PDF version of this parish newsletter here:
Also, you can access an online copy of the newsletter *here*
https://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/
SEA SUNDAY - donations to: https://stellamarisaustralia.org/sea-sunday-appeal/
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (Luke 10:36)
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 1083278969 - BOLOGNA, ITALY - APRIL 18, 2018: The icon of Parable of the Good Samaritan in church Chiesa di San Pietro by Giovanni Paolo Bardini. Photo Contributor: Renata Sedmakova
PLENARY COUNCIL LAST WEEK - The Second Assembly
See news from Last Week’s session by visiting - Plenary Council’s news page and on the Plenary Council Facebook page.
WARNING - A scam has been doing the rounds via email and sms. A person pretending to be Fr Peter or another priest of the archdiocese contacts a parishioner and asks for confidential help. If the person responds, they are asked to buy gift cards of a high value and send them on. Please note that the email and sms are fake and we would never request personal help for money or gift cards. Only official church appeals - undertaken through the church and announced at the church are to be trusted. Please do not respond to requests like this, and do not click any attachments or links. A close look at the email also shows that these messages are fake.
PASTOR’S POST - Sunday Morning Brunch tastes better after Mass!
I remember my brother David was telling me once about a local church in Brisbane that had recently noticed a sudden upsurge in young families and young people attending Sunday ceremonies. I was intrigued about this and wondered what it might have been that had changed. The area was still an older suburb, and the “demographics” had not changed, so what might explain it?
My brother suggested a rather interesting possibility. He said that the street in which the church was situated had now become filled with fashionable coffee shops, cake shops and a bakery. It appears that many people were now developing a special and enjoyable “Sunday habit,” to which they looked forward eagerly every weekend. These people would get up and go to Church, gathering together to give thanks to God and to gain nourishment for the week to come, and then after the Mass had concluded, they would wander down the street for a leisurely breakfast or a morning tea/ coffee break. Church-going had become part of their Sunday rhythm and it made their whole morning (and week), a seamless and enjoyable journey from praise to savouring the moment, and relaxation time with friends and family.
This really sparked my memory. I recalled how our family used to go to morning Mass and, (even though I was never a great morning person) after we had been to church I felt renewed for the coming week, and then we would stop off at the Hot Bread Kitchen and get a piping-hot loaf of fresh bread and then go home and have a delicious morning tea and lunch with this fresh bread. (Sometimes we would be tricky and scoop out the soft, hot centre from a larger slice, leaving the outer crust intact).
Naturally, Sunday worship is important and essential, in and of itself, as it is the gathering of the Body of Christ, the Christian community, to pray, and praise God. And in addition, I am reminded through our Sunday observance, that by developing habits and making our activities part of our daily rhythm, we are most likely to continue eagerly, (long-term), this good and beautiful habit as a desirable part of our weekly life, rather than some kind of “duty” that might seem like it is putting the regular daily activities “on hold” for an hour.
Church becomes part of the fabric of our week. It is wonderful to enshrine Sunday worship as a part of our family’s enjoyable and nourishing weekly habit. I am sure that all who make this an important part of the rhythm of their weekly lives are very likely to inspire future generations, who will want this for their families too.
Fr. Paul
FUNERAL INVITATION FOR THE LATE MRS ELMA MORO
Parishioners and friends are invited to the Funeral Prayer service of the late Mrs Elma Moro, to be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Clear Island Waters on Wednesday the 20th July 2022. At 11 am.
LITURGY NEWS - WINTER EDITION IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE NOW (ONLINE ONLY)
OUT NOW! Please find attached the Winter 2022 edition of Liturgy News. News and background articles are invaluable for parishes and schools. Priests, religion teachers, pastoral associates, liturgy committees… This magazine is for you! Please click here or click the image above for an online (downloadable) copy
Star of the Sea - Catholic Primary School - 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
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/
MASS TIMES: SURFERS PARADISE MASS TIMES
***PLEASE NOTE: ITALIAN MASS WITHIN PARISH SUSPENDED UNTIL OCTOBER
The celebration of the Italian Sunday Mass at the Sacred Heart Church Clear Island Waters WILL BE SUSPENDED FOR THREE MONTHS (JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2022) and will resume regularly as from Sunday 2nd October 2022.
Fr Angelo Cagna, the present Chaplain will be on sabbatical leave for six months (30 June 2022 - 31 December 2022). Fr Savino Bernardi, a Scalabrinian priest from Sydney, will supply the Italian Sunday Mass for the months of October, November and December 2022. For any other matters regarding the Italian Chaplaincy and/or Community, Giovanna Santomauro (Mob 0418 198 437) will be the liaison officer.
SEA SUNDAY
Today is Sea Sunday when the church prays for all those who live and work at sea. Without them, we would not have most of the items we rely on for daily life. Even during a pandemic, seafarers continued to bring into our ports products that sustain our population and economy.
The Appeal today is for Stella Maris, Apostleship of the Sea, the official maritime welfare agency of the Catholic Church. It supports seafarers both practically and spiritually. To assist this ministry, please send your donations to: https://stellamarisaustralia.org/sea-sunday-appeal/
Seafarers Prayers - The Lord is my pilot (Psalm 23 – maritime version)
The Lord is my pilot; therefore I shall not drift.
He leads me across the dark waters;
He steers me in steep channels; he keeps my log.
He guides me by the star of holiness for his name’s sake.
I shall dread no danger, for you are with me.
You prepare a harbour for me in the homeland of eternity;
You anoint the waves with oil, and my ship rides calmly.
Surely, sunlight and starlight shall favour me on the voyage I take,
And I will rest in the port of my God forever.
Amen
A VOCATION VIEW:
We are called to love with our whole being. How is God calling you to do that? Pray for generosity to serve God’s people. (Luke 10:25-37). To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION -
“Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37). This was Jesus’ command at the end of the Good Samaritan story. Did you know that the Samaritans and Jews despised each other? The moral of the story is to love our neighbour. That means loving someone you may not know, or someone that looks different from you, someone who has different beliefs than you, or someone that you don’t like.
All without expecting anything in return. The vision of Stewardship speaks in every aspect of life, inviting everyone to be thankful, generous and accountable for what each has been given.
Rest in Peace,
parishioner Kwang Hua Lim, (17/9/1930- 30/6/2022), whose funeral was last Wednesday.
Our sympathies and prayers are with his widow Grace and their family.
Also, sympathies and prayers for the late Luke Tansey, (6th April 1931 - 21st June 2022), and for his family and friends. Luke’s funeral was last week.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: Nellie Bellinger, Leslie Clarke, Raymundo C. Isaga, Kristy Peat, Leon Mostert, Anna Janiek, Ailsa Stack, Andrew McPherson, Louise Holmes, Ray Burton, Don Williamson, Michael & Denise Tracey, Betty O’Connell, Margaret & George Cook, Fred Grioli, Lynn Nunan, Elaine Casonati, Michael Murtagh, Kim Parkes, Cecily Cellinan, Barry James Edmonds, Kevin Brennan, Margaret Cusack, Fabiola Menzs, Peter O’Brien, Rachel Raines, Mary Jackson, Nenette Csundo, 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, Bobby Courtney, Lisa Mangan, Robyn Skein, Kye Oh, 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, Maeve Lombard, Arthur Haddad, Joanne Parkes, Michelle MacDonald, Mary Kerr. And all suffering from Covid-19 and its effects.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Alice Morrasayan, John Tobin, Daphne Andreas, Kwang Hua Lim, John Gerard Robinson Jnr (aged 69yrs), Joseph Kania, Joe Hilton, John Massingham, Paula Stafford, Luke Tansey, John Vincent Davis, Muriel Lynch, Maryanne Vanek, Agata (Tina) Zammit, Frances Collins, Therese Hunt, Bill Gilmore, Constantin Francisc "Frank/Ferry” Onea, Adam Alfred McGuffie, Shirley Ellen Pettiona, Margaret Mary Milton, Mary Ashton, David Falvey, Margaret (Peggy) Lyon, Elizabeth Cheetham, Gerald O’Halloran, Dr Albert Lapid, Milka Marusic.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Dave Binder, Jill Masters, Grace Cooper (UK), Lia Maher, Bill Wall, Elaine Hannah Cotter, Peter Butler, Elizabeth Anne Fredricks, Smith Rita Mary, Irene Cappellazzo, Alan Clark Krushka, Christopher Cassels, Sharon Patricia Pak, Tom And Lucy Yule, Natalie Kan, Leo Francis Nugent, Fay Theresa Kassulke, John Ennis Ashby, Patrick (Pat) Boyle, Salvatore Di Pietro, Noel Smith, Mal Condon, Shirley Roche, Gemma Carmel Bingham. And also: Francesco Cafolla, Luigi Zuppicchiatti, Peter Briggs, Anna Felisiak, Josephine Sanders, Julie Dwyer, Gabriel Joe Sheehy, Mavis Eileen O'Brien, Vona Winifred Sellars, Jack And Daphne Banks, Julia McKay, Marjorie Bates, Elizabeth (Betty) Taylor, Kathleen Perkins, Francisca Hanoszek, John Schreiber, Matthew Hoare, Giuseppe Grasso, Albert Lewis Bush, Gregory Joseph Shara, George Arthur Higgs, Emily Hasdell, Ante Kolak, Alan Herbert Driscoll, Alfred Desira, Maureen Patricia O’Connor, Jill Cecelia O’Brien, Mary Dean, Fr Bernard O'Shea, Stanislaw Dominiak.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH:
The Children’s television presenter Mister Rogers, famous in the USA, sang to children daily about the pleasure and importance of being a good neighbour. A Presbyterian minister, Fred Rogers was aware of the biblical power in identifying others as neighbours — rather than competitors, outsiders, or enemies. Jesus flips the traditional meaning of the word when he claims the true neighbour, not as one who is geographically near to us, but one who is dear to us and merits our compassion. We recognize our neighbours not by who they are or where they live, but by who we are and how we treat them. Choose to be a neighbour to everyone you meet. “Because he wished to justify himself, [the scholar] said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ " (Luke 10:25-37). 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.
Families wishing to be involved in our Surfers Paradise Parish Sacramental Program should regularly check the weekly newsletter for information updates or they can email our Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson, at andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au
Sacrament of CONFIRMATION 2022
We will soon begin our Surfers Paradise Parish, Preparation for Confirmation with 140 children - Quite a record number of young people whom we are excited to meet and re-welcome into our family of faith.
Online enrolments will be closing soon. However Baptised children who are in Year 3 or greater are still welcome 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.
During this week, all families that had completed an online application for their child should have received an email reminding them of the information that follows here: Compulsory Parent Meeting 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 these complete documents are to be 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 EUCHARIST - First HOLY COMMUNION 2022
The last group of our parish children for First Holy Communion 2022 will celebrate on August 13 at the 5 pm Vigil Mass at Sacred Heart Church. They will complete our 2022 First Communion celebrations.
Fr Peter, Fr Paul and everyone at Surfers Paradise Parish look forward to celebrating the second, third, fourth and many subsequent Holy Communions with these children who have brought so many blessings to our parish family.
Dates for the 2023 First Communion Preparation and Celebration will be included in the newsletter later this year.
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. The Children’s Sacramental Program 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 - “And WHO is my neighbour?”
The readings this weekend are really beautiful. Each of them has a similar thread running through them. What we believe in, the Word of God, and how we live this word is very, very practical, down-to-earth and tangible! The word of God is not something distant and theoretical and ponderous, but it is alive and active and it is living in our hearts and minds and on our lips and actions.
Jesus is not some distant figure, he is God-made-flesh, who shows us what God the Father I like and how God treats sinners and how God loves us. In the Gospel, Jesus reinforces this by telling the famous and wonderful parable of the Good Samaritan. We show we love God and have his word by how we show love to our neighbour, anyone in need, and how we respect ourselves and the gift of life and responsibility we have been given.
Imagine a newly married couple sitting down to their first dinner together after returning from their honeymoon. Imagine if the husband said to his new wife, "I just want to get something clear with you? I hope you don't mind! What is the absolute minimum I need to do to fulfil my obligations to you as your spouse? – I don't want to be seen shirking my responsibilities so if you could just tell me what the absolute least things are that I need to do, to satisfy requirements? "
Could you imagine such a question?? It is outrageous… It is crazy!!!
Of course, this would be an awful, immature and shockingly unloving attitude.
The answer to such a question, (as if it even needs answering), would be twofold. This is about LOVE, not merely the letter of the law or merely doing one’s “duty.” This is not about grudgingly doing the bare minimum. This is actually about friendship, companionship between two people who are committed to loving, living and working together; united in heart and mind.
How much do you need to give????
Answer: “Whatever it takes! Everything you've got!”
We are not just “in this together” for a capped "30% minimum." Nor are we in this for merely 50/50, (whilst keeping score all the way!!??) – It is actually 100% by both parties.
As crazy as this extreme example is, the lawyer is asking Jesus something very similar in today's Gospel. And although we can scoff at such a preposterous scenario, we too can be guilty of asking insanely similar things of Our Lord! Whenever we try to ration our commitments and responsibility to Our Lord, (who is our everything!), we are asking the same crazy question as to the ill-considered groom in my theoretical example above.
The Lawyer in the gospel is looking for a clear and definite pathway to Heaven, and so he asks: 'What must I do?'
When Jesus tells him that the answer is Compassion and love, the lawyer again asks for a definition: "What are the limits of this? "
Jesus tells him that this “Way of Christ” is not lived by merely following rules, and not satisfied by meagre rationing-out of our efforts -- and nor is the Gospel kept by staying merely within strict and limited boundaries…….. Rather, the Gospel is lived by responding to life with love, wherever and whenever we find it; with the Love and compassion of God abiding in us. This is the love that is God's very essence: serving, self-sacrificing love to others and to all. Our Lord’s answer immediately alerts the lawyer to how ridiculous the question is, because the lawyer becomes sheepish and embarrassed and tries to justify his question with a clarification about who really is his neighbour. But this is yet again an attempt to limit one’s commitment. Jesus is not going to let him slip away with things that easily.
Eternal life is the free, generous, unrestrained, authentic gift of true, compassionate, self-forgetting love for others. Giving what is needed, giving all we have and giving it freely with love and compassion and not grudging duty.
Living in a loving relationship with God means loving and caring for all that God has created; and going beyond the limits, the reservations, the fears, the restrictions and responding freely, lovingly and passionately, (come what may, and irrespective of the personal cost), to the situations and people life throws up at us.
The law of God, the word of God is not some distant thing written in stone, but a living, breathing, flexible and loving law,… as the first reading tells us……
"The Word (of God) is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance. "
With this parable, Jesus shows us that God's love doesn't care one jot about what others think of a person. God's love does what is right, what is compassionate, and what is just. God responds to real needs, irrespective of popular opinion.
Scripture Commentator William Barclay gives profound insights into this parable:
"The first listeners to Our Lord's parable, in First Century Palestine, would have been utterly shocked and thrown off balance by the unexpected results of the story. The hero in this parable is not the one the listeners expected. The hero turns out to be the one who is usually despised by Jesus' listeners. How can the "good guy "be the Samaritan?? They would have gasped in astonishment.
And worse…. The expected "good guys "- the priest and the Levite, turned out to be not responding the way that Jesus was teaching God's disciples to respond.
Interestingly, the traveller who gets attacked has been very foolish and even reckless. The road to Jericho was notorious for robbers, as it was steep and winding. People who travelled that road travelled in groups and were taking their lives into their hands if they dared to travel alone and with valuables. So Our Lord is saying, even if people have been foolish and have contributed to the situation they have found themselves in, Gospel compassion responds to their needs and doesn't moralize.
Compassion and love respond to real needs. Compassion does not encourage us to stop to apportion blame or fault. A true friend and disciple of Christ does not respond to real and urgent needs by first asking “does this person deserve this help?” - or “Have they brought this upon themselves? In which case I don't have to help them!” Not at all, not ever! Compassion does not stop to work out whether people deserve a loving response when their own folly may have played a (big or small) part in their situation.
The parable Jesus tells does not suggest that the Priest was a bad guy. Nor does it suggest that the priest did not care about the poor person who had been robbed and left for dead. It may have been that the Priest was very concerned for the victim. However, it is clear that he put his religious and legal duties ahead of the human and physical needs of this robbery victim. If the priest had touched an injured person, he would have been considered ritually unclean and therefore unable to perform his duties at the temple. So, he puts his "ceremonial duties ahead of charity." "The Temple and its liturgy meant more to him than the serious injury of a fellow human." And Our Lord is making it clear that putting the rules ahead of people in dire need and immediate need, actually defeats the purpose of the law and the reason for the offering of sacrifices, which are actually meant to be about expressions of love and devotion of heart, mind, body and soul for God and neighbour! ***
"The Levite appears to have moved a little bit closer to the victim but he still does not help in any practical way. In those days, robbers often used decoys pretending to be injured people, to lure helpers to come nearer, whereby they would be ambushed and attacked. "The Levite was a man whose motto was, "Safety first." He would take no risks to help anyone else even if he felt he ought.
"Then there was the Samaritan. The listeners would obviously expect that with the Samaritan’s arrival the villain had finally arrived in this parable. He may not have been racially a Samaritan at all. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans and yet this man seems to have been a kind of commercial traveller who was a regular visitor to the inn. The name "Samaritan "was sometimes used to describe a man who was a heretic or a person who did not keep the letter of the ceremonial law. Perhaps this man was a Samaritan in the sense of being one whom all orthodox good people despised.
We note two things about him.
(i) His credit was good! Clearly, the innkeeper was prepared to trust him. He may have been theologically unsound, but he was an honest, reliable and good man.
(ii) He alone was prepared to help. He may have been considered a heretic but only the Samaritan showed the love of God in his heart. In the end, we will be judged not by the creed we profess, but by the love of God we live through our actions.
And so, the Lord teaches us that we must help a person even when they may have acted in a foolish and ill-advised manner, or even if they have perhaps brought trouble on themselves or contributed in some way to the risk of what has happened to them, as the traveller may have done. Nevertheless, the injured man was still in dire need of immediate care, and Our Lord wants us to respond to that real need positively and swiftly. If we think that urgently rushing to the aid of someone in serious need is ever forbidden by God’s laws or teachings, then we have definitely read these laws and teachings very wrongly.
We must help any person, of any nation or any creed, nationality or value system…. Anyone who is actually in need is our neighbour. Our help must be as wide as the love of God, - that is to say, as wide as something that cannot be measured.
We must not put rules and ceremonials ahead of people and their plight. The law of God is living and active. The ceremonials of religion express and contain the values of God's Kingdom, and ought never to be used in opposition to the human condition.
The help we give must be practical, and not consist merely of empty platitudes, or of just feeling sorry for someone when practical action is what is needed. No doubt the Priest and the Levite felt a pang of pity for the wounded man, but in the end, they did nothing to help him, which Our Lord makes clear is not acceptable!
In order for the fullness of compassion to exist, it must flow into deeds.
What Jesus said to the scribe, he says to us too -- "Go and do the same. " "**
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: **William Barclay - THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES. REVISED EDITION. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. THE WESTMINSTER PRESS. PHILADELPHIA. 1975
Fr Paul W. Kelly, additional expansion and reflection comments included within the commentary of Barclay).
[Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Vector ID: 235809499. illustration of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Vector Contributor: kanarina]
St Augustine Zhao Rong & companions, martyrs
Pope John Paul II canonised 120 martyrs of the Church in China on October 1 of the year 2000 AD. He chose that date because it was the Feast of the Little Flower, one of the patrons of the Missions. Unfortunately, October 1 is the day that China celebrates the Communist revolution, and the authorities took deep exception. They issued an official statement: ‘Most of the new saints were executed for violating Chinese law during the invasion of China by imperialists and capitalists. Others were killed for bullying the Chinese people .’
Pope John Paul meant no slight to them. He thought he was honouring the Chinese nation. A year later, during the celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival in Beijing of the truly great missionary, Matteo Ricci, Pope John Paul, after investigating the accusations of the Chinese authorities apologised to them admitting that the missionaries were often short-sighted and condescending.
None of this denies that the ones he had canonised were martyrs, according to their lights, nor that most were Chinese. But the fact that Fr Augustine Zhao Rong is named first tells its own story. Though the martyrs included many priests and four bishops, Fr Augustine was the only Chinese priest.
Jul 11, 2022 - St Benedict.
Worth pondering, as a rule: Saint Benedict, the “Father of Western Monasticism,” established Christian monasticism as we know it with the founding of the Benedictine order in the sixth century, making it the oldest religious order in the Western Church. For 1,500 years, Benedictine women and men have been living communally in monasteries all over the world according to the Rule of St. Benedict, a succinct guide that emphasizes prayer, work, simplicity, and hospitality. They take unique vows of stability and ongoing conversion. Draw from the ancient wisdom of the Benedictines by reading the Rule yourself and see how this way of life might enrich your own.
“We are taught and advised to abandon temporal riches, to lay aside earthly goods, and to strive to reach the eternal and everlasting dwelling-places in heaven. For present glory is fleeting and meaningless, while it is possessed unless in it we can glimpse something of heaven’s eternity. But God’s mercy towards the human race provided a useful remedy when he made the reward for earthly existence a share in our heavenly country.” (Saint Henry, 973–1024 ).
Saint Camillus de Lellis
“Think well. Speak well. Do well. These three things, through the mercy of God, will make a man go to Heaven.” (Saint Camillus de Lellis).
Saint Teresa of Kolkata
“To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it. (Saint Teresa of Kolkata).
Saint Bonaventure
“In things of beauty, he contemplated the One who is supremely beautiful, and, led by the footprints he found in creatures, he followed the Beloved everywhere” (St. Bonaventure).
“As “pride is the beginning of all sin,” (Eccl. x, 15) so humility is the foundation of all virtue. Learn to be really humble and not, as the hypocrite, humble merely in appearance.” ( Saint Bonaventure).
“We must beg the Holy Spirit, with ardent longing, to give us these fruits. The Holy Ghost alone knows how to bring to light the sweetness hidden away under the rugged exterior of the words of the Law. We must go to the Holy Ghost for interior guidance.” (Saint Bonaventure, Holiness of Life).
“Know your net worth” “If you do not know your own dignity and condition, you cannot value anything at its proper worth,” says the wise Saint Bonaventure, noted 13th-century Franciscan theologian and doctor of the church. Take time to think about that admonishment today. Tally your credits and debits—the good and bad you’ve wrought, your accomplishments and failures. Then remember that nothing goes unnoticed by God: “Even the hairs of your head are all counted” (Matt. 10:30). Why? Because you are God’s alone. Let that knowledge shape your understanding of everything. As Bonaventure puts it: “Every creature is a divine word because it proclaims God.” (St Bonaventure).
Jul 16, 2022- Our Lady of Saint Carmel.
Choose a path of devotion. The Third Order of Carmel is an association of lay persons who live according to the spirit of the Carmelite Order and share in its mission. Their charisms are prayer, community, and ministry. Lay Carmelites attend a monthly meeting in which they wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as a sign of their dedication to the Virgin Mary. If possible, they participate in daily Mass and try to spend a half-hour in meditation each day, reflecting on scripture. Lay Carmelites also pray the Morning and Evening Prayer of the Divine Office. Though they are not professed religious, they practice the virtues of poverty, chastity and obedience. Pray to Our Lady of Mount Carmel to inspire your own spiritual practice.
(source: Take five for Faith; and Wikipedia and https://anastpaul.com/)
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: Pope hails families, blasts ‘culture of waste’ after Roe
(June 26, 2022 - AP- Associated Press)
Rome: Pope Francis celebrated families and urged them to shun “selfish” decisions that are indifferent to life as he closed out a big Vatican rally a day after the US Supreme Court ended constitutional protections for abortion.
Francis didn’t refer to the ruling or explicitly mention abortion in his homily. But he used the buzzwords he has throughout his papacy about the need to defend families and to condemn a “culture of waste” that he believes is behind the societal acceptance of abortion.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, protesters and supporters of the ruling gathered at the Washington, DC building.
“Let us not allow the family to be poisoned by the toxins of selfishness, individualism, today’s culture of indifference and waste, and as a result lose its very DNA, which is the spirit of welcoming and service,” he said.
Francis, noting that some couples allow their fears and anxieties to “thwart the desire to bring new lives in the world,” called for them not to cling to selfish desires.
“You have been asked to not have other priorities, not to ‘look back’ to miss your former life, your former freedom, with its deceptive illusions,” he said.
Francis has strongly upheld church teaching opposing abortion, equating it to “hiring a hitman to solve a problem.” At the same time, he has expressed sympathy for women who had abortions and made it easier for them to be absolved of the sin of undergoing the procedure.
The Catholic Church holds that life begins at conception and must be protected and defended until natural death.
Francis delivered his homily in a packed St Peter’s Square at the end of the World Meeting of Families, a four-day conference held every few years aimed at helping church workers provide better pastoral care for families, especially those in difficulty.
The head of the Vatican’s laity office, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, celebrated the closing Mass before tens of thousands of people, given Francis has a bad knee that makes it difficult for him to stand for long periods of time.
Francis instead sat to the side of the altar and delivered the homily seated, though he was able to stand up easily for the reading of the Gospel and other moments with the help of a cane.
The Vatican welcomed Friday’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that provided constitutional protections for abortion in the US. The move opens the doors for individual states to ban or restrict abortion access, with bans now expected in about half the US states.
(Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 1864294921 - Stock Photo ID: 1864294921 - Vatican City, - Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica . Photo Contributor - Riccardo De Luca)
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS
The July edition of the Catholic Leader available now at the Religious Goods Shops and at the rear of Stella Maris Church. $4 per copy. Inside this issue - volunteers top the list for Queen’s honours, and latest priestly ordinations for South East Queensland and more than 1000 people attended the Logan Deanery’s big day to share information about their parishes and ministries. Read all about it!
FUNERAL INVITATION FOR THE LATE MRS ELMA MORO
Parishioners and friends are invited to the Funeral Prayer service of the late Mrs Elma Moro, to be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Clear Island Waters on Wednesday the 20th July 2022. At 11 am.
ST JOHN’S CRISIS CENTRE (NEXT TO ST VINCENT’S CHURCH AT SURFERS PARADISE 40 years of providing support to those in need
At St. John’s we help families in crisis. This includes individuals, families and children escaping domestic violence, the homeless, people with mental health issues, and those who have become financially and emotionally disadvantaged. We provide a range of support services, including serving over 100 meals per day. We also provide referrals and emergency relief to those in desperate need.
Your support allows us to keep doing great work in the community. If you would like to donate money, click here to use our ‘bpoint.’ or direct transfer to St John’s Crisis Centre BSB 034-216 Account number 7511642 Donations can be made at St. John’s Crisis Centre, located at 36 Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia. Monday to Friday between 9 am and 12 pm.
For larger donations, we can also organise to collect items. In addition to funds, the centre also needs - Non-perishable food, clothing in good clean condition. Toiletries and general home items such as toilet paper, washing powder, nappies, and baby wipes. Small household items such as saucepans, mugs, kitchen utensils, blankets, towels, and linen.
Donations can also be left at St Vincent’s Church on Sunday. Thank you for your support.
COMMUNION TO RESIDENTS AT NURSING HOMES. HELP STILL 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.
ANNUAL CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN (Date Claimer) - OFFICIAL COLLECTION
SCHEDULED FOR 20 - 21 August 2022 *Please click here to give now* *8*
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.
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:
11/7/2022 Glarry & Rudi Camara Southport
18/7/2022 Glarry & Rudi Camara Southport
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
SILENT DAY RETREAT at MARIAN VALLEY
Visit with Mary 16 July 2022
Contemplative day
to reflect on who Mary is for you
When: 9.30 am for prompt 10 am start – 3 pm Saturday 16 July 2022 RSVP: 8 July 2022
Where: Marian Valley Retreat Centre, 2541 Beechmont Rd, Witheren. Via Canungra Qld 4275
What: Program for quiet individual time and a group spiritual conversation.
• Optional: hill walk and individual Spiritual direction for those interested.
• Tea & Coffee provided
• BYO lunch, water & picnic chair
Cost: $15 suggested donation
Who for: All welcome
Lead by St Mary’s Coomera Retreat Team
Contac, Catherine: csmith3183@gmail.com phone 0401070821 or Lynne: lynne.head.weir2@gmail.com phone: 0409198545
or Anne Marie: amoconnor54@hotmail.com Phone: 04294915
or Mareece: mareecem@hotmail.com Phone: 0413071552
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 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 – Parish Business Manager - Coorparoo Parish
Applications are open for the above position at the Coorparoo St James Parish. The position is part-time 12 hours a week either over 3 days per week or 2 days per week.
For additional information, please visit the Archdiocese of Brisbane website https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/ and then go to ‘careers.’ Applications close: 11 July 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.
ADULT FAITH - The “Commandments of the Catholic Church”
There may be many who have never heard of the traditional teaching called the “five commandments of the Church.” Even if you have not heard it called that, you are probably aware of all or most of its teachings. These still apply and are very much relevant to this day.
1. Attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation.
2. Confess our serious sins at least once a year.
3. Receive the Holy Communion at least once during the Easter season. (Although Communion at every Eucharist is encouraged when people are in the correct disposition, that is free from serious sin).
4. Observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.
5. Help to provide for the needs of the Church.
These principles are the building blocks that help us focus our Love and worship of God, and support and participation in the wider church community, which makes up the Body of Christ.
SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF POPE FRANCIS’ GROUNDBREAKING LETTER - LAUDATO SI’ - An excerpt from the Pope’s groundbreaking Encyclical.
I. POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Pollution, waste and the throwaway culture
20. Some forms of pollution are part of people’s daily experience. Exposure to atmospheric pollutants produces a broad spectrum of health hazards, especially for the poor, and causes millions of premature deaths. People take sick, for example, from breathing high levels of smoke from fuels used in cooking or heating. There is also pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances that contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agro-toxins in general. Technology, which, linked to business interests, is presented as the only way of solving these problems, in fact, proves incapable of seeing the mysterious network of relations between things and so sometimes solves one problem only to create others.
21. Account must also be taken for the pollution produced by residue, including dangerous waste present in different areas. Each year hundreds of millions of tons of waste are generated, much of it non-biodegradable, highly toxic and radioactive, from homes and businesses, from construction and demolition sites, from clinical, electronic and industrial sources. The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish. Industrial waste and chemical products utilized in cities and agricultural areas can lead to bioaccumulation in the organisms of the local population, even when levels of toxins in those places are low. Frequently no measures are taken until after people’s health has been irreversibly affected.
22. These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish. To cite one example, most of the paper we produce is thrown away and not recycled. It is hard for us to accept that the way natural ecosystems work is exemplary: plants synthesize nutrients that feed herbivores; these, in turn, become food for carnivores, which produce significant quantities of organic waste which give rise to new generations of plants. But our industrial system, at the end of its cycle of production and consumption, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and by-products. We have not yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximizing their efficient use, reusing and recycling them. A serious consideration of this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway culture which affects the entire planet, but it must be said that only limited progress has been made in this regard.
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 and https://kombumerritogetherproject.com/digital-resources/yugambeh-language/)
Commitment To Child Safety and Vulnerable-Adult Safety
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