PDF version of this parish newsletter here:
Also, you can access an online copy of the newsletter *here*
“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (John 14:26)
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed Item ID: 1092743195 - Vector illustration of a Background for Pentecost Holy spirit dove. Contributor: - suns design
Please note that our new parish number is (07) 56717388
(the old parish number 5572 5433 will still divert -hopefully- to the new number for about a year and then it will cease)
PASTOR’S POST. Finding the Words
One of the most helpful books I have read in recent years was Fr Richard Leonard’s book titled “Why Bother Praying”.
Fr. Leonard SJ seems to like the titles for his books to be a little confronting and therefore alluring e.g. “Where the Hell is God”. In both books he addresses some of the common issues that we all grapple with, even though we profess a strong faith, we sometimes waver in our understanding of what we understood were the basics.
One of such basics is; do we believe prayer works and what does “working’ mean?
While you might assume that as a priest for over forty years that prayer would get easier and more focused,
I have found that prayer is not always an easy and comfortable conversation with God, and depends a lot on my ability to concentrate, my environment and whatever issues are crowding my life at the time.
Am I any less prayerful if I can’t find the words to express what I want to communicate? Can God extract the essence from the chaos of my thoughts? Just as any verbal encounter is dependent on the who, when and where we are involved at the time. The same factors influence what I will call “the quality of prayer”.
Often it’s not just that the words don’t come, but also the intention and focus can be hazy. Too many thoughts going around in that tiny head.
What image of God am I speaking to, am I open to hearing what God might say in response, am I crowding my prayer with too many issues and am I just going through the motions out of guilt or habit? While the rote prayers of our youth may be comforting and casual, they sometimes feel as though they are words from a childhood poem, rattled off without feeling or intent.
The concept of praying is not an activity exclusive to those who are a member of a church, nor is it an academic activity. While it may lead to both of these things, it is first and foremost a relationship with God.
How you understand God, communicate with God and come to know God is something only you can answer.
Some might respond by saying that prayer deepens their relationship with God, while others find it comforting to enter into a quiet space where they reflect and communicate with God. Others might enter into prayer to discern if they really believe in God at all.
Some people are simply searching. They may be looking for meaning and clarity in their life. They know that life is made up of a physical and spiritual dimension. They recognise within themselves a desire or hunger for something that touches their spirit, their heart if you will. So while their physical needs might be met, they are aware that their hearts are not satisfied.
In human dialogue, we usually get a sense of whether or not both parties are contributing to the conversation. That is, each person speaks and each person listens.
How does this work with God? Well, to a certain extent, prayer begins with the hope that God is listening, that God knows your thoughts, and that God is ready to be in conversation with you.
Just like going to a gym and exercising, many people find it easy to begin a regular pattern of prayer only to find out that they get bored with the repetitiveness, or just find that it is not making the sort of difference they were expecting.
Other people aren’t really sure where to begin. Like regular exercise, regular prayer will make a difference if we allow ourselves to get a bit creative, accept a bit of coaching when necessary and start small and realistically.
Perhaps varying the time and type of prayer we are used to and don’t just fill the time up with words.
Sometimes our eyes and ears can pray more sincerely than our voice.
Above all, do not rush, but allow God to get a word in every so often. I sometimes wonder if God is saying, “I hear your words, but I don’t feel the heart that is saying them”.
Fr Peter Dillon PP.
THANKYOU TO PARISHIONERS
Parishioner Caroline Moulden would like to thank the parishioners for their prayers for her sister, Sr Mary Teresa, A Benedictine nun in New Zealand. Sr Mary Teresa is now with the Lord. May she rest in the peace of the risen Lord.
SURFERS PARADISE CATHOLIC PARISH - NEW TIMES FOR WHEN THE TWO COLLECTIONS ARE TAKEN UP DURING WEEKEND MASSES-
For Masses within Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish - effective from Pentecost Sunday onwards.
Surfers Paradise Parish is changing the times of the Collections during Sunday Mass, effective from this Sunday: Pentecost Sunday - and onwards.
First Collection at the Offertory time (when the previous Second Collection took place)
Second Collection after Communion when everyone is seated the celebrant often reads some notices.
These collection times are less intrusive in the flow of liturgy and allow some space in between each collection. Many thanks, Fr Peter Dillon, PP
ENROL NOW FOR CATHOLIC EARLY EDUCATION CARE AT ST KEVIN’S BENOWA. (CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW FOR CONTACT LINK).
FAMILY FESTIVAL - St Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane
(please click the link below for link to tickets)
Family Festival free tickets here:
STAR OF THE SEA CATHOLIC SCHOOL - MERRIMAC - RECENT BLESSING
Photos from the Day (thanks to Star of the Sea Facebook page)
On Friday the 20th May 2022, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, assisted by Fr Peter Dillon and Seminarian Bradley Davies and Staff, students, parents and representatives of BCE and surrounding schools attended the Star of Sea School for the official Blessing and Opening Ceremony.
Star of the Sea - Merrimac - Initially Prep to Year 3, with an extra year level being added each year until 2026. The school is master-planned to accommodate approximately 550 students. -
Website: Star Of The Sea Merrimac and Facebook Page: Star of the Sea
MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP MARK COLERIDGE
(ARCHBISHOP MARK COLERIDGE HOMILY AT PENTECOST Laudato Si Launch 2022)
Pentecost looks back to two moments early in the biblical story. First, it looks back to the very beginning when, we are told, the breath of God moved through the darkness and over the waters of chaos. The first sound of the Bible is God breathing in the darkness. But then the divine breath hits the divine vocal chords and we hear the first word of Scripture. God says, “Light!” and, we are told, there was light. This word, then, is power – power enough to create, to bring something from nothing, to bring light from darkness, fulness from emptiness, order from chaos. That’s the first thing God does in the biblical story, and it defines what God will do throughout. The thing God is best at is bringing something from nothing.
It’s this story that the Gospel of John echoes when through a locked door Jesus enters the room where the disciples are. It may have been daytime, but the room was full of darkness, because the disciples had seen Jesus die an atrocious death and they thought they could be the next to get the chop. But then, “Light!” The one whom they saw dead appears among them – unquestionably alive, though in some new way they couldn’t understand. His first word is, “Peace!” And then his first action is to breathe on them. This takes us back to the beginning of the biblical story. Jesus breathes into them this time the Holy Spirit who, again though in a new way, brings light out of darkness, fulness out of emptiness and order out of chaos. This is the new creation that comes with Easter once Jesus rises from the dead.
The creation and the new creation bring order out of chaos, but sin, the Bible tells us, does the opposite. It brings chaos out of order. After the story of the Fall in chapter 3 of Genesis, we have a great narrative arc from chapter 4, with Cain’s murder of Abel, to chapter 11, where we have the story of the Tower of Babel and the confusion it produces. That narrative arc tells of the uncreating power of sin, how it takes the order that God has brought from chaos and turns it into chaos once again.
That could well be the story of where we are now in assessing the condition of the planet which is our common home, the earth given to us by the creating God so that we might live from it and be its stewards within the great network of creation. Sin has done its work once again, bringing chaos out of God’s order. The garden becomes a desert; the home becomes a death-trap; the gift becomes a curse.
Our task as God’s stewards is to do all we can to stop and reverse the lethal process sin produces. As the Church, our task – never clearer than at Pentecost – is to receive more deeply the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus breathes into us and then to breathe that same Spirit into a dying planet. Left to our own devices, caring for our common home will be not much more than politics, economics and ideology. That’s when the bickering starts and nothing gets done. We’re left with all talk and no action, as the creation begins to unwind and we head back into the darkness, the emptiness and the chaos.
That brings us to the second moment early in the biblical story which Pentecost evokes: the Tower of Babel. Building the Tower is an attempt by human beings to storm heaven, but it leads only to universal chaos, symbolised in the many tongues of people who can’t understand each other. From this story we have the English word “babble”; and that’s what we often hear in talk about the ecological crisis we face. It’s just babble – a confusion that paralyses and makes the chaos worse.
That’s why again we need the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the undoing of Babel. All the visitors to Jerusalem, we are told, hear the Galilean disciples speaking in their own language. “How is that we hear, each of us in our own language?” they ask. Instead of confusion there’s understanding; instead of chaos there’s order. But it’s all the work of the Holy Spirit.
So too now we call upon the Holy Spirit – and who else but the Church would do this? and when better to do it on Pentecost Sunday? We call upon the Holy Spirit to give us words to speak that others will understand, so that all of us can move beyond the babble to work together with real action to care for our common home. A common language, common commitment, common action – to care for our common home: that’s what we need now. That’s what Pope Francis calls for in Laudato Si.
In chapter 2 of Genesis, the Bible makes a revolutionary claim about the human being. In the wider world that produced the Scripture, it was generally thought that God created human beings because he needed slaves to do the dirty work in the garden. But the Bible sees things differently. It has God calling the human being and asking him to name the newly formed creatures. This simple but revolutionary touch makes the human being not a slave but a co-creator with God – a creature yes, but a creature possessed of a unique and magnificent dignity as co- creator with God, working with God to bring light out of darkness, fulness out of emptiness and order out of chaos. The same God calls us now, his new Adams, in the same way. We are to work with God to order the chaos, to care for our common home: that’s what it means for us to be God’s stewards.
That’s why on this Pentecost Sunday we focus more clearly than ever on the task before us at this time and commit ourselves to the task with the energy that comes from faith. Pope Francis has shown the way in Laudato Si, which offers a vision and a language which are deeply biblical and thoroughly Catholic. It’s up to us to listen to the prophetic word he speaks as Peter and to act together as the co- creators God calls us to be. If we can do that, we will join in creation’s great song of praise; if not, we will join in the great lament for the ruined garden.
+Archbishop Mark Coleridge
PENTECOST SUNDAY 2022: Laudato Si’ Action Plan Launch
plans
watch the video here
(Archdiocese of Brisbane
To find out more about our plan, visit
https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/life/laudato-si/)
Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane “Reconciliation Action Plan”
Importance of the Reconciliation Action Plan
The “Reconciliation Action Plan’ (RAP) is a guide for all agencies and parishes to build respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to gain an understanding and appreciation of the effects of racism (systemic and casual); to acknowledge historical impacts of colonisation on contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and identify opportunities to build new pathways. This will be addressed through a series of activities and learning opportunities.
There are four types of RAP—Reflect, Innovate, Stretch or Elevate. The Archdiocese of Brisbane’s RAP is an Innovate RAP, which is about implementing reconciliation. It focuses on developing and strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, engaging staff and stakeholders in reconciliation, and developing and piloting innovative strategies to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The implementation of the Reconciliation Action Plan will be piloted by the Parishes of Beenleigh, Bracken Ridge, Cleveland, Inala, Zillmere and Stafford. Evangelisation Brisbane is the agency piloting the Reconciliation Action Plan and is also working with Centacare and an Archdiocesan Services Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group has been established to complete actions pertaining to their respective agencies. The RAP was launched on Tuesday 17th November 2020.
The Archdiocese was nominated for the 2021 Queensland Reconciliation Awards. Read more here.
View the Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese Innovate RAP
(check out this video here - https://youtu.be/61e2OcYmN3g)
NEW FEATURE OF THE NEWSLETTER - 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/
Plenary Council Second Assembly-Walking in the Spirit
The Framework for Motions for the second assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia has been published this morning. It emerges from more than four years of listening, dialogue, discernment, reflection and prayer within the Catholic Church in Australia. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, the Plenary Council's president, says the document “will form the backbone of our reflection, discussion and decision when we gather” for the second of two assemblies, to be held in early July. You can download the Framework for Motions at: https://bit.ly/FrameworkForMotions
The People of God are invited to make a prayerful journey towards the Second Assembly of the Plenary Council through the Walking in the Spirit prayer campaign.
Walking in the Spirit runs until the second Assembly, which opens on Sunday, July 3.
Find out more at: ww.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/walkinginthespirit
HOSPITAL CALLS - AROUND THE DEANERY
To efficiently deal with the pastoral needs that arise around the Catholic Parishes of the Gold Coast, the parishes within this Deanery have the practice of having the first call for emergencies going to the priests of the parish within which the hospital is located. Here is a helpful guide to the hospitals and their attendant priests. Nursing home calls usually also follow this procedure, where the first priest to call is a priest from the parish within which the Nursing Home is located.
Robina Hospital - Burleigh Heads Parish on 5576 6466
Pindara Hospital - Surfers Paradise Parish 56717388
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:
Like the sun through a stained glass window, the Spirit of God can shine in your life to rouse the best in another. Come, follow Him. To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION -
“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (John 14:26) - The materialism of our society lures us to concentrate more on what we want than on what God wants for us. The relativism of our world tells us that we should be tolerant of all things, that there is no absolute truth. Pray to the Holy Spirit to transform our lives and to guide our thoughts, words and actions. What you put in your head, heart and mind affects your actions. Put good things in and good things will come out.
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: Frances Collins, Lynn Nunan, Elaine Casonati, Michael Murtagh, Kim Parkes, Cecily Cellinan, Betty O’Connell, Barry James Edmonds, Kevin Brennan, Margaret Cusack, Fabiola Menzs, Peter O’Brien, Rachel Raines, Ray Burton, Mary Jackson, Cathy Doyle, Vince Shanahan, Ilene Simpkins, Claire Perera, Jayani Antony, Panfilo Bantugan, Sandii Wall, Kath Kiely, Joanne Mooney, Therese Mullins, Michael Connell, Zeb Deane, Miriam Hill, Amando A. Mirasol Jr., Gus Reeves, John & Molly Robinson, Laila Mikael, Jean Di Benedetto, James Goodwin, Scott Mitchell, Malcolm Ward, John O’Brien, Ludwig Mueller, Kent Vince, Colleen Grehan, Carmelita Dulu, John Davis, Bobby Courtney, Lisa Mangan, Robyn Skein, Kye Oh, Bill Gilmore, Olga Hamshari, Roy Ferraro, Margaret Haerse, Milka Barac, Rodney & Norma McLennan, Lois & Doug Wood, Duncan Dawson, William Franklin, Maria Mihalic, Annie Scicluna, Anne Logan, Margaret Thompson, Patricia Moor, Helen Bohringer, Savannah Ayoub, Baby Maeve Lombard, Arthur Haddad, Michael & Denise Tracey, Joanne Parkes, Michelle MacDonald, Mary Kerr. And all suffering from Covid-19 and its effects.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Jacqueline Lesley Pannekoek, Constantin Francisc "Frank" Onea, Adam Alfred McGuffie, Shirley Ellen Pettiona, Margaret Mary Milton, Mary Ashton, David Falvey, Margaret (Peggy) Lyon, Elizabeth Cheetham, Gerald O’Halloran, Milka Marusic, Colgero (Joe) Misuraca, Jill Carlyle, Karen Tansey, James (Jim) McCloskey, Michael James, Hans Gringel, Sr Mary Teresa, Tony Ghusn, Bill Heuston, Cathy Cooper, Rosario Lazzaro, Lucena Gabriel, Brad Holman, Mieko Kanayama, Fr Patrick Cassidy, Fr Ian Howells SJ, Louise Thompson, Balthazar van der Meer, Katrina Roberts, Kathleen Gabriel, Rosslyn Wallis, Jean Smith (from Sydney), Barbara Mary Robertson, Guiseppe Castellana, Judith Wisemantel.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Pam Chapman, Phillip Taplin, Henry Wirth, Judith Gilliland, Keith
Patrick Hoolihan, Neville John Malcolm Nielsen, Jacqueline Faye (Jackie) Hogan, Myrtle Joyce Condon (Mitchell) (Mother of Robyn Hunt), Albert Lewis Bush, John Alexander Kazimierowicz, Janmaree Walsh, George Arthur Higgs, Antoinette Denise Brennen, Costanzo Letizia, Maureen Patricia O’Connor, Dorothy Ryan, Irene Wholohan, Anna Marmina, Felicitas Fay Robbins, Casey Jones Townsend, Judith Lorraine Taylor, Roy Jackson. And also: Mato Maric, Josip Grzic, Mary Ward, Catherine Anne Watson (Nee Gaffney), Jacques Philoppe Desbleds, Beryl Hodge,
Mary Therese Dean, Ivy Mulcahy, Isabelle Rose Brock, Kevin Cassels, Dorothy Gravener, Theo Robert Farr, Marie van Twest, Gerald Freestone Junck, Mary Fredricks, Barry Wayne Moore, Marie Hayden.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH:
Being the church is a different identity than simply going to church. If we are truly the Body of Christ, then we embrace this identity with a sense of purpose. Saint Paul describes the church as a body with many parts that function for the sake of the whole. Some of us have obvious gifts like preaching, teaching, or offering a healing presence. Others may benefit from prayer, spiritual direction, faith sharing, or a discernment retreat to come to an awareness of the particular service to which we're called. Joy is in the discovery of the Spirit's personal invitation to you. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
Also, MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH. Monday, Jun 06, 2022. “You will not be orphaned." - Although the devotion to Mary as “Mother of the Church” is ancient, today’s memorial is relatively new—having been instituted in 2018 by Pope Francis when he decreed it will be celebrated annually on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday—to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the church.” Reflect on how you can “mother” the church—as well as your family and friends, your community and workplace, and even yourself. You don’t have to be or have a mother in the traditional sense to know how to offer loving care. Standing beneath the cross, said Francis, Mary “welcomed all people in the person of the beloved disciple as sons and daughters”—that means you, too. “He said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’” [John 19:25-34 (572a]. SIGN UP FOR "TAKE FIVE" DAILY ww.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe
MASK WEARING
People should not feel the need to explain and apologise for continuing to wear masks and we ask that people respect their choices and needs. The risk of Flu and of Covid is still present, and there are quite a few vulnerable people in our community, so using hand sanitiser and reasonable social distancing where possible is still highly prudent.
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.
Three primary school-age children are currently preparing for Baptism. Although their personal stories vary, each of the children has asked their parents to organise their initiation into our Catholic Faith. Each child has asked to develop their relationship with God by learning more about God’s love and forgiveness. Their parents are delighted to be in a position to support their children as they start this journey. For our part, may we keep these children and their families in our prayers, especially throughout the upcoming Easter Season?
Sacrament of EUCHARIST - First HOLY COMMUNION 2022
Over 90 children are soon to celebrate their First Holy Communion. There will be a Final Meeting (including rehearsal) on 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.) A smaller group will be celebrating in August (date to be confirmed).
Please pray for these children : My Jesus, these children are about to be nourished by Your word and Your body. May they go out into the world as Your hands and feet to live as Your disciple; to spread the Good News.
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.
Sacrament of PENANCE - RECONCILIATION
If you missed the March opportunity for your child to celebrate their First Reconciliation, we would like to offer you another opportunity this year. The First Rite of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 5:30 pm in Sacred Heart Church.
Reconciliation is a Sacrament of Healing. In the Children’s Sacramental Program, it follows the Sacraments of Initiation. That is, Reconciliation, also known as Penance, follows Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion.
The Surfers Paradise Sacramental Team has prepared a program similar in style to the Confirmation and First Communion At Home Preparation Programs. If your child was previously enrolled in the Surfers Paradise Parish Sacramental Program and then was either Confirmed or made their First Communion in Surfers Paradise, there is no requirement for you to complete a new online enrolment form. Children making their First Communion in June, 2022 will also be eligible to participate in this Preparation for Reconciliation.
If you are unsure if your child will be included in the group, please email our Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson at andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au
THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL - Many languages, One Message of Love
-To listen to the whole Sunday Mass each week (including homily) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, including the Easter Mass - please visit this link:
Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) - https:- soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks.
The Holy Spirit makes us disciples, able to be the Warm breath of human kindness at times of terrible coldness and need.....
In the first book of the Bible, we are told that God “breathed on” us the first day he created us. “Genesis tells us that the Lord put his lips to ours and breathed in us and gave us his spirit of life. And so we became human beings. And John tells us that on the day of Pentecost, the risen Lord breathed on us a second time and gave us new life in The Spirit. Courage replaced caution and a fire was lit in our hearts that has scattered the darkness of fear forever. Those first disciples became new creations and so we are. The new life of the Spirit has been given to us so as to call us to a heroic life, —- to be instruments of God's peace and mercy in a beautiful but broken world."
The Gospel today, from Saint John, tells us about the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is clear again that these early followers were hiding behind closed doors, feeling very, very fearful. And they were not imaging the danger. They were right to expect that they would be persecuted and harmed for being followers of Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit takes their fears away. Interestingly the Spirit does not take the danger away, but it gives us disciples boldness to do what is right and not be frightened into backing down.
At the heart of our Christian life, fear is taken away, and peace and forgiveness are given. In turn, we as instruments and living vessels of God's Spirit, - we too can dispel the fears of others and proclaim peace and forgiveness that are given to us in Jesus.Our gifts are different, each person has different gifts. We need all the gifts that each person has so that we can continue the work of Christ in our world.
How different our world looks when we begin to recognize that each person brings his or her own gifts and that we need those gifts to live in the fullness of Jesus Christ.
We KNOW the Spirit is at work in our lives especially when the love and sacrifice we show is clearly coming from a loving hand far bigger than our own lives and our own finite motives and actions when we do actions that are loving and unselfish, we are deeply aware that there is a power and a loving presence at work in us that is bigger than just ourselves. ….Transcending our limitations … and not explainable only by our own actions… but bigger, ……. And "of which are freely cooperating part…."It is God's Holy Spirit at work in and through us. At work in the world. A power of unselfish, sacrificing love and service. Unconditional love. That is at the heart of creation.As the readings this weekend tell us, we become beloved sons and daughters of God, and heirs to God's kingdom.
We have been given the freedom of the children of God. But, this freedom is given to us in order that we too can live as Christ did, being all about service, sacrifice, and self-forgetting love."If you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you. When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious.
What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, of course. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires. Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit." (Galatians 5:16-26)
The Gospel this weekend also reminds us that the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the lives of the church will always work to remind us of all that Christ did and said, and keep us close to Christ and his values. The Holy Spirit is the "Spirit of Truth." All who live by the Spirit, strive to live authentic, honest, integrated lives built on truth.Finally… just an interesting insight -- … we often read this text about how (after the Spirit descended) people of different languages and cultures could all hear and understand….. but what is interesting is that the text does not say that the people were not speaking the same language… In fact, they were still speaking in the language of the different cultures present. But even so, they could all understand the same message. This is a reminder that the Spirit brings not uniformity, but diversity and variety. We are all ONE in that rich diversity because the common language we speak is the language of God… and that is LOVE…
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: REFERENCES: FR. PAUL W. KELLY; Also quoting from the St Mary's College daily diary entry on the Holy Spirit; MISSION 2000 – PRAYING SCRIPTURE IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY. YEAR B. BY MARK LINK S.J.; SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ; MONASTERY OF CHRIST IN THE DESERT. ABBOT'S HOMILY).
[Image Credit Shutterstock Item ID: 2100398038 - Holy Spirit religious symbol, white dove on red background - Vector Formats- Contributor: Xolopiks)
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
"And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.' And the angel departed from her."- Luke 1:38
"His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it]."- John 2:5
"And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord.'"- Luke 1:46-55
"O sinner, be not discouraged but have recourse to Mary in all your necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity."- Saint Basil the Great
"If you invoke the Blessed Virgin when you are tempted, she will come at once to your help, and Satan will leave you."- Saint John Vianney
"If you ever feel distressed during your day, call upon our Lady, just say this simple prayer: 'Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.' I must admit, this prayer has never failed me."- Blessed Mother Teresa
"Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence."- Saint Francis de Sales
"The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary."- Saint Louis Marie de Montfort
Saint Ephrem, deacon.
Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit and raises man to Heaven.
Blessed the one who continually humbles himself willingly; he will be crowned by the One who willingly humbled himself for our sake.
When you begin to read or listen to the Holy Scriptures, pray to God thus: "Lord Jesus Christ, open the ears and eyes of my heart so that I may hear Thy words and understand them, and may fulfil Thy will." Always pray to God like this, that He might illuminate your mind and open to you the power of His words. Many, having trusted in their own reason, have turned away into deception.
Let books be your dining table, / And you shall be full of delights. / Let them be your mattress,/And you shall sleep restful nights
Anyone who wants to be an example to others, must first examine himself.
The word of God is a tree of life that offers us blessed fruit from each of its branches. It is like the rock that was struck open in the wilderness, from which all were offered a spiritual drink. Be glad then that you are overwhelmed, and do not be saddened because he has overcome you. A thirsty person is happy when drinking, and not depressed, because the spring is inexhaustible. You can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring; then when you thirst again, you can drink from it once more.
No one is truly poor except the one who lacks the truth.
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, meddling, the lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother; for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.
Be a lamp in brightness, and make the works of darkness cease, so that whenever your doctrine shines, no one may dare to heed the desires of darkness.
The fear of God illumines the soul, annihilates evil, weakens the passions, drives darkness from the soul and makes it pure. The fear of God is the summit of wisdom. Where it is not you will find nothing good. Whoever does not have the fear of God is open to diabolical falls.
Scripture brought me to the Gate of Paradise, and the mind stood in wonder as it entered.
If you are an ardent reader, seek not brilliant and erudite texts; otherwise, the demon of haughtiness will strike your heart. But like a wise bee that gathers honey from flowers, so also through your reading obtain healing for your soul.
If you wish to help someone, give secretly and avoid arrogance
Don't let your eyes look here and there, and don't look at someone else's beauty, so that the devil will not conquer you with the help of your eyes.
Whoever fears God stands above all manner of fear. He has become a stranger to all the fear of this world and placed it far from himself, and no manner of trembling comes near him.
Who is far from love is in a bad state, and to be pitied. He passes his days in a delirious dream, far from God, deprived of light, and he lives in darkness ... Whoever does not have the love of Christ is an enemy of Christ. He walks in darkness and is easily lead into any sin.
Like the apple of Thine eye preserve me, O Lord God; defend me and beneath Thy wings shelter me from temptations.
It is blasphemy if you pray before God while you are full of anger.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sin and not to judge my brother, for You are blessed from all ages to all ages. Amen
O Lord, we cannot go to the pool of Siloe to which you sent the blind man. But we have the chalice of Your Precious Blood, filled with life and light. The purer we are, the more we receive.
Blessed the one who has become a good spiritual net and caught many for the good Lord, such a one will be greatly praised by the Lord.
Blessed be the one who meditates on death each day and destroys the base passions lurking in the vines of the heart, for he will be consoled in the moment of separation.
You victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of God and Savior, you who have boldness of speech toward the Lord Himself, you saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us so that we may love Him.
Prayer is converse with God, equal honour with the Angels, progress in good things, averting of evils, righting of sinners.
The seed, swollen with moisture, burst asunder it's covering of soil and out peers the blade of wheat, full of symbols. So faith, whose bosom is filled with goodly fruits, is a blade of praise.
APPEAL FOR THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE - Caritas International (Catholic)
Ukraine Crisis
Over 2.6 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine, and there have been at least 1,581 civilian casualties.
You can help the Caritas Ukraine staff on the ground to provide families with emergency food, water, shelter and hygiene support.
POPE FRANCIS: God ‘does not disown any of his children.’
Pope Francis lent a nod of support to a new project that provides resources for L.G.B.T. parish ministry in a note to James Martin, S.J. Father Martin, who launched the Outreach website earlier this month, wrote a letter to Pope Francis on May 5, asking three questions he said he commonly hears from L.G.B.T. Catholics and their families. The editor at large at “America” magazine received the pope’s response three days later: a hand-written note, in Spanish.
The first question Father Martin asked Francis was what he thought the most important thing L.G.B.T. people should know about God.
Pope Francis lent a nod of support to a new project that provides resources for L.G.B.T. parish ministry in a note to James Martin, S.J.
“God is Father and he does not disown any of his children,” Pope Francis responded. “And ‘the style’ of God is ‘closeness, mercy and tenderness.’ Along this path, you will find God.”
In response to another question, the pope said he would encourage L.G.B.T. people to read the Acts of the Apostles to discover an “image of the living church.”
Finally, the pope urged L.G.B.T. people to view negative experiences in the church not as rejection by the institution but as unfortunate encounters with individuals.
“I would have them recognize it not as ‘the rejection of the church,’ but instead of ‘people in the church,’” the pope said in response to a question about what message he would like to give to L.G.B.T. Catholics who have experienced rejection from the church. “The church is a mother and calls together all of her children.”
“God is Father and he does not disown any of his children,” Pope Francis said. “And ‘the style’ of God is ‘closeness, mercy and tenderness.’ Along this path, you will find God.”
Francis cited a Gospel story as an example. “Take for example the parable of those invited to the feast: ‘the just, the sinners, the rich and the poor, etc. [Matthew 22:1-15; Luke 14:15-24]. A ‘selective’ church, one of ‘pure blood,’ is not Holy Mother Church, but rather a sect.”
The correspondence from the pope was published Monday in Outreach: An L.G.B.T.Q. Catholic Resource, a website launched by Father Martin that is affiliated with America Media. The goal of the resource, according to the website, is “to help L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics know that God loves them, that they are at the heart of their church and that they have many gifts to offer the People of God.”
Next month, Father Martin, author of Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the L.G.B.T. Community Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity, is hosting a conference about L.G.B.T. Catholic ministry, similar to an online event hosted last year.
Father Martin, who regularly advocates for the church to be more welcoming to L.G.B.T. Catholics and their families, met with Pope Francis in 2019, and last year, Francis sent a letter to Father Martin, encouraging him in his ministry.
(source: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/05/09/pope-francis-james-martin-outreach-242952 )
(Image Credit: Shutterstock -licensed).
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS
MANY $3 ITEMS available at the Sacred Heart shop suitable for Holy Communion and Baptism gifts - Crosses with inspirational verses, Holy Communion and Baptism pictures also with verses, at this low price.
BINGO TUESDAY
Surfers Paradise Catholic Ladies will be having their Bingo on Tuesday the 7th of June 2022, from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. Please phone Maxine Sela at 0421051193 or Wendy Webb, at 0412237832 to book your seat for this day.
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Just a reminder that this First Friday 3rd June 2022 is the monthly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at Sacred Heart Church from 7 pm to 8.30 pm. All welcome. Enquiries; Helen 0421935678. "Could you not watch one hour with Me?" Matthew 26:40
FIRST SATURDAY MASS AND BENEDICTION
First Saturday of each month. Sacred Heart Catholic Church. 4th June 2022. At 9 am followed by adoration and benediction.
COMMUNION TO RESIDENTS AT NURSING HOMES. HELP NEEDED!
We have had to reduce our visits with Holy Communion to the residents at Nursing Homes, and urgently require more people to assist with this service. Can you spare 3 hours per month for this important Ministry?
Listed below are Nursing homes with their Day and time of visitation.
Lady Small Haven, Benowa. Tuesdays 9.30 am to 11.00 am
Merrimac Park Private Care, Merrimac. Wednesdays 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm
Bupa Nursing Home, Merrimac. Thursdays 9.30 am to 11.00 am
Tricare, Mermaid Beach Nursing Home, Mermaid Beach Fridays 10.15 am to 12.00noon
Tricare, Cypress Gardens Nursing Home, Clear Island Waters. Sundays after 9.00 am Mass Sacred Heart to 12.00 noon
For further information ring the Parish Office, or Maxine Sela on 0421051193.
Praying the Rosary - Our Lady’s Statue in the Parish
Details of the statue of Our Lady which is going around the Parish. If you would like to have her in your home and say the Rosary:
please contact Maxine or Pat on 0412 519 404
The Roster for the next four weeks:
06/6/2022 Warren & Grace de Souza Nerang
13/6/2022 Mary Winters and Family
20/6/2022 Mary Winters and Family
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 is necessary. All are welcome.
For more information and to enrol, Please phone: Cheryl 5538 8821 or Mob 0417 772 701
MEDITATION PRAYER GROUP
In the Morris prayer room Tuesdays from 10 am to 12 noon. The Meditation Group would very much like to welcome new members. All enquiries please phone Pam Egtberts 0428090703
ART AND CRAFT GROUP - 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.
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 live-out weekend will be held at Siena College, Sippy Downs from 1 to 3 July – going home on the Friday and Saturday evenings. Our COVID-SAFE live-in weekends will be held from Friday evening 14 October to Sunday afternoon 16 October (including Mass) at Santa Teresa, Ormiston. 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.
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.
Position Vacant – Youth Ministry- Jubilee Parish - Brisbane
Applications are open for a position at the Jubilee Catholic Parish. A casual youth minister is required starting 20 June 2022
https://clientapps.jobadder.com/68451/aob-internal-career-opportunities - Application close: 10 June 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 zero-tolerance for abuse of children or vulnerable adults.
SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF POPE FRANCIS’ GROUNDBREAKING LETTER - LAUDATO SI’ - An excerpt from the Pope’s groundbreaking Encyclical.
“LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful
canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share
our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruits with coloured flowers and herbs”.
This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible
use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her
lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and
maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are
dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters. Nothing in this world is indifferent to us
More than fifty years ago, with the world teetering on the brink of nuclear crisis, Pope Saint
John XXIII wrote an Encyclical which not only rejected war but offered a proposal for peace. He
addressed his message Pacem in Terris to the entire “Catholic world” and indeed “to all men and
women of goodwill”. Now, faced as we are with global environmental deterioration, I wish to address
every person living on this planet. In my Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, I wrote to all the
members of the Church with the aim of encouraging ongoing missionary renewal. In this Encyclical, I would like to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home.
He spoke in similar terms to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations about the
potential for an “ecological catastrophe under the effective explosion of industrial civilization”, and
stressed “the urgent need for a radical change in the conduct of humanity”, inasmuch as “the most
extraordinary scientific advances, the most amazing technical abilities, the most astonishing economic
growth, unless they are accompanied by authentic social and moral progress, will definitely turn
against man”.
5. Saint John Paul II became increasingly concerned about this issue. In his first Encyclical he
warned that human beings frequently seem “to see no other meaning in their natural environment than what serves for immediate use and consumption”.
Subsequently, he would call for a global ecological conversion.
At the same time, he noted that little effort had been made to “safeguard the moral conditions for an authentic human ecology”.
The destruction of the human environment is extremely serious, not only because God has entrusted the world to us men and women, but because human life is itself a gift which must be defended from various forms of debasement. Every effort to protect and improve our world entails profound changes in “lifestyles, models of production and consumption, and the established structures of power which today govern societies”.
Authentic human development has a moral character. It presumes full respect for the human person, but it must also be concerned for the world around us and “take into account the nature of each being and of its mutual connection in an ordered system”.
Accordingly, our human ability to transform reality must proceed in line with God’s original gift of all that is.
{NOTES:
Canticle of the Creatures, in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 1, New York-London-Manila, 1999, 113-114.
In 1971, eight years after Pacem in Terris, Blessed Pope Paul VI referred to the ecological concern as “a tragic consequence” of unchecked human activity: “Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation”.
Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens (14 May 1971), 21: AAS 63 (1971), 416}
ADULT LEARNING ARTICLES: Liturgy is an organic whole. (Fr Paul Kelly)
We need to ask how all the pieces fit together and whether they are properly balanced. No single element should dominate the whole of the liturgy. Care is especially needed in areas such as the Introductory and Penitential Rite, Preparation of the Gifts and Concluding Rite. If these get overloaded or overemphasised, the whole symmetry of the liturgy is deformed.
One of the most important things about any liturgical action is to maintain a sense of balance and proportion. The liturgy has symmetry to it. It would be a very unbalanced liturgy if we were to have a ten-minute introductory rite and spend five minutes on the preparation of the gifts and then rush through the readings and the Eucharistic prayer, with no space for silence and reflection. It would also be disproportionate to give a half-hour homily and then a ten-minute Eucharistic prayer. Similarly, too many announcements at the end of mass would overload and over-emphasise the concluding rites that are intended to swiftly send people out into the world to live as they have proclaimed. The two significant parts of the mass are the liturgy of the word, including a homily and prayers of the faithful, and the liturgy of the Eucharist, including communion. These two need to stand in a relationship with each other. Ideally, they are roughly the same length. Other subsidiary elements, such as introductory rites, preparation of the gifts, and dismissal, need to be seen as leading up to, and flowing from, these two high points. This is why we no longer use the name “offertory," as we once did, and now rightly describe this section as “the preparation of the gifts,” because that is exactly what it is, preparing the gifts for the great offering of the Eucharist and the climax of this prayer in the Doxology, (Greek word meaning Praise), which is when the priest lifts up the Host and the Chalice and says “Through Him, and with Him, and In Him……” Calling the “preparation of the gifts” an “offertory” can accidentally overshadow the complete offering of the Eucharistic Prayer. Sometimes the preparatory prayers are said silently, with instrumental music playing around them so that they do not "steal the limelight" from the true and actual great prayer of “offering,” namely the Eucharistic prayer.
source: Fr Paul Kelly
Commitment To Child Safety and Vulnerable-Adult Safety
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.
(see further: The Kombumerri People)
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