PDF version of this parish newsletter here:
You can also access an online copy of the newsletter *here*
HAPPY EASTER - CHRIST IS RISEN. HE IS RISEN INDEED !
“Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.” (Matt 28:5-6).
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Illustration ID: 1294713463 - Tomb empty with shroud and crucifixion, 3d rendering - Illustration Contributor: ALDECA studio
PASTOR’S POST The Scandal of the Cross
Over the events of Holy week we will see many symbols of our Christian faith. Signs can often speak more clearly than words. Besides the host and the chalice there is no other more significant symbol of Christian faith than the cross. We see cricketers blessing themselves when they score a century and boxers when they score a knockout. The cross is better known than the Coke a Cola or MacDonald’s logo, and yet I guarantee that most people don’t really know its significance.
I cannot tell you how many crosses or crucifixes I have blessed in my time as a priest. Probably thousands. They have come in all shapes and sizes. We decorate it, we encrust it with diamonds, and make a bauble out of it. Rap singers drape the cross around their necks, more as a signal to “notice me”, rather than to draw attention to the sufferings of Christ. I often wonder what visitors from other faiths who visit a Christian church must think, and ask how this debasing and disgraceful symbol of death should be such a cherished symbol of revelation, redemption and inspiration for those who worship there.
Truthfully we are meant to be shocked by it, when we understand what it cost Jesus to die on it. While familiarity might not breed contempt in this instance, it certainly gets responded to with lethargy. Like many symbols it can lose its impact the more we distance ourselves from its significance.
The crucifix is prominent in the sanctuary of the Church. How often do we notice it? Has it become too familiar and have we remembered that this was the sign of his sacrifice, his self-giving and total love. Have we embraced the reality that this was done to show us how far he would go for us, how high he would be raised for us, and more importantly where he expects us to follow. It is not an easy journey to make.
The cross requires us to recognise that unlike the secular world, that refers to those who are blessed as being the rich, the powerful, the exceptionally talented. The cross gives an opposite message, and it’s not a comfortable message at first glance.
It suggests that the blessed are those who are sorrowful when they see brothers and sisters killing each other in war-torn countries. Blessed are the homeless and the mentally ill, who wander the streets with no one to look after them. Blessed are the chaste, the faithful, the honest and those who keep their words. Blessed are those who are willing to put themselves on the line and suffer persecution, ridicule and name-calling in order to embrace the Christian way of life. Why would you want to follow that journey unless you knew where it came from and where it can lead you to?
During these last days of Lent, perhaps we could ponder anew that which we take so lightly. Let us come to terms with the reality that the cross is not a pendant, not a decoration, but a sign of a radical way of life that demands choices to be made. In signing ourselves with the cross we state that we are willing to die to self, and to sometimes take on a demanding existence so that others might know a bit of comfort. Remember that when next you bless yourself with the sign of the cross. We might just do so with a bit more care.
Fr Peter Dillon PP.
Note: First Rite Reconciliation will resume at Sacred Heart Church - Clear Island Waters 4 pm Saturdays until about 4.30 pm every Saturday. Please note that this weekly scheduled reconciliation is only on at Sacred Heart church.
{FIRST FRIDAY -EVENING ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT IS CANCELLED DUE TO GOOD FRIDAY ON 7TH APRIL}
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER - 6th April-9th April 2023
Easter Sunday at 5:30 pm celebrate Mass with the Hispanic Community, led by Fr Syrilus Madin at St Vincent’s Church 40 Hamilton Ave Surfers Paradise.
TO VISIT OR REVISIT THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE LITURGIES OF THE SACRED TRIDUUM (HOLY THURSDAY, GOOD FRIDAY AND HOLY SATURDAY NIGHT AND EASTER SUNDAY, PLEASE VISIT THESE PODCASTS OF THE LITURGY PRODUCED HERE IN SURFERS
A LENTEN PENITENTIAL SERVICE - In preparation for Holy Week and Easter. (For you at home), by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-lenten-penitential-service-in-preparation-for-holy-week-2023-abc/s-430H1bZOZ7O
Mass and homily for Holy Thursday, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-holy-thursday-night-mass-abc-master/s-QJU8bClkkMf
Good Friday Stations of the Cross- by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/good-friday-morning-stations-of-the-cross-2023/s-vh0A9byS7TW
Readings, prayers, and reflections for Good Friday 3 PM Passion - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/good-friday-3pm-passion-of-our-lord-2023/s-AhmEEo0QZoR
HOLY SATURDAY NIGHT – VIGIL OF EASTER. Year A - SATURDAY, April 8, 2023, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/fhl-holy-saturday-night-vigil-full-easter-vigil-a-2023/s-ZmIfZMyFvsW
EASTER SUNDAY MORNING MASS PODCAST: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/fhl-easter-sunday-morning-w-johns-gospel-master-copy-2023
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Fr Peter’s article from a Recent newsletter:
The Archdiocese of Brisbane has just re-published, on their social media account, an excellent article from Fr Peter that was recently in our newsletter. Here it is linked: https://bit.ly/40F29El
Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.
Happy Easter from all at Caritas Australia!
Thank you for your continued support for Project Compassion – past, present and future. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.
Thank you for supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion 2023 Lenten appeal.
You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes and envelopes available from your parish, by visiting https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion, or by calling 1800 024 413.
EACH YEAR, JUST BEFORE EASTER —- CHRISM MASS AT THE CATHEDRAL
Every year, around the world, the church community gathers at their diocesan Cathedral for the blessing of the Holy Oils that will be used for the rest of the year until Easter next year. It is called the Chrism Mass. Archbishop Mark as the head of our Archdiocese is the principal celebrant and he blesses the three types of oils that are then sent to each parish to use in its sacraments for the year. The oils are the Oil for the Infirm (I), (used to anoint the sick), and the Oil of Catechumens or Baptism (B) to anoint and prepare those who are about to be baptised. Finally the oil of Chrism, (C) , a symbol of royalty. This oil takes its name from the same meaning as “Christ” - that is “the anointed King” or Messiah. The Chrism oil is used to confirm people in the sacrament of Confirmation, its also used on babies heads in infant baptism, and it also is used to anoint priest’s hands at their ordination. This third oil is specially consecrated by the bishop “breathing” into the container of oil, as a sign of the Holy Spirit of God infusing this oil for its royal and priestly role. Here are some photos from the Chrism Mass this year at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen. (see below)
The Oils for this parish were then presented to the parish at the Holy Thursday Mass at the start of that celebration. The Oils are then taken to each church for the use of the sacraments. We shall keep in our prayers all who will be anointed with these oils in this coming year. God bless.
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Illustration ID: 585677387 - Easter resurrection - abstract artistic religious digital illustration with the figure of the risen Jesus Christ and the cross of light rays - Illustration Contributor: Thoom.
Becoming Catholic! A Journey of Faith
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FULLY INITIATED CATHOLICS - FROM THE RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
– Andre De Melo, Nikki Miruzzi, and Seda Karauzumcu, BaptisED this weekend.
Received fully into the Catholic church – Georgia Bull, Maria Torres Reyes, and Paula Littlechild are seeking Full Communion with the Catholic Church.
We invite all Parishioners to pray for our Catechumens and Candidates during this Easter time as they continue their journey of faith now as fully welcomed members of the Church. They come to know Jesus more deeply in their lives.
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
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:
You have been given new life in Christ. Forsake earthly materialism to live life to the full.
To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION -
The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season.
Our first reading, from Acts, gives instructions on how to do this. Here, St. Peter says that our Lord, “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? We do this by the example of how we live our ordinary lives — through intentionally using our time, talents and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony.
Reflecting on today’s Gospel passage from John and studying the actions of the first witnesses to the Resurrection gives us further insight into how we should live the Easter season.
First, we learn of Mary Magdalene’s response. She “came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark.” Despite the trauma of witnessing the crucifixion of the Lord, Whom she loved so much, Mary Magdalene remained focused on Him, not on herself and her own sense of loss. In fact, forgetting herself entirely, she made her way to the tomb in the dark to be near Him. Once she realised the tomb was empty we read that she “ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple…” to tell them this shocking news. In response, we read that “they both ran, but the other disciple ran faster and arrived at the tomb first.”
They ran to see all of this for themselves. These first witnesses of Christ’s mission and message, His death, and His Resurrection were passionate. As stewards, we are called to this same devotion to our Lord, passion, and determination to remain near to Him no matter what.
This will look different depending on our own circumstances. Perhaps it will mean committing to a weekday Mass throughout the Easter season to rejoice in all the Lord has done for us through His death and Resurrection. Perhaps it will mean getting up “in the dark” of the early morning to reflect on the daily Gospel. Perhaps we will gather our courage and finally speak to that friend or co-worker about what the Lord means to us and how they can have His grace in their lives, too. Maybe we will be inspired to host an Easter feast for friends and neighbours sometime during the next 50 days of celebration.
As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad, and make sure our lives testify to this amazing grace!
The vision of Stewardship speaks in every aspect of life, inviting everyone to be thankful, generous and accountable for what each has been given.
Source: https://www.catholicsteward.com/2020/04/10/stewardship-reflection-on-lectionary-readings-april-12-2020/
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: Anne Van Deurse, Tim Brown, John O’Hanlon, Jenny Haines, Annie Scicluna, Lois Wood, Phil McWilliam, Coralie Brennan, Kim Ingram, Karen Vestergard, John Thomas, Pat Jones, Felipe S Cataquiz Sr, 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, 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, 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, Kim Parkes, Cecily Cellinan, Kevin Brennan, Margaret Cusack, Fabiola Menzs.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Peter Winks, Andre Helena, Paul Thomas Hawkins, Lin Dean, Patricia Bartlett, Mary Curran, Mary Nicholl, Noni Twidale, Beverley Anne (“Kate”) Sheehy, Mary Ann Groenewaldt, John Sattler, Paul Fitzgerald, Elsden Smith, Bernardo Cass Nopra, Anna Szeremeta, Elizabeth Mary McKinstry, Millicent Dawn Shaw, Helen Bruce, Peter Allsop, Frank Murray, Patricia Maxine O’Donoghue, Bernardo Cas Nopre (Canada), Virginia Attard, Marjorie Doyle, Beverley Dreier, Millicent Monteiro, Cecily Culligan, Nicholas Eamon Ashworth, “Pat” Sullivan, Graciela del Carmen Chapman, Betty McKinstry, Anna Szeremeta, Alan Hague, Marie Kuljanic, Graham Stafford, Derek Carpenter, Peter Evert, Cheryl Hamwood, Donna Maria Cross, John Monahan.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Earl Brierty, John Richard Morgan, Brian Raymond Lloyd, Kaye Diane Blake, Ray Hutchinson, Noelene Sisam, Tibor & Vera Enrody, Annunziata Posa, Jaiden Glen Brooks, John (Jakes) Rennie, Errol John Maguire, Norma Weise, Helen Wood, Claire Irene Keefe, Antony Di Giorgio, Judith Wisemantel, Gregory Kelly, Raymond Alexander (Ray) Gardiner, Shane Mcloughlan, Wilhelm Ciszewski, Kath McMonagle, Victor Boctor, Leonard Gregory Toner, Rosanne Cruz Bridge.
And also: Miriam Zarb, Bozidar Ovcaric, Andrea Helena, Wayne Parsons, David Anthony Evans, Cecilia Teresa White, Pope Saint John Paul II, Annette Bryant, Beau Abraham Massey, Betty Lorraine Egan, Olimpia Percuoco, Jocelyn Cassels, Darko Janzekovic, Graham Paul Whitehead Smith, Therese Mary Clift, Ramon (Baby) Solatan, Fr Romo Servatius Subhaga Svd, Cynthia Maud Brennan, Justin Paul Fitzgerald, Thomas (Tommy) Raudonikis, Mendoza, Nympha Reponia, Susan Ruth O'Gorman.
LITURGY NEWS MAGAZINE - free copy here:
The Autumn edition of the Liturgy News magazine is now available for free. Please click here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GIkna2Ov-or9BCGGCu29wtGrqNjJXmNR/view?usp=drivesdk
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH - The tree of life blossoms again
A teaching from the Law of Moses says it all: "Cursed be the one who hangs from a tree" (Deut. 21:23). The body of such a person was to be buried the same day, or the land would be defiled. Religious leaders sought a verdict of the crucifixion from the Romans for precisely this reason: to quell talk that Jesus was God's chosen. It's also why Jesus' disciples rushed to gain permission to take him down from the cross that same day. Like every kingdom paradox, of course, the "cursed tree" becomes a tree of life for those who believe. Celebrate this life-giving hope today!
SIGN UP FOR "TAKE FIVE" DAILY ww.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe.
MASK WEARING:
The risk of colds, flu, and Covid virus remains. There are many vulnerable people in our community, so please consider using masks and hand sanitiser and proper 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.
Sacrament of EUCHARIST - First HOLY COMMUNION (for Children in Year 4 or greater)
The celebration of First Holy Communion will be 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. The child can fully participate in the Eucharist (also known as the mass) through this sacrament 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 5:30 pm Or Tuesday, March 28 at 5:30 pm in Sacred Heart Church (Children are not required at this meeting but are welcome to attend if this assists with childminding.) 2. Final Meeting and Practice – Either Monday, May 22nd at 5:30 pm Or Tuesday, May 23rd at 5:30 pm (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 (in the blue box). 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 couple of weeks, 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 check 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 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 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 children are invited to receive. Confirmation completes Baptism. The Sacrament of Confirmation for the Surfers Paradise Parish will be celebrated on the evening of October 20, 2023.
Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation includes two compulsory meetings:
1. Parent Meeting – Either Tuesday, July 11 at 5:30 pm Or Wednesday, July 12 at 5:30 pm in Sacred Heart Church (Children are not required at this meeting but are welcome to attend if this assists with childminding.) 2. Final Meeting and Practice - Either Monday, October 9 at 5:30 pm Or Tuesday, October 10 at 5:30 pm in Sacred Heart Church (Child/ren and one adult are required to attend.)
For the celebration of Confirmation in 2023, parents of baptised children in Year 3 or older are invited to enrol their children in the continuing Sacramental Journey (that is: 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 (Please complete 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 (in the blue box). Next, complete the orange and red forms 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.
CHILDREN’S Sacrament of PENANCE - FIRST RECONCILIATION - November 9 at 5:30 pm, 2023
Penance is a sacrament of forgiveness. It 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.
THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL - Christ is Risen; as he said!!
His resurrection is the first fruit of the eternal life promised to all who entrust themselves to him.
A special welcome and thank you to our candidates and catechumens who tonight are fully received into the Christian faith in the Catholic church. Thank you for your preparation… the Lord has been guiding you and with you your whole life…. Now he leads you to fuller communion with him in the church and the faith…. Your reception, baptism, confirmation, and receiving of First holy communion is a beautiful source of renewal and strength for all of us too!.. We, too, this season, renew our faith and commitment to Christ and his grace.. Thank you to all who have supported them in this WONDERFUL journey of faith…..
Easter, more than any other feast tells us that God has the last word in all things definitively…. And that word is a profoundly positive and definitive “YES” - first and foremost, a YES to his beloved son…Jesus Christ. Who is God the son; and all that he did and taught in his ministry… and a profound and absolute YES to life…., and to us, as his eternally cherished sons and daughters… Yes to forgiveness of sin for all who are bowed down by the past…. Yes to faithfulness no matter what trials and tragedies befall us in life…….>
- Easter… and the message of the Resurrection is about life, hope, love, and forgiveness…
- The irony of the cross and the message of today’s wonderful feast means that it is rather fitting on this Easter celebration to hark back to the beginning of our journey towards this moment…... For I believe that Easter could be summed up by the rather intriguing saying … “The only things that we truly possess (things that have abiding and eternal value)… are the things we gain by giving them away… the only things worth possessing are the things that only make sense when given…. Which achieve very little if merely stored up….… things like love, (given freely without expectation), kindness and forgiveness (without expectation of return)…. acts of charity, (not for recognition or approval), random acts of kindness (that no one will ever know who is responsible for them)/…/ I read a quote once saying… that “there is an odd economic principle associated with love -- the more love you give away, the more love you have. It defies all other economic principles.” Our Lord Jesus, in his life, his suffering and death, and his resurrection… is the perfect example of all these wonderful qualities… and even more wonderfully, he invites us all to share in this way of living….
- This Easter, is a special time for giving thanks for and remembering and hopefully getting opportunities to share time with family and friends…
- And Easter is also about reminding us that our God is the God of New starts… and new beginnings…..
- We also remember prayerfully, all those who have gone before us.. the Resurrection gives us peace in the belief that the lord of the resurrection is faithful to his children.. and raises them up to new and eternal life in heaven… where one day we will all be reunited in joy…
- At Easter, we think of people who are struggling.., and those who feel hopeless. ….and also those who feel they will never be good enough, or worthy enough… and those who fear they can never be forgiven… For today’s feast says… YES>>>> God is with us, God will never abandon us… God truly does want to renew us and give us new hope .. new life… and indescribable mercy….
- Jesus is an unequivocal “yes” to self-sacrifice and service, and love, compassion, mercy and generosity of spirit… of thinking more of others and less of ourselves… - May God bless us and renew us in his astounding love… and ever-abiding faithfulness… and eternal care… and may our lives be more and more marked by these wonderful qualities with every new day…..
References: Fr Paul W. Kelly
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed.Stock Illustration ID: 101936632 - Magdalena and Jesus Resurrection. Important information. Illustration Formats. 2Illustration Contributor: IOSIF CHEZAN
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
(Who especially inspire us at Easter)
St. Mary Magdalene—the First Witness. There were many initial witnesses to the resurrection—but who was the first to actually see the resurrected Christ? Answer: St. Mary Magdalene, at least according to the Gospel of John. In Chapter 20, we read that when she came across the empty tomb, St. Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter, who comes, sees the empty tomb for himself, and then takes off with the other disciples. But Mary Magdalene stays behind, weeping outside the tomb. A man later appears to her, asking why she was weeping—that man turned out to be Jesus.
What can we learn from Mary Magdalene? Here is what Pope St. Gregory the Great tells us in one of his homilies:
We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ, for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept. Burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us: “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.”
Mary Magdalene’s story speaks to us today. In some sense, all Christians are standing with her outside the tomb, waiting for God, longing for Christ. All of us can relate in some way to the unease and anxiety that nagged at her soul when she was confronted with the absence of Christ. May we also share in the same earnest seeking for God. May we too persevere in faith to the end.
St. Peter and the Empty Tomb. After being told by Mary Magdalene and the other women that they had found Jesus’ tomb empty, Peter responded in a way that most of us probably would have: he immediately ran off to the tomb to confirm their story. Here is how his reaction is described in Luke 24:12: Peter, however, went off to the tomb, running. He bent down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but nothing else; he then went back home, amazed at what had happened.
This description of Peter as ‘amazed’ at the empty tomb recalls something Blessed Pope John Paul II send near the end of his papacy. In an encyclical, John Paul II called for a rekindling of ‘Eucharistic amazement.’ This Easter season is an opportunity for us to also rekindle our amazement at the resurrection, following the example of St. Peter.
How can we rekindle in our hearts ‘amazement’ at the resurrection?
It’s worth pointing out that amazement at the Eucharist and amazement at the resurrection are quite closely related. It goes without saying that without the resurrection we could not receive the gift of the Eucharist. Indeed, the connection is even closer: the original example of Eucharistic amazement cited by John Paul II is the breaking of the bread between Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus. This was one of the first appearances of Christ after his resurrection.
This offers us a specific way of thinking about the Eucharist—as a way of experiencing the Resurrected Christ.
(https://www.crisismagazine.com/opinion/five-saints-to-enrich-your-easter-season)
POPE FRANCIS:
Many writers have evoked the beauty of starlit nights.
The nights of war, however, are riven by streams of light that portend death. On this night, brothers and sisters, let us allow the women of the Gospel to lead us by the hand, so that, with them, we may glimpse the first rays of the dawn of God’s life rising in the darkness of our world. As the shadows of night were dispelled before the quiet coming of the light, the women set out for the tomb, to anoint the body of Jesus. There they had a disconcerting experience. First, they discovered that the tomb was empty; then they saw two figures in dazzling garments who told them that Jesus was risen. Immediately they ran back to proclaim the news to the other disciples (cf. Lk 24:1-10). They saw, they heard, they proclaimed. With these three verbs, may we too enter into the passover of the Lord from death to life.
The women saw. The first proclamation of the resurrection was not a statement to be unpacked, but a sign to be contemplated. In a burial ground, near a grave, in a place where everything should be orderly and peaceful, the women “found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they went in, they did not find the body” (vv. 2-3). Easter begins by upsetting our expectations. It comes with the gift of a hope that surprises and amazes us. Yet it is not easy to welcome that gift. At times – we must admit – this hope does not find a place in our hearts. Like the women in the Gospel, we are overtaken by questions and doubts, and our first reaction before the unexpected sign is one of fear: “They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground” (v. 5).
All too often we look at life and reality with downcast eyes; we fix our gaze only on this passing day, disenchanted by the future, concerned only with ourselves and our needs, settled into the prison of our apathy, even as we keep complaining that things will never change. In this way, we halt before the tomb of resignation and fatalism; we bury the joy of living. Yet tonight the Lord wants to give us different eyes, alive with hope that fear, pain and death will not have the last word over us. Thanks to Jesus’ paschal mystery, we can make the leap from nothingness to life. “Death will no longer be able to rob our life” (K. RAHNER), for that life is now completely and eternally embraced by the boundless love of God. True, death can fill us with dread; it can paralyze us. But the Lord is risen! Let us lift up our gaze, remove the veil of sadness and sorrow from our eyes, and open our hearts to the hope that God brings!
In the second place, the women heard. After they had seen the empty tomb, the two men in dazzling garments said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (vv. 5-6). We do well to listen to those words and to repeat them: He is not here! Whenever we think we have understood everything there is to know about God, and can pigeonhole him in our own ideas and categories, let us repeat to ourselves: He is not here! Whenever we seek him only in times of trouble and moments of need, only to set him aside and forget about him in the rest of our daily life and decisions, let us repeat: He is not here! And whenever we think we can imprison him in our words and our customary ways of thinking and acting, and neglect to seek him in the darkest corners of life, where people weep, struggle, suffer and hope, let us repeat: He is not here!
May we too hear the question asked of the women: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” We cannot celebrate Easter if we continue to be dead; if we remain prisoners of the past; if in our lives we lack the courage to let ourselves be forgiven by God who forgives everything; if we fail to change, to break with the works of evil, to decide for Jesus and his love. If we continue to reduce faith to a talisman, making God a lovely memory from times past, instead of encountering him today as the living God who desires to change us and to change our world. A Christianity that seeks the Lord among the ruins of the past and encloses him in the tomb of habit is a Christianity without Easter. Yet the Lord is risen! Let us not tarry among the tombs, but run to find him, the Living One! Nor may we be afraid to seek him also in the faces of our brothers and sisters, in the stories of those who hope and dream, in the pain of those who we suffer: God is there!
Finally, the women proclaimed. What did they proclaim? The joy of the resurrection. Easter did not occur simply to console those who mourned the death of Jesus, but to open hearts to the extraordinary message of God’s triumph over evil and death. The light of the resurrection was not meant to let the women bask in a transport of joy, but to generate missionary disciples who “return from the tomb” (v. 9) in order to bring to all the Gospel of the risen Christ. That is why, after seeing and hearing, the women ran to proclaim to the disciples the joy of the resurrection. They knew that the others might think they were mad; indeed, the Gospel says that the women’s words “seemed to them an idle tale” (v. 11). Yet those women were not concerned for their reputation, for preserving their image; they did not contain their emotions or measure their words. Their hearts were enflamed only with the desire to convey the news, the proclamation: “The Lord is risen!”.
How beautiful is a Church that can run this way through the streets of our world! Without fear, without schemes and stratagems, but solely with the desire to lead everyone to the joy of the Gospel. That is what we are called to do: to experience the risen Christ and to share the experience with others; to roll away the stone from the tomb where we may have enclosed the Lord, in order to spread his joy in the world. Let us make Jesus, the Living One, rise again from all those tombs in which we have sealed him. Let us set him free from the narrow cells in which we have so often imprisoned him. Let us awaken from our peaceful slumber and let him disturb and inconvenience us. Let us bring him into our everyday lives: through gestures of peace in these days marked by the horrors of war, through acts of reconciliation amid broken relationships, acts of compassion towards those in need, acts of justice amid situations of inequality and of truth in the midst of lies. And above all, through works of love and fraternity.
Brothers and sisters our hope has a name: the name of Jesus. He entered the tomb of our sin; he descended to those depths where we feel most lost; he wove his way through the tangles of our fears, bore the weight of our burdens and from the dark abyss of death restored us to life and turned our mourning into joy. Let us celebrate Easter with Christ! He is alive! Today, too, he walks in our midst, changes us and sets us free. Thanks to him, evil has been robbed of its power; failure can no longer hold us back from starting anew; and death has become a passage to the stirrings of new life. For with Jesus, the Risen Lord, no night will last forever; and even in the darkest night, in that darkness, the morning star continues to shine.
In this darkness that you are experiencing, Mr Mayor and dear Parliamentarians, the thick darkness of war, of cruelty, all of us are praying, praying with you and for you this night. We are praying for all the suffering. We can give you only our fellowship and our prayer and say to you: “Courage! We accompany you!” And also to say to you the greatest thing we are celebrating today: Christòs voskrés! Christ is risen!
Source : https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2022/documents/20220416-omelia-veglia-pasquale.html#:~:text=He%20entered%20the%20tomb%20of,us%20celebrate%20Easter%20with%20Christ!
Image: Licensed SHutterstock image - Stock Photo ID: 2279830433 - Pope Francis presided over the Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy on Good Friday, April 15th, 2022. Important information - Editorial Use Only. Photo Contributor: Salma Bashir Motiwala
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS - SACRED HEART AND ST VINCENT’S CHURCHES
Children’s religious story books and Bibles available.
We also have a beautiful Our Lady of Sorrows and Mater Dolorosa plaster statue.
Our Catholic Queensland newspaper THE CATHOLIC LEADER has just released issue number 5664. This monthly edition (April) available now. $4.
FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION AT SACRED HEART CHURCH
CANCELLED DUE TO GOOD FRIDAY ON 7TH APRIL
BIBLE STUDY
{THE BIBLE STUDY/PRAYER GROUP AT ST. VINCENT’S CHURCH
CANCELLED DUE TO GOOD FRIDAY ON 7TH APRIL}. The Bible Study/Prayer Group continues each Friday evening from 5-6 pm at St Vincent’s Church - 40 Hamilton Avenue Surfers Paradise. Studying “Break Open the Word” helps you to remember the readings for the upcoming Sunday Mass and, of course, enjoy fellowship with other members of the Parish. Enquires to Ashley 0409 840 693
OUR LADY’S STATUE
Praying the Rosary - Our Lady’s Statue in the Parish -
Details of the Statue of Our Lady, which is going around the Parish. If you would like to have her in your home and say the Rosary:
Please contact Maxine or Pat on 0412 519 404.
The Roster for the next four weeks is-
10/4/2022 Juliette & Abdul Speir Mudgeeraba
17/4/2022 Juliette & Abdul Speir Mudgeeraba
24/4/2023 Rose & Joseph Pindo
1/5/2023 Rose & Joseph Pindo
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-
Sacred Heart Bridge Club
Our Bridge Club Meets at the
Sacred Heart Catholic Church , Fairway Drive, Clear Island Waters,
Tel Cheryl on 07 5538 8821 Mob 0417772 701
Learn to play Bridge at “Our Friendly Club” Established 21 years.
Beginners Bridge lessons
Easy to learn format, no previous card playing experience necessary; classes commence 19th April 2023
All are Welcome!! To enquire & enrol, please Call 5538 8821
Mob 0417 772 701
Sacred Heart Bridge Club
Our Bridge Club Meets at the
Sacred Heart Catholic Church , Fairway Drive, Clear Island Waters,
Tel Cheryl on 07 5538 8821 Mob 0417772 701
Learn to play Bridge at “Our Friendly Club” Established 20 yea rs.
FREE LESSON. “INTRODUCTION TO BRIDGE”
Easy to learn format, no previous card playing experience necessary,
All are Welcome!! To enrol, please Call 5538 8821 - Mob 0417 772 701
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” - It 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 social 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.
Laudato si
II. EDUCATING FOR THE COVENANT BETWEEN HUMANITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
209. An awareness of the gravity of today’s cultural and ecological crisis must be translated into new habits. Many people know that our current progress and the mere amassing of things and pleasures are not enough to give meaning and joy to the human heart, yet they feel unable to give up what the market sets before them. In those countries which should be making the greatest changes in consumer habits, young people have a new ecological sensitivity and a generous spirit, and some of them are making admirable efforts to protect the environment. At the same time, they have grown up in a milieu of extreme consumerism and affluence which makes it difficult to develop other habits. We are faced with an educational challenge.
210. Environmental education has broadened its goals. Whereas in the beginning it was mainly centred on scientific information, consciousness-raising and the prevention of environmental risks, it tends now to include a critique of the “myths” of a modernity grounded in a utilitarian mindset (individualism, unlimited progress, competition, consumerism, the unregulated market). It seeks also to restore the various levels of ecological equilibrium, establishing harmony within ourselves, with others, with nature and other living creatures, and with God. Environmental education should facilitate making the leap towards the transcendent which gives ecological ethics its deepest meaning. It needs educators capable of developing an ethics of ecology, and helping people, through effective pedagogy, to grow in solidarity, responsibility and compassionate care.
211. Yet this education, aimed at creating an “ecological citizenship”, is at times limited to providing information, and fails to instil good habits. The existence of laws and regulations is insufficient in the long run to curb bad conduct, even when effective means of enforcement are present. If the laws are to bring about significant, long-lasting effects, the majority of the members of society must be adequately motivated to accept them, and personally transformed to respond. Only by cultivating sound virtues will people be able to make a selfless ecological commitment. A person who could afford to spend and consume more but regularly uses less heating and wears warmer clothes, shows the kind of convictions and attitudes which help to protect the environment. There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions, and it is wonderful how education can bring about real changes in lifestyle. Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us, such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. All of these reflect a generous and worthy creativity which brings out the best in human beings. Reusing something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love which expresses our own dignity.
212. We must not think that these efforts are not going to change the world. They benefit society, often unbeknown to us, for they call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread. Furthermore, such actions can restore our sense of self-esteem; they can enable us to live more fully and to feel that life on earth is worthwhile.
213. Ecological education can take place in a variety of settings: at school, in families, in the media, in catechesis and elsewhere. Good education plants seeds when we are young, and these continue to bear fruit throughout life. Here, though, I would stress the great importance of the family, which is “the place in which life – the gift of God – can be properly welcomed and protected against the many attacks to which it is exposed, and can develop in accordance with what constitutes authentic human growth. In the face of the so-called culture of death, the family is the heart of the culture of life”.[149] In the family we first learn how to show love and respect for life; we are taught the proper use of things, order and cleanliness, respect for the local ecosystem and care for all creatures. In the family we receive an integral education, which enables us to grow harmoniously in personal maturity. In the family we learn to ask without demanding, to say “thank you” as an expression of genuine gratitude for what we have been given, to control our aggressivity and greed, and to ask forgiveness when we have caused harm. These simple gestures of heartfelt courtesy help to create a culture of shared life and respect for our surroundings.
214. Political institutions and various other social groups are also entrusted with helping to raise people’s awareness. So too is the Church. All Christian communities have an important role to play in ecological education. It is my hope that our seminaries and houses of formation will provide an education in responsible simplicity of life, in grateful contemplation of God’s world, and in concern for the needs of the poor and the protection of the environment. Because the stakes are so high, we need institutions empowered to impose penalties for damage inflicted on the environment. But we also need the personal qualities of self-control and willingness to learn from one another.
215. In this regard, “the relationship between a good aesthetic education and the maintenance of a healthy environment cannot be overlooked”.[150] By learning to see and appreciate beauty, we learn to reject self-interested pragmatism. If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple. If we want to bring about deep change, we need to realize that certain mindsets really do influence our behaviour. Our efforts at education will be inadequate and ineffectual unless we strive to promote a new way of thinking about human beings, life, society and our relationship with nature. Otherwise, the paradigm of consumerism will continue to advance, with the help of the media and the highly effective workings of the market.
(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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