PDF version of this parish newsletter here:
Also, you can access an online copy of the newsletter *here*
You are no longer required to scan the Check-In Qld app when entering the church for Masses, funerals or baptisms. You do, however, need the Check-In App for weddings and for use in some locations like hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants, bars, etc.
Stations of the Cross:
Seminarian Bradley Davies will lead The Stations of the Cross at Sacred Heart Church, Clear Island Waters from 6 pm each Friday of Lent,
starting Friday the 4th March
The Spirit of the Cross Lenten Reflection books still available at the Religious Goods shops, secure your copy before they run out .
"Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." (Luke 4:1-13)
(Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Item ID: 2055771668 - The Monastery of the Temptation and The Mount of Temptation in Jericho, Palestine. Greek Orthodox monastery. Judean desert – Contributor: Inna Giliarova)
Pope Francis issues appeal for peace in Ukraine
"My heart aches greatly at the worsening situation in eastern Ukraine. Despite the diplomatic efforts of the last few weeks, increasingly alarming scenarios are opening up," Pope Francis said on February 23. "Like me, many people all over the world are feeling anguish and concern. Once again the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests."
"I would like to appeal to those with political responsibility to examine their consciences seriously before God, who is the God of peace and not of war; who is the Father of all, not just of some, who wants us to be brothers and not enemies," he continued. "I pray that all the parties involved refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabilizing coexistence between nations and bringing international law into disrepute."
"And now I would like to appeal to everyone, believers and non-believers alike. Jesus taught us that the diabolical senselessness of violence is answered with God's weapons, with prayer and fasting. I invite everyone to make next 2 March, Ash Wednesday, a Day of Fasting for Peace. I encourage believers in a special way to dedicate themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war."
PASTOR'S POST. LED BY THE SPIRIT
A Lenten Letter to the People of God in the Archdiocese of Brisbane
(Check out Archbishop Mark's video message here: lenten video- Archbishop Mark -)
Dear sisters and brothers,
"Grace be with you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an incorruptible love" (Eph 6:24)
The Gospels tell us that Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert where he fasts for forty days (Matt 4:1-2; Luke 4:1-2). The same Spirit now leads the Church into the forty days of Lent as we prepare for Easter when the desert becomes a garden as "death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor 15:54). The Spirit can take us to some strange places, even to places we would rather not go (cf John 21:18), but always for the sake of love's transformation.
In 2016 the same Spirit led the Church in Australia to begin a journey to a new place. This was when the Bishops Conference, after years of uncertainty, decided for a Plenary Council in order to chart a course into the future. The Council was to have not one but two assemblies, taking its cue from the two Synods on marriage and the family convened by Pope Francis in 2014-2015.
It was the Spirit who prompted the Conference's decision, and the Spirit has accompanied us at every point since then. It has been a time of testing and a time of deep listening to the word of God rather than to other voices, not unlike Jesus in the desert.
The journey of the Plenary Council was to have three phases – preparation, celebration and implementation. The preparation phase came to an end with the first assembly in October 2021. Our plan was to have the first assembly face-to-face in Adelaide in October 2020. But because of COVID-19 we took what we thought was a very cautious decision and postponed the assembly for twelve months. However, what seemed a cautious decision turned out to be anything but. Twelve months later – again because of COVID – we had to have the week-long assembly online. It worked well enough, but it was a very different experience from a face-to-face gathering.
Now we are in the middle of the celebration phase, between the two assemblies. This is not a vacant time when we take a breather after the first assembly and before the second. On the contrary: through this time of fermentation, a huge amount of work is being done to process all the raw material from the first assembly and to prepare an agenda for the second.
At the first assembly, the mornings were a time when many voices were heard in the full gathering, and the afternoons were for the work of discernment in smaller groups. This is what produced the raw material. Immediately after the first assembly, we began the very complex work of collating and sifting all this.
The work is being overseen by the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council, chaired by Archbishop Tim Costelloe of Perth, and guided by the more hands-on Steering Committee chaired by Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst. Both of these are supported by the Facilitation Team. Another key body is the Drafting Committee which draws upon the expert advisors assisting the Council and feed material to various writing groups who have to shape the material so that it's manageable at the second assembly. Through all this, the nearly 300 members of the Council are being kept informed because they are very much part of the fermentation between the assemblies. What is being done continues the process of discernment which has marked the entire journey of the Plenary Council. We are seeking to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who has not only inspired the journey but who speaks to us on the way.
Eventually, this work will produce an agenda for the second assembly, and the agenda will, we hope, contain a number of creative, practical and affordable proposals designed to produce the kind of change we need in the Church. The plan is for the second assembly to be face-to-face in Sydney in early July. But the persistence of COVID-19 makes even that uncertain, and the mood at the moment is that if we cannot meet face-to-face we will again postpone the assembly until we can.
From the beginning, the Plenary Council has looked beyond our shores to the universal Church. The Pope had to give his assent to the Council, and through the preparation phase, there was an ongoing dialogue between the Bishops Conference and the Holy See. That dialogue has become more intense since Pope Francis decided on a worldwide Synod process which will climax with the Synod of Bishops meeting in Rome in late 2023. The Plenary Council, therefore, has to interweave with the wider Synod process, each enriching the other. That will mean many voices in the Church being heard. In the preparation phase of the Council, there was broad consultation, and you are invited now to speak your mind as part of the global Synod process. So I ask: What would you say to Pope Francis about change in the Church not just in Australia but around the world? You might also consider the three steps proposed by Evangelisation Brisbane [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrgZ-N79Kf0].
At the conclusion of the Council's second assembly, we will begin the implementation phase. The documents, decisions and decrees of the Council will be sent to the Holy See for confirmation, and once they are confirmed they will become binding for the Church in Australia. My hope is that here in Brisbane we will have an Archdiocesan Synod sometime after that to help embed the decisions and decrees in the life and mission of the Church here. That may well lead to the regular celebration of Synods in the Archdiocese in order to help us move to a more synodal model of governance.
Structures like Councils and Synods are important, but they need to produce a cultural change in the Church, a kind of conversion. The need for change was made clear by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and in a different way, it has been made clear by COVID-19. Nothing can be quite the same as it was after the Royal Commission; nor will it be after the pandemic which has left us all wondering what the new normal might look like in so many areas of life, including the Church.
This is no time for turning inwards and looking just to our own institutional interests. It is no time to be a judgmental Church that never notices the plank in our own eye but makes a fuss about the splinter in the eyes of others (cf Luke 6:42). We need instead to be a humble and compassionate Church that looks outwards, asking how we might be more like Jesus who "came not to be served but to serve" (Mark 10:45). That will require a practical, evangelical imagination which takes to heart the words of St Mary MacKillop: "Never see a need without doing something about it". This is the kind of Church to which both the Plenary Council and the global Synod are looking. This is what the Spirit is now saying to the Church (cf Rev 3:13), speaking to all of us in these desert days of Lent.
+ Archbishop Mark Coleridge. Ash Wednesday 2022
(Watch the video of the Archbishop here)
Our seminarian Bradley cooked pancakes on Shrove Tuesday
We hope you have had a good start to this wonderful season of Lent.
Lenten Resources for Adults
Lenten Meditations for Married Couples 2022 (Marriage in Christ) 20 Minutes/Day! Prayers, conversation starters and tips for how to love your spouse.
NEW! Lent 2022: Season of Hope Weekly reflections, suggested journal prompts, discussion opportunities, and doable action steps (Immaculate Conception Catholic Parish, Jefferson City MO)
Forty Lenten Ideas (Janet Schaeffler, OP) Lent approaches each year, our minds turn to, "what will we do; what will we give up?" Instead of giving up, why not put something in ... something that will take hold and stay with us for the rest of our lives – since Lent is about change/conversion. Remember that real penance is to live life well: to be the mercy and peace of God toward others. Perhaps one or two of these ideas will be helpful.
Living Lent Daily - 40 Hours to Inspire Your Journey through Lent (Loyola Press) Each year, Lent is celebrated by millions of Catholics throughout the world. But what is truly at the heart of Lent, and how can each of us participate fully in this special season of the church year? Let Fr. James Martin, Fr. William Barry, best-selling author Vinita Hampton Wright, and many others lead you to a deeper appreciation of your faith through the Living Lent Daily series.
Lenten Reflections from Fr. Robert Barron (Word on Fire) Fr. Barron sends daily Lenten reflections right to your inbox.
Live Lent: Things to Do (Renew International)
Live Lent: A Forty-Day Challenge (Renew International)
USCCB Lent 2022 Resources (USCCB)
Lenten Stations of the Cross (USCCB)
Lent with the Saints: Do You Want to be a Saint?(Franciscan Media)
Meditation Stations on Jesus' Forgiveness (Renew International)
New! My Lenten Plan (Diocese of Des Moines) For Adults and Teens
https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/
PROJECT COMPASSION FOR LENT
Anatercia, a 12-year-old living in a village in southern Mozambique, was struggling to cope with the burden of adult responsibilities. After her father passed away, her mother developed chronic health issues.
Anatercia bore the brunt of household chores and had to travel for hours every day to collect water to help her grandparents. Water scarcity also meant that harvests were poor and there was never enough to eat.
Caritas Regional Chokwe, supported by Caritas Australia, helped Anatercia's family to irrigate their farm, while also improving water access for households in the village. Her grandmother participated in agricultural training, while the local health committee helped Anatercia to access psychosocial support.
Now, Anatercia can easily access clean drinking water, families are able to grow crops all year round and there is enough to eat. Anatercia is better supported by her community, has more time to study, and hopes to fulfil her dream of becoming a nurse.
Anatercia lives with her brother, two cousins, mother and elderly grandparents in a small hut in a rural village in the Gaza Province, in southern Mozambique. Like many rural communities, her village has no electricity, hospital, secondary school or supermarket.
Anatercia's father died when she was four and her mother has struggled with chronic health issues ever since. As her grandparents aged, her grandfather developed blindness and her grandmother could no longer walk to their farm.
Their crops, including corn, beans, sweet potato and cassava, withered from a mixture of neglect, irregular rainfall, and both droughts and floods. Mozambique's long coastline, sprawling river delta, environmental changes and variable climate makes it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters.
As harvests were often poor, they were unable to sell food to earn an income and the family often went hungry.
In Mozambique, nearly two million people currently face severe food insecurity, due to the combined effects of frequent natural disasters, the conflict in northern Mozambique and COVID-19.
As Anatercia took on more and more responsibilities around the home to try to support her struggling grandparents, her education began to suffer, as she travelled up to five hours to collect water every day.
"We have run out of food several times,"... "I help my family with the farm, cooking, fetching water and firewood, and caring for my mother," Anatercia says. "I also assist my grandfather in feeding, as he has difficulty in picking up utensils due to blindness."
In 2017, Anatercia's family joined the Integrated Rural Development Program, run by Caritas Australia's local partner, Caritas Regional Chokwe. The program provided initial support to the family through food baskets, seeds, school supplies and a school uniform for Anatercia.
With your generous support, Caritas then helped the family to install a gravity irrigation system on their farm, as well as a system of water taps in the village. Anatercia's grandmother participated in training in sustainable farming techniques to help the family to produce enough food to eat and to sell.
Caritas Regional Chokwe also successfully lobbied the government to extend the school to 6th grade, so that children Anatercia's age can continue to study close to home, rather than walking hours to a neighbouring school.
Finally, with Caritas' support, the community was able to form health committees to raise awareness about COVID-19, HIV and AIDS, as well as providing psychosocial support for vulnerable people, like Anatercia.
"After completing the program, we managed to have food from our irrigated farm, even without rain," Anatercia says. "I have enough time to take care of my mother because I have water close to the house, I am studying here in the community, and the farm gives us food all year round," Anatercia says.
Caritas Regional Chokwe's, Program Co-ordinator, Cacilda Tam San, says Anatercia's resilience is inspirational for her community." Anatercia has demonstrated maturity beyond her years, by zealously carrying out difficult tasks that under normal conditions are performed by adults. We're now helping her family with community counselling and most importantly, she can complete her studies as well.``
Over 5,600 people in the region have directly benefited from this program so far, including
• Over 4,800 people with improved access to clean drinking water
• 200 people trained in sustainable agriculture and irrigation practices
• 180 children across four communities are able to continue their education
Over 24,000 people have benefitted indirectly, due to the extension of water pipes throughout the community.
Although the nearest secondary school is 10 kilometres away, and affording school materials remains a challenge, Anatercia is keen to continue her studies. She dreams of becoming a nurse to help people like her mother, so that community members don't have to walk long distances for medical care.
Thanks to your generous support, Anatercia's health, education and quality of life have improved, along with the outlook of her community for future generations.
"Thank you, Caritas Australia," Anatercia says. "Thank you, Project Compassion."
Project Compassion - PRAYER OF INTERCESSION - We pray for all those whose access to food and water is insecure. That the whole human family responds generously in creating lasting justice in the distribution of life's necessities. That we respond to opportunities, such as those presented by Project Compassion this Lent, to build a future for all generations.
SHARE IN REFLECTION FOR AN UPCOMING WEEKEND'S SCRIPTURES:
In order to deepen our appreciation of God's Holy Word, each week you are invited to read the Scriptures for Sunday Masses a few weeks ahead. After you have prayerfully read these texts from the Bible, spend some time in silent contemplation and prayer over these texts. Then read the Scriptures over again slowly and meditatively. Write down anything in the readings that delights you, intrigues you, confuses you, challenges you and so on. Also, write down any thoughts that come up to you about these texts and what they are saying to you. You are welcome to share these thoughts in the feedback process in this link. Please come to this site every week and engage in this advanced preparation and immersion into God's living word which cuts finer than any knife and is lifegiving and nourishing for our lives here and now. Please visit the following link and join in the process. An insight, question or observation may end up in the weekly homily too. https://scripturereflectioninprogress.blogspot.com/
ADORATION NOTICE
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament this First Friday 4th March at Sacred Heart Church from 7 pm to 8.30 pm. All are welcome. Enquiries: Helen 0421935678.
HOSPITAL CALLS - AROUND THE DEANERY
Robina Hospital - Burleigh Heads Parish on 5576 6466
Pindara Hospital - Surfers Paradise Parish 5572 5433
John Flynn Hospital -Coolangatta-Tugun Parish on 5598 2165
University & Gold Coast Private Hosp-Southport Parish 5510 2222
MASS TIMES: SURFERS PARADISE MASS TIMES
A VOCATION VIEW:
The world tempts us to grab all we can. Even food becomes more when it is given than when it is taken. Follow Jesus: be a giver.
To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION
"I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O Lord, have given to me." (Deuteronomy 26:10)
This line from the Old Testament offers two challenges. First, do you give to God from your "first fruits" - the first and best that you have to offer, or do you give from what you have leftover? Second, do you realize that everything you have and that everything you are has been given to you by God? Ask God for a grateful and generous heart, every day, in all circumstances. The vision of Stewardship speaks in every aspect of life, inviting everyone to be thankful, generous and accountable for what each has been given.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: Sandii Wall, Hans Gringel, Kath Kiely, Joanne Mooney, Therese Mullins, Michael Connell, Zeb Deane, Miriam Hill, Jayani Antony, Amando A. Mirasol Jr., Gus Reeves, John & Molly Robinson, Laila Mikael, Jean Di Benedetto, Anthea McMullan, James Goodwin, Scott Mitchell, Malcolm Ward, John O'Brien, Ludwig Mueller, Kent Vince, Terry Collins, Colleen Grehan, Carmelita Dulu, Judy Alexander, Sr Mary Teresa, John Davis, Bobby Courtney, Lisa Mangan, Robyn Skein, Kye Oh, Michael James, Bill Gilmore, Olga Hamshari, Roy Ferraro, Margaret Haerse, Rosalind Lee, Milka Barac, Mary Ashton, Rodney & Norma McLennan, Lois & Doug Wood, Duncan Dawson, William Franklin, Maria Mihalic, Annie Scicluna, Anne Logan, Margaret & Louise Thompson, Patricia Moor, Helen Bohringer, Peter O'Brien, Angela Duvnjak, Rachel Raines, Savannah Ayoub, Baby Maeve Lombard, Rosslyn Wallis, Arthur Haddad, Michael & Denise Tracey, Joanne Parkes, Michelle MacDonald, Mary Kerr. And all suffering from Covid-19 and its effects.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Leisa Holman (née Mullins), Susie Chu (sister of Joan Miau), Barry Townsend (Casino, NSW), Pauline McCudden, Melinda Craig, Judy Alexander, Barbara Joan Degiovanni, Mike Trad, Rose Refalo, Bobby Joseph Caspersz, Carmel Bright, Rita Stower, Sue Crossdale, Bette Edwards, Mark Behan, Stan Nalepa, Naurelle Cahill, Laurie Pope, Peter Cotton, Maurice Attard, Wendy McLachlan, Leonard Forbes, Terrence McEvoy, Ken Walker, Barry Owens, Michael Samuel, Marie Ashby, James Perry Saunderson, Donna Maree Faulkner, Dell O'Neill, Martin James Kerlin, John Terrence McGillan, Malcolm Holmes, Francee Beckman, Margaret Paterson, Nicole Summons, Fred Hocking, James (Jim) Kirk Snr, Fr Norman Ronald Birch, Margaret Kelly, Stephen Baker, Tony Tongue, John William Maddocks, Veronica Smith, Keiran Davey (Ireland), Lourdes Abelardo.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Iris Scharenguivel, Austin Smith, Brenda Scantlebury, Monique Mary Felsman, Malcolm Leslie (Mal) Flannery, Francis Vernon Maunder, Benjamin Anthony Kyle, Kathleen Jackson, Kathryn Matthews, Kazimierz Tadeusz Ważny, June Hilda Curtis, Josephine Nosti, Mary Theresa Ford, Gerald Francis (Gerry) O'Reilly, Ronald Patrick (Ron) Chapman, Dawn Milgate, Norma Claire Quinlan, Giorgia Teresa Micallef-Vinall. And also: Jordan Barker (Aged 23, from Wales, UK. Died in Surfers Paradise church after a fall in 2019), Norm Mullins, Mark Connell, John Norris Rohrs, Patricia (Pat) Moore, Ivy Gladys Yow, Mary Lim, Doreen Hewitt, Kenneth Mason, William John (Bill) Kelly, William Chard, George Schreiber, John Anthony Woodruff, Wilhelmina Elizabeth Carter, Paul Bleakley, Margaret Mary Miller, Michael Anthony Geoghegan, Michael Maloney, Elizabeth (Betty) O'Hagan, Raymond Fredricks, Joseph Caruana. Anniversary of birth: Tony Wienand.
A Columbarium Question -
Due to a large number of enquiries and consequent reservations of columbarium niches, we will soon be looking at adding several new walls to accommodate future needs. In preparation for these new walls, we are interested to know how many parishioners or others are considering reserving a niche for themselves or family members. If you wish to express an interest or simply want to inquire about what is involved, then we ask you to call the parish office in the next few weeks so that we can plan for a sufficient number of places. (A columbarium is an area used to store the ashes of the deceased who have been cremated. Those ashes are kept in urns and the urns are placed inside "niches", or compartments, within the columbarium. The columbarium itself can be either a wall or significant structure that will be open to loved ones to visit the deceased person at any time. Our parish columbarium is located at Sacred Heart Church, Clear Island Waters overlooking the lake., between the Church and the Hospitality Centre)
MARIAN VALLEY
Please come and join us at the Marian Valley for the feast of Our Lady Of Fatima on 13.03.2022. The bus will be picking up sharp at 8.15 am, at the Sacred Heart Church. Clear Island Waters. The Cost for the bus is $22.00 return and Meals are available at the church canteen( Morning Tea and Sandwiches for Lunch. You can secure your seat with a contact name and contact phone number with Xavier Solomon 0404 843 260, Madeleine on 0405 252 367 or 5529 1573.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: Dig a little deeper this Lent
If practising our religion is easy, we're not practising our religion. This is one valuable lesson we glean from the time Jesus spends in the desert. Challenges to spiritual discipline are many: the desire for creature comforts, the hunger to be admired, the quest for control. Engaging in this 40-day exercise each year strengthens the will and purifies the heart. It enables us to prepare for the real temptations that life offers. Is my prayer vital? Have I grown self-indulgent? Is my hand open to others? Our Lenten practise should be a response to those probing questions.
"[Jesus] was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil." Luke 4:1-13 -
SIGN UP FOR "TAKE FIVE" DAILY - www.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe
BAPTISM for Children in Surfers Paradise
Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Surfers Paradise Parish follows the policies of the Archdiocese of Brisbane as it welcomes each person into the family of the Church through the waters of Baptism.
Infants and children are baptised at the request of parents. Within the Baptism ritual, parents promise to accept the responsibility of training their children in the practice of the faith and to raise their children to understand and live God's commandments. Parents can request baptism for their child by filling out an enrolment form, available on our parish website www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au Once the online baptism form has been received, the Parish Office will email details for preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism and confirm the online booking.
Sacrament of PENANCE - Reconciliation 2022
In the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Reconciliation follows the Sacraments of Initiation. That is, Reconciliation, also known as Penance, follows the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the receiving of your child's First Communion. Currently, 70 children from our Surfers Paradise Parish are completing their "At Home Program for Reconciliation." The children will celebrate the First Rite of Reconciliation on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at 6:30 pm. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers at this time, as together they continue to learn and grow in God's abundant love and forgiveness.
Sacrament of EUCHARIST - First Holy Communion 2022
Children who have been baptised and confirmed and are in Year 4 or greater in 2022 are invited to prepare to receive their First Communion. If parents have previously completed an online application for enrolment in the Surfers Paradise Sacramental Program, they do not need to complete a new online form to continue. The Parent Meeting for First Communion Preparation will be held on April 26 at 6 pm or April 27 at 6 pm. (Parents can choose to attend one of these meetings but do not need to attend both. Only children who are represented by a parent at one of these meetings will be included in the First Communion Preparation Program.) The Preparation for First Communion Program will be similar in format to the At Home Preparation for Confirmation Program. There will also be a Final Meeting (including rehearsal) in the week prior to the Celebration of First Communion either Monday, June 6 at 6 pm or Monday, June 13 at 6 pm.
First Communion will be celebrated on Sunday, June 12 at 11:00 am and Sunday, June 19 at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart Church (Children will be included in one of these celebrations, not both.)
The Sacramental Team will email a reminder to parents during the Term 1 holidays. If you have not received an email by the first week of Term2, please indicate your interest by emailing our Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson, andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au
Sacrament of CONFIRMATION 2022
Baptised children who are in Year 3 or greater are invited to be included in the 2022 Preparation for Confirmation group. Parents are asked to go to the parish website at www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au and complete an online enrolment application. Please use the drop-down menu under Sacraments and click on Confirmation (under Sacraments). Then scroll down to and click on CHILDREN'S SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM APPLICATION FORM (in the blue box). Once you click on SUBMIT, you will receive an automated response so that you know that your completed application has been received.
Parents who have completed and submitted the online form will receive an invitation email several weeks prior to the Parent Meeting which is to be held either Monday, July 11 at 6 pm or Tuesday, July 12 at 6 pm in Sacred Heart Church. (Parents are asked to choose to attend one of these meetings but do not need to attend both. Only children who are represented by a parent at one of these meetings will be included in the Confirmation Preparation Program.) After the Parent Meeting, parents will be emailed copies of the At Home Preparation for Confirmation Program to be completed by the child and their parent/s, and then returned to the Sacramental Team. The Final Meeting which includes the rehearsal for Confirmation will be held on Monday, August 29 at 6 pm or Tuesday, August 30 at 6 pm (Children and parents are required to attend one of these meetings, not both.)
The Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place in Surfers Paradise Parish on Friday, September 2, 2022.
Pope's Consultation on Synodality - Hurry! Last few weeks to have your say!
Until March 13 2022 (the date was recently extended by an extra week), all Catholics are invited to have their say about their experiences of 'synodality' – of walking together as a Church.
All submissions received nationally will help the Australian Bishops develop a report to support the global process leading to an international gathering in 2023. This is not to be confused with the Australian Plenary Council which is running concurrently with the Synod. The Plenary Council focus is on the Church in Australia. The Synod is focused on the Church globally.
Your voice matters, and it could be as simple as getting together with family, friends or fellow parishioners and having a "Coffee Conversation". This short video offers encouragement on how easy it can be to have your say: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrgZ-N79Kf0.
You can make your submission here: https://www.catholic.org.au/synodalchurch
The submission process for feedback for the Roman Synod of Bishops: (Australia): Individuals and groups are asked to submit their summarised reflections directly to the National Centre for Pastoral Research. See link here: https://www.catholic.org.au/synodalchurch
The consultation period with local churches runs until March 13, 2022.
THIS WEEKEND'S GOSPEL -
The message, by Saint Paul (in the second reading) is really beautiful, especially where he says:
"God's word is very near to you... It is on your lips and in your heart."
And it is important that God's word resides equally in both places. Not only on our lips but truly making its home in our hearts. Completely filling our hearts with its life-giving message.
In the gospel, The word of God is clearly in Our Lord's heart and mind, and soul and being... and also on his lips...
By contrast.. the devil... knows the word of God and can quote it easily... but it is only on his lips... It is most certainly not in his heart... and he does not live it or love it. It is scenes like this gospel that surely inspired William Shakespeare to write: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart!" {William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice. Act I, Scene III}
Taking our cues from the Gospel today, we see Our Lord fasting and praying for forty days in the wilderness. There is a long tradition in Christianity, and it begins with the way Our Lord deals with temptation and with the devil in this week's Scripture. The tradition can be summed up like this: "Never enter into discussion with the tempter." Christ does not enter into long dialogues with temptation or with the adversary. He swiftly and efficiently dismisses the wiles of temptation and does not dwell on it. The evil one is the father of lies, so why lend an ear to distortion and falsehood.
And so, whether this Lent is about the extra things we do or the things we give up, let us do it with the deliberate intention of not permitting those conversations with Temptation to go very far in our lives. If there is fuel for values inconsistent with the good news of Jesus lying around in our daily routines, we should judiciously remove it. And if idle time itself is the "match that most often gets struck," we can strive to fill those spaces with good works, prayer, and healthier conversations.
Temptation may keep on talking, but if we're not giving it a hearing, it will go off to find a more appreciative audience. Sadly, in this world, there are any number of people around who might like the company of the kind of flattery and sweet nothings that we witness being tried (unsuccessfully) to be given to Christ in today's gospel.
In Lenten time, one not infrequently hears a person say: "I am going to try harder. I am going to put more effort, more willpower into not 'falling down' in those areas of weakness or sin that I struggle with time and time again. .... As commendable as this is, the danger is that it is actually focusing more and more attention on the areas we are trying to overcome. Giving it attention and in some ways entering into dialogue with temptation. Also, isn't this just patching up the fortress walls where they have already been breached? ... It would be more effective to work on the inside of the home so that if the enemy breached the outer perimeter once again, and entered, he would find no quarter. There would be nowhere to hide or to stay. No way ahead, only room for retreat.
Instead of desperately putting our energy into putting up more defences and focusing with fear on areas we desperately hope will not overtake us again, and if the defences fail, despite all our best willpower and attention, we are left utterly vulnerable and defeated. Better than, increasing our will power, we can build up an inner immunity, (filled with everything positive), to the point that we are so full of the good things of Gods virtues and grace that they completely crowd out anything harmful and there is no room for it to take hold inside.
"As we begin Lent we make our resolutions to practice some form of self-denial – often fostering particular good habits for our lives, such as intentionally taking more time and space for prayer, and giving of our resources to the poor and the needy.
But, Lent is not primarily about what WE do – It is more importantly about what GOD is doing. And how we cooperate with God's activity in our lives.
Basically, it is about "Opening ourselves up to God's love and being humble enough to admit our need for God, and our need to change….even if it would be easier and more comfortable to leave things as they are.
Our Lord was never content with just leaving things where they are... He lovingly chose to move out of his comfort zone to focus on what really matters.
After Jesus is baptised, he is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he experiences our human temptations to pre-empt the Heavenly Father's place in our lives. He feels the allure of being self-serving; of gaining worldly power over others; and of controlling or dominating things around him, (worldly understanding of the word).
But Our Lord displays true greatness by being attentive to his heavenly Father's word in scripture and confessing his faith that the Father has first place in his life. Temptation leads to losing our sense of priorities; and putting God down the list of our priorities.
Although Jesus is God the Son, he is also fully human and he was truly tempted just as we all are. Because he knows what temptation is like and overcomes it, he can empathise and help us in our temptation and YES, we too can overcome it, through re-ordering our life, our priorities, and our heart, within Christ.
It is good at this time of Lenten reflection to ask ourselves in prayer:
Do I remember to offer God the first fruits of my own efforts?
Do I nurture the virtue of gratitude in my heart?
Jesus rejects Satan's temptations of immediate gratification, power, and safety. How am I doing in regard to these temptations in my own life?
What help do I find in the traditional practices of Lent: prayer, fasting, practical help to the needy?
-To listen to the whole Sunday Mass each week (including homily) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, please visit this link: Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) - https:- soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks.
(References: Fr Paul W. Kelly, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice. Act I, Scene III, Prepare the Word; (February 10, 2008—First Sunday of Lent), https://preparetheword.com ).
(Image: Photo by Bernd Dittrich on Unsplash)
St Perpetua:
"Stand fast in the faith, and love one another, all of you, and be not offended at my sufferings.
(Last words of Saint Perpetua, as testified to by the eyewitness to her martyrdom, as preserved by Tertullian in The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.)"
"Neither can I call myself anything else than what I am, a Christian!- (Saint Perpetua, as preserved by Tertullian in The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity.)"
St Felicity:
St. Felicity was a pregnant slave girl who was imprisoned at the same time as Perpetua. She also was tortured and condemned to die. Several days before the games began she gave birth to a baby girl. The baby girl was secretly taken away to be raised by Christians.
St. Perpetua was a well-educated noblewoman living in Carthage, North Africa. Her mother was a Christian but her father was a pagan. Her father tried unsuccessfully to convince her to renounce her faith. Perpetua was 22 when she was arrested and imprisoned. She kept a diary of her sufferings and the nature of the torture she endured. She continued to care for her child in spite of the torture she was forced to endure.
http://catholicfaithpatronsaints.com/prayers-quips-and-quotes-sts-perpetua-felicity/
St John of God:
"To saints, their very slumber is a prayer."
"The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light."
"The soul that is quick to turn to speaking and conversing is slow to turn to God."
"In order to come to union with the wisdom of God, the soul has to proceed rather by unknowing than by knowing…"
"Let all find compassion in you."
"Obedience is a penance of reason, and, on that account, a sacrifice more acceptable than all corporal penances and mortifications."
"My spirit has become dry because it forgets to feed on You."
"The soul that journey's to God, but doesn't shake off its cares and quiet its appetites, is like someone who drags a cart of dirt uphill."
St Frances of Rome:
God was granting her a special grace by sending an archangel to be her guardian angel for the rest of her life. She would always be able to see him. A constant companion and spiritual adviser, he once commanded her to stop her severe penances (eating only bread and water and wearing a hair shirt). "You should understand by now," the angel told her, "that the God who made your body and gave it to your soul as a servant never intended that the spirit should ruin the flesh and return it to him despoiled."
"She lived always in the presence of God."
POPE FRANCIS:
Let believers dedicate themselves intensively to prayer and fasting. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war.
Pope Francis
I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to make a serious examination of conscience before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, the Father of all, not just of some, who wants us to be brothers and not enemies. #Ukraine #Peace
The young must dialogue with the old, and the #old with the young. And this bridge will be the transmission of wisdom in humanity because the elderly are like the roots of the tree, and the young are like the flowers and the fruit. #BlessingOfTheTimes #GeneralAudience
I have chosen the theme for the next World Day of Migrants and Refugees "Building the future with migrants and refugees", a future according to God's plan, which we are all called to contribute to. #WDMR2022
Pessimism and complaining are not Christian. We were not made to be downcast, but to look up to heaven.
With the Spirit of Jesus, we can respond to evil with good, we can love those who do us harm. This is what Christians do. How sad it is, when people and populations proud to be Christians see others as enemies and think to wage war against each other!
(Text and Image Credit: pope's official Twitter page- @pontifex)
SACRED HEART AND ST VINCENT'S RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS
THE SPIRIT AND THE CROSS, daily reflections for Lent and the Easter Octave.
This booklet begins with a short extract from the Mass readings of the Day, followed by a reflection, a question or two to help you pray with an inspirational quote from Pope Francis and a final prayer.
This booklet was very popular with the last Advent selling out in the first week.
Don't miss out on your pocket edition copy for just $5. Available at the Religious Goods Shops or the Parish Office, until sold out.
ADORATION NOTICE
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament this First Friday 4th March at Sacred Heart Church from 7 pm to 8.30 pm. All are welcome. Enquiries: Helen 0421935678.
FIRST SATURDAY MASS
First Saturday of the month morning Mass 9 am Sacred Heart Church, Clear Island Waters,
(Next: 5th March 2022 and then 2nd April 2022). Mass is followed by adoration and benediction.
Stations of the Cross:
Seminarian Bradley Davies will lead The Stations of the Cross at Sacred Heart Church, Clear Island Waters from 6 pm each Friday of Lent, starting Friday the 4th March
MEDITATION PRAYER GROUP
Resumed in the Morris prayer room Tuesdays from 10 am to 12 noon. The Meditation Group has commenced for 2022 and we would very much like to welcome new members. All enquiries please phone Pam Egtberts 0428090703"
ART AND CRAFT GROUP - Has now resumed, and will be on every Wednesday in the PHC from 9 am until 12noon.
The Group meets in the Parish Hospitality Centre on Wednesdays, 9 to 12. Activities include art, (watercolour, oils, acrylics, pen and ink drawing etc), as well as various kinds of Craftwork (Knitting, Embroidery, Crocheting, Cardmaking, Sewing etc.), making Rosary Beads (later sent to the missions), and any other activities that individuals may have an interest in. We come together to enjoy each other's company in a relaxed environment. New members, both men and women, are most welcome to join. For further information, phone John 0412 759 205, or the Parish Office.
Praying the Rosary - Our Lady's Statue in the Parish
The hosting of Our Lady's statue has been going on within our Parish after a brief stop at the start of Covid for the last one and a half years.
The Statue has been around the Parish with brief notices in the newsletter
Listed below is the roster of people having the statue for the next four weeks. I would like parishioners who have not had the statue previously,
to take our lady into their home, say the rosary and have her for at least a week
The statue can be picked up from the Parish office on a Monday and then returned to the Parish office the following Monday. You may have a special day in the next few
months that you would wish the statute to be at your home. You can book the week in advance. Please phone Maxine Sela on 0421 051 193 if you wish to have the statue. .
7/3/2022 Blanche Braganza Benowa
14/3/2022 Blanche Braganza Benowa
21/3/222 Coutinho Family Broadbeach
28/3/2022 Coutinho Family Broadbeach
Worldwide Marriage Encounter:
A weekend experience for married couples, priests and religious, away from the distractions of everyday living. Take time out of your busy schedule, to invest in your most precious asset and revitalise your Sacrament. This is a unique opportunity to reconnect, rekindle and refresh your relationship. It gives you the opportunity to grow in your relationship with your spouse or your community.
Our COVID-SAFE live-in weekends will be held from Friday evening 13 May to Sunday afternoon 15 May and Friday evening 14 October to Sunday afternoon 16 October (including Mass) at Santa Teresa, Ormiston. Our live-out weekend will be held at Siena College, Sippy Downs from 1 to 3 July – going home on the Friday and Saturday evenings. For bookings/details contact Maria and David Murphy: 0481 307 821 qldbookings@wwme.org.au Watch Archbishop Mark Coleridge's support video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o_Wp6qGB44
Information website: www.wwme.org.au
EXERCISE CLASS - LOW IMPACT - FOR HEART HEALTH -
Spring has sprung! Join Rochelle for a fun functional exercise class at Casey Hall. Low impact cardiovascular exercises for heart health, improve strength and balance- an all-around fitness class for over 65's. Stretch and strengthen the whole body, make new friends and feel great. Tuesday mornings @9.30 Beginners welcome. Contact Rochelle for further information on 0438 333 308.
THE SACRED HEART BRIDGE CLUB- (20 Years Young)-
Meets at the Sacred Heart - Parish Hospitality Centre, Fairway Drive, Clear Island Waters.
Playing Bridge keeps your brain active and increases your social network! So why not give us a try?
Learn to play Bridge at "Our Friendly Club" - Free Lesson. "Introduction to Bridge"
Easy to learn format, no previous card playing experience necessary. All are welcome.
For more information and to enrol, Please phone: Cheryl 5538 8821 or Mob 0417 772 701
YOGA AT THE PARISH HOSPITALITY CENTRE-
Come join us for our friendly class in the Parish Hospitality Centre next to the Parish Office. Classes run every Tuesday at 10:45 am. Learn to relax, yet gain greater flexibility, inner strength, body awareness and concentration, all while increasing your breath support and general wellbeing. Ruth is an IYTA accredited instructor with wide experience and runs a caring, carefully monitored one-hour session costing $10 (new attendees need to arrive by 10.30 am to prepare adequately for class). For more information, call Ruth on 0421338110.
Saint Vincent's Primary School Enrolments-
We are currently processing Prep 2023 enrolment applications. If you have a child that is turning 5 before the 30th June 2023 please go to our website and complete an online enrolment application.
(please click the above St Vincents School link for enrolment link)
ST KEVINS PRIMARY SCHOOL INFORMATION:
St Kevin's Catholic Primary School at Benowa has a limited number of vacancies in certain year levels, so we encourage those families still considering their schooling options for 2022 to make contact with the school via phone -55394522 or to go to the website for further enrolment information www.sk.qld.edu.au
St Kevin's is one of three of our valued Catholic Primary Schools within our parish bounds for 2022.
NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL (2022) - WITHIN OUR PARISH
Star of the Sea - Merrimac - Initially Prep to Year 3, and then extending after that -
Website: Star Of The Sea Merrimac and Facebook Page: Star of the Sea
REJOICE - MORNING PRAISE - Two episodes
from Fr Paul FROM SHALOM MEDIA ONLINE TV.
SHALOM TV is an online catholic resource that has wonderful programs for praise, meditation and reflection. Also, some excellent programs on family and faith. There is a program called Rejoice, which comes on every morning and has prayer and song to God at the start of the day. Fr Paul was invited to share two editions of Rejoice, featuring two of the hymns he wrote. Here are the links:
And -
ONLINE BENEDICTINE LENTEN RETREAT
It's almost time for Lent. We would like to invite your parishioners to our upcoming online retreat titled High Horses, Scapegoats and Donkeys: A Lenten Odyssey. Here's a little description of it.
"This retreat takes us into the realm of tears, the tears of compunction that St Benedict talks about in his chapter on Reverence in Prayer (RB 20). It is a calling forth of ourselves to a new and more authentic living; a dive into the deep; a naming of the truth of who we are before God. It is not a fear-based compunction that we will enter into, but rather a compunction based on a deep desire to be in oneness with God."
Below is a link to our brochure. We would be very grateful if you could share this with your parishioners, perhaps by putting a copy of the brochure on your notice board or mentioning it in your bulletin. Thank you and God bless.
With our prayers for your parish, Benedictine Nuns of Jamberoo Abbey
Download Brochure (Benedictine Nuns online Lenten Retreat)
Position Vacant – Parish Pastoral and Youth ministry Coordinator- Sunnybank
Applications are open for the above position at the Sunnybank Parish. The position is part-time 34 hours a week to be worked as Tues (7hrs), Thurs (7hrs), Fri (7hrs), Sat (6hrs) and Sun (7hrs)
For additional information, please visit the Archdiocese of Brisbane website https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/ and to careers. Applications close: 7 March 2022
Position Vacant – Parish Secretary - Alexandra Hills and Capalaba -
Applications are open for the above position at the Alexandra Hills Capalaba Parish. The position is part-time 18 hours a week over 3 days per week (Wed, Thurs & Fri) 8 am to 2.30 pm.
The Parish Secretary will manage the parish administration along with the parish finances.
For additional information, please visit the Archdiocese of Brisbane website https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/ and to careers. Applications close: 20 March 2022
The Archdiocese of Brisbane has standards of conduct for workers to maintain a safe and healthy environment for children. Our commitment to these standards requires that we conduct working with children checks and background referencing for all persons who will engage in direct and regular involvement with children and young people (0 - 18 years) and/or vulnerable adults. The organisation is fully committed to child safety and has a zero-tolerance for abuse of children or vulnerable adults.
Commitment To Child And Vulnerable Adult Safety
"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. For more information and resources on Safeguarding our community, please see: https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/safeguarding/
Acknowledgement of Country - This is Kombumerri Country - The Traditional Custodians of this region.
We respectfully acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First People of this country. We pay our respects to the Kombumerri people, who are the traditional custodians of the land, waterways and seas upon which we live, work and socialise throughout this Catholic Parish of Surfers Paradise. We acknowledge Elders, past and present and emerging, as they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of our Indigenous people. We pay tribute to those who have contributed in many ways to the life of the community. We affirm our commitment to justice, healing, and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
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