this parish. Starting with youth nights for year 10-12's.
We are having a come and see event for future youth leaders in the parish. If this is something you want to be apart of, see contact details below! Keep praying for the Youth of this parish as we continue to build community in Burleigh. Peace be to you.
When: 17th of July
Time: 7pm- 9pm
RSVP by: 12th of July
Email: burleighyouth@gmail.com
Pn- 0472687071
Facebook/Insta: Burleighyouth
-Burleigh Youth Team.
Home Resources:
You can visit the Stay Connected page on our website to find an extensive list of information and resources to help during these times of isolation. Below are quick links to help stay in touch with our Parish and celebrate Mass at home:
Liturgy for you at Home (produced by SPP): https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
Weekly Homily (produced by SPP): https://homilycatholic.blogspot.com
Surfers Paradise Parish Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/surferscatholic/
Breaking Parish News (SPP Blog): https://news-parish.blogspot.com/
Livestream Catholic Mass (from Brisbane Cathedral, usually around 10 am): St Stephen's Cathedral live webcast
Video on Demand of Masses: https://www.youtube.com/user/CatholicBrisbane/videos
Mass for You at Home (free-to-air TV): Channel 10, Sundays 6:00 - 6:30 am and on-demand here also available on Foxtel 173 Aurora Channel
Current Parish Office Operating Protocol
The office is still not open for pop-in visits. The Parish has phone contact hours Monday to Friday 9 am until 12 noon, where we will endeavour to answer the phone for any inquiries. We are also contactable anytime via email surfers@bne.catholic.net.au. In the case of emergencies, there is also the same parish office number (with a button option to press for emergency contact) for the on-call priest 24/7. The Parish phone number is 5572 5433.
IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS AT THIS TIME
**(Please note that some prayer requests are not included here, as the person requesting the intention has not indicated whether it is for someone who is ill, or who has recently died, or whose anniversary of death is at this time).**
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: All suffering from the effects of Covid-19. Also, the following who are ill (not Covid-19): Peter O'Brien, Baby Charbel Raphael, Angela Duvnjak, Judy Dempsey, Monica Bailey, Rachel Raines, Savannah Ayoub, Lisa Mangan, Colin Virtue, Ann Harris, Ann-Marie Loder, Angel Salvador, Brian Woodgate, Kate Smith, Tricia Baumann, Gus Reeves, Baby Maeve Lombard, Kathy Kiely, Ron Perry, Kim Parkes, Rosslyn Wallis, Jabour Haddad, Yvonne Lofthouse, Maureen Murphy, Peter Walsh, Arthur Haddad, Jean Di Benedetto, Damian Callinan, Rosemary Wales, Peter Allsopp, Yvonne Campesi, Louis Couch, Steve Wayt, Michael Tracey, Joanne Mooney, Joanne Parkes, Michelle MacDonald, John & Molly Robinson, Mary Kerr, Eileen McCarthy.
ANNIVERSARY: John Ashby, John Schreiber, Matthew Hoare, Elizabeth Anne Fredericks, Fr Bernard O'Shea, Peter Butler, Rita Smith, Natalie Kan, Faye Kassulke
RECENTLY DECEASED: Norma Ruth Hanley, Barry Haug, Anthony McCudden, Benjamin Moore, Roza Masa,
Sr. Christine Chia, James Mark Tamai
Readings for Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A
FIRST READING: Isaiah 55:10-11|
Ps: Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14 "The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest."
SECOND READING: Romans 8:18-23
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! The seed is the Word of God, Christ is the sower. All who come to him will live forever.
GOSPEL: Matthew 13:1-23 or 13:1-9
The Archdiocese of Brisbane holds that children and vulnerable adults are a gift from God with an intrinsic right to dignity of life, respect and security from physical and emotional harm. They are to be treasured, nurtured and protected from any harm."
As a Parish Community, we pray for a change of heart, that we respond to our grief by reaching out to one another in truth and love.
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