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“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:8)
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed.Stock Photo ID: 88938097 - The prophet Jeremiah holding one of his scrolls. Scene from the UNESCO listed byzantine basilica of St Vitalis in Ravenna, Italy—photo Contributor: mountainpix.
PASTOR’S POST -
I was looking at a list of the Christian Virtues the other day and compiling a list of the opposite Vices to see how they interrelate. I then tried to match up the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Fruits of the Spirit with this list to see how they are all interrelated. It was a rather complicated process, and I got about halfway before putting it aside for further reflection. One thing jumped out at me, though the opposite of the vice of ENVY is this: Gratitude, kindness, joy, a sense of goodwill and fraternal affection to all. To have a sense of appreciation, wonder and awe for all the blessings, graces and gifts that we do indeed have.
Out of interest (and only, for the online edition of the newsletter readers?), here is the compilation I have developed so far. It’s a little messy still – a work in progress:
The Virtues: (and their related Gifts of the Holy Spirit and related Fruits of the Spirit)
1. Humility; modesty
2. Liberality (generosity) / (goodness)
3. Chastity; purity
4. Meekness; peace/ patience/ (incl: fruits of the Spirit: peacefulness, gentleness, patience)
5. Temperance (Moderation and self-restraint, as in behaviour or expression) / self-control (one of the
fruits of the Spirit: self-control)
6. Gratitude/ Brotherly and Sisterly love; Goodwill to all…Kindness (including one of the fruits of Spirit;
kindness) / Joy (one of the fruits of the spirit). / goodness /appreciation/ wonder and awe
7. Diligence.
(plus the three theological virtues)
8. Faith (also fruit of spirit: faithfulness)
9. Hope (wonder and awe/ fear of the lord?)
10. Love (one of the nine fruits of spirit) (An understanding heart - Wisdom?)
(and the cardinal virtues) (Wisdom 8:7)
11. Prudence / Truth/ wisdom/ (one of seven gifts of the Holy Spirit)
12. Fortitude (courage) / (one of seven gifts of the Holy Spirit) (also the fruit of Spirit: faithfulness)
13. Justice (reverence/ piety) (also temperance, which is listed above)
Compared with….the contrary seven capital sins or vices
1. Pride;
2. Covetousness;
3. Lust;
4. Anger;
5. Gluttony;
6. Envy;
7. Sloth.
(plus the following, which are the diametric opposites to the theological and cardinal virtues)
8. Faithlessness (unbelief)
9. Despair/ pessimism
10. Hate/ Or is the opposite of love actually “apathy” rather than hate?
11. Recklessness/ imprudence/ negligence/ falsehood
12. Inconstancy/ cowardice / weak resolve
13. Inequity/ dishonesty/
Back to this weekend’s gospel: One way of summing up this weekend’s gospel about the Generous Landowner, who gives a day’s wage to all workers irrespective of the number of hours they have worked, is by this quote: “The world asks, “How much should I give?” but Christ asks “How much is needed?” This weekend's readings underline that God’s ways are not like human ways and how true this is. Jesus shows God who has concern for the real needs of people. Jesus also shows us a God who is not in the least bit stingy. God is generous and giving and gives according to need and not by narrow concepts of what is meant by the word ‘earned.’ It is so hard to adjust our thinking so that we do not keep falling into the trap that any of us truly EARNS what God gives us. Ultimately, we receive from the abundant generosity of God not because we deserve it or have “earned” it but because God is good, exceedingly generous and kind and seeks to satisfy our true needs.
We can often judge others foolishly based on what we see. God sees into the heart, and his judgements are just. We are each given a task, and God asks us to do our best. If we constantly weigh up rewards for ourselves and others, we miss the point of the Gospel story. Jesus asks us to love him, and he will be our reward.
How much unhappiness in life can be attributed to the pain and turmoil that occurs when one compares (unfavourably) their share with someone else’s?
The story of the labourers in the vineyard is a brilliant illustration of the all too human tendency to envy and even resent another’s good fortune. Who among us hasn’t experienced the feeling at some time or another?
• Have you ever been in a situation where another person “got” something you felt entitled to, such as a promotion, an inheritance, or a gift? How have you managed your feelings of resentment?
• Do you feel rewarded for your own efforts and labours? If not, what is missing, and how can you increase your satisfaction and sense of well-being?
“I suddenly saw that all the time it was not I who had been seeking God, but God who had been seeking me. I had made myself the centre of my own existence . . . . God had brought me to my knees and made me acknowledge my own nothingness, and out of that knowledge I had been reborn. I was no longer the centre of my life; therefore, I could see God in everything. (BEDE GRIFFITHS).
Fr Paul
STAR OF THE SEA SCHOOL CELEBRATED ITS FEAST DAY ON THE FEAST OF THE BIRTHDAY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
Students, staff and parents joined together for a Feast Day Mass for Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Merrimac, and lots of wonderful activities followed. Well done everyone. A happy day was had by all!
CHILDREN’S SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM 2023
In Surfers Paradise Parish, we have 112 children who have recently begun Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. We ask the members of our Parish Family to remember these children and their families in prayer.
May God bless these parents as they continue fulfilling their promises on their children's behalf at baptism. As they approach this sacred task, may the Holy Spirit guide them. Just as the Lord Jesus made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak, may he once again touch the ears of these children to receive his word and their mouths to proclaim his faith to the praise and glory of God the Father. Amen.
MASS TIMES: SURFERS PARADISE MASS TIMES
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK:
Also, (Alphabetical)
Jack Barretto, Julie & Paul Bowden, Nellie Bellinger, Jean Di Benedetto, Coralie Brennan, Kevin Brennan, Tim Brown, Margaret Buckingham, Diana Castro, Felipe S Cataquiz (Senior), Cecily Cellinan, Doug Chester, Jo Clark, Leslie Clarke, Tina Conidi, Margaret & George Cook, Alfonso Covino, Margaret Cusack, Geraldine Daniels, John Fisher, Rosie May Fisher, Sally Gage, Lorraine Gallagher, Laurel Goddard, Ken Green, Fred Grioli, Jacob Haddad, Jenny Haines, Peter Harford, Lena Hiscock, Louise Holmes, Kim Ingram, Anna Janiek, Pat Jones, Leona Kelly, Marianne Kennedy, Kath Kiely, Betu Kim, Jan Kristenson, Bob Lahey, Diane & Steve Land, Sue Langham, Patrick Joven de Leon, Nathan Lepp, Joseph Ah Lo, Sarina Losurdo, John Nathaniel Maher, Maria Manuela, Andrew McPherson, Phil McWilliam, Annie Mealing, Fabiola Menzs, Joanne Mooney, Maryann Moore, Hugh Morand, Amy Elizabeth Morgan, Michael & Lesley Murtagh, Joanna Muthu, Lynn Nunan, John O’Brien, Stephen O’Brien, Peter O’Brien, Natalie O’Reilly, Letty O’Sullivan, Joanne Parkes, Kay Pitman, Rachel Raines, Gus Reeves, Patricia Roberts, Rogelio Rodriguez, Neil Rogers, Bob Rogers, Kathy Stevens, Jim Stewart, Betty Taylor, Liza Teo, John Thomas, Margaret Thompson, Baby Samuel Timothy, Leonardo Torcaso, Denise Tracey, Anne Van Deurse, Karen Vestergard, Lois Wood.
RECENTLY DECEASED: (Chronological - Most recent first):
Stanton Geoffrey Curtis, Baby Karter, Jenifer Slattery, Carmel Regan, Dorothy Penney, Len Murphy, Anthony Fernandez, Pam Davis, Margaret Redler, Pasqualino Morabito, Janis Delgado, Maryanne Cassar, Dennis Rowan, John Hanly, Dr Frank Miau.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: (Alphabetical)
Peter Robert Noble Beasley, Lee Cross, Ella Maria Cross, Noeline Davies, Fr Francis Douglas, David Gerald Fioravanti, Liudmyla Ganshyna, Fr L Graham, John Hanna, Barry Harth, Phillipa Kennedy, Tom Killin, Andrea Kujawa, Peter Daniel Lawlor, Leandro (Leo) De Marco, Liberata Mario (Lib) Meo, Barbara Murray, Maria Nazari, Margaret Netting, Rev Dr Geoffrey O'Donoghue, Mons James Prout, John Maurice Quilligan, Keith Smith, Tadeusz Wieslaw (Ted) Szczesny, John Vizzard, Paul Damian Wyatt, Kazimierz Zolerowski.
And Also: (Alphabetical):
World Trade Centre Attack Anniv, Vincent Attard, Jane Bird, Fr Dudley Boland, Olive May Cam, Neville John Coorey, Natalie Dundon, Edna Foy, Fr Terence Ganzer, Fay Marie Giovine, Thomas Edward Holt, Leo Isidore Josephson, Briggita Kelleris and Harry Kelleris, Andre Joerg Lenz, Fanny Macky, Maria di Martino, Janina Momont, Patrick Mulcahy, Mario Pase, Fr James Power, Fr Sean Nugent PP, Daniel Simpson, Anthony Joseph Wienand, Doris Zarb.
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 and speedily 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. Please help us service the region effectively and help prevent delays in response by calling the nearest parish.
Robina Hospital - Burleigh Heads Parish. 5576 6466
Pindara Hospital - Surfers Paradise Parish. 56717388
John Flynn Hospital - Coolangatta-Tugun Parish. 5598 2165
University & Gold Coast Pvt Hosp.- Southport Parish. 5510 2222
Congratulations to St Vincents School who celebrated their feast day last Tuesday with a whole school Mass. 12th September 2023
“If God is at the centre of your life, no words are necessary. Your mere presence will touch hearts.” (Vincent de Paul)
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS - SACRED HEART AND ST VINCENT’S CHURCHES
This week the wall rosaries are displayed. Large wooden beads, luminous beads, clear crystal beads.
Reasonably priced gold and silver chains, with a saint’s medal or crucifix, available unboxed.
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 two weeks is as follows-
18/9/2023 Geary & Rudi Camera Southport
25/9/2023 Geary & Rudi Camera Southport
4/10/23 Peter Carey Mermaid Beach
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.
PRAYER GROUP - SPANISH SPEAKER
Jesus de la Misericordia. Invites you to participate every 2nd Saturday of the month from 11 am to 2 pm. Place: Hospitality Room. Sacred Heart Church. “We praise, We praise, We grow spiritually from the Word of the Lord.” For more information, please ring Grace: 0410 006 484.
CO.AS.IT concert
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 Craft work (Knitting, Embroidery, Crocheting, Card making, 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” - 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.
Contemplative Women’s Group.
Contemplative Women’s Group: Sinking into the Feminine Divine. We meet on the 4th Saturday of every month from 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm in Mary Mother of Mercy Church for contemplation and sharing as we depth the charism and legacy of a woman of faith. 3 Sunlight Drive, Burleigh Waters. Contact sue@suethomas.net.au for more information. Or just turn up by 1.30 p.m. No cost. Simple afternoon tea was supplied. Come, join us on the path.
EXERCISE CLASS - LOW IMPACT - FOR HEART HEALTH -
Join Rochelle for a fun, functional exercise class at Casey Hall. Low-impact cardiovascular exercises for heart health, improve strength and balance- an all-around fitness class for over 65’s. Stretch and strengthen the whole body, make new friends and feel great. Tuesday mornings @9.30 Beginners welcome. Contact Rochelle for further information on 0438 333 308.
YOGA AT THE PARISH HOSPITALITY CENTRE
Join us for our social class in the Parish Hospitality Centre next to the Parish Office. Classes run every Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. Learn to relax yet gain greater flexibility, inner strength, body awareness and concentration 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, please arrive by 10:30 a.m. to prepare adequately for class). For more information, call Ruth on 0421338110.
24 HOURS OF THE HOLY ROSARY FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH, MARY, AND AUSTRALIA “THE LAND OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS”
SHRINE OF OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS MARIAN VALLEY on 6 – 7 OCTOBER 2023
For more information, please visit this link: https://marianvalley.org.au/2023/08/31/24-hours-of-the-holy-rosary/ or call (07) 5533 3617
At a training day in Brisbane this week …… found Fr Peter hard at work at his new desk, overlooking St Stephen’s Cathedral
“TAP `N” GO CASHLESS DONATIONS -
AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRANCES OF THE THREE CHURCHES - tap once to donate $10 and tap again when it has reset for another $10, and so on.
A parishioner's trip to New Norcia WA…..
On Monday 12th of September I returned from a trip to Perth. It was my first trip to WA and I found it the most wonderful place to visit. The locals call everyone from our eastern seaboard …..”Over East”......From the 4th to the 8th September I had the privilege of staying at the Benedictine Monastery at New Norcia. New Norcia is the only monastic town in Australia. Much of its bygone operation is no longer in functioning, but it takes in retreatants and day visitors. It has a roadhouse, a gift shop, art gallery and museum. It is famous for its wines, olive oils and bread. The location is approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Perth. A pleasant drive, with many fields filled with sheep and golden sorghum. I had not done any research on the place so I was very surprised by the number of grand buildings and churches with so much history. Some of the history is very sad, but I was able to place in my prayer throughout the retreat.
As a retreatant I was accommodated in the guesthouse (and scrumptious meals in the dining rooms) which were close to the monastery. There are currently 9 monks living there. They celebrate two masses a day. They also invite guests to join them in the large chapel above the guest rooms for morning prayer. I took advantage of this beautiful experience each morning. Their reverence was very humbling. After the psalms and readings they say a Glory Be and bow low in unison. All the prayers are said slowly and in a type of prayerful monotone. Our female voices were high pitched by comparison. One of the monks, Fr Robert Nixon is well known for his musical compositions and translations of old texts. He read the readings each day. One evening, I retired early and while resting, I could hear the voices of the monks in their evening prayers in the chapel overhead. This included beautiful hymns.
Our retreat on Divine Love kept the day hours full so I did not have the opportunity to visit the historical museum, the cemetery or partake in the guided tours. I have put a link below of the monastery brochure.
Each day we had mass in St Gertrude’s chapel, which had been built for the girls. The priest leading our retreat told me the story, when the girls school was built they could not get a congregation of nuns to run the school. At the time Mary McKillop had had a stroke so they asked every other order. They all said “No” so out of desperation approached Mary McKillop. She responded that they were stretched but promised that within 2 years they would find a way to fulfil the need. God in his providence provided and out of this came 40 vocations. I have a few photos to share. It was a truly beautiful location to stay and retreat. On the final morning walking up the grand path to mass I felt a pang of sadness to be leaving this unique experience. If you travel “over west” I hope you get the opportunity to visit New Norcia. Sonya Slater
The Sisters of Saint Joseph have prepared an Australian Pilgrimage, “In the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop” commencing in Melbourne on 17 October, journeying through Victoria and South Australia, and ending at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney on 28 October 2023. During the pilgrimage, we visit many places associated with Mary MacKillop’s life and ministry. For information please contact national.pilgrimage@mmp.org.au or on 89124818.
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.
A VOCATION VIEW:
"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Make a stand for mercy, empathy, forgiveness, and selflessness!
To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP -
“For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” – Romans 14:8
This is the essence of stewardship – everything we have and are is a gift from God. We aren’t “owners” of anything. We are merely “stewards” of the gifts God has given us, especially our lives. Pray to God daily, and ask Him how He calls you to live the life He intended for you.
The vision of Stewardship speaks in every aspect of life, inviting everyone to be thankful, generous, and accountable for what each has been given.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH - Each one, teach one.
Teachers, preachers, and professors have their place. But most of us learn life lessons more broadly. The first school is our home environment. Groups we affiliate with and broader media influences also communicate their values. In 1935, the Vatican called for special acknowledgment of how our parish catechists pass on the faith. While it's right to honour our religion teachers on this Catechetical Sunday, let's recall, too, the role of parents and, indeed, all parishioners in modelling a life rich in love, generosity, compassion, and forgiveness. Catechists literally "echo" the example of Jesus. Deliver your echo boldly!
“Peter approached Jesus and asked him, ‘Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?’" (Matthew 18:21-35)
ww.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe.
THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL - DO Unto Others. Forgive Others!
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 2098415623 - When you wake up. PRAY. When life gets hard. PRAY. If you are unsure. When you are happy. God’s always with us. Handwritten message. Photo Contributor: Olga Ganovicheva
The gospel value, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" "The Golden Rule," and the principle on which Our Lord's parable is based, has profoundly affected Christianity and secular legal and ethical systems throughout the world.
In many ways, the Golden Rule is common sense and simply about consistency, justice and fairness, and yet, even now, the world cries out for this principle to be applied evenly and thoroughly.
Our Lord gives this gospel as a warning that we must be constantly on our guard. God has forgiven us entirely for things we could not possibly hope to repay, and we are duty-bound in gratitude and compassion to share that graciousness, forgiveness and charity that God gives to us and others around us.
The other major problem is that some people just don't seem to see those around them as their brothers and sisters in Christ or (at the very least), fellow citizens in the same “commonwealth for the common good of all,” … so they act with disregard for anyone but themselves and their nearest-and-dearest.
Jesus rejects this approach. He reminds us, that if we do good to those who love us, what difference does that make? Even the pagans and the sinners do that. Our Lord is preaching universal fraternity and goodwill to all…. Because we are truly ALL God's children…
In an act of astounding generosity….. the master, in this parable, not only gives the wicked servant time to start to repay the impossible debt, but he forgives the debt entirely out of compassion and mercy. Based on the value of the debt mentioned in this parable, He wipes 16,000 years of debt from the face of the earth. The master hopes that this act of kindness will sink deep into the debtor's heart and be passed on in a new way of acting and living. But then this sad and miserable servant, with an astoundingly hard heart, goes out and does not do the same to a fellow servant who has a debt to him that was possible to repay. It might take 100 days of pay, but it is manageable given an extended time…. It is pathetic. This servant shows no empathy, and no connection to others. He does not identify himself with the feelings and plight of others. He does not see this poor fellow servant as brothers in similar need. He cannot see that he himself was just like the person (actually so much worse), bowing before him, begging for time to repay a debt.
It is sad and quite frankly bewildering. This kind of attitude makes the world a meaner and nastier place, and is the cause of so much suffering. It is so unnecessary and opposite to the essence of the gospel.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is such a central quality in the Kingdom of God, that Our Lord even incorporates it into the Great Prayer he taught his disciples to recite: "Forgive us our sins, according to how we forgive others." (or to put it another way, "Lord, don't forgive us our sins unless we forgive others who hurt us." It is sobering stuff that we pray every day.
Saint Paul confirms this in the second reading. We live now for God and not for ourselves. Ego, hurt pride and moral outrage are barriers to reconciliation, understanding, and healing. We must let go of pride, entitlement, and a sense of moral outrage and open our hearts generously and "self-forgettingly." Then, we begin to think and feel the love that is God's very nature.
Let us continue to foster that awareness that we are all in communion with one another with the One God… and what we do to others, we are taken as doing to God….
References: Homily: Fr Paul W. Kelly; Bergant, D. and Fragomeni, R. (2001). Preaching the new lectionary. Year A. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press.; DeBona, G. (2013). Between the Ambo and the altar. Year A. 1st ed. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, pp.246-249
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 2098415623 - When you wake up. PRAY. When life gets hard. PRAY. If you are unsure. When you are happy. God’s always with us. Handwritten message. Photo Contributor: Olga Ganovicheva
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 Januarius (Sep 19).
See the miracles in everyday life
Little is known about the life of Januarius, a bishop and martyr who died in the year 305, but he’s famous for a miracle that continues to happen all these centuries later. Three times a year in the cathedral in Naples, Italy, the faithful gather to witness a sample of his blood, kept in sealed glass, liquify and even bubble. There is no definitive explanation, and the blood cannot be studied since the vial is not allowed to be opened out of fear of permanent damage. Sound incredible? Some say yes. But does it even compare to the extraordinary tenets of your faith? Now that’s something much more consequential to marvel—every day of the year.
{Januarius, bishop of Benevento, together with one of his deacons, Festus, and Desiderius, a Lector, were among the many Christians put to death on the orders of Diocletian - in their case in 305 AD. St Paulinus of Nola was granted, shortly before his death, a vision of Januarius and of Irenaeus, sent by God to strengthen him as he faced death.
The miracle of Januarius’ blood is well-known and quite unexplained. Those who deny all miracles say that this particular miracle has a perfectly natural explanation; but they are unable to give one. God’s every day miracles, the birth of a baby, the coming into flower of a plant, are more important reminders of God’s wonder, but miracles like that of Januarius’ blood, can give us cause to ponder, too.
Let us call to mind our sins.
While Januarius is known most because of the seemingly miraculous liquifying of his blood that occurs each year on his feast-day, he is not a saint because of that. He is a martyr, one of many martyrs during the persecution ordered by the emperor Diocletian. He was bishop of Benevento, near Naples, in Italy. On his way to visit some Christians imprisoned in Nola, he was arrested. He was tortured and, heavily manacled, made to walk in front of the governor’s chariot from Nola to Pozzuoli. There, in the circus, he was thrown to the wild beasts. They would not approach him; so he was beheaded.} MEMORIAL OF JANUARIUS, BISHOP, MARTYR
MEMORIAL OF ANDREW KIM TAE-GŎN, PRIEST, AND PAUL CHŎNG HA-SANG, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Companions on the journey
South Korea has one of the largest Catholic populations in all of Asia. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn—the first Korean priest—played a role. As did Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, a lay Catholic born of a martyr who was martyred himself. In fact, the birth of the Korean church is a laypeople’s triumph. Pope John Paul II stressed this fact during his 1984 canonization of Tae-gŏn, Ha-sang, and 101 other martyrs: "Even though the Christians in the first half century had only two priests from China to assist them for a time, they deepened their unity in Christ through prayer and fraternal love. . . . The splendid flowering of the Church in Korea today is indeed the fruit of the heroic witness of the Martyrs." We, too, are called to be companions to the martyrs in building up the Body of Christ.
Apostle Saint Matthew.
Even tax collectors need a patron
Though we don’t know much about the apostle Matthew— We do know that he was a tax collector. And because of this, he was persona non grata in the Jewish community. It was the occupying Romans who demanded those taxes, so Matthew and his fellow taxmen were seen as collaborators. From the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus laid out the invitation to break out of righteous categories and see beyond narrow prejudices. A reminder for us to do the same.
Regarding events in Jesus’ public life, the following are proper to Matthew alone:
the healing of the two blind men – Mt 9:27-31.
the promise of the primacy to Peter – Mt 16:17-19.
the tax paid by Jesus – Mt 17:24-28.
the story of Judas'suicide – Mt 27: 3-10.
the guard at Jesus'sepulchre – Mt 27:62-66.Matthew also provides reflections on Jesus infancy (Mt 1-2) and testimonies about the resurrection (Mt 28:9-20) not found in the other Gospels.
Moreover, Matthew has preserved for us many teachings of Jesus which we would otherwise not know:
PARABLES
the city on a hill – Mt 5:14
the pearls before the swine – Mt 7:6
the wolves in sheep’s clothing – Mt 7:15
the fruit of the fig tree – Mt 7: 16-20
the parable of the weeds sown among corn – Mt 13:24-30
the merchant who finds a hidden treasure – Mt 13:44
the merchant who finds the pearl – Mt 13:45-46
the net full of good and bad fish – Mt 13:47-48
the householder and his storeroom – Mt 13:52
the debtor who did not forgive his fellow – Mt 18:23-35
the labourers in the vineyard – Mt 20:1-16
the willing and unwilling son – Mt 21:28-32
the wise and the foolish virgins – Mt 25:1-13
the division of the sheep from goats – Mt 25:31-46
INSTRUCTIONS
on reconciliation before the sacrifice – Mt 5:23-24
on avoiding oaths – Mt 5:33-37
on practising virtue in secret – Mt 6:1-8, 16-18
on taking up his yoke – Mt 11.28-30
on authority in the Church – Mt 18:15-20
on the value of celibacy – Mt 19:10-12
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. (St Padre Pio)
“Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. Have courage and do not fear the assaults of the Devil.” Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
“Whoever does not meditate, is like someone who never looks in the mirror before going out, doesn’t bother to see if he’s tidy, and may go out dirty without knowing it. The person who meditates and turns his mind to God, who is the mirror of his soul, seeks to know his faults, tries to correct them, moderates his impulses, and puts his conscience in order.” Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
“You complain because the same trials are constantly returning. But look here, what have you to fear? Are you afraid of the divine craftsman who wants to perfect His masterpiece in this way? Would you like to come from the hands of such a magnificent Artist as a mere sketch and no more?” Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
“In order to attract us, the Lord grants us many graces that we believe can easily obtain Heaven for us. We do not know, however, that in order to grow, we need hard bread: the cross, humiliation, trials and denials.” Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
“Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions, you should only speak to Him with your heart.” Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
Remember that it is not a feeling of guilt that constitutes sin but the consent to sin. Only free will is capable of good or evil. But when the will sighs under the trial of the tempter and does not will what is presented to it, not only is there no fault, but there is a virtue. Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
When you gossip about a person, it means that you have removed the person from your heart. But be aware, that when you remove a man from your heart, Jesus also goes away from your heart with that person. Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
POPE FRANCIS: Apostolic Visit to Mongolia
With fewer than 1,500 Catholics in Mongolia, Pope Francis’ upcoming visit brings attention to the long and complex history of the minority religious group
Pope Francis is set to make the first-ever visit to Mongolia, a country with fewer than 1,500 Catholics, all of whom have come to the faith since 1992. But the pope’s visit is a reminder that the country has a long and complex history with Christianity, among many other faiths.
Mongolia has only 3.4 million people, and at least 87.4% are Buddhists. The small Catholic community came into existence after this landlocked country, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, began to abandon its communist ideology and embraced different religions. At that time, it also restored diplomatic relations with the Vatican and welcomed Catholic missionaries.
But Catholicism has been known to the Mongols since the early 13th century. As a scholar of religions in Asia, I am aware that Nestorianism, a Christian tradition commonly known as the Church of the East, reached the periphery of the Mongolian plateau as early as the eighth century, long before the Mongols became active in that area. Several old tribes in the Mongolian steppes were converted to Nestorianism around 1000 C.E.
The Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan in 1206 after he conquered all the other nomadic tribes on the Mongolian Plateau. Later on, the empire extended from Mongolia to the Eastern Mediterranean regions.
Initially the Mongols practiced a Shamanic religion, worshipping the God Tengri. However, to be able to rule all conquered subjects across the vast empire, Genghis Khan issued the “Great Yasa,” a regulation allowing people under his regime the freedom to freely practice their faiths. Under the Mongol Empire, people practiced Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
The conquered tribes included Nestorian Christians, who believed that Jesus Christ had both human and divine natures and rejected that Mary was the mother of God. Christian women dominated the inner court of the Mongol Empire following their marriages with several Mongol Khans.
The messengers of the papacy
The Mongol conquest paved the way for long-distance cultural, religious and commercial exchanges across the vast Eurasian continent. For the first time, Catholic missionaries could travel along the land route to East Asia.
Genghis Khan and his sons launched a series of military campaigns in Central Asia and West Asia, conquering vast land across the Eurasian continent and reaching the borders of modern-day Hungary and Turkey.
During the conquest, the Mongols often spared many Christians in Central and West Asia, even though they killed those who resisted the Mongol rule.
The conquest shocked many in the Latin world in Europe and Muslims in the Middle East. In 1241, soon after the Mongol troops invaded Hungary and Romania, Pope Innocent IV sent Catholic missionaries, including an Italian Franciscan priest called John of Plano Carpini, to the Mongol court seeking peace.
In 1246, on orders of the pope, Carpini visited the Mongol court and urged the new ruler of the Mongol Empire, Güyük Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson, to convert to Catholicism. Güyük Khan instead asked that he summon the pope and other European rulers to swear allegiance to him.
Catholic missionaries could not find a way to convert the Mongols but continued their efforts with the successive rulers.
In 1248 a Franciscan priest named William of Rubruck, a companion of French King Louis IX, met a Dominican priest, Andrew of Longjumeau, during his visit to Jerusalem. At that time, Louis IX was leading the crusades against Muslims in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and William of Rubruck was fascinated with Andrew of Longjumeau’s suggestion of building an alliance with the Mongols against the Muslims.
In 1253, William of Rubruck visited the Mongol court in Karakorum to urge Genghis Khan’s grandson Möngke Khan to convert. Möngke Khan instead handed him a letter for Louis IX in which he not only refused to convert to Christianity but threatened to invade the heartland of Europe if the Europeans did not accept the Mongols’ eternal God, Tengri.
Catholicism and Nestorianism
William of Rubruck’s visit did not bring any immediate results in terms of conversions, but it left a more far lasting impact.
Before his visit there was not much communication between Catholic missionaries and Nestorians, but William of Rubruck was able to chronicle the activities of the Nestorian community within the Mongol Empire. The visits of Catholic missionaries also prompted many Mongol Nestorians to start going on pilgrimages to West Asia as a way to expand their influence beyond their comfort zone under the Mongol Empire.
In 1287 a Nestorian monk, Rabban Bar Sauma, embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from Khanbaliq, near modern Beijing. Later Sauma’s student Rabban Markos became a patriarch with a title Yahballaha III, or the chief of the Nestorian Church, in the Mongol-ruled Ilkhanate Empire in modern-day Iran.
At the same time, the Catholic missionaries also started to expand their influence in Central Asia. In 1307 a Franciscan priest, John of Montecorvino, built a Catholic church in Khanbaliq and became the patriarch under the order of Pope Clement V. He had converted about 6,000 people in Mongolia by 1313.
Religious revivals in Mongolia
A priest leads a service while worshippers, including two nuns, stand with prayer books and heads bowed.
Catholic Mongolians pray during a Mass at St. Peter and St. Paul parish church in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images
Over the next few centuries, the religious landscape in Mongolia continued to change, depending on who was ruling the region.
Many Mongols converted to Tibetan Buddhism during the later part of the 13th-century reign of the Kublai Khan, another grandson of Genghis Khan, who favored the religion. But after 1368, when the Mongols withdrew from central China and left Khanbaliq, the practice of Tibetan Buddhism and Catholicism was suppressed. The Nestorian community gradually disappeared and never revived again.
However, under the Qing dynasty that ruled China and Mongolia in the 17th century, Buddhism was revived. But again, in the 20th century Mongolian politics changed drastically when the country adopted communism following the Soviet Union’s intervention, and the practice of Buddhism declined again.
After Mongolia became a democracy in 1992, Mongols were allowed to freely practice their faiths again: Buddhism began to flourish, and Catholic missionaries arrived in the country and built a small Catholic community.
When the pope visits this complex religious terrain, his visit will be significant from the geopolitical and religious perspective: In June 2023, the pope visited its neighboring country Russia as part of international peacemaking efforts. But no pope has ever visited its other close neighbor, China, which does not have diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
Overall, I argue that the pope’s groundbreaking visit to Mongolia might send important signals in East Asia and, in particular, to the much larger Catholic community in China.
Source: Published: “The Conversation” - August 24, 2023, 10.26pm AEST Author: Huaiyu Chen. Professor of Religious Studies, Arizona State University. Disclosure statement: Huaiyu Chen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Accessed 26092023. At 9.23am AEST.
https://theconversation.com/with-fewer-than-1-500-catholics-in-mongolia-pope-francis-upcoming-visit-brings-attention-to-the-long-and-complex-history-of-the-minority-religious-group-210857
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 1211304214 - Pope Francis during Mass for the faithful - Photo Contributor: Stefano Guidi
EXPLORING OUR FAITH -
Catholics and the Bible
The Bible is a collection of 73 books, which were written by different people at different times and places over thousands of years.
Catholics believe that the Bible is the Word of God. We believe that it is inspired – that God influenced the human writers in a special way so that the message contained within the various literary styles and forms (eg narrative history, prophesy, poetry, wisdom, letter, apocalyptic etc) conveys divine truth.
The Bible conveys a rich treasury of understandings about God’s relationship with humanity and is our primary source for knowing most about the nature and characteristics of God. Although the Bible was formulated and recorded by human hands, it is understood as a ‘living word’ that cuts more finely than a two-edged sword and speaks into the lives of humans yesterday, today and tomorrow. Because it contains God’s truths, the Bible continues to have the power to change our lives for those who are open to drawing upon its wisdom.
The Bible is divided into two parts called the Hebrew Scriptures, commonly known as the Old Testament, (46 books) and the New Testament (27 books). A testament or a covenant is an agreement, an understanding between two parties.
The Hebrew Scriptures tell the story of God’s personal relationship, loving commitment and faithful promises to the Jews, the Chosen people of Israel. The Hebrew Scriptures was written by members of the Jewish community of faith who preceded the birth of Jesus and the Christian Church and, to this day, are an important part of its history.
The New Testament is the story of the early Christian Church. It consists of the reflections of those who knew and accepted Jesus and entered into a renewed relationship with God. Its writings come to us as portraits of Jesus (the Gospels) and letters from the first Christians, eager to share the ‘good news’ that Jesus, who died and rose again is the Saviour of the world.
Christians believe the Bible is the ‘word of God’ – the story of God’s loving plan for humankind. Catholics also speak of the Bible as ‘the Church’s book’. For Catholics, it reflects the life of a community and takes on its full meaning only in the life of the Catholic community, especially its prayer and liturgy.
Catholics are encouraged to daily read, reflect and meditate on passages from the Bible, so that they can deepen their understanding of God’s action in history and in our world. The Bible, especially the Gospels, is a source of wisdom, prayer and inspiration for Catholics to live a life modeled on the example of Jesus.
Source: https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/life/teachings-of-the-catholic-church/#catholics-and-the-bible
A MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP MARK COLERIDGE OF BRISBANE
The Referendum on the Voice brings Australia to a threshold moment, since it looks not only to our past but to our future, not only to what we have been but to what we can become.
There is no doubt that Australia has achieved great things since European settlement, and that is a source of national pride. But Australians are increasingly coming to appreciate the devastation that European settlement has brought to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Australia’s first Catholic bishop, the English Benedictine John Bede Polding, spoke plainly of their treatment.
In 1842 he wrote, “The life of an (Aboriginal) human being is valued no more than the life of a kangaroo, and far less than that of a bullock”. Later he wrote, “The Aborigine will demand, ‘What right have you to come here? We have not asked you to come, and you take away our lands, you drive away our means of subsistence’.” Polding went on to denounce “occupation by force, accompanied by murders, ill-treatment, ravishment of their women…the white man coming for his own advantage, without any regard to their rights”. He concluded,
“I am making myself [an Aborigine], putting myself in that position, taking away all that I know except that this is my country, that my father lived by pursuing the emu and the kangaroo, that I am driven away from my hunting grounds, that my children and tribe are subjected to the grossest barbarities.”
There emerged in time a policy of assimilating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples into mainstream Australian culture. However well-intentioned it may have seemed, the policy led to the dissolution of Indigenous culture. We are now familiar with the concept of terra nullius (that before European settlement, the land belonged to no one), the tragedy of the Stolen Generation and the fact that the prior habitation of the First Nations peoples was not recognised in the Australian Constitution.
Australians are now being asked to consider a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament and to executive government, which was asked for in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The hope is that this will not only offer constitutional recognition but also assist towards a more just and equitable Australia, helping to tackle not just the symptoms but the causes of chronic disadvantage.
In response, we need first to see the truth of the suffering of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the disadvantages many experience today as a result. Justice demands that we seek to rectify this disadvantage and its consequences.
We also need to listen to the Indigenous peoples, in order to learn from them and learn to love them, not see them as “the other”. Pope Francis has said of the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and how best to engage with them on issues particular to them: “They are our principal dialogue partners, those from whom we have the most to learn. Their words, hopes and fears should be the most authoritative voice at the table. Otherwise, the result would be, once again, ‘a plan drawn up by the few for the few.” The same could be said of the Indigenous peoples of Australia.
In 1986 at Alice Springs, Pope St John Paul II said to the Aboriginal people: “You are part of Australia, and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received”. Pope Francis and Pope John Paul ask us to listen to the Indigenous peoples and to receive joyfully what they have to offer the whole nation and the world.
Regrettably, the debate on the Voice has been politicised to the point where it is being enacted, as Andrew Hamilton SJ has noted, “as a battle between the Yes and the No side in which the task is not to unite the nation but to smash the opposition”. But the issues surrounding the Voice are not primarily political; they are, at their heart, moral and ethical, which makes this essentially a conscience vote.
For Christians, it is also a summons to see the issues through the lens of the Gospel and ultimately with the eye of Jesus, who is not above or apart from the Referendum process.
Therefore, all Australians need to educate themselves on the issues, asking not so much what we might lose but what the nation might gain. One part of this would be a careful and open-minded reading of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The status quo is not an option because the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia is growing wider rather than closing. Therefore, I urge everyone in the Archdiocese to prepare to vote in a way that looks to the Gospel and, whatever the result of the Referendum, to commit to redressing the chronic disadvantage suffered by the Indigenous peoples and promoting reconciliation for the good, not just of some but of the whole nation.
+Mark Coleridge Archbishop of Brisbane
Commitment To Child Safety and Vulnerable-Adult Safety
……………..See overleaf …..
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, 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/)
St Kevin’s Catholic School, Community business directory: https://www.sk.qld.edu.au/Pages/Rainbow-Connection.aspx
Urgent Message - Scam Alert!
We have received several messages from people indicating that they have been texted by a scammer impersonating various archdiocesan priests.
Technology Solutions is aware of a series of text messages sent to staff purporting to come from Archdiocesan Clergy. This offers a timely reminder to check all electronic communications carefully. On inspection, the eagle-eyed will notice the number is from an international phone number, not the person's number.
Please do not respond to this scammer or do anything they instruct.
If you or other parishioners receive this SMS message (and any other illegitimate SMS) please forward the SMS to 0429999888 (this is the Australian Government spam reporting line).
The person sends a text saying they are the name of a familiar priest (for example) and that this person cannot ring as he is in a meeting, but please help me buy gift cards for a sick person.
This is definitely a scam.
Priests would not ask people to buy gift cards or send money. We only have the usual collections and appeals via church for official purposes.
Do not reply to the SMS or email if you get one. Please report it as indicated in the paragraphs above. (that is, We recommend if you or other parishioners receive this SMS message (and any other illegitimate SMS) please forward the SMS to 0429999888 (this is the Australian Government spam reporting line).
We do not solicit money or gifts - and please warn anyone else who might not receive this message.,
(PS, the same applies to any other priest or church member; we would not seek money or gifts, and you would be advised not to respond to these sneaky scams).
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