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“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Illustration ID: 1907887903 - Illustration - Lighthouse with beacon on coast in stormy sea with sailboat on horizon -Illustration Formats Illustration Contributor: Joe Lorenz Design
IMPORTANT NOTICE -
Stella Maris Catholic Church at Broadbeach will be closed for essential work on the ceiling from Monday, 13th February, until the 10th of March 2023. There will be no masses at the Stella (Broadbeach) church during that time period. Our apologies for the inconvenience, but the whole church will need to be closed as extensive scaffolding needs to be set up throughout the building. This is an important logistical project to fix the ceiling.
PASTOR’S POST - It’s the Little Things
For as long as I have been reading the Beatitudes from Matthew’s account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, I have always found something new to give me pause and assess what he was really saying. While his great hope was that we might change the world by living his message, he delivered his teachings to those who felt powerless and voiceless. I wonder if he wanted them to know that great changes could be made when ordinary people did simple things well.
It’s important to listen or read the Gospels passages not only in the context of the time in which they were written, but to overlay them on the circumstances of the present day. Jesus’ words are gifts to be used, not simply words to leave in the Church when we go home. I offered the following poem in my homily last Sunday and it seemed to strike a chord with several parishioners. I hope it is something you can use in your own life, because I believe it’s the “little” things that make the big difference.
Beatitudes for Friends of the Aged
Blessed are they who understand my faltering step and shaking hand.
Blessed are they who know that my ears today must strain to catch the things they say.
Blessed are they who seem to know that my eyes are dim and my wits are slow.
Blessed are they who looked away when coffee spilled at my table today.
Blessed are they with a cheery smile who stop to chat for a little while.
Blessed are they who never say 'You've told that story twice today.
Blessed are they who know the ways to bring back memories of yesterdays.
Blessed are they who make it known that I'm loved, respected and not alone.
Blessed are they who know I'm at a loss to find the strength to carry the Cross.
Blessed are they who ease the days on my journey home in loving ways.
(This poem was written in 1958. Esther Mary Walker was a caregiver for her father at the time and hoped it would elicit better understanding from other caregivers. She died on March 21, 2005)
Fr Peter Dillon PP
Becoming Catholic! A Journey of Faith
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
Rite of Acceptance
into the Order of Catechumens and Full Communion of Candidates
It is with great pleasure we welcome those Catechumens and Candidates who have commenced a journey of enquiry and faith towards Easter in 2023.
Catechumens – Andre De Melo, Nikki Miruzzi, and Seda Karauzumcu, are seeking Baptism
Candidates – Georgia Bull, Maria Torres Reyes, and Paula Littlechild are seeking Full Communion with the Catholic Church.
We will celebrate their Rite of Acceptance and Presentation of the Bible at the 5 pm Mass at Sacred Heart Church this Saturday, 21 January 2023, and invite all Parishioners of our Parish to pray for our Catechumens and Candidates during this journey to Easter as they come to know Jesus more deeply in their lives and to join us each week in celebrating the Mass.
We ask for many blessings on all who journey in faith and offer our support and prayers for you and your families during this time.
Are you interested in becoming Catholic or learning about the Catholic faith? Welcome! The Catholic Church’s mission is to offer people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to deepen their understanding and relationship with Jesus Christ. Becoming Catholic involves a journey of faith accompanied by the support of a parish community. This process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). During the RCIA process, you meet with others to share, reflect, pray and learn more about the Catholic faith. Ceremonies or ‘rites’ at each stage signify the steps along the way. If you or someone you know would like to know more about becoming Catholic or learning more about their Catholic faith as an adult, please contact Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, Clear Island Waters Q 4226. Phone: 5671 7388 surfers@bne.catholic.net.au
HOLY WATER IS BACK!
The Holy Water is back in the fonts in this parish. Please exercise discretion when using communal holy water, as there may still be some increased risks for people who have immunity issues or frail health. Holy Water recalls the saving and cleansing waters of our baptism into Christ and his death and resurrection to save us and renew us in his love. Please feel free to bless yourself with the Holy Water in the fonts. Please be aware that those who are more vulnerable to the effects of covid and other illnesses should exercise caution. Please keep safe and use the sacrament with discretion and awareness of your health needs. If you are in doubt, you can obtain a small bottle of holy water for your personal use. God bless.
DURING CHURCH SERVICES - FANS IN THE CHURCH DURING the HOT WEATHER ARE TO BE LEFT ON AND DOORS TO BE LEFT OPEN FOR AIR CIRCULATION AND BREEZES!
Please Don't Ask The Coordinator To Turn Them Off. Also, please do not close the doors of the church as we need a flow of fresh air. Coordinators are following Church Health and Safety directions. It may be necessary to relocate to another seat that suits your needs or bring something warm to put on. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
HOSPITAL CALLS - AROUND THE DEANERY -
HELP THE PRIESTS OF THE DEANERY RESPOND TO URGENT CALLS EFFECTIVELY BY CALLING THE FOLLOWING PARISHES FIRST RESPONDERS TO NEEDS WITHIN THE HOSPITALS LISTED.
To efficiently deal with the pastoral needs around the Catholic Parishes of the Gold Coast, the parishes within this Deanery have the practice of having the first call for emergencies going to the priests of the parish where the hospital is located. Here is a helpful guide to the hospitals and their attendant priests. A nursing home call also follows this procedure, where the first priest to call is a priest from the parish within which the Nursing Home is located.
Robina Hospital - Burleigh Heads Parish on 5576 6466
Pindara Hospital - Surfers Paradise Parish 56717388
John Flynn Hospital -Coolangatta-Tugun Parish on 5598 2165
University & Gold Coast Private Hosp-Southport Parish 5510 2222
MASS TIMES: SURFERS PARADISE MASS TIMES
A VOCATION VIEW: GIFTS OF PRICELESS VALUE
Jesus speaks on Vocations: "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Your light must shine before people so that they may see your goodness in your acts, giving praise to your heavenly Father."
To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION - TRUE GENEROSITY
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. The generosity of being a good steward of your gifts has a positive effect on people and it is contagious!Good works encourages more good works.Generosity is a by-product of a grateful lifestyle.The more we recognize God’s gifts, the more we want to share them.Good stewards recognize that God is working through them and they don’t put themselves above the people they have been called to help.
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: Phil McWilliam, Coralie Brennan, Kim Ingram, Karen Vestergaard, John Thomas, Pat Jones, Felipe S Cataquiz Sr, Claudia Maddocks, Margaret Buckingham, Nathan Lepp, Betty O’Connell, Margaret & George Cook, Geraldine Daniels, Diane & Steve Land, John & Molly Robinson, Peter Barry, Phil Bawden, Kath Kiely, Natalie O’Reilly, John Nathaniel Maher, Peter O’Brien, Betty Taylor, Rosie May Fisher, Denise Tracey, Millicent Monteiro, Sally Gage, Jean Di Benedetto, Sebastian Condon, Maria Manuela, Rogelio Rodriguez, Gus Reeves, Patrick Joven de Leon, Baby Samuel Timothy, Maria Yuna, Maria Teresa Gutierrez, Margaret Haerse, Annie Scicluna, Jo Clark, Kay Pitman, Michael Murtagh, Leslie Clarke, Lena Hiscock, Shirley Montford, Beryl Dorfield, Joanne Mooney, Patricia Roberts, Tom Ross, Joanne Parkes, Jack Barretto, Doug Chester, Kathy Stevens, Nellie Bellinger, Leslie Clarke, Kristy Peat, Anna Janiek, Andrew McPherson, Louise Holmes, Fred Grioli, Lynn Nunan, Elaine Casonati, Kim Parkes, Cecily Cellinan, Kevin Brennan, Margaret Cusack, Fabiola Menzs. And all suffering from Covid-19 and its effects.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Cheryl Hamwood, Donna Maria Cross, John Monahan, Dan Ziebarth, Clifford Archie Cowell, Yvonne Sheekey, Patrick O’Connell, Joseph Conti, Sr. Regina (Rita) Keyes, Bernadette Hennessey, Maurice Stout, Baby Georgia Roberts-Farr, Teresa Duffy, Enzo Palmieri, Sylvia Sciberras, Manuel Dos Santos, John Mandile, Dell Bloomfield, Lionel Duggan, William Patrick, Konrad Dziurdziak, Constable Matthew Arnold, Constable Rachel McCrow, Alan Dare, Brian Quinlan, Maureen Jobling, Dao Jensen, Del Lange, Eleanor Wilson, Felix Grech, Maria Magdalena Bizzotto, Helen Margaret White.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Mark Connell, Stephen Richard Nevin, Anthony Osbourne, Antoun Christophi Therese Salama, Wendy (Wen) Royal Maclachlan, Glenis Maria Gaffney, Barbara Joan Degiovanni, Judith Anne Jones, James Hendrie, Bette Edwards, Peter Cotton, Gloria Mcleod, Sarah & Chris Lard, Donna Cross, Vern William Mannix, Paul Barry, Peter Francis Kennedy, Jim Gardiner, Peter Warren Bennett, Gary Patrick Walsh, Nora Winifred (Freda) McGrath, Patricia Powell, Judith Boggan, Geoffrey Williams, Naurelle Cahill, Hipolito Trochon, Michael Dalton, Colleen Eileen McCarthy, Peter James Ryan, Irene Cappellazzo.
And also: Exaltacion Santilla, Raelene Mavis Maroney, Susan Marie Hogan, Zvonimir Leopold Karlich, Jacqueline Feriel Rivet, Maria Beer, Ronda Jean Terese Hall, Anna Marinic, Berice May Flannery, David William Foster, Peter Capolupo, Teresa Jackson, Hilda O'Donnell, Jack O'Donnell, Patricia Mary Flori, Michael O'Brien, John Reid, Mercedes Rosario, Veronica Mary Moore, John David (Jack) Kelly, Brian Moon, Dolores Mary Barakat, Antoun Christophi and Terese Salama, Leslie (Les) Gloster Alford.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH - Coming live to a parish near you!
Some of us were taught that Mass attendance "counted" if we arrived for the gospel and stayed through Communion. Most churchgoers, thankfully, are weaned from this spartan idea to the liturgical celebration. In 2019, Pope Francis announced a special Sunday in Ordinary Time as "Word of God Sunday." (In Australia that Sunday is the first Sunday of February each year). While every Mass includes a healthy serving of Bible readings, annually, we're invited to reflect that this is "an experience which occurs ‘live’ and not through hearsay," as the pope says. “We gather precisely to listen to what God has done and still intends to do for us." Let's not miss a word of it!
SIGN UP FOR "TAKE FIVE" DAILY ww.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe.
MASK WEARING:
The risk of Flu and Covid virus is still present. There are quite a few vulnerable people in our community, so please consider using masks and hand sanitiser and reasonable social distancing where possible. This is still highly prudent. If you feel unwell, please stay home until you feel better.
The requirement to attend masses, even Holy Days of obligation, remains suspended.
No formal times for reconciliation are scheduled to ensure minimum crowd density. Venial sin is remitted by Eucharist, as also are acts of personal penance and contrition. Reconciliation is available by prior appointment - avoiding peak holiday times and Solemnities.
APPEAL FOR UKRAINE - In Ukraine. Find out more at: https://www.caritas.org.au/donate/ukraine-appeal/
A message from Aid to the Church in Need Australia: ACN is the Pontifical Foundation dedicated to supporting the suffering and persecuted Church.
Aid to the Church in Need is asking for support to aid sisters in Kenya in building a new mother house and formation centre for their local community. Hunger, illiteracy, and lack of medical provision, combined with desperately poor roads and a lack of clean drinking water, make life incredibly difficult for many people in Kenya. The diocesan congregation of the "Visitation Daughters of the Immaculate Heart" were established to help this needy population - but to continue their work, they need your help! The sisters' work includes caring for expectant mothers, acting as midwives, providing counselling, caring for the sick and looking after the elderly and orphans who are frequently abandoned by society. Your support will help these sisters to continue their mission by providing them with a permanent convent. To make an offering and learn more, please visit https://aidtochurch.org/monthlyproject or scan the Qr code.
Sacrament of 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 their 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 Surfers Paradise 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 (for Children in Year 3 or greater)
Within the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Confirmation is the second sacrament that children are invited to receive. Confirmation completes Baptism. The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for the Surfers Paradise Parish will be on the evening of October 20, 2023.
Includes compulsory meetings: 1. Parent Meeting – Either Tuesday, July 11 at 5:30pm Or Wednesday, July 12 at 5:30pm in Sacred Heart Church (Children are not required at this meeting but are welcome to attend if this assists with child minding.)
2. Final Meeting and Practice - Either Monday, October 9 at 5:30pm Or Tuesday, October 10 at 5:30pm in Sacred Heart Church (Child/ren and one adult are required to attend.)
For the celebration of Confirmation in 2023, parents of children in Year 3 or older (and who have been baptised) are invited to enrol their children in the continuing Sacramental Journey (Confirmation, then Eucharist and lastly, Reconciliation). The Sacramental Journey in our parish involves preparation and celebration for children and their parents. It requires a small number of meetings and the completion of an At Home Preparation Program led by the parents and supported by the Parish Sacramental Team.
The enrolment form (one for each child) is available at our website www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au.
Once on the website, use the drop-down menu under Sacraments, then click on Confirmation; scroll down the page to the Children’s Sacramental Program Application Form. Next, please complete the orange and red form and click Submit. You will receive an automated email indicating that your form has been received. In Term 2, 2023, you will receive an email from our Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson, providing further details regarding the required meetings and documentation.
Please continue regularly checking the parish newsletter for Confirmation updates and further information.
Sacrament of EUCHARIST - First HOLY COMMUNION (for Children in Year 4 or greater)
Either May 28 at 11:00 am or June 4 at 11:00 am, 2023
Eucharist is the sacrament that completes the process of Sacramental Initiation. The Sacrament of Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. Through this sacrament, the child can fully participate in the Eucharist (also known as the mass) by receiving Holy Communion.
In addition to completing the At Home Preparation Program for First Communion, there are two compulsory meetings: 1. Parent Meeting – Either Monday, March 27 at 5:30pm Or Tuesday, March 28 at 5:30pm in Sacred Heart Church (Children are not required at this meeting but are welcome to attend if this assists with child minding.) 2. Final Meeting and Practice – Either Monday, May 22nd at 5:30pm or Tuesday, May 23rd at 5:30pm (Child/ren and one adult are required to attend.)
First Holy Communion for those who were confirmed in Surfers Paradise Parish in 2022 These children are welcome to join our 2023 group. To ensure that each of these children is included in the group for Preparation for First Holy Communion in 2023, we ask that parents email their interest, as soon as possible, to our Children’s Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson at andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au
First Holy Communion for those new to our parish in 2023...
Parents of children in Year 4 or greater who have been baptised and confirmed elsewhere are invited to enrol their children in the continuing Sacramental Journey (Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Communion and Reconciliation) with Surfers Paradise Parish. The enrolment form is available at our website www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au. Once on the website, use the drop-down menu under Sacraments to click on First Holy Communion; scroll down the page to the Children’s Sacramental Program Application Form. Next, please complete the orange and red form and click Submit. You will receive an automated email indicating that your form has been received. In the next month, you will also receive an email from our Sacramental Coordinator, Cathy Anderson, andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au providing further details regarding meetings and documentation concerning our At Home Preparation Program.
We ask that all families continue checking the parish newsletter regularly for First Holy Communion updates and further information. The Surfers Paradise Parish newsletter is available at our website www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au
Sacrament of PENANCE - RECONCILIATION November 9 at 5:30 pm, 2023
Penance is a sacrament of forgiveness and celebrates God’s love and mercy towards us. It is about acknowledging and naming those times when we know we have done wrong and then making peace and restoring the relationships with those who have been affected by our poor choices. The Sacrament of Penance is celebrated through the Rites of Reconciliation.
In Term 3, parents of children who have completed their Sacraments of Initiation with Surfers Paradise Parish will receive an email invitation to participate in the At Home Preparation Program for Reconciliation.
For those whose children received the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) in other parishes and who wish their child to prepare for the Sacrament of Penance in Surfers Paradise Parish,
the enrolment form is available at our website www.surfersparadiseparish.com.au
Please continue to regularly check the parish newsletter for Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) updates and further information.
Word of God Sunday:
Shutterstock licensed image: Stock Photo ID: 1095137582. boy praying to God. Signed model release on file with Shutterstock, Inc. Photo Contributor: Chat Karen Studi
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD (first Sunday in Feb in Australia)
A Mother’s Reflection on Liturgy: Word, Sign, Symbol, Ritual
Our family often vacations on the beach, where we visit with family and enjoy a slower pace of life. It is also a blessing that my mother- and father-in-law live only a sand dune away from the ocean. My husband and I regularly take our vacation days at a time when fewer people would choose to be at the beach so that we can enjoy the beach without the crowds. Many years ago, on one such vacation, I found myself on the beach alone with our three sons. The boys were three, four, and six years old. I still smile at the memory.
The morning was unseasonably warm as I sat on the beach watching the boys playing in the sand and the water. The surf provided a cadenced, quiet roar as they ran in and out of
the small waves. Holes were dug, small shells collected, and sand crabs chased as the morning wore on. The youngest was standing in the water when he unexpectedly found a very large clam shell. He squealed with delight as he lifted the large, rather unattractive shell out of the water. He held it very reverently in his hands and excitedly shared his find with his brothers. The shell, in the small hands of the toddler, made many trips to the surf’s edge to be filled with water.
The water, carefully carried, was poured slowly and deliberately on many items in the sand. I watched as over and over again, my son’s little body knelt close to the sand and spoke words I could not hear while he poured the water out onto some minuscule object. On one trip from the water’s edge, my son began to walk slowly toward me. He stopped just in front of me, dipped his little fingers in the water, and sprinkled me. He looked at me with a bit of disappointment when I didn’t respond. He immediately said, “You are supposed to do this, Mommy,” as he blessed himself to show me the way. In the midst of our everyday life, a little child incorporated word, symbol, sign, and rituals from the sacramental life of the Church and made holy all that he encountered.
It seemed so simple that morning as I watched my son—making connections between everyday life and our liturgical life. As a parent and catechist, I am always seeking ways to increase people’s understanding of our faith in a world that embraces values that often conflict with the message of Jesus Christ. The bishops of the United States emphasize the importance of this aspect of catechetical ministry: “The Church’s catechetical mission aims to help the faithful of all ages to grow in both human and Christian maturity, enriching the whole of life with the leaven of the Gospel”
That morning on the beach, my son taught me about the profound simplicity of ritual, word, symbol, and sign used in our sacramental celebrations and their connection to our everyday life.
In the Rite of Baptism, we celebrate the beginning of life in faith. Although an infant being baptized is too young to be aware of the event, by the time of Baptism the child has usually already experienced cleansing waters, fragrant ointments, and bright light. I would even be bold enough to say that the infant experiences all of those things at the moment of birth. Yet at the time of Baptism, the child is unaware of the meaning behind the symbols of water, oil, and light. The child lacks an understanding of the words that are spoken and the gestures that are made. The ritual is not noticed by the infant as something special—it is just another experience of water, oil, and light. But the ritual action, the words, the symbols, and the signs of the sacrament are not lost on those who have gathered to pray with and welcome the child into the faith community. The celebration will be remembered and shared, questions may be asked and answered, and all who were witnesses will be graced with knowing the intimate meaning of the ritual, the words, the symbols, and the signs used during the celebration. Additionally, each time we gather and celebrate, we learn and grow in understanding: we may hear something different, or see something we had forgotten, or recall the scent of the holy oil and know the joy of welcoming a new little one into our community. The bishops remind us that “in the Church’s mission of evangelization, catechesis and Liturgy are intimately connected” (USCCB, National Directory for Catechesis [NDC] [Washington, DC: USCCB, 2005], § 33). We gather as a com- munity, celebrating our faith and growing in our understanding of who we are as People of God.
The power of sign, symbol, and word spilled over into my son’s life of play. His experience of the liturgy had captured his imagination and found expression in a large, unattractive clamshell and the waters of the beach. For him, the waters of Baptism that he doesn’t remember, the welcoming water in the fonts at the doors of the church, and the signing of the cross are not left behind in the church on Sunday. “If [children] are formed by conscious and active participation in the eucharistic sacrifice and meal, they should learn day by day, at home and away from home, to proclaim Christ to others among their family and among their peers, by living the ‘faith, that works through love (Gal 5:6)” (USCCB, Directory for Masses with Children, in Masses with Children, Liturgy Documentary Series 12 [Washington, DC: USCCB, 1996], no. 55). My son was proclaiming Christ to the world—or at least to a little piece of the beach that hot summer day. Aren’t we all invited to do the same?
We come from busy lives, full of stress, and we have a responsibility to a liturgical celebration overflowing with commonplace words, symbols, actions, and gestures. It is in the noble simplicity of bread, water, and wine that we are reminded to celebrate the basic goodness of God’s gift of love, mercy, and salvation. When we open our hearts like little children, we begin to recognize God beyond the church doors. We recognize Christ present in bread shared with others, in words spoken with respect and words of forgiveness, and in the hand, we offer in help and understanding. Slowly our lives experience a change; we begin to see that liturgy flows over into our everyday lives. “Liturgy fosters this ongoing conversion, uniting us in Christ and with one another, uplifting our spirits in thankful, joyful praise, and renewing our hearts in love for God, turning us to love of neighbour” (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, no. 101). Eventually, we hope that we will begin to live our lives as if every day is Sunday, Lord’s Day. We hope to be nourished by Word and Sacrament so that we can go out into our everyday lives and nourish the world. We hope that our actions speak of Christ. We hope for a life that is so immersed in the person of Jesus Christ that we become the word, sign, and symbol of Christ to the world.
Maybe someday we will each be prayerfully present in the world with an unremarkable shell full of water, blessing all that we encounter in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Article by Michele Harris, director of religious education at St. Francis de Sales Parish, Salisbury, Maryland
Copyright © 2009, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non- commercial use).
Sharing the Word of God at Home
Shutterstock licensed image: Stock Photo ID: 554673838. Bible. Photo Contributor: Billion Photos
In the popular public television program Antiques Roadshow, people from around the country bring their treasures to be appraised by various experts. An antique might be a cherished family heirloom displayed proudly in a prominent place in the home, or a long-forgotten trinket gathering dust on a shelf in the attic. Whatever the item, the owner is usually surprised to hear the expert’s comments. The appraiser might put a low price tag on something the owner thought had great value. And what was originally purchased for a few dollars sometimes turns out to be a prized collector’s item now valued at thousands of dollars.
Take a look around your home. What is your fam- ily’s most valued possession? Is it an object, a person, a relationship? How does your family express delight and pride in this treasured possession?
The Second Vatican Council teaches that “the treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lav- ishly so that a richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s Word” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy [Sacrosanctum Concilium], no. 51, in Vatican Council II: Volume 1: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, new rev. ed., ed. Austin Flannery [Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996]). Do we consider the Bible a treasure, a special table around which the family gathers? Is the family Bible among your home’s most valuable possessions? As we consider practical ways to share the Word of God at home, perhaps we will be surprised to discover that the family Bible, regardless of whether it is prominently displayed or is gathering dust on an attic shelf, is one of the most valuable spiritual treasures in a Christian home.
A Living and Effective Word
“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart,” writes the author of the Letter to the Hebrews (4:12). God’s Word is “living and effective” because we welcome it, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.), “not as a human word, ‘but as what it really is, the word of God’” ([Washington, DC: Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000], no. 104, quot- ing 1 Thes 2:13).
But how is the Word of God to become “living and effective” in our homes, in our families, in our professional and social relationships? Here are a few practical ways to make the treasures of the Bible into a table at which your family is nourished and strengthened for the Christian life.
Reading, Reflecting, Renewing
Begin to break open God’s Word in your home by dedicating some family time each week for a brief reading of a Scripture passage, perhaps the Sunday Gospel. Given the hectic and stressed pace of life and our typically overworked schedules, making family time for the Bible reminds us of the need to put God first. Gathering around the table of God’s Word enriches and strengthens the experience of family as a “domestic Church.”
Choose a comfortable and quiet place in the home, away from the distractions of television and ringing telephones. Read the passage aloud, and then allow some time for the family to reflect on and share its meaning together. Since Sacred Scripture is the “speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit” (CCC, no. 81, quoting Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum, no. 9), this time dedicated to reading puts your family into living communication with God. Remind everyone gathered that this family activity brings them to a living encounter with Christ, who is present as the Word among them.
Practical Resources
In recent years, Catholic Bible study resources have become more readily available. Choose a study aid that is user-friendly and suited to the ages of children in the family. Rely on those resources as aids, not as substitutes, for reading the words of Scripture itself.
No resource, however well-written, can replace reading God’s Word.
Introduce children to the New Revised Jerusalem Bible translation of the Sacred Scriptures once they receive First Holy Communion. While the NRJ Bible was not translated with children specifically in mind, it is the basis of the readings proclaimed at Mass, (or will be when the new Australian Lectionary comes out eventually). This relationship of the NRJ Bible to the liturgy means it is invaluable for affirming children in the faith of the Church: it allows them to make the connection between what is proclaimed and heard in the liturgy with what is read in the home.
Parents with young children are encouraged to include as many Bible stories as possible in a child’s library and to devote time to reading and to discuss the rich levels of meaning in the sacred stories. When children, with their natural capacity for awe and wonder, marvel at biblical stories, they can be led to connect the story of their life and their family to the story of salvation itself. Biblical stories and figures who reveal human weakness and sinfulness provide opportunities to discuss, at age-appropriate levels, the realities of human experience in the light of God’s love and mercy.
Praying the Scriptures with the Church
Couples and parents with children can also choose to integrate family prayer time with the reading of Scripture. The Liturgy of the Hours is biblical in content and inspirational through and through. So when praying the Liturgy of the Hours as a family, whether Morning or Evening Prayer, your family participates in the common and universal prayer of the Church. Again, several handy resources are available to make the daily praying of Morning and Evening Prayer sim- ple and sustainable.
Another practical way to break open God’s Word in the home is through Lectio Divina.
This ancient Christian practice is being recovered in our time, and it was particularly encouraged by the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. Through a series of steps—reading, meditation, contemplation, and prayer—Lectio Divina allows the Word of God to bear rich spiritual fruit in the lives of the faithful. Your family can also experience the riches of God’s Word by adapting this ancient approach to a meditative and
prayerful reading of Scripture in the home. Several handy resources, in print and online, explain the steps of Lectio Divina with practical adaptations for the family. A good place to start is the article “Ever Ancient, Ever New: The Art and Practice of Lectio Divina” (see National Bible Week webpage).
Another often overlooked source for praying with Scripture is the variety of traditional Catholic prayers, such as the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Rosary. These prayers, being grounded deeply in the Bible, can help families contemplate the wisdom of Scripture and the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels.
Finally, one practical way to make the Scriptures come alive is to assign a family member to gather artistic images that convey and express the biblical themes of a particular Scripture passage. Let a painting, sculpture, stained glass, or piece of sacred music serve as a reference point for reflection on God’s Word as it takes artistic form in the Christian tradition.
From Hearing to Living God’s Word
The lives of the saints are filled with examples of holy men and women who have translated God’s Word into action. One could say that the life of a saint is like a good Bible commentary. The saints stand out because of their unique and graced capacity to be not only hearers but doers of God’s Word (see Jas 1:22). In the faith, hope, and love of the saints, God’s Word— recorded in the pages of the Bible—comes alive in the book of life.
Take St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church, and the powerful story of his conversion. In the twelfth chapter of book eight of his Confessions, Augustine recounts a turning point as he tearfully struggles with his personal and intellectual past. While sitting in a garden, he heard the voice of a child chanting over and over again, “Take it and read, take it and read.” Turning to pick up a Bible that he had set down only moments earlier, he read a passage from the writings of St. Paul that called him away from the life he once led. He writes, “I had no wish to read more and no need to do so. For in an instant, as I came to the end of the sentence, it was as though the light of confidence flooded into my heart and all the darkness of doubt was dispelled” (trans. R. S. Pine-Coffin [London: Penguin Books, 1961], 177-178). The rest of Augustine’s life and work was spent living out the meaning of God’s word.
Feeding Your Family Food for the Soul
Recent surveys have shown that few Catholics read the Bible independently or as a family. But what better place is there to encounter the person of Jesus Christ than in God’s Word? St. Jerome once noted, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
The Church continually invites us to return to God’s Word. For when we pray with the Bible—personally and in our homes—our encounter with the living Word of God is not a mere intellectual exercise but a spiritually nourishing feast. As we find ways to share God’s Word in our homes, we will experience firsthand what the Second Vatican Council means
in the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) when it states that “in the sacred books the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them. And such is the force and power of the Word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigour and the children of the Church as strength for their faith, food for the soul, and pure and lasting fount of spiritual life” (no. 21, in Flannery).
This resource is adapted from an article by Dr Jem Sullivan, originally written for Catechetical Sunday 2009.
Excerpts from St. Augustine’s Confessions translated by R. S. Pine-Coffin copyright © 1961, Penguin Books UK, London. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Excerpts from documents of the Second Vatican Council are from Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Postconciliar
Documents, edited by Austin Flannery, OP, © 1996. Used with permission of Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.
This resource is adapted from an article by Dr Jem Sullivan, originally written for Catechetical Sunday 2009. Copyright © 2009, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.
THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL -
According to the gospel this weekend... we are called to be "good-for-something" - real and active ingredients in the mix of life..... not just unfathomable religious observers who undertake mysterious repetitions of rituals without any reference to the world around us and having no impact on the lives of those around us, especially those in need. No, Jesus came to show us that being part of the family of God is something that all are invited into, and authentic service of God has real and practical effects on the welfare of those around us. We are called to be Salt, Light and a City....
The three images in the gospel are powerful this weekend...
We are to be Salt.... Light... and a City built on a hilltop.......
What is interesting about all three of these images is that they are not self-serving. the purpose of these three things is to serve the needs of others.... salt adds flavour to food... light helps show the way... and a city gathers a community together, shares resources and skills and supports the good of all. So too, the Kingdom of God.. it is not for what i can get out of it, but rather, what i can give to God and others.
Salt is really only is useful when its mixed with food or water.... or interacts with food.. to flavour, preserve and purify it... Our faith only makes sense when it mixes in with practical actions and loving care and charity.
In different parts of the different gospels, there is a similar idea used by our Lord, our identity and the Kingdom of God is involved with being mixed well-into the rest... whether its salt mixed into food... or - leaven kneaded into the dough... both give that image of really immersing oneself into life and mixing in with it and lifting it up to new levels... transforming it - for the better.
In the first reading, we have the question posed... what kind of fasting pleases you most, O God. And the Lord answers ... A true and pleasing fast - is shown by feeding the hungry; helping the homeless; clothing the naked; loosening the unjust bonds that tie up the poor; breaking yokes and freeing from slavery; and stopping speaking badly of others, an end to gossiping and slandering others... avoiding any kind of hateful speech, refraining from pointing fingers.
Jesus shows us a vision of the Kingdom that involves practical kindness and care of others and contributing to the raising of dignity and the increase of compassion.
Light guides our steps and draws us to safety,.. and of course, a huge, attractive, welcoming city on a hill cannot be hidden... It is seen by all and inspires and draws people to it.
If any of God's servants spent their days performing the actions of the disciple but like someone who is 'play-acting' or 'going through the motions' we would be as useless and as stale salt and as unhelpful as a light never turned on. and as uninspiring and repulsive as a city, hidden away and unwelcoming.
If Our Lord's disciples and his church are meant to be like a "lighthouse" then the following excellent quote makes a lot of sense... "Lighthouses don't primarily blow horns... they just shine...." - so the shining light of their example is much of a guide and inspiration than a whole lot of hot air and noise...
In the second reading, we again see the instruction that it is essential that we put our hope and dependence on God and not merely our own human willpower, strength or ambitions. We are disciples of the Kingdom of God. we are not here to build up the Kingdom of "self"
The readings this weekend clearly point us to how we are to live our discipleship. "To be generous, merciful and just and to share of oneself, a sharing that hurts, and can be a cross to carry.... " But with God's grace, we can be that disciple... Salt, Light, and a City built on a hill!
References: Fr Paul W. Kelly; Kersten, J. (2013). New-- St. Joseph Sunday missal Canadian Edition. New Jersey: Catholic Book Publishing Corp., p.p.215; Link, M. (1992). Vision. Year A. Allen, Tex.: Tabor Pub.
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Vector ID: 297360155 - Vector : Christ the Redeemer vector background - Vector Contributor: anueing
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
Also found at - https://tinyurl.com/FHLpwk
St. Paul Miki and his companions, martyrs
When Portuguese missionaries, principally Jesuits, first brought the Gospel to Japan they met with outstanding success. Many embraced the faith, including leaders among the Samurai, until there were more than a quarter of a million Japanese Catholic Christians. But then, possibly out of fear that the Europeans might be preparing to conquer Japan, its rulers suddenly closed their doors to trade and all contact with the outside world. And there began an extremely savage persecution of the Christians. It is a tribute to the depth of the faith that the missionaries planted there that, when Japan three centuries later opened its doors again to the outside world numerous Catholic communities, though deprived of bishops and priests, had - hidden and underground - kept the faith alive.
Today we honour 26 Christians, Korean, Indian & European, and a Mexican Franciscan, as well as Japanese who were crucified together outside Nagasaki. Let us ask God to forgive us our inconstancy.
St Jerome Emiliani (1486–1537)
“God wishes to test you, like gold in the furnace. The dross is consumed by the fire but the pure gold remains and its value increases. It is in this manner, that God acts with His good servant, who puts his hope in Him and remains unshaken in times of distress. God raises him up and, in return for the things, he has left out of love for God, He repays him a hundredfold in this life and with the eternal life hereafter. If then you remain constant in faith, in the face of trial, the Lord will give you peace and rest for a time in this world and forever in the next.”
“I urge you to persevere in your love for Christ and your faithful observance of the law of Christ. Our goal is God, the source of all good. As we say in our prayer, we are to place our trust in God and in no one else. In His kindness, our Lord wished to strengthen your faith, for without it, as the evangelist points out, Christ could not have performed many of His miracles.”
“Therefore, having done what you could, the Lord will be satisfied with you because, for Him, who is the most benign, goodwill compensates for the lack of success. “ (Letter 5 #4)
Saint Josephine Bakhita
I have given everything to my Master: He will take care of me... The best thing for us is not what we consider best, but what the Lord wants of us!The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone... we must be compassionate!
Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself, ‘Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?’ I felt a great desire to see him, to know him and to pay him homage.
I received the Sacrament of Baptism with such joy that only angels could describe…
If I were to meet the slave traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today... Saint Josephine Bakhita. (This is naturally not to justify the horrific treatment of fellow human beings, to treat them as lesser and abduct them from their homeland, but it does give thanks to God who brings healing and grace out of and despite the disasters and wrongs of human action).
St. Scholastica
St Scholastica was born in central Italy. She was the twin sister to St. Benedict who founded the Benedictine Order. Their parents were affluent. After Benedict left for the monastery, Scholastica founded a monastery for nuns within five miles of St. Benedict’s monastery. St. Benedict was the spiritual director for her monastery.
Benedict and Scholastica were only able to visit with each other once a year. Because she was not allowed in his monastery, they met in a farmhouse where they visited and discussed spiritual matters. According to the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, the two saints spent their last day together in prayer and visiting. Benedict refused her request to stay another day, however, a thunderstorm arose preventing him from returning home. St. Scholastica claimed the storm was a result of her prayers. He stayed another day visiting through the night, returning to the monastery the next day. St. Scholastica died three days later in 543. St. Benedict’s brethren brought her body to his monastery. She was buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself. St. Benedict had a vision of her soul ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. St. Scholastica is the patron saint against storms.
"I asked you and you would not listen. So I asked my God and he did listen." (St Scholastica)
©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
POPE FRANCIS: (From Amoris Laetitia)
POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION AMORIS LÆTITIA OF THE HOLY FATHER, FRANCIS
(19 March, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, in the year 2016).
A word should also be said about those whose love, like a fine wine, has come into its own. Just as a good wine begins to "breathe" with time, so too the daily experience of fidelity gives married life richness and "body". They "are outwardly no longer afire with powerful emotions and impulses, but now taste the sweetness of the wine of love, well-aged and stored deep within their hearts".(231)
The life of every family is marked by all kinds of crises, yet these are also part of its dramatic beauty. Couples should be helped to realise that surmounting a crisis need not weaken their relationship; instead, it can improve, settle and mature the wine of their union. (232)
When problems are not dealt with, communication is the first thing to go. Little by little, the "person I love" slowly becomes "my mate", then just "the father or mother of my children",
and finally a stranger. (233)
The answers given to the pre-synodal consultation showed that most people in difficult or critical situations do not seek pastoral assistance since they do not find it sympathetic, realistic or concerned for individual cases. This should spur us to approach marriage crises with greater sensitivity to their burden of hurt and anxiety. (234)
It is becoming increasingly common to think that when one or both partners no longer feel fulfilled or things have not turned out the way they wanted, sufficient reason exists to end the marriage. Were this the case, no marriage would last! (237)
In any event, while realising that reconciliation is a possibility, we also see that "what is urgently needed today is a ministry to care for those whose marital relationship has broken down".(238)
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Vector ID: 1223436574. 7 NOV, 2018. Pope Francis vector portrait. Important information. Editorial Use Only. Vector Contributor: kiciulla
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS - SACRED HEART AND ST VINCENT’S CHURCHES
Available now beautiful children’s Bible stories, also Baptism Bibles for Boys and Girls. Adult Bibles,
Catholic Prayers and Devotions, St Paul’s Sunday Missals and St Paul’s Weekday Missals
There are still a few copies available of the Daily Mass Book produced by Liturgy Brisbane.
Ashes to Hope is the title of this years daily reflections for Ash Wednesday to the Second Sunday of Easter Year A This small book that is easy to carry, and read, while commuting or sitting at home.
Each day there is a double-page spread with: a Scripture verse; a short reflection; a quote from Pope Francis; and a short prayer.
• Audio recordings will also be available on the Evangelisation Brisbane website for those who would like to listen to each reflection
From Ashes to Hope just $5 each, available at our Parish Religious Goods Shops until sold out
Remember the first monthly edition for 2023 of the Catholic Leader is available this weekend.
The Catholic Leader February 2023
● 11-page memorial feature remembering the life of Pope Benedict XVI
● Cardinal Geroge Pell remembered in Australia and across the world
● Super siblings eager to explore St Kevin’s new Prep playground as thousands of students return to school across the archdiocese
● Our Lady’s College, Annerley students take to learning Auslan
● Archbishop Mark Coleridge reflects after the death of Pope Benedict XVI
● Evangelisation is the ‘oxygen’ of Christian life, Pope Francis says
● Brisbane seminarians meet Pope Francis at the Vatican
● The hidden faces of domestic violence in Queensland homes
● The Bible is ‘key to evangelisation’ and soul of theology, US Bishop says
● Brisbane mum joins Gospel mission evangelising on the streets of Adelaide
● Columnist Pat Keady speaks on Christian hope in climate of discouragement
● Paul Desuara’s search for meaning led to him saying, ‘Jesus, I want you’
FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament this First Friday 3rd February at Sacred Heart Church from 7pm to 8.30 pm. All welcome. Enquiries: Helen 0421935678. "Could you not watch one hour with Me?" Mt 26:40
First Saturday Mass and Benediction
First Saturday Mass at Sacred Heart Church, Clear Island Waters. 9 am the 4th of February. Followed by adoration and Benediction. This is a votive Mass for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
PARISH BINGO MORNING TEA
Hosted by the Surfers Paradise Catholic Ladies. Our first Bingo Morning for 2023 will be on the Thursday 16th February, 10am-2pm. We have moved the Bingo Morning Tea to the 3rd Thursday of each
month for the balance of 2023. Admission $20.00 which includes 1 Bingo Card, Raffle Tickets, Door Prizes Morning tea and Lunch. We Welcome New Parishioners as well as our current Parishioners who have not come for this function. Please ring Maxine Sela 0421051193, or Wendy Webb 0412237832, if you are coming.
MARIAN VALLEY BUS
Please come and join us at the Marian Valley Church for the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on the 13.02.2023. The bus will be picking up at 8.15 am at the Sacred Heart Church Clear Island Waters. The Cost for the bus fare $25.00 return. You can secure your seat with contact name and contact phone number with Xavier Solomon 0404 843 260, Madeleine on 0405 252 367 or 5529 1573. All are welcome.
BIBLE STUDY
My name is Ashley, and with the blessing of Father Peter I would like to initiate a bible study/prayer group here at the Surfers Paradise Parish, locally at St Vincent’s Church.
This will initially be on a trial period, and prayerfully if successful, we should be able to continue with this group indefinitely.
I was involved with a similar bible study prayer group at the Ipswich Catholic Parish where Father Peter was one of the priests that allowed that prayer group to participate and continue with this bible study/ prayer group.
I had facilitated the bible study prayer group for several years before moving down here to Surfers Paradise recently, and I dearly miss having the fellowship with the people of that community.
We will be reading/studying Break Open the Word once a week on a Friday evening from 5 pm to 6 pm commencing on Friday 10th February, please keep this important date in mind. When studying “Break Open the Word” this helped me to remember the readings for the upcoming Sunday service and to enjoy fellowship with other Catholics.
There will be questions about what we will be reading. In the end, we will all leave the study session being like-minded, and what I look forward too is to seeing if we are on the same page regarding what the priests will be talking about/reflecting on with the readings that we studied on the previous Friday evening. Thank you once again. Ashley - Keys 0409840693
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 four weeks is
6/2/2023 Blanche Braganza & Family - Benowa
ART AND CRAFT GROUP -
The Group meets in the Parish Hospitality Centre on Wednesdays from 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.
THE SACRED HEART BRIDGE CLUB-
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”
Is Easy to learn the format. No previous card-playing experience is necessary. All are welcome.
For more information and to enrol, please phone: Cheryl at 5538 8821 or Mob at 0417 772 701.
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.
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 at 0428090703.
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 well-being. 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.
https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/careers/
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 abusing children or vulnerable adults.
SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF POPE FRANCIS’ GROUNDBREAKING LETTER - LAUDATO SI’ - An excerpt from the Pope’s groundbreaking Encyclical.
III. ECOLOGY OF DAILY LIFE
147. Authentic development includes efforts to bring about an integral improvement in the quality of human life, and this entails considering the setting in which people live their lives. These settings influence the way we think, feel and act. In our rooms, our homes, our workplaces and neighbourhoods, we use our environment as a way of expressing our identity. We make every effort to adapt to our environment, but when it is disorderly, chaotic or saturated with noise and ugliness, such overstimulation makes it difficult to find ourselves integrated and happy.
148. An admirable creativity and generosity is shown by persons and groups who respond to environmental limitations by alleviating the adverse effects of their surroundings and learning to orient their lives amid disorder and uncertainty. For example, in some places, where the façades of buildings are derelict, people show great care for the interior of their homes, or find contentment in the kindness and friendliness of others. A wholesome social life can light up a seemingly undesirable environment. At times a commendable human ecology is practised by the poor despite numerous hardships. The feeling of asphyxiation brought on by densely populated residential areas is countered if close and warm relationships develop, if communities are created, if the limitations of the environment are compensated for in the interior of each person who feels held within a network of solidarity and belonging. In this way, any place can turn from being a hell on earth into the setting for a dignified life.
149. The extreme poverty experienced in areas lacking harmony, open spaces or potential for integration, can lead to incidents of brutality and to exploitation by criminal organizations. In the unstable neighbourhoods of mega-cities, the daily experience of overcrowding and social anonymity can create a sense of uprootedness which spawns antisocial behaviour and violence. Nonetheless, I wish to insist that love always proves more powerful. Many people in these conditions are able to weave bonds of belonging and togetherness which convert overcrowding into an experience of community in which the walls of the ego are torn down and the barriers of selfishness overcome. This experience of a communitarian salvation often generates creative ideas for the improvement of a building or a neighbourhood.[117]
150. Given the interrelationship between living space and human behaviour, those who design buildings, neighbourhoods, public spaces and cities, ought to draw on the various disciplines which help us to understand people’s thought processes, symbolic language and ways of acting. It is not enough to seek the beauty of design. More precious still is the service we offer to another kind of beauty: people’s quality of life, their adaptation to the environment, encounter and mutual assistance. Here too, we see how important it is that urban planning always take into consideration the views of those who will live in these areas.
151. There is also a need to protect those common areas, visual landmarks and urban landscapes which increase our sense of belonging, of rootedness, of “feeling at home” within a city which includes us and brings us together. It is important that the different parts of a city be well integrated and that those who live there have a sense of the whole, rather than being confined to one neighbourhood and failing to see the larger city as space which they share with others. Interventions which affect the urban or rural landscape should take into account how various elements combine to form a whole which is perceived by its inhabitants as a coherent and meaningful framework for their lives. Others will then no longer be seen as strangers, but as part of a “we” which all of us are working to create. For this same reason, in both urban and rural settings, it is helpful to set aside some places which can be preserved and protected from constant changes brought by human intervention.
152. Lack of housing is a grave problem in many parts of the world, both in rural areas and in large cities, since state budgets usually cover only a small portion of the demand. Not only the poor, but many other members of society as well, find it difficult to own a home. Having a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity and the growth of families. This is a major issue for human ecology. In some places, where makeshift shanty towns have sprung up, this will mean developing those neighbourhoods rather than razing or displacing them. When the poor live in unsanitary slums or in dangerous tenements, “in cases where it is necessary to relocate them, in order not to heap suffering upon suffering, adequate information needs to be given beforehand, with choices of decent housing offered, and the people directly involved must be part of the process”.[118] At the same time, creativity should be shown in integrating rundown neighbourhoods into a welcoming city: “How beautiful those cities which overcome paralyzing mistrust, integrate those who are different and make this very integration a new factor of development! How attractive are those cities which, even in their architectural design, are full of spaces which connect, relate and favour the recognition of others!”[119]
153. The quality of life in cities has much to do with systems of transport, which are often a source of much suffering for those who use them. Many cars, used by one or more people, circulate in cities, causing traffic congestion, raising the level of pollution, and consuming enormous quantities of non-renewable energy. This makes it necessary to build more roads and parking areas which spoil the urban landscape. Many specialists agree on the need to give priority to public transportation. Yet some measures needed will not prove easily acceptable to society unless substantial improvements are made in the systems themselves, which in many cities force people to put up with undignified conditions due to crowding, inconvenience, infrequent service and lack of safety.
154. Respect for our dignity as human beings often jars with the chaotic realities that people have to endure in city life. Yet this should not make us overlook the abandonment and neglect also experienced by some rural populations which lack access to essential services and where some workers are reduced to conditions of servitude, without rights or even the hope of a more dignified life.
155. Human ecology also implies another profound reality: the relationship between human life and the moral law, which is inscribed in our nature and is necessary for the creation of a more dignified environment. Pope Benedict XVI spoke of an “ecology of man”, based on the fact that “man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will”.[120] It is enough to recognize that our body itself establishes us in a direct relationship with the environment and with other living beings. The acceptance of our bodies as God’s gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home, whereas thinking that we enjoy absolute power over our own bodies turns, often subtly, into thinking that we enjoy absolute power over creation. Learning to accept our body, to care for it and to respect its fullest meaning, is an essential element of any genuine human ecology. Also, valuing one’s own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if I am going to be able to recognize myself in an encounter with someone who is different. In this way we can joyfully accept the specific gifts of another man or woman, the work of God the Creator, and find mutual enrichment. It is not a healthy attitude which would seek “to cancel out sexual difference because it no longer knows how to confront it”.[121]
LOOKING FORWARD: 2023-2025
The celebration of an ordinary Jubilee, (the next of which is 2025), entails years of preparation because of the demands involved in such an event. In these years of preparation, it is especially important to provide the particular Churches scattered throughout the world with tools that foster pastoral care that will most effectively convey the dynamic momentum necessary so that the Jubilee can be a truly ecclesial event that sustains faith and is a precursor for evangelisation.
Pope Francis has asked that these two years leading up to the Jubilee be focused on particular themes.
The year 2023 will be devoted to revisiting the fundamental topics of the four Constitutions so that the Church can breathe anew the profound and timely teaching produced by Vatican II, whose 60th anniversary will be celebrated on October 11th, 2023. For this reason, a series of user-friendly resources, written in an appealing language, are being produced to arouse curiosity in those who have no memory of the event and to help them enter into the essence of the Council to discover the innovative longing that enabled the Church to enter the third millennium of its history consciously.
https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/it/logo.html
https://www.exaudi.org/jubilee-2025/
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 our Indigenous people's memories, traditions, culture and hopes. We pay tribute to those who have contributed to the community's life in many ways. 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 …….
See overleaf…….
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