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“At midnight, the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’” (Matt 25:6)
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed.Stock Photo ID: 2235404987 - Saint Joseph des Fins church. Stained glass window. Parable of the Ten Virgins. Annecy. France. 04-15-2021 - Important information: Editorial Use Only.
Photo Contributor: godongphoto
Pastor’s Post:
In the broader community, so-called “private ceremonies,” or even the complete absence of any funeral rites, seem an ever-increasing phenomenon. The Christian tradition sees death as something that engages not only the immediate relatives but also all our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are all part of the wider Christian family in Christ. No Christian funeral is ever truly private, just as no Sacrament of the Church is truly private (although, of course, the sacrament of penance - i.e. reconciliation - naturally has a sacred seal of absolute confidentiality to what is said in the celebration of that sacrament).
The following reflection is a version of something I have shared every year for many, many years, so it is a general reflection and not in any way directed to any specific examples. I decided years ago that this is something to share - “in and out of season.”
Some family members of a regularly practising Catholic may be unaware of how much their beloved family member cherished and practised their faith. Sometimes, sadly, family members know pretty well how much their loved one’s faith meant to them and still choose not to respect that, possibly because of personal unfamiliarity or discomfort with the things of faith. We think of the very close bonds we have with fellow parishioners, friends and neighbours, who would dearly appreciate the opportunity to attend a Christian funeral and pray for their beloved fellow brother or sister in Christ and give thanks to the Lord for the gift of their life.
Over the years, I and other parishioners have been completely shocked and saddened on occasions when a long-term member of a Catholic community (who was a regular and devout Mass attender) is buried or cremated without much or any ceremony because their immediate family were unaware of the absolute centrality of the Catholic Faith and the importance of a Catholic funeral for their loved one.
To prevent this from happening, we must let our families know clearly and unequivocally of our absolute desire for a Christian funeral prayer service or Requiem Mass in the Catholic Church. This wish should be made known clearly and broadly (preferably in writing and kept with other important personal documents, e.g., along with the WIll, and readily accessible to those responsible for carrying out the wishes of the deceased person and implementing the arrangements they request). If people attending are unfamiliar with the mass responses and are not regular participants in the Eucharist, a funeral prayer service might be most appropriate rather than a Mass.
Other instructions that I have seen left in writing by parishioners over the years is a statement about whether they want eulogies (which are optional) and whether they want an audio-visual presentation (also optional). Some people understandably do not want those elements as they find that it can distract from the focus on giving thanks to God for the gifts of life, grace and love that God has given us through the life of this beloved and eternal son or daughter of God.
Many are quite surprised to discover that eulogies and slide shows are not official elements of funeral prayers and Masses. One also has to be very careful that the choice of music or songs is consistent with the prayer and message of the Christian funeral ceremony.
Also, if a eulogy is to be given, it is best to be brief and given by one or two people and focus on the qualities of the person’s life in the context of their being a beloved son or daughter of God, from whom all gifts and blessings come. There will never be a general invitation for anyone who would “like to say a few words.” That is almost always a disaster. People also should not come to a funeral expecting to “say a few words.” The arrangements for a funeral are carefully and prayerfully prepared well in advance, and it is disrespectful to turn up and ask to speak if this has not been raised with the family and the priest well beforehand at the time of preparation. There are usually tight timing requirements (e.g. set times for burial afterwards, catering commitments, and often other commitments of the priest, musicians and other ministers after the ceremony, including another funeral or an emergency call, etc.). Also, a sense of the balance of the whole Christian ceremony is essential. This balance can easily be distorted if one element gets enlarged, out of proportion to the whole.
We have a helpful link where people can pre-prepare what they would like in the Funeral Prayer or Mass. It has many options and questions to prompt the information that is helpful for a ceremony. The link is here: https://fs19.formsite.com/paulkelly/form7/index.html.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Fr Paul Kelly
BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE MONTH OF HOLY SOULS
To celebrate ‘Life Remembrance Month’ during November, the Book of Remembrance will be placed on a small table in the sanctuary, in front of the podium.
You are invited to enter the names of your deceased loved ones and friends who have gone before us. The book will be available at the back of the Church on the weekend, where names may be added throughout the month. The book will remain in that position until Advent.
NEWS ABOUT CHANGES TO THE CATHOLIC LEADER MONTHLY NEWSPAPER
The Catholic Leader newspaper - our official archdiocesan newspaper has announced they will stop bulk deliveries. From the beginning of next year, the Catholic Leader newspaper will no longer be available for purchase at church (nor online), but will be sent by mail to individual subscribers. To support the ongoing benefit of this beautiful Catholic Brisbane newspaper, which has been published since 1929 - and to ensure that everyone who wants a copy will have their own copy - it will now be conveniently posted to your address each month. Please take an envelope and subscribe by filling out the form and posting it back post-free to the catholic leader. Please take an envelope to any housebound members of the parish so they can subscribe and receive the paper by mail. You could also buy a gift subscription for someone special. Thanks.
Or subscribe by visiting www.catholicleader.com.au/subscribe
CHILDREN’S SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM 2023
To begin or to continue the journey of faith with your child, please use the information provided in the table below.
MASS TIMES: SURFERS PARADISE MASS TIMES
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: (Alphabetical)
Leo Aguggia, Jack Barretto, Nellie Bellinger, Helen Bohringer, Julie & Paul Bowden, Coralie Brennan, Kevin Brennan, Tim Brown, Margaret Buckingham, Elizabeth Capoluco, 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, Fred Grioli, Jacob Haddad, Jenny Haines, Peter Harford, Dion Herft, Lena Hiscock, Mary Hirst, Paul Hodges, 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, Stephen O’Brien, Peter O’Brien, Natalie O’Reilly, Letty O’Sullivan, Joanne Parkes, Kay Pitman, Rachel Raines, Gus Reeves, Patricia Roberts, Rogelio Rodriguez, Bob Rogers, Mick Sherrard,Thor Skjaerbaek, Kathy Stevens, Brenda Stewart, Jim Stewart, Betty Taylor, Liza Teo, John Thomas, Baby Samuel Timothy, Leonardo Torcaso, Denise Tracey, Anne Van Deurse, Karen Vestergard, Lois Wood.
RECENTLY DECEASED: (Chronological - Most recent first):
Mike Charvet, Edick Youhanna, Josip Burda, Pascual Tantengco Jr., Peter Lawrence Britten, Miriam Jessy Fleming, Marie Antoinette Orlando, Ruben Vico, Carmel Wilkinson, David Cannon, Jean Di Benedetto, Maria Mihalic, Dr Frank Miau.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: (Alphabetical)
James Kenneth Ackroyd, Eve Barry, John Bastable, Allan and Veronica Bond, Ellen Bond, Dorothy Briffa, Pauline Margaret Brooks, Bruce Barry Basil Buckley, Ronald George (Ron) Burnell, Fr Cornelius Cahalane, Effie Elizabeth Clark, June Marea Cogan, Pat Conway, Dora Crisante, Bridget Frances Dalton, Bridget Finn, Benjamin Gage, Fr Michael Gallagher, Fr Stan Griffith, Sim Bee Hiang, relatives and friends of Howorth family, Merv Hughes, Giuseppe (Joe) Iulianetti, Halam & Amelia Japour, Mary Kirsch, John Bernard Landrigan, Marko Mazic, Agnes Kean Main McDermott, Stanley McQuee, Samir Moussa, Shirley Elizabeth O'Brien, Bob And Rose O’Sullivan, Wayne Allan Pearce, Garry Edward Pearse, Mary Catherine Reeves, Grahame Roberts, Elizabeth Mary Pauli Rose, Shirley Shepard, Sidney James Slater, Sandra Smart, Fr Edmond (TED) Stapleton, Bob Sutcliffe, Kelly Marie Sutherland, William Wall, families of Westgate-Woodgate-Wheeler, Bridget and Anne Weston, Alan Whitbread, Phyllis (Phyl) Woodhead.
And Also: (Alphabetical):
Robert Aouad, Ronald George Blacker, Remo Bos, Zelimir Bresic, Fr Thomas Carroll, Ivan Victor Clark, Elizabeth Margaret Coffey, Michael Connaghan, Pauline Mary Dolan, Joan Mary Enright, Graham Irwin, Phillip Aldur Kaljo, Fr Vincent Landener, Margaret Maclennan, Fr Terry Madden, Gertrud Marschner, Moira Winnifred Mclellan, Vere Menefy, Fr Stephan Miklos, Paul Mott, Reggie Naidoo, Anthony Netting, Fr John O'Brien, Mario Pase, Fr Virgil Pender, Adleen Elgin Radecki, Anna Restaino, Dulcie May Ricks, Vera Rose, Edmond De Ruyter, Fr Henry Ryan, Anne Ryan, Shirley Ryan, John Reginald Slattery, Carl Tamer, Shirley Patricia Williams
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
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS - SACRED HEART AND ST VINCENT’S CHURCHES
“With Expectant Hearts” is a new 22-day reflection resource that can be used during Advent Its main purpose is to help us to find a few minutes each day to practice what it means to sit with God and to trust God to lead us forward.
A short text of scripture inspires each day’s reflection and concludes with a thought or two to take away and with a prayer.
The books priced at $6 are available at the Religious Goods Shops or the Parish Office.
OUR LADY’S STATUE - Tenth Anniversary!
Praying the Rosary - Our Lady’s Statue in the Parish -
Details of the Statue of Our Lady are going around the Parish.
If you want her in your home and say the Rosary,
Please contact Maxine or Pat on 0412 519 404.
Our Lady’s Statue details for the next four weeks are
13/11/2023 Rose & Joseph Pindo Ashmore
20/11/2023 Rose & Joseph Pindo Ashmore
27/11/2023 June Nye Carrara
4/12/2023 June Nye Carrara
Please phone Maxine Sela on 0421 051 193 if you want the Statue.
Communing with the God who Comes to Us
This quiet weekend is an opportunity to reflect upon the God who constantly chooses to come to us in loving relationship. Hosted and Facilitated by: Grace Harwood of Dragonfly Ministries. When: Friday 15 December 2023 at 6pm – Sunday 17 December 2023 at 3pm OR Friday 12 January 2024 at 6pm – Sunday 14 January 2024 at 3pm Where: Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre, Wellington Street, Ormiston.
Cost: $400 ($380 for concessions) includes all accommodation, meals (an additional fee for complex special diets), resources, spiritual direction and facilitation. To register or enquire: grace@dragonflyministries.net.au or 0409 524 283
BIBLE STUDY/PRAYER GROUP- ST VINCENT’S CHURCH, SURFERS.
The Bible Study Prayer Group meets on Thursdays from 5-6 p.m. at St Vincent’s Church, 40 Hamilton Ave Surfers Paradise. We will read/study Break Open the Word once a week on a Thursday evening from 5 to 6 p.m. Please place this important day, date and time in your diary.
Studying “Break Open the Word” helps you to remember the readings for the upcoming Sunday service and enjoy fellowship with other Catholics / Christians.
Our Parish at the weekend Masses proclaims the New Revised Standard Version. We will have questions about what we will be reading.
In the end, prayerfully together, we will all leave the study session being like-minded, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about learning and understanding scripture-based faith based around our Lord Jesus Christ and the love He intended for His church and each one of us. All interested persons are encouraged to attend. Enquires to Ashley 040984069.
MEDITATION PRAYER GROUP
In the Morris prayer room, Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The Meditation Group would very much like to welcome new members. Please phone Pam Egtberts at 0428090703.
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.)
various kinds of Craftwork (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 or you can bring in your ideas
A very relaxing and social environment - meet new friends! You 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.
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.
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.
“TAP `N” GO CASHLESS DONATIONS -
AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRANCES OF THREE CHURCHES - tap once to donate $10, tap again when it has reset for another $10, and so on.
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) or vulnerable adults. The organisation is fully committed to child safety and has zero tolerance for abusing children or vulnerable adults.
A VOCATION VIEW:
We usually put a great amount of preparation into big events like weddings, anniversaries, and parties of all kinds. We should prepare much more for the final banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven! To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP -
“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” - Matthew 25:13
Many of us have put off doing something because we think we are too busy. We’ve all said, “I’ll do it later when I have time.” Unfortunately, too many of us apply this attitude to our Faith. Jesus’ call is urgent, in the here and now, in your current circumstances. How is God calling you to use your gifts today? Don’t delay. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow.
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 - Last Things
November's a good time to consider our responsibilities to those who depend on us and may be nearing the end of life. (Or perhaps we're getting long in years ourselves.) We know our social obligations: Write a will, and make our medical preferences known to doctors and family members. But Catholics have other duties too. Offering forgiveness and being forgiven are vital issues at the end of life—and every year of life. We have to ensure the sacraments are available to the elderly and the sick. How vigils, funerals, and burials are conducted matters to us. Reflect on these things now.
"Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'" (Matthew 25:1-13).
ww.takefiveforfaith.com/subscribe.
THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL -
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 445598635 - WASSERALFINGEN, GERMANY - MAY 07: Stained glass window in the parish church of St. Stephen in Wasseralfingen, Germany on May 07, 2014. Important information- Editorial Use Only.Photo Contributor: Zvonimir Atletic
* PROLOGUE: (Fr Paul) - [Gospel values included in the readings: humility, preparation, alertness, wisdom, and trusting in God's promises whilst not taking them for granted]
The only thing that seems excessive Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, (five who are wise and five who are foolish), is, okay, so they were not prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom!!... They messed up!! So?........... Surely it is a happy occasion when everyone is celebrating and in a good mood? The bridegroom is also surely a nice guy. Why lock out the bridesmaids because they were a bit disorganised and unprepared????
But this parable is designed to shock and surprise people out of their complacency.
And also…. On a wider level….. the parable has at least two universal warnings. (i) It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be obtained at the last minute. It is far too late for a student to start preparing for a major exam when the day of the examination has arrived. It is much too late for a person to acquire a skill, or a personal quality or character if they do not already possess it when the need arises for that quality to be put into action.
It is like a medical expert telling a patient who is suffering a major medical episode, "come back later, I haven't become good enough at treating THAT particular illness yet. I was going to go to a training course to perfect this next week. Come back then! Or, couldn't you have come to me with something else that I WAS actually prepared for!" No such chance!
Similarly, it is easy to leave things so late that we can no longer prepare ourselves to respond. And likewise, one can leave things too late to prepare to meet with God.
In 1660, Mary, the Princess Royal, lay dying from smallpox. She had a visit from her chaplain who, seeing her on her deathbed, sought to speak to her urgently about the ways of salvation. Her answer was delightful:
"I have not left such a matter to this hour."
Well said! To be too late is always a tragedy. And if it is too late, it does not reflect on the goodness of the one who has already closed the door and turned the key with finality. (ii)
This parable warns us that there are certain things which cannot be borrowed.
The foolish bridesmaids found it impossible to borrow oil when they discovered they needed it.
Neither can a person borrow a relationship with God; They must possess it for themselves.
A person cannot borrow a character; they must be clothed with it, wear it like a second skin.
We cannot always rely on the spiritual "capital" which others have been nurturing. There are certain things we must gain or acquire for ourselves, for we cannot borrow anything and everything from others.
Two words that are just dripping with regret and dismay are these two horrifying words: - "too late!"
We know that God is patient and compassionate and gives us so many opportunities and new starts…. But this parable is warning us not to take this for granted, because eventually, the time will come for the door to close and so we must be ever-humble, diligent and prepared.
It takes most people a lifetime for God to enrich us and develop our character into those qualities consistent with the Gospel of Jesus. It requires, on our part, a sincere openness of heart, a humility and a willingness to change and be transformed by God - And also a true state of readiness, that simply cannot be left to the eleventh hour!.
Source: THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF Matthew (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY.
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 445598635 - WASSERALFINGEN, GERMANY - MAY 07: Stained glass window in the parish church of St. Stephen in Wasseralfingen, Germany on May 07, 2014. Important information- Editorial Use Only.Photo Contributor: Zvonimir Atletic
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
NOVEMBER 15 - m - Saint Albert the Great, bishop and doctor of the Church
SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT- (c. 1200 – 15 November 1280) - (A Saint Who Loved both Faith and Science).
Live a life of excellent service - The great Dominican friar Albertus Magnus (“The Great”) died on this day, in 1280 after a long life of dedication to the church as a scholar, scientist, and briefly the bishop of Regensburg. He shunned excess and was known as a mediator—which, in his day, was a complicated matter, given the ongoing Crusades. We, too, live in an age of war, economic inequality, and general spiritual laxity. We owe it to ourselves to look to the German Dominican for inspiration to live a more rigorous life of spiritual seeking to find lasting solutions to the problems of our day.
The greater and more persistent your confidence in God, the more abundantly you will receive all that you ask.
It is by the path of love and charity that God draws near to man and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If then, we possess charity, we possess God, for "God is Charity" (1 John 4:8)
Natural science does not consist in ratifying what others have said but in seeking the causes of phenomena.
I have never gone out to mingle with the world without losing something of myself.
Banish, therefore, from thy heart the distractions of earth and turn thine eyes to spiritual joys, that thou mayest learn at last to repose in the light of the contemplation of God.
Do there exist many worlds, or is there but a single world? This is one of the noblest and most exalted questions in the study of Nature.
In this way, if you continue all the time in the way we have described from the beginning, it will become as easy and clear for you to remain in contemplation in your inward and recollected state as to live in the natural state.
Now it must be asked if we can comprehend why comets signify the death of magnates and coming wars, for philosophy writers say so. The reason is not apparent since vapour no longer rises in a land where a pauper lives than where a rich man resides, whether king or someone else.
Furthermore, it is evident that a comet has a natural cause not dependent on anything else, so it seems that it has no relation to someone's death or war. For if it be said that it does relate to war or someone's death, either it does so as a cause or effect or sign.
ST MARGARET OF SCOTLAND (c. 1045 – 16 November 1093) -
“Cease your tendency to neglect the due observance of the Lord’s day.”
“I thank You, Almighty God, for sending me so great a sorrow to purify me from my sins.”
“After receiving Holy Viaticum, she was repeating the prayer from the Missal, ‘O Lord Jesus Christ, who by thy death didst give life to the world, deliver me.’ At the words ‘deliver me,’ says her biographer, she took her departure to Christ, the Author of true liberty.”
There are two ways to be charitable: the “clean way” and the “messy way.” The “clean way” is to give money or clothing to organisations that serve the poor. The “messy way” is dirtying your own hands in personal service to the poor. Margaret’s outstanding virtue was her love of the poor. Although very generous with material gifts, Margaret also visited the sick and nursed them with her own hands. She and her husband served orphans and the poor on their knees during Advent and Lent. Like Christ, she was charitable the “messy way.” (article about St Margaret from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-margaret-of-scotland )
ST GERTRUDE the Great(January 6, 1256 – November 17, 1302)
“I understand that each time we contemplate with desire and devotion the Host in which is hidden Christ's Eucharistic Body, we increase our merits in heaven and secure special joys to be ours later in the beatific vision of God”
“Every time we look at the Blessed Sacrament our place in heaven is raised forever.”
“Soften my hard ‘self-opinionatedness’, which time has hardened so exceedingly!”
It is a fearful mistake to believe that because our wishes are not accomplished, they cannot harm us.
Property -- the more familiar it becomes, the more holy it becomes.
ST ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY – (7 July 1207 - 17 November 1231).
How could I bear a crown of gold when the Lord bears a crown of thorns? And bears it for me!
As in heaven, Your will is punctually performed, so may it be done on earth by all creatures,
particularly in me and by me.
We are made loveless by our possessions.
“How could I bear a crown of gold when the Lord bears a crown of thorns? And bears it for me!”
NOVEMBER 18 - m - The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Rome, Apostles
Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and Saint Paul's Basilica, built in the nineteenth century, both replaced older buildings erected by Constantine in the fourth century over the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul. The dedications of these churches have been commemorated together on this day since the twelfth century. As on 29 June, the universal Church joins the Church of Rome in honouring its apostles.
POPE FRANCIS:
Letter of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to the People of God
Dear sisters, dear brothers,
As the proceedings of the first session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops draw to a close, we want to thank God with all of you for the beautiful and enriching experience we have lived. We lived this blessed time in profound communion with all of you. We were supported by your prayers, bearing with you your expectations, your questions, as well as your fears.
As Pope Francis requested two years ago, a long process of listening and discernment was initiated, open to all the People of God, no one being excluded, to “journey together” under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, missionary disciples engaged in the following of Jesus Christ.
The session in which we have been gathered in Rome since 30 September is an important phase of this process. In many ways, it has been an unprecedented experience. For the first time, at Pope Francis’ invitation, men and women have been invited, in virtue of their baptism, to sit at the same table to take part, not only in the discussions but also in the voting process of this Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Together, in the complementarity of our vocations, charisms and ministries, we have listened intensely to the Word of God and the experience of others. Using the conversation in the Spirit method, we have humbly shared the wealth and poverty of our communities from every continent, seeking to discern what the Holy Spirit wants to say to the Church today. We have thus also experienced the importance of fostering mutual exchanges between the Latin tradition and the traditions of Eastern Christianity. The participation of fraternal delegates from other Churches and Ecclesial Communities deeply enriched our discussions.
Our assembly took place in the context of a world in crisis, whose wounds and scandalous inequalities resonated painfully in our hearts, infusing our work with a particular gravity, especially since some of us come from countries where war rages. We prayed for the victims of deadly violence, without forgetting all those who have been forced by misery and corruption to take the dangerous road of migration. We assured our solidarity and commitment alongside the women and men all over the world who are working to build justice and peace.
At the invitation of the Holy Father, we made significant room for silence to foster mutual listening and a desire for communion in the Spirit among us. During the opening ecumenical vigil, we experienced how the thirst for unity increases in the silent contemplation of the crucified Christ. In fact, the cross is the only cathedra of the One who, having given himself for the salvation of the world, entrusted His disciples to His Father, so that “they may all be one” (John 17:21). Firmly united in the hope brought by His Resurrection, we entrusted to Him our common home where the cries of the earth and the poor are becoming increasingly urgent: “Laudate Deum!” (“Praise God!”), as Pope Francis reminded us at the beginning of our work.
Day by day, we felt the pressing call to pastoral and missionary conversion. For the Church’s vocation is to proclaim the Gospel not by focusing on itself, but by placing itself at the service of the infinite love with which God loved the world (cf. John 3:16). When homeless people near St. Peter’s Square were asked about their expectations regarding the Church on the occasion of this synod, they replied: “Love!”. This love must always remain the ardent heart of the Church, a Trinitarian and Eucharistic love, as the Pope recalled on October 15, midway through our assembly, invoking the message of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. It is “trust” that gives us the audacity and inner freedom that we experienced, not hesitating to freely and humbly express our convergences, differences, desires and questions.
And now? We hope that the months leading to the second session in October 2024 will allow everyone to concretely participate in the dynamism of missionary communion indicated by the word “synod”. This is not about ideology, but about an experience rooted in the apostolic tradition. As the Pope reminded us at the beginning of this process, “communion and mission can risk remaining somewhat abstract, unless we cultivate an ecclesial praxis that expresses the concreteness of synodality (...) encouraging real involvement on the part of each and all” (October 9, 2021). There are multiple challenges and numerous questions: the synthesis report of the first session will specify the points of agreement we have reached, highlight the open questions, and indicate how our work will proceed.
To progress in its discernment, the Church absolutely needs to listen to everyone, starting with the poorest. This requires a path of conversion on its part, which is also a path of praise: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Luke 10:21)! It means listening to those who have been denied the right to speak in society or who feel excluded, even by the Church; listening to people who are victims of racism in all its forms – in particular in some regions to indigenous peoples whose cultures have been scorned. Above all, the Church of our time has the duty to listen, in a spirit of conversion, to those who have been victims of abuse committed by members of the ecclesial body, and to commit herself concretely and structurally to ensuring that this does not happen again.
The Church also needs to listen to the laity, women and men, all called to holiness by virtue of their baptismal vocation: to the testimony of catechists, who in many situations are the first proclaimers of the Gospel; to the simplicity and vivacity of children, the enthusiasm of youth, to their questions, and their pleas; to the dreams, the wisdom and the memory of elderly people. The Church needs to listen to families, to their educational concerns, to the Christian witness they offer in today's world. She needs to welcome the voice of those who want to be involved in lay ministries and to participate in discernment and decision-making structures.
To progress further in synodal discernment, the Church particularly needs to gather even more the words and experience of the ordained ministers: priests, the primary collaborators of the bishops, whose sacramental ministry is indispensable for the life of the whole body; deacons, who, through their ministry, signify the care of the entire Church for the most vulnerable. She also needs to let herself be questioned by the prophetic voice of consecrated life, the watchful sentinel of the Spirit’s call. She also needs to be attentive to all those who do not share her faith but are seeking the truth, and in whom the Spirit, who “offers everyone the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery” (Gaudium et Spes 22, 5), is also present and operative.
“The world in which we live, and which we are called to love and serve, even with its contradictions, demands that the Church strengthen cooperation in all areas of her mission. It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium” (Pope Francis, October 17, 2015). We do not need to be afraid to respond to this call. Mary, Mother of the Church, the first on the journey, accompanies our pilgrimage. In joy and in sorrow, she shows us her Son and invites us to trust. And He, Jesus, is our only hope!
Vatican City, October 25, 2023
https://www.synod.va/en/news/letter-of-the-xvi-ordinary-general-assembly-of-the-synod-of-bishops-to-the-people-of-god.html
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1524254300 - Stock Photo ID: 1524254300 - Vatican City, Pope Francis celebrates a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. -Important information- Editorial Use Only. Photo Contributor: Riccardo De Luca - Update
EXPLORING OUR FAITH - Popular Piety
DIRECTORY ON POPULAR PIETY AND THE LITURGY
The Sacred Liturgy, described by Sacrosanctum Concilium as the summit of the Church's life, can never be reduced to a mere aesthetic reality. Neither can it be considered simply as a means to pedagogical or ecumenical ends. Before all else, the celebration of the sacred mysteries is an act of praise to the Triune God's sovereign majesty, and is willed by God Himself. Through the Sacred Liturgy man, personally and collectively, presents himself before God to render thanksgiving, fully conscious that his existence cannot be complete without praising God and doing His will as he strives for the Kingdom which is already present but whose definitive advent is only to be found in the Parousia of the Lord Jesus. Were the Liturgy not to have its effects on life, it would become void and displeasing to God.
3. The celebration of the Liturgy is an act of the virtue of religion which, in keeping with its nature, must be characterised by a profound sense of the sacred. Both the individual and the community must be aware that, in a special way, through the Liturgy they come into the presence of Him who is thrice holy and transcendent. Consequently, the disposition required of them is one that can only flow from that reverence and awe deriving from an awareness of being in the presence of the majesty of Almighty God. Did not God Himself wish to express this when he commanded Moses to remove his sandals in the presence of the burning bush? Was it not because of this same realization that Moses and Elijah did not dare gaze on God facie in faciem.
The People of God require a comportment in their priests and deacons that is completely imbued with reverence and dignity since it allows them to penetrate invisible realities without words or explanations. The Roman Missal, promulgated by Saint Pope Pius V, and the various Eastern Liturgies, contain many very beautiful prayers with which the priest expresses a profound sense of reverence and humility before the Sacred Mysteries. These prayers reveal the very substance of every Liturgy.
A liturgical celebration, at which the priest presides, is an assembly of prayer, gathered in faith to hear the Word of God. Its primary object is to offer to God the living, pure and holy Sacrifice made once and for all time by Jesus Christ on Calvary, and which is rendered present at every Holy Mass celebrated by the Church so as to worship God in spirit and in truth.
I am aware of this Congregation's deep commitment, and that of the Bishops, to the promotion and development of the Church's liturgical life. In expressing my appreciation, it is my hope that this valuable work will contribute to make the celebration of the Liturgy ever more dignified and fruitful.
4. With a view to the preparation of a Directory, your Plenary has chosen popular religiosity as its main topic. Popular piety is an expression of faith which avails of certain cultural elements proper to a specific environment which is capable of interpreting and questioning in a lively and effective manner the sensibilities of those who live in that same environment.
Genuine forms of popular piety, expressed in a multitude of different ways, derives from the faith and, therefore, must be valued and promoted. Such authentic expressions of popular piety are not at odds with the centrality of the Sacred Liturgy. Rather, in promoting the faith of the people, who regard popular piety as a natural religious expression, they predispose the people for the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.
5. The correct relationship between these two expressions of faith must be based on certain firm principles, the first of which recognises that the Liturgy is the centre of the Church's life and cannot be substituted by, or placed on a par with, any other form of religious expression. Moreover, it is important to reaffirm that popular religiosity, even if not always evident, naturally culminates in the celebration of the Liturgy towards which it should ideally be oriented. This should be made clear through suitable catechesis.
Forms of popular religiosity can sometimes appear to be corrupted by factors that are inconsistent with Catholic doctrine. In such cases, they must be patiently and prudently purified through contacts with those responsible and through careful and respectful catechesis - unless radical inconsistencies call for immediate and decisive measures.
Judgements on these matters is for the diocesan Bishop or for the Bishops of a given territory in which such forms are found. In this case, Bishops should share their experience so as to provide common pastoral guidelines and avoid contradictory positions which can be detrimental for the Christian people. In any event, Bishops should take a positive and encouraging stance with regard to popular religiosity, unless there are patently obvious reasons to the contrary.
Source: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html
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
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