PDF version of this parish newsletter here:
Also, you can access an online copy of the newsletter *here*
“But when you are invited, take the lowest place…” (luke 14:10)
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 2164785339 - Elegant banquet hall interior in white and terracotta tones with tables prepared for festive celebration - Photo Contributor - nazarovsergey
PASTOR’S POST. More Than a House
I once had to spend a night sleeping in a bus shelter in Berlin in February, after arriving very late while on a backpacking trip in Europe. Never again, I vowed. However, I can never truthfully say I’ve experienced “homelessness”, and I do have to admit, although I have lived in some relatively grand abodes in my time as a priest (and before), I’ve never fully appreciated the significance of a safe and comfortable living arrangement in the way that I live, work and relate to others in the community. The following article by Father Andrew Hamilton SJ shook me into rethinking how I take my many privileges for granted, and caused me to reassess my understanding of what it means to be without a place to call “home”.
There are many reasons why it is so hard to find a place in which to live. They include a change in attitude, encouraged by government policy, from seeing homes as shelter to seeing them as wealth. People take out heavy loans to buy houses, which in turn raises prices. At the same time governments that once took responsibility for housing people with little or no income have stopped building new houses and have even sold existing stock. When immigration resumes we can expect even greater pressure on shelter and on rental prices.
It is easy to view homelessness from a distance as only a failure of economic policy and of the political responsibility to deliver material goods. A home, however, is more than a house. It connotes connections that are central to humanity. Left without a home people are deprived of more than bricks and mortar. They are diminished in their humanity. This can be seen if we look at some of the associations of home.
A larger view of a home sees it first of all as a shelter. Whether a tent for nomads or a palace for kings it protects us from wind, rain and sun, from wild animals and from robbers. It is a source of security. Without this intermediary between ourselves and the world of the stranger we are left insecure and exposed.
A home also connects us to a place. For Indigenous Australians home is the particular area of land with its distinctive features to which they belong. For others a home defines the piece of earth on which it is built as our own and so connects us with the environment in which we live. It anchors us to place. Without it we are rootless, wanderers.
A home is also a place of connection to neighbours, shops, schools and society. It gives us an address that links us to the government and enables us to relate to society. At a deeper level a stable home connects us with our personal and family history. It holds the symbols of earlier homes and of the significant persons and events in our lives. For that reason leaving home can be experienced as nostalgia – an ache for home.
Finally a home connotes a kind of possession, whether formalised in purchase, loan, rent or other forms of agreement. It supposes a stable, if temporary, relationship between the home and the people who live in it. This enables them to decorate the house, attend to the garden, and put their own face on the home.
Possession, of course, can also corrupt into greed, that sees the home purely in terms of money value or status, and in which the only salient relationship is to self.
This overview of the rich human relationships involved in the home and of our deep personal investment in it helps us to imagine what we lose as persons, and not purely as property owners, if we have no place in which to live. It complements imaginatively such admirable ventures during Homelessness week as the Vinnies sleep-outs in which many prominent people in public life listen to homeless people tell their stories and then themselves sleep on the floor. These events touch the imagination of those who take part and help people to appreciate what it means to sleep rough on the city streets on a cold winter night. They also evoke empathy and generosity to the homeless.
Short and voluntary experiences of homelessness, however, show only part of what it means to have nowhere to live. To be homeless cuts connections. If you have no fixed address you will miss mail, will find it hard to have things delivered, to have friends and family visit you, and to access government services.
You will move often from place to place; your children will change schools, miss friends and experience only passing relationships. Even connections with the internet will become more difficult and expensive. With no kitchen, food will be expensive, hospitality impossible; with no laundry or bathroom it will be hard to maintain hygiene and clean clothing.
For such reasons many people who live precariously see secure housing as their major need. Insecurity contributes to mental illness and withdrawal from society.
In modern societies people have a right to shelter. Stable accommodation is necessary if we are to live fully as human beings with our dignity respected. Without it we shrink as persons, we lose touch with friends and family, and the connections with society that are central to our lives become precarious
Fr Peter Dillon PP
Social Justice Sunday - Statement 2022-23 - Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Image: Three images of women at a protest are pieced together, each with green, purple or grey overlay. The text "Social Justice Statement 2022-23, Respecti, Confronting Violence and abuse" is in white at the top of the image. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is written in small white writing at the centre of the image at the bottom with the corresponding logo. by OSJ06/09/2022 - Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse.
This weekend is Social Justice Sunday; an annual focus from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
The theme this year is “Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse.” This statement points out that the roots of domestic and family violence “lie in the abuse of power to control and dominate others” and that “this stands in contrast to the relationships to which God calls us”.
Our relationships should be “marked by equality and reciprocity rather than domination and violence, respect and freedom rather than coercion and control”.
We know that most often, those who suffer violence and abuse in homes and families, workplaces, and communities are women and children, while the perpetrators are men. We support women in calling for respect in relationships; their lives and those of their children are sacred.
Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse, focuses us in a particular way on the problem of spiritual violence and abuse. It discusses how religious teachings – including our own – may be manipulated by perpetrators to excuse violence or to exert control over others.
Cultural factors in the Church and in society often also play an essential role in the violence and abuse suffered in families, households, communities, and workplaces. This behaviour is sinful.
We believe respect, dignity, justice, transformation, and hope are possible.
The Statement affirms the work being done by faith communities and organisations to support those who experience domestic and family violence and abuse, and to address the drivers and enablers of violence. It points to further ways in which we can all respond to spiritual violence.
Finally, it calls for faith communities to support and believe those going through domestic and family violence and abuse, to hold perpetrators to account and work towards individual and social transformation.
All resources are now available. The Statement is available electronically and in hard copy via this link. https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2022/06/09/sjs2022-23/
WE SAY GOODBYE TO GRANT’S PEST CONTROL - AND THANKYOU !
Grant and Yvonne say goodbye after 34 years of service to our parish. We are incredibly grateful for their wonderful service and wish them every blessing in retirement.
BRISBANE SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS
Are you seeking some spiritual direction or spiritual accompaniment? There is a list of directors on offer in the Archdiocese, and these can be accessed easily via the website.
https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/life/spiritual-direction/
St Michael’s College-
Four St Michael’s College Captains Appointed for 2023:
Mikayla Osborne, Quentin Payne,
Allegra Grima,
Balin Biddle
This announcement follows a leadership discernment process involving students and staff that has taken place this term.
I thank all students who have put themselves forward in this process, they have been a wonderful group of candidates, and I wish all Year 11 students well for the remainder of the leadership process.
I am confident you will join with me in congratulating our 2023 College Captains.
Regards,
Anthony Elmore, Principal.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BRISBANE - TWO MINUTE HOMILY
https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/articles/twenty-second-sunday-in-ordinary-time-two-minute-homily-fr-paul-kelly/
ANNUAL CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN - THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERFUL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT LAST WEEKEND!
Create a world where all people in your community are supported to thrive. Your support enables Centacare to reach out in compassion through services like mental health support, domestic violence support, hospital chaplaincy and prison ministry.
Thank you for your support last weekend for the Annual Catholic Campaign. This is our official Archdiocesan appeal to support its central mission activities.
Last weekend, our parish was delighted to support the Annual Catholic Campaign. It is the one time a year that all of the parishes in the Archdiocese come together to help vital works of our church and the local community. Funds raised will support ministries that directly impact this parish. The Campaign supports training future priests, caring for our elderly and retired priests, helping local families in dire need access to Catholic education, and caring for those physically and emotionally suffering in our community.
*Please click here to give now*
catholicfoundation.org.au/catholic-campaign/
FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION - PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE
The usual 1st Friday Adoration at Sacred Heart Church will be transferred to Friday 9th September, (due to confirmations being held on Friday evening 2nd September). Adoration time will be Friday 9th September 2022: 7 pm to 8.30 pm.
Enquiries: Helen 0421935678 - "Could you not watch one hour with Me?" Mt 26:40
FIRST SATURDAY MORNING MASS FOLLOWED BY ADORATION & BENEDICTION
SACRED HEART CHURCH 9 AM 3RD SEPTEMBER 2022.
BINGO TUESDAY -SPCL
“Surfers Paradise Catholic Ladies will be having their Bingo Tuesday on the 6th of September2022, from 10.00am to 1.30pm.
Please phone Maxine Sela 0421051193 or Wendy Webb on 0412237832 to book your seat for this day.”
God Bless
MARIAN VALLEY
Please come and join us at the Marian Valley for the feast of the Birthday of the Virgin Mary on 03.09.2022, and on13.09.2022 the feast of our Lady Of Fatima.. The bus will be picking up at 8.15 am at the Sacred Heart Church Clear Island Waters.. The Cost for the bus fare is $25.00 return for each person.. You can secure your seat with a contact name and phone number with Xavier Solomon at 0404 843 260, Madeleine on 0405 252 367 or 5529 1573. All are welcome.
A MESSAGE FROM THE “CATHOLIC GUY”
A new Daily Devotional series called, 'Knowing Jesus,' aimed at helping Catholic people in their prayer life. Jesus is arguably the most well-known person that ever lived. This new series is 'Knowing Jesus.' Based on the holy Scriptures and the wisdom of the Church. A new and different perspective on the life of Christ and His work. It will look at His teaching, His miracles, His death and resurrection, who He was, and why He came. People will receive a free short 5-10 minute video directly into their inbox daily. Join in what will be a powerful, life-changing series.
For more information, please contact me at Bruce@BruceDownes.org - Thank you for helping us share Christ. God bless- Bruce Downes, The Catholic Guy.
Africa Food Crisis
Drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa have left over 18 million people facing severe hunger. Four consecutive failed rainy seasons have devastated the crops of millions across the region.
We must act now and Make Hunger History.
Your generous donation means our partners in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Eritrea can respond quickly to support vulnerable communities during this crisis.
Visit www.caritas.org.au/food-crisis or call 1800 024 413 toll-free to donate now.
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
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 (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 October, November and December 2022. For any other matters regarding the Italian Chaplaincy and Community, Giovanna Santomauro (Mob 0418 198 437) will be the liaison officer.
A VOCATION VIEW:
Humility is needed for those who choose to serve. Recognise your gifts and offer them in humble service. (Luke 14:1, 7-14)
To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION -
“Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you." Luke 14:13-14
One of the main principles of living a stewardship lifestyle is to give without expecting anything in return. This is difficult for some to comprehend in the “consumerist” culture that we live in. This is even difficult for many parish communities that have become heavily dependent on parish fundraising events to support the mission and ministry of their local parish. Generally speaking, at a parish fundraiser, you pay money and receive something in return; it’s just a financial transaction. This is opposed to our parish offertory at Holy Mass, where you unite your sacrifice with Jesus’, renewing our covenant relationship with Him.
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: Jenelle Mullins, Sr Mary O’Brien, John Thomas, Tom Ross, Joanne Parkes, Maria Manuela, Jack Barretto, Kath Kiely, Joanne Mooney, Doug Chester, Kathy Stevens, Stephen Cokim, Nellie Bellinger, Leslie Clarke, Raymundo C. Isaga, Kristy Peat, Leon Mostert, Anna Janiek, Andrew McPherson, Louise Holmes, Ray Burton, Don Williamson, Michael & Denise Tracey, Betty & Patrick O’Connell, Margaret Cook, Fred Grioli, Lynn Nunan, Elaine Casonati, Michael Murtagh, Kim Parkes, Cecily Cellinan, 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, 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, Margaret Haerse, Milka Barac, Rodney & Norma McLennan, Lois & Doug Wood, Duncan Dawson, William Franklin, Maria Mihalic, Annie Scicluna, Margaret Thompson, Patricia Moor, Helen Bohringer, Savannah Ayoub, Maeve Lombard, Arthur Haddad, Michelle MacDonald, Mary Kerr. And all suffering from Covid-19 and its effects.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Joan Simmonds, Les Edmonds, John Joseph Despard, Michael Armstrong, George Busuttil, Brian Edmund Jones, Bruce Smith, Sr Cecilia Anning rsj, Barbara Arthurson, William Walker, Remi Young, Ken Ledster, Alan King, Carmen Nicolas, Alvin Smith, Billy Edmonds, Ellen Moffitt, Anne Logan, Noel Watson, Alice Morrasayan, John Tobin, Daphne Andreas, Kwang Hua Lim, John Gerard Robinson Jnr, Joseph Kania, Joe Hilton, John Massingham.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Marija (Marie) Ivka (nee Sunich) Mercep, Antonio Cecco, John Cummins, Lisa Margaret Quartermaine, Edmund Scotter White, Santina (Tina) Mantello, Joan Patricia Baker, Jadvyga Ladyga, Ronnie Bourke, Dorothy Pierce, Dalibor Novak, Frank Gardner, Bruno Chiera, Elizabeth Catherine Grippo, Kichizo Matsumoto, John Bottos, Soledad Viva, and Inocencia Taleon, Algernon (Algie) Scharenguivel , Frederick Jerome (Fred) Anderson, Topie Paagalua, Patricia Mary “Tricia” Keevers, Linda G. Mirasol, Robert George Hanley, Clement Durkin. And also: Anne Porritt, Shirley Ann Appleby, Maurice (Maurie) Turner, John Francis Paul, Noel John Ancrum, Kathleen (Kath) Gleeson, Joseph Kendall Farrell, Anthony Lenchuca, Ron Neilsen, Narda Hallam, Maureen Mary Moore, Joseph Donato, Mercedes Romanin, Danny Connelly, Lisa Maree Moore, Colin Vincent Jenkinson.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: - Make us meek, again.
We're trained in the art of competition early. First, we barter for our parents' attention with siblings or tasks that distract them from celebrating us. In school, we compete for grades; in sports, for victories. By the time we arrive in the workplace, in marriages, or in adulthood, we're primed to fight for what seems rightfully ours: the spotlight. Saint Thomas Aquinas recommends the way of humility as the virtue that "most effectively removes the main obstacle to our spiritual welfare, the preoccupation with earthly greatness." Cede the floor. Surrender the talking stick. Cherish humility. "Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place.". Luke 14:1, 7-14. SIGN UP FOR "TAKE FIVE" DAILY ww.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe.
MASK WEARING
The risk of Flu and of the Covid virus is still present, and there are quite a few vulnerable people in our community, so please consider using masks and hand sanitiser and reasonable social distancing where possible 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.
Sacrament of CONFIRMATION 2022
We began our preparation for Confirmation with 120 children. The children’s parents have attended an Introductory Meeting that focussed on the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion, as well as one of the Sacraments of Healing - Reconciliation (Penance). The meaning of the Sacrament and the essence of each of the childhood Catholic Sacraments were explained. Also, the Brisbane Archdiocese’s Sacramental Policy was presented to parents so they could understand the changes around an order of sacraments that have occurred since their childhood faith journey began.
Each family has been working and praying together, and they have now completed their At Home Preparation for Confirmation activities. The final meetings for children and their parents will be held on Monday, August 29 and Tuesday, August 30, at 6 pm in Sacred Heart Church. The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place in Surfers Paradise Parish on Friday, September 2, at 5 pm and 7 pm.
Sacrament of EUCHARIST - First HOLY COMMUNION 2022
The last group of our parish children for First Holy Communion 2022 was celebrated last weekend. We thank Father Stephen Gronow for presiding and for being part of such a special evening for these seven children.
Fr Peter, Fr Paul, and everyone at Surfers Paradise Parish is looking forward to celebrating the second, third, fourth, and many subsequent Holy Communions with these children who have brought many blessings to our parish family.
2023 First Communion Preparation and Celebration dates 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. Within the Children’s Sacramental Program, Reconciliation, also known as Penance, follows Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion.
The Surfers Paradise Sacramental Team has prepared a program similar to the Confirmation and First Communion At Home Preparation Programs. If your child was previously enrolled in the Surfers Paradise Parish Sacramental Program and received the sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion, there is no requirement for you to complete a new online enrolment form. If you are unsure if your child will be included in the group or interested in your child being included in the next group, please email our Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson, at andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au
Children who have made their First Communion in June 2022 are also eligible to participate in this Preparation for Reconciliation.
THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL
Isn't it interesting that some lessons from Our Lord, almost everyone remembers and observes –
(whilst others, we remember and observe not so much).
For example, this weekend's gospel.... about not taking the best seat at the banquet feast... but rather, humbling ourselves and taking the least seat of honour at the table; lest that "better seat" is reserved for someone else...and we are socially embarrassed.
Who hasn’t thought of this wise advice when just about to sit down at the table of a dinner party or event?
I reckon this is one of those teachings that are often observed.
But of course, Our Lord was not teaching this lesson, as a piece of social etiquette… (as practical as it is) ….so we would not embarrass ourselves when attending a polite dinner party. He was using this as an example of how we should live its essence in our daily lives: In casual and formal situations.
So, whilst most people are at great pains to ensure they don't appear presumptuous at a formal event, wouldn’t it be great if everyone took the same care to make sure that- in our workplace, in our home, in social and sporting events and all other encounters, we are not being pushy or barrelling others out of our way, to ensure the best of everything for ourselves and those closest to us.
Our Lord is trying to break the concept of “first in best dressed” or the “survival of the fittest” - or “every man or woman for themselves”
We are lovingly invited to foster a healthy humility, and an openness to others. Have an eye out for those most in need and avoid actions that are always calculated to gain favours.
God is the most loving of Fathers- Only wanting to give (and keep giving) to all of his beloved children - To encourage them, and guide them, nourish and provide for them, give them what they need in due season, protect and defend them.
Jesus asks ....
Not: -
"What's in it for me?" or "What can I get out of this?" or "What can this person do for me?"
but rather……
He asks: "How shall I help others?"
"What shall I give to this one?"
"What does this beloved brother or sister need ?"
God is generous and giving... and – adding to the heightened contrast - Our Lord is the most important person ever to walk the earth; and yet, he became the servant of all... and stripped himself of all that he was rightly entitled to.. in service and self-forgetting love; for the sake of the Kingdom...
(References: Fr Paul W. Kelly).
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed.Stock Photo ID: 2164785323 - Banquet hall for wedding reception with served tables and spacious floor - Photo Contributor: nazarovsergey
To listen to the 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.
AUGUST AUGUST 27 - M - Saint Monica
All we know about St Monica, whom we honour today, we know from the writings of her son St Augustine. She is, among other things, a patron saint for alcoholics, for she herself became a problem drinker, until a servant girl called her a drunk, and woke her up to herself.
She is a good patron for other groups of people, too. Her pagan husband, Patritius, was often unfaithful. His mother, her mother-in-law, continually tried to dominate them both. It is a tribute to her own depth of faith that eventually, she converted them both.Let us ask forgiveness for our own failings.
St Augustine called his mother St. Monica, our saint for today, a peacemaker. He noted that she refused ever to indulge in common gossip, and she was always trying to bring people who were at enmity with one another to become friends.Let us ask forgiveness for the times we have been troublemakers.
In his autobiography, ‘The Confessions’, St Augustine tells us that, with his brother, he was taking his mother, Monica, down through Italy, intent on embarking for Monica’s native Africa, so that she could die at home and be buried with her husband.
Monica came to realise that she would in fact die in Italy, and she told her sons not to lament that. “Where I die, there let me lie.’ Then she said to Augustine, ‘All I ask of you is that, whenever you stand at God’s altar, there you will remember me.’
Here at God’s table on St Monica’s feast day, let us begin by asking forgiveness for the times we have failed to remember.
29/8/22 - MEMORIAL OF THE PASSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST - AUGUST 29 - M - The Passion of Saint John the Baptist, martyr -
Tough love is needed
We have to find ways to publicly discourse—respectfully—if we are to have any hope of remaining a society. It’s increasingly common to retreat to our corners out of frustration and disgust. That’s the easy way out. John the Baptist, for one, proposed a harder path of standing up for beliefs but also of generously giving oneself “in love, in truth” as Pope Francis said of John on the memorial of his passion. Is it possible to have hard conversations with disagreeable neighbours, co-workers, and family—and still “love your enemy”? Could you have those conversations by treating them as you would like to be treated? Mark 6:17-29 (634). “Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody.”
MEMORIAL OF GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
- Build upon existing foundations. New cities rise on the ruins of former times. New traditions build on existing ones. This is how history proceeds. Gregory the Great, the leader the early church needed in 590, understood this better than most. Instead of destroying temples to earlier gods, he instructed missionaries to bless them with holy water and repurpose them. The same with festivals associated with other gods. He suggested that their meaning be tied to “good fellowship,” with food offered not as sacrifices to pagan gods but “for the glory of God.” In this way, pre-Christian Europe was converted to Christianity. Build upon the past as you help shape the future church and society. Luke 6:1-5 (436). “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
©2022 TrueQuest Communications. TakeFiveForFaith.com; mail@takefiveforfaith.com. All rights reserved. Noncommercial reprints are permitted with the following credit: Reprinted with permission from TakeFiveForFaith.com. Scripture citations from the New American Bible Revised Edition. For more information about TAKE FIVE and our regular contributors, go to PrepareTheWord.com.Free daily email and app available online at TakeFiveForFaith.com/subscribe
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: Prayer for Creation Day
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. stock photo ID: 1358932874 - Pope Francis, visiting the Ejmiadzin․ Armenia. Ejmiadzin. June 26, 2016. Photo Contributor: GYG Studio
Message of His Holiness Pope Francis
for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation - 1 September 2022
Dear brothers and sisters!
“Listen to the voice of creation” is the theme and invitation of this year’s Season of Creation. The ecumenical phase begins on 1 September with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and concludes on 4 October with the feast of Saint Francis. It is a special time for all Christians to pray and work together to care for our common home. Originally inspired by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, this Season is an opportunity to cultivate our “ecological conversion”, a conversion encouraged by Saint John Paul II as a response to the “ecological catastrophe” predicted by Saint Paul VI back in 1970. [1]
If we learn how to listen, we can hear in the voice of creation a kind of dissonance. On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator; on the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home.
The sweet song of creation invites us to practise an “ecological spirituality” (Laudato Si’, 216), attentive to God’s presence in the natural world. It is a summons to base our spirituality on the “loving awareness that we are not disconnected from the rest of creatures but joined in a splendid universal communion” (ibid., 220). For the followers of Christ, in particular, this luminous experience reinforces our awareness that “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” (Jn 1:3).
In this Season of Creation, we pray once more in the great cathedral of creation, and revel in the “grandiose cosmic choir” [2] made up of countless creatures, all singing the praises of God. Let us join Saint Francis of Assisi in singing: “Praise be to you, my Lord, for all your creatures” (cf. Canticle of Brother Sun). Let us join the psalmist in singing, “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!” ( Ps 150:6).
Tragically, that sweet song is accompanied by a cry of anguish. Or even better: a chorus of cries of anguish. In the first place, it is our sister, mother earth, who cries out. Prey to our consumerist excesses, she weeps and implores us to put an end to our abuses and to her destruction. Then too, there are all those different creatures who cry out. At the mercy of a “tyrannical anthropocentrism” (Laudato Si’, 68), completely at odds with Christ’s centrality in the work of creation, countless species are dying out and their hymns of praise silenced. There are also the poorest among us who are crying out. Exposed to the climate crisis, the poor feel even more gravely the impact of the drought, flooding, hurricanes and heat waves that are becoming ever more intense and frequent.
Likewise, our brothers and sisters of the native peoples are crying out. As a result of predatory economic interests, their ancestral lands are being invaded and devastated on all sides, “provoking a cry that rises to heaven” (Querida Amazonia, 9). Finally, there is the plea of our children. Feeling threatened by shortsighted and selfish actions, today’s young people are crying out, anxiously asking us adults to do everything possible to prevent, or at least limit, the collapse of our planet’s ecosystems.
We must repent and modify our lifestyles and destructive systems by listening to these anguished cries. From its very first pages, the Gospel calls us to “repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mt 3:2); it summons us to a new relationship with God and also entails a different relationship with others and with creation. Our common home's present state of decay merits the same attention as other global challenges such as grave health crises and wars.
“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (Laudato Si’, 217).
As persons of faith, we feel even more responsible for acting each day following the summons to conversion. Nor is that summons simply individual: “The ecological conversion needed to bring about lasting change is also a community conversion” (ibid., 219). In this regard, commitment and action, in a spirit of maximum cooperation, are likewise demanded of the community of nations, especially in the meetings of the United Nations devoted to the environmental question.
The COP27 conference on climate change, to be held in Egypt in November 2022, represents the next opportunity for all to join in promoting the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. For this reason, too, I recently authorised the Holy See, in the name of and on behalf of the Vatican City State, to accede to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement in the hope that the humanity of the 21st century “will be remembered for having generously shouldered its grave responsibilities” (ibid., 65).
The effort to achieve the Paris goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5°C is quite demanding; it calls for responsible cooperation between all nations in presenting climate plans or more ambitious nationally determined contributions to reduce to zero, as quickly as possible, net greenhouse gas emissions. This means “converting” models of consumption and production, as well as lifestyles, in a way more respectful of creation and the integral human development of all peoples, present and future, a development grounded in responsibility, prudence/precaution, solidarity, concern for the poor and future generations.
Underlying all this, there is a need for a covenant between human beings and the environment. For us believers, it is a mirror reflecting “the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying”. [3] The transition brought about by this conversion cannot neglect the demands of justice, especially for workers most affected by climate change's impact.
For its part, the COP15 summit on biodiversity, to be held in Canada in December, will offer the goodwill of governments a significant opportunity to adopt a new multilateral agreement to halt the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of species. According to the ancient wisdom of the Jubilee, we need to “remember, return, rest and restore”. [4]
To halt the further collapse of biodiversity, our God-given “network of life”, let us pray and urge nations to reach an agreement on four key principles:
1. to construct a clear ethical basis for the changes needed to save biodiversity;
2. to combat the loss of biodiversity, to support conservation and cooperation, and to satisfy people’s needs sustainably;
3. to promote global solidarity because biodiversity is a global common good demanding a shared commitment; and
4. to give priority to people in situations of vulnerability, including those most affected by the loss of biodiversities, such as indigenous peoples, the elderly and the young.
Let me repeat: “In the name of God, I ask the great extractive industries – mining, oil, forestry, real estate, agribusiness – to stop destroying forests, wetlands, and mountains, to stop polluting rivers and seas, to stop poisoning food and people”. [5]
How can we fail to acknowledge the existence of an “ecological debt” (Laudato Si’, 51) incurred by the economically richer countries, who have polluted most in the last two centuries; this demands that they take more ambitious steps at COP27 and at COP15. In addition to determined action within their borders, this means keeping their promises of financial and technical support for the economically poorer nations, which are already experiencing most of the burden of the climate crisis. It would also be fitting to give urgent consideration to further financial support for biodiversity conservation.
Even the economically less wealthy countries have significant albeit “diversified” responsibilities (cf. ibid., 52) in this regard; delay on the part of others can never justify our own failure to act. All of us must act decisively. We are reaching “a breaking point” (cf. ibid. 61).
During this Season of Creation, let us pray that COP27 and COP15 can serve to unite the human family (cf. ibid., 13) in effectively confronting the double crisis of climate change and the reduction of biodiversity.
Mindful of the exhortation of Saint Paul to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep (cf. Rom 12:15), let us weep with the anguished plea of creation. Let us hear that plea and respond to it with deeds so that we and future generations can continue to rejoice in creation’s sweet song of life and hope.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 16 July 2022,
Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
FRANCIS
[1] Address to F.A.O., 16 November 1970.
[2] SAINT JOHN PAUL II, General Audience, 10 July 2002.
[3] Address to the Meeting “Faith and Science towards COP26”, 4 October 2021,
[4] Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, 1 September 2020.
[5] Video Message to Popular Movements, 16 October 2021.
Text courtesy of Libreria Editrice Vaticana
CO,AS.IT. COMMUNITY SERVICES
is a not for profit organisation based on Chevron Island with Head Office in Brisbane, Co.As.It. Community services is a peak body within the aged care and community services industry which has won industry recognition for providing high quality services and excellent care. October is a month for Seniors Celebration and Co.As.It. Community Services is hosting a Euro Concert to bring the community together. Attached please find the Euro Concert Flyer.
You can find out more about this event by clicking on the link below.
https://www.coasit.asn.au/events/euro-concert-gold-coast/
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS AT THE SACRED HEART CHURCH AND ST VINCENT’S CHURCH
Confirmation gifts available at the Parish Religious Good Shops, which are open before and after the weekend Masses. Other times, please contact the Parish Office.
BINGO TUESDAY -SPCL
“Surfers Paradise Catholic Ladies will be having their Bingo Tuesday on the 6th of September 2022, from 10.00am to 1.30pm. Please phone Maxine Sela 0421051193 or Wendy Webb on 0412237832 to book your seat for this day.” God Bless
MUSICIANS AND SINGERS - PARISH MUSIC MINISTRY
As you have been made aware from recent illnesses that we have a shortage of musicians and singers for our masses. This situation will only get more pressing as time goes on. We are asking for anyone interested in being part of the music and singing ministry to let us know. Ministers of music support and uplift the singing of the assembly and support the worship of all present. It is a specific ministry that is about worship as opposed to other musical endeavours in other situations that focus on performances. We need people who would be open to going to different churches and different masses, to help us fill the weekly rosters.
For more information, please ring Christeen Harth at 0439 399 461.
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. 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
OUR LADY’S STATUE
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 nine weeks are:
22/8/2022 Joanne Fergusson Clear Island Waters
29/8/2022 Joanne Fergusson Clear Island Waters
5/9/2022 Helen & Thor Skjaerback Merrimac
12/9/2022 Eyline and Nardine Merrimac
19/9/2022 Garry & Rudi Camera Benowa
26/9/2022 Maxine & Pat Sela Main Beach
4/10/2022 Maxine & Pat Sela Main Beach
10/10/2022 Merla Nario & Rodney Anthony
17/10/2022 Merla Nario & Rodney Anthony
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 the 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
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 allows you to grow in your relationship with your spouse or 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.
COMMUNION TO RESIDENTS AT NURSING HOMES. HELP IS 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 Twelve Noon
For further information, ring the Parish Office or Maxine Sela on 0421051193.
YOGA AT THE PARISH HOSPITALITY CENTRE-
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.
PASSIONIST FAMILY GROUP GATHERING
ABOUT -A Passionist Family Group gathering for all ages - families, couples, singles. A weekend to celebrate our shared goals and values. Adult and children/young people group activities are provided by the Passionist Youth Retreat team and PFGM team.
For more information: - https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=919030&
DATE Friday 2 September 2022 4:00 PM - Sunday 4 September 2022 10:00 AM (UTC+10)
Booking essential.
LOCATION Get directions Bornhoffen PCYC. 3510 Murwillumbah Road, Natural Bridge QLD 4211
Position Vacant – Pastoral Ministry Coordinator - Sunnybank Parish
Applications are open for a position at the Sunnybank Parish.
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic committed person to join the Parish team and assist them with the coordination of a variety of pastoral ministry programs.
The position is permanent part time 28 hours per week with the days of work to be negotiated.
For additional information, please visit the Archdiocese of Brisbane website https://clientapps.jobadder.com/68451/aob-internal-career-opportunities/548356/pastoral-ministry-coordinator-sunnybank-parish - Applications close: 14 October 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 conducting ‘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 - Why do we baptise?
An adult baptised into the Church enters into a relationship. He or she no longer lives as an individual entity but as a member of the body of Christ. Like a wedding, the baptismal ceremony marks the beginning of this new life of union and ongoing commitment. A baptised person says, 'Yes, I want to be one with you; I want to live a life faithful to the Gospel'. (When an infant is baptised, the parents and godparents commit to the faith in Christ and his Church on the child's behalf.) Likewise, the community pledges itself to be one with that person. Two other rituals, Confirmation and Eucharist, complete this process whereby a person becomes part of the Catholic Church. Together the three are known as the Sacraments of Initiation.
September First is World Day of Prayer for the protection of the earth. A Vatican initiative.
A prayer for our earth
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour the power of your love upon us,
So that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace so we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognise that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
A Christian prayer in union with creation
Father, we praise you with all your creatures.
They came forth from your all-powerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love.
Praise be to you!
Son of God, Jesus,
through you all things were made.
You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,
you became part of this earth,
and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.
Today you are alive in every creature
in your risen glory.
Praise be to you!
Holy Spirit, by your light,
you guide this world towards the Father’s love
and accompany creation as it groans in travail.
You also dwell in our hearts,
and you inspire us to do what is good.
Praise be to you!
Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined
to everything that is.
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
so that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good, advance the weak,
and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.
(Prayer by Pope Francis).
SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF POPE FRANCIS’ GROUNDBREAKING LETTER - LAUDATO SI’ - An excerpt from the Pope’s groundbreaking Encyclical.
46. The social dimensions of global change include the effects of technological innovations on employment, social exclusion, an inequitable distribution and consumption of energy and other services, social breakdown, increased violence and a rise in new forms of social aggression, drug trafficking, growing drug use by young people, and the loss of identity. These are signs that the growth of the past two centuries has not always led to an integral development and an improvement in the quality of life. Some of these signs are also symptomatic of real social decline, the silent rupture of the bonds of integration and social cohesion.
47. Furthermore, when media and the digital world become omnipresent, their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously. In this context, the great sages of the past run the risk of going unheard amid the noise and distractions of an information overload. Efforts need to be made to help these media become sources of new cultural progress for humanity and not a threat to our deepest riches. True wisdom, as the fruit of self-examination, dialogue and generous encounter between persons, is not acquired by a mere accumulation of data which eventually leads to overload and confusion, a sort of mental pollution. Real relationships with others, with all the challenges they entail, now tend to be replaced by a type of internet communication which enables us to choose or eliminate relationships at a whim, thus giving rise to a new type of contrived emotion which has more to do with devices and displays than with other people and with nature. Today’s media do enable us to communicate and to share our knowledge and affections. Yet, at times they also shield us from direct contact with the pain, the fears and the joys of others and the complexity of their personal experiences. For this reason, we should be concerned that, alongside the exciting possibilities offered by these media, a deep and melancholic dissatisfaction with interpersonal relations, or a harmful sense of isolation, can also arise..
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/)
