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“‘Stop grumbling among yourselves,’ Jesus answered.” (John 6:43)
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed Stock Photo ID: 1738643213 - BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 3, 2020: The fresco of Last supper in the chruch Iglesia de Belen by artists (Grupo Flama) from half of 20. Cent. Important information. Editorial Use Only. Photo Contributor: Renata Sedmakova
PASTOR’S POST -
A Prayer to Start the Day. (Learning Christ).
Teach me, Lord, to be kind and gentle in all the events of life -
In disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others,
in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied,
in the insincerity of those I trusted.
Let me put myself aside to think of others;
let me learn to hide my own small pains and heartaches,
so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.
Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path,
and let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me;
that it may make me patient, not irritable;
that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, haughty or overbearing.
May no one be less good for having come within my influence -
no one less pure, less kind, less noble for having shared my company.
And as I go my rounds from one distraction to another,
let me not forget to speak, from time to time, a word of love to you. ,
May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good,
and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.
(Cardinal John Henry Newman)
God is continually at work to sustain us in our needs. For example, we look at the way God sent an angel to Elijah to touch him and give him a simple scone and water to sustain him on his arduous journey to the mountain of God. I believe that, in many simple and everyday ways, God sends us “angels of mercy” (in the guise of people, events, and opportunities) to sustain, nurture and encourage us on our way, especially when we are struggling. God gives us the Eucharist as the perfect food for our spiritual journey as disciples of Jesus. It is not an easy path to follow Jesus, but it is the path of life.
"The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The first reading and gospel readings pick up where they left off last Sunday, and there are several lines of continuity. Last week, the Israelites “grumbled” again at Moses and Aaron for letting them starve, while today, the people “murmured about Jesus” because he did feed them—but with what was for them the problematic bread from heaven. The gospel this week also continues a shift of emphasis from belief in Jesus’ words to the necessity of eating his flesh, which is the living bread, in the Eucharist.
In addition, the readings point toward an encounter with God: Ezekiel’s anticipated journey to the mountain of God; the goodness of the Lord so palpable one can “taste and see” it; Ephesians’ encourages us to imitate God; and Jesus who is the “bread that came down from heaven.”
In the first reading, Elijah is shown as despairing—again! This time, it wasn’t only famine and drought. His land and king had gone wrong; the prophets who might have pointed things in a better direction were dead, and someone wanted to kill him, so he decided to lie down under a tree and wait to die. God, however, wouldn’t let him—also again! Twice, an angel woke and fed him to keep him alive and prepare him for a long walk to meet his God. In what ways does God touch you and give you strength and hope for life’s journey?
The holy Eucharist contains the whole spiritual treasure of the church, that is, Christ himself. —[Second Vatican Council, Presbyterorum Ordinis (no. 5), 1965]
Whoever wishes to fully understand Christ's words must try to pattern their whole life on that of Christ. – [Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ]
Fr Paul Kelly
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will be celebrated at the Sacred Heart Church, Clear Island Waters, 9 am and 6 pm this Thursday 15th August.
DATE CLAIMER - OFFICIAL INSTALLATION MASS FOR FR PAUL AS PARISH PRIEST - BY HIS GRACE, ARCHBISHOP MARK COLERIDGE
Installation of Parish Priest – Fr Paul
Saturday 31st August 2024
Start: 9.30 am
Mass for the Installation of Parish Priest – Fr Paul. Sacred Heart Catholic Church. 50 Fairway Drive. Clear Island Waters. Qld 4226
ANNUAL CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN - 17-18th August in all parishes in Brisbane Archdiocese
THE ANNUAL CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN WILL BE HELD NEXT WEEKEND - PLEASE SUPPORT THIS MAIN ARCHDIOCESAN FUNDRAISER WITH YOUR PRAYERS AND ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. GOD BLESS
THE BIBLE TIMELINE – THE STORY OF SALVATION
ADULT FAITH FORMATION BIBLE STUDY
From One Holy Couple (Creation) to
One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church (Today)
WHEN: On the last Sunday of the Month – commencing on 28th July 2024.
WHERE: in the Parish Hospitality Room - (next to Sacred Heart Church - 50 Fairway Drive, Clear Island Waters
Queensland 4226, on Sundays from 10 am – 12 pm.
There is no cost; however, you will need to purchase The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation, Study Set ($35.95 plus postage), which can be obtained from Ascension Press – The Faith Formation Leader. The Study Set will contain The Bible Timeline Study Book, Chart and Bookmark - https://ascensionpress.com/
NOTE: If you want us to purchase for you (we may save a little postage in bulk), we will need your details by Tuesday next week (23rd July) to ensure that you have the material on time for 28th July.
Around seven years ago, we looked at Unlocking the Mysteries of the Bible. This study program is the complete study version, an In-depth Exploration of Salvation History, which will require considerable pre-reading monthly of various sections of the Bible, and that is why we will do it monthly to ensure we allow ourselves sufficient time to give this Study our full participation. This way, we will get the most from the sessions, and once we see the big picture of the Bible, we will be able to understand Scripture in a whole new way. The Mass readings will make more sense. You will see how our beliefs as Catholics are rooted in Scripture, your prayers will come to life, and you will know how you are part of this remarkable story.
The Bible Timeline® study program takes you on a guided journey through salvation history. Presenter Jeff Cavins shows you how fourteen of the Bible’s narrative books tell the biblical story from beginning to end and gives you the keys to understanding the amazing story woven through Scripture. Using a unique colour-coded chart, you will learn the Bible's significant people, places, and events, and discover how they all come together to reveal the remarkable story of our Faith. Bookings can be made by ringing the Parish Office (new): (07) 5671 7388 (9 am – 2 pm Mon-Fri). We’re excited to be able to present this resource, so join us!
CAR PARKING AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH CAR PARKS
Please note that it is a Gold Coast City Council infringement to park in any of the Church car parks at Sacred Heart, Stella Maris and St Vincent’s with your car protruding onto the footpath.
Motorists must not park any part of a vehicle on a nature strip or footpath.
This applies to all vehicles, including motorcycles.
Infringement notices will be (and have been) issued.
SCAM ALERT!
Scam messages are doing the rounds again.If you receive a suspicious or confusing SMS message (and any other illegitimate SMS), or a suspicious email, we recommend forwarding it to 0429 999 888 (the Australian Government spam reporting line). Or if it is an email message of concern, please forward it to: report@submit.spam.acma.gov.au
PALMS AUSTRALIA
Several overseas communities in Asia, the Pacific, and Africa are seeking Australian Catholics for their Global Mission. For those faithful who hear the call, we offer an opportunity to live and use their professional expertise to mentor others in an overseas community.
Following our recent In-person Discovery Sessions, Palms is holding an online webinar on Thursday, 15 August, for all interested in learning more about mission life. As an online session, we expect parishioners will find this easier to fit into their busy schedules.
Please find attached a bulletin notice to advertise this event among your parishioners. I appreciate that bulletin space is tight, but please include it in your bulletins on weekends leading up to the session.
Additionally, for those who would like a short taste and tour of Palms placements, our last Palms Encounter for 2024 will travel to Timor Leste from 20 October to All Saints Day. I have also attached a poster for your noticeboards, please. Again, thank you for your continued support and prayers during our shared mission. God bless. Kevin Wilson | Finance and Networks - Palms -
To tune in to The Weekend Mass (the sound podcast), please regularly visit the link below to listen to the Mass (including the sermon) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish. Please see this link: Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) - (It is updated at intervals just before the following Sunday or Feastday - https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
Also found at - https://tinyurl.com/FHLpwk.
Cathy Anderson andersoncm@bne.catholic.net.au.
Please use the information in the table below to begin or continue the faith journey with your child.
MASS TIMES: SURFERS PARADISE MASS TIMES
” 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.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: Please also pray for the following who are ill. (Alphabetical)
Milroy Antony, Tricia Baumann, Nadia Che, Tina Conidi, Helen Cooper, Alfonso Covino, Shirley Croft, Christopher Eid, Lorraine Gallagher, Ellanie Gonzalez, Jenny Haines, Tommy Harris, Kevin Junee, Kath Kiely, Jan Kristenson, Dannielle Therese Larney, Nathan Lepp, Michael Tiger McCormick, Bill McGuigan, Joanne Mooney, Maryann Moore, Denis Mullins, Margaret Orme, Letty O’Sullivan, Carmela Parente, Lesley Petroni, Rachel Raines, Luis Hernan Restrepo, Bob Rogers, Maureen Scott, Brenda Stewart, Betty Taylor, Leonardo Torcaso, Denise Tracey, Paul Trad, Billy Webb.
RECENTLY DECEASED: (Chronological - Most recent first):
Chieko Kajiwara, Veda Hope, Michael McCormick, John Thomas, Sheila Nelly Brick, Illuminada Concepcion, Peter Casserly, Diane Van Der Valk, Enrico Di Moia, Norma McLennan, Bernard Colahan, Paula Beric, Helen Cooper, Elizabeth Howell, Pamela and Bill Caralis, Joanne Parkes, Rev Bill Adams, Ken Vincent, Robert De Souza, Chris Kopacz, Panfilo Bantugan, Elaine Smyth, Marie Hunt, Ma.Cristina.C.Dagg Dagg, Eufemia Calip, Carlos Alberto Da Silva, Maurice Goss, Diana Cattanach, Ailsa Stack, Penny Ackerman, Vince Shanahan, Natalia Di Pietro, Grant Davenport, Nino Miano, June Mye.
ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: (Alphabetical)
Barry John Arderne, Michael George Armstrong, Janine Ailsa (Jan) Bastian, Mary (Molly) Biltoft, Charles Cam, Fr Bryan Carmichael, Maria Di Certo, Bernie Crane, John Joseph Despard, Russell Forrestal, Gary Foster, John Richard Gardner, Fr Michael Greene, Moira Ellen Hargrave, Peter George Jitani, Justin McCarthy King, Fausto Mascia, Fr Joe McGeehan, Marija (Marie) Ivka (nee Sunich) Mercep, Marie Peters, Giuseppina Rovella, John Joseph Sesta, Patricia (Pat) Sievers.
And Also: (Alphabetical):
Fr Brian Bolton, Alyce Catherine Boswell, Mons Francis Burton, Fr Con Busser, George Busuttil, Nea Mary Butler, Fr Dan Carroll, Mons Vincent Cleary, Fr Mark Cosgrove, Eileen Coyle, Lyn Daly, Pamela Mary Davis, Joan Degan, Gloria June Louise Diamond, Wayne John Egan, Vera Endrody, Roslyn Mary Fisher, Stewart Gallagher, Paolo Mario (Paul) Giacomantonio, Margaret Gore, Shirley Ann Hishon, Fr Liam Horsfall, Brian Edmund Jones, Bozo Kardum, Nicholas Anthony Kyle, Fausto Mascia, Noelle Hope Matthew, Fr Francis McKinlay, Francesco Mennella, Bruce Milgate, Patrick Needham, Fr Arthur O'Brien, Fr Arthur O'Keeffe, Eileen O'Reilly, Fr Peter Schultz, Reg Sheehan, Fr Hilary Turner, Joe Vella, Aleksandra Bodziak- Zbierowska.
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 go 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 Private Hosp.- Southport Parish. 5510 2222
SACRED HEART CHURCH
Found - ladies ring at the rear of the church, pickup Parish Office
RELIGIOUS GOODS SHOPS - SACRED HEART AND ST VINCENT’S CHURCHES
Sacramental gifts and many other religious items available at the shops, open before and after the Masses at Sacred Heart and St Vincent’s.
PLANNED GIVING ENVELOPES
Uncollected envelopes have been returned to the Parish Office.
Please phone the office ph 56717388 we will send to your nominated church for collection, the following weekend. Thank you.
MARIAN VALLEY
Please come and join us at the Marian Valley Church for the Lady of Fatima Feast on the 17.08.2024 Feast of Christ the Redeemer. The bus will be picking up Sharp at 8.15 am at the Sacred Heart Church Clear Island Waters. The Cost for the bus fare $25.00 return. You can secure your seat with contact name and contact phone number with Xavier Solomon 0404 843 260, Madeleine on 0405 252 367 or 5529 1573, All are welcome.
SACRED HEART ROSARY PRAYER GROUP
Please join us to pray the Divine Mercy and Rosary each day at 8:15 a.m. at the Sacred Heart Church before 9 a.m. Mass, Monday through Friday, including First Saturdays.
ANOINTING MASS - MASS OF HEALING FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH (February-November Inclusive)
The next Healing Mass is August 3/9/24, at 10 a.m, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, followed by morning tea. Please let others know who would love to come along.
FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament First Friday, 6/9/24, at Sacred Heart Church from 7 pm to 8.30 pm. All welcome. "Could you not watch one hour with Me" Mt 26:4
FIRST SATURDAY MASS AND BENEDICTION
First Saturday Mass at Sacred Heart Church, Clear Island Waters. 7/9/24 at 9 am - Followed by adoration and Benediction. {This is a votive Mass for the Blessed Virgin Mary}.
ART AND CRAFT GROUP
The Group meets in the Parish Hospitality Centre on Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 noon. 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 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.
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, please email surfers@bne.catholic.net.au.
OUR LADY’S STATUE -
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. For more information, please email: psela@bigpond.com
or surfers@bne.catholic.net.au
Our Lady’s Statue details for the next several weeks are:
12/08/2024. Nardine & Ayline Merrimac
19/08/2024 Helen & Thor Skjaerback Merrimac
26/08/2024 Helen & Thor Skjaerback Merrimac
02/09/2024 Bernadette Hensley & Family Arundel
09/09/2024 Bernadette Hensley & Family Arundel
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 more information, please email: surfers@bne.catholic.net.au
BIBLE STUDY/PRAYER GROUP - ST VINCENT’S CHURCH, SURFERS PARADISE.
The Bible Study Prayer Group meets every Thursday from 5-6 pm at St Vincent’s Church,
(40 Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise). Come along and read/study Break Open the Word
weekly from 5 pm to 6 pm. For further enquiries, please contact the Parish Office. surfers@bne.catholic.net.au
MEDITATION PRAYER GROUP
The meditation group meets in the Morris prayer room on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. It would very much like to welcome new members. For more information, please email: surfers@bne.catholic.net.au
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 contact Grace. For more information please email:grace.flowers.art@hotmail.com or surfers@bne.catholic.net.au
SHALOM MEDIA
I am pleased to inform you about our upcoming program, "Glorious Lives," which features the inspiring life stories of Catholic saints. It is with great joy that I announce the premiering of the life story of Australia's beloved saint, St. Mary MacKillop, scheduled for August 8th at 7:00 PM on Shalom World TV, aligning with the saint's feast day.
The film not only showcases St. Mary MacKillop's remarkable achievements and contributions but also features interviews with historians, educators, and individuals inspired by her legacy. Viewers will experience the challenges she overcame and the steadfast faith that drove her mission. This compelling film, produced over six months, combines dramatic re-enactments with expert interviews to delve into her extraordinary life. We request your kind assistance in spreading this news among your parishioners and fellow Catholics, encouraging them to tune in to Shalom World TV for the premiere of this exceptional film and explore the enduring legacy of a woman whose influence continues to inspire today.
The channel is accessible for free download on all smart TVs and devices, allowing unlimited viewing.
Let us take this opportunity to celebrate and reflect upon the beauty and inspiration of our Catholic saints, particularly St. Mary MacKillop, the patron saint of Australia.
With prayerful best wishes for the success of this mission, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you dear father. Please click on the following link to watch the promo video and use the flyer for your newsletter.
https://youtu.be/emSo6jr-aBI?si=7RX Weed cWG mP5-f
Please visit: Shalom World https://www.shalomworld.org/
HOMILY: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed.Stock Photo ID: 1275986371 - Vienna, Austria, 2016/11/26. The icon of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ in Saint Hripsime Church (Armenian Apostolic Church). -Important information
Editorial Use Only. - Photo Contributor: Adam Jan Figel
Homily: Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.Year B - Sunday, 11 August 2024
Prologue: It is important to believe that God is continually at work trying to sustain us in our needs. For example, we look at the way God sent an angel to Elijah to touch him and give him a simple scone and water, in order to sustain him on his difficult journey to the mountain of God. I believe that, in many simple and everyday ways, God sends us “angels”, (people, events, opportunities), which are meant to sustain and nurture and encourage us on our way, especially when we are struggling along the way. And God gives us Eucharist as the perfect food for our spiritual journey as disciples of Jesus. It is not an easy path to follow Jesus, but it is the path of life.
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In the readings this weekend, we see more examples of people losing hope, complaining, and giving up. Whilst, The Lord is continuously shown offering new strength, feeding the starving, encouraging those who are downcast, challenging us and willing us to keep trusting, keep walking humbly in God’s abundant care and providence. To sustain us, God gives us his life-giving word, as well as his very self; in the Eucharist. God showers us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to give us the grace to be the people God calls us to be and become what God intends. God even sends us “angels” (in the broadest sense of the word…. Agents of God’s grace to encourage us, nourish us and refresh us in times of struggle and doubt. ).
This weekend's readings are inspiring and beautiful, and continue the clear Eucharistic themes from the Gospel.
Without any doubt, Our Lord is being very clear: Jesus is the true bread from Heaven. He is the bread of life. Anyone who eats this Bread from Heaven will have eternal life. Jesus gives us true nourishment to continue on the path of life and discipleship.
There is a line in the first reading that really strikes me. The prophet Elijah is physically, spiritually and emotionally exhausted. He is ready to give up. It all seems too much, and too hard. So, God sends an Angel to help him. The Angel wakes him up twice and says " get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you." I think that is a very telling piece of advice. Following God is a difficult and challenging task. It is not an easy path, even if it is the path of life. It is possible, with God's help to complete this journey of discipleship and follow the path that God has set for us, but it needs the training of an athlete. And it needs nourishment and strength from God. What this is saying is You WILL NOT be strong enough, you will certainly NOT be resilient and nourished enough UNLESS you take the support and nourishment that God asks of you and offers you. This is our task, as well as God's gift. Our Lord said a similar thing to his Apostles when he was teaching them… pray, fast, stay watchful… lest or you will not be able to face the time of trial. (Even they did not fully listen to him and some of them stumbled badly.. but Our Lord helped them back up….)
If we think that we can be effective disciples of Jesus who do what Jesus wants and not merely what WE might want;… and if we think we can do the task of discipleship that Jesus has set each and every one of us, WITHOUT making use of the nourishment that Jesus gives us, we are kidding ourselves… The nourishment Jesus gives us is regular Eucharist and regular nourishment and challenge from listening to God's word in the scriptures. The nourishment we need to take is also regular prayer life, (both in the community and also privately- both are essential – lest one or the other becomes stagnant and cut off from the wider picture). The food we need to take, (lest the journey become too arduous for us), is the support and challenge of the community of faith and also the nourishment from the Christs message, values and personality and actions.
The second reading, From Saint Paul to the Ephesians, is very special. It really encourages us to become a people who have been transformed as disciples of Christ, in our actions and attitudes, as well as in name. The quality of our discipleship will show itself in the way we act. Saint Paul encourages the community:
"Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, (forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ).
Try, then, to imitate God, (as children of his that he loves), and follow Christ by loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place…." (Ephesians 4:30 - 5:2, Jerusalem Bible).
Oh, what a wonderful, life-giving community we are called into. And it is attained not by sheer willpower and determination, but by regular nourishment and refreshment by God's grace, that is found and given to us in the sacraments and in God's word. This allows God's grace to grow in us, and crowd-out anything that is not consistent with the Gospel.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
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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
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 adults at risk. The organisation is fully committed to child safety and has zero tolerance for abusing children or adults at risk.
YEAR OF PRAYER - RESOURCE
Colossians 1:15-18 -
“Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
https://evangelisationbrisbane.org.au/year-of-prayer/
A VOCATION VIEW:
Jesus, the Bread of Life, has come so we might have life to its fullness. Fervent reception of the Holy Eucharist helps us to discover the path God has created us to follow. (John 6:41-51). Embrace the call to your vocation as a source of spiritual nourishment, just as Jesus is the living bread that sustains our souls.
To talk to someone about your vocation, contact Vocation Brisbane: 1300 133 544. vocation@bne.catholic.net.au and www.vocationbrisbane.com
STEWARDSHIP -
“Get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you!” 1 Kings 19:7
God knows that committing to a stewardship lifestyle is difficult.However, we were not designed to do it on our own, we need God’s help.Fortunately, God gave us the greatest gift of all, His son, Jesus.Through the gift of the Eucharist, we unite our sacrifice with Jesus’ sacrifice to do the will of God, Our Father.We receive the strength and courage to be His missionary disciples.
The vision of Stewardship speaks in every aspect of life, inviting everyone to be thankful, and generous, and accountable for what each has been given.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH - Patience first
In the spring many people were troubled by the Vatican’s announcement of an investigation of an organization of U.S. Catholic sisters. They wrote and spoke out in support of the sisters, sometimes in bitter and angry words. Such feelings are understandable, but quieter voices—often those of the sisters themselves—urged patience and mutual respect while differences are discussed. Saint Paul may have had our uncivil times in mind when he insisted we remove “all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling.” His antidote: Be imitators of God by your care for one other even in disagreement. Simplistic? Perhaps, but in Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians he defines love first not as kindness but patience.
“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.” (Ephesians 4:30-5:2).
INSPIRATION FROM THE SAINTS:
– St Jane Frances de Chantal
Follow your way of speaking to our Lord sincerely, lovingly, confidently and simply, ...
“In prayer, one must hold fast and never let go, ...
“Suffering borne in the will, quietly and patiently...
“The great method of prayer is to have none. ...
“Fly to the Catholic Church! Adhere to the only faith that continues to exist from the beginning, that faith preached by Paul and upheld by the Chair of Peter.” St Hippolytus
AUGUST 15 - S - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“While she lived on this earth, she could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is close to us, actually “within” all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God. Being in God and with God, she is close to each one of us, knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness and has been given to us, as the Lord said, precisely as a “mother” to whom we can turn at every moment.”
“St Augustine says: “Before conceiving the Lord in her body, she had already conceived him in her soul”. She had made room for the Lord in her soul and thus really became the true Temple where God made himself incarnate, where he became present on this earth. Thus, being God’s dwelling place on earth, the eternal dwelling place has already been prepared; it has already been prepared forever. And this constitutes the whole content of the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into heavenly glory, expressed here in these words. Mary is “blessed” because she became the Lord’s dwelling place in body, soul, and forever. If this is true, Mary does not merely invite our admiration and veneration, but she guides us, shows us the way of life, how we can become blessed, how to find the path of happiness.”
AUGUST 16 - Saint Stephen of Hungary
“Be HUMBLE in this life, that God may raise you in the next. Be truly MODERATE, and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be GENTLE so that you may never oppose justice. Be HONOURABLE so that you may never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be CHASTE so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death.”
“Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'”
“Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; instead, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things, and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.
THE POPE
Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed.Stock Photo ID: 2388999871 - Pope Francis delivers his blessing to the faithful at the end of his weekly general audience - Photo Contributor: Riccardo De Luca - Update
José Tolentino de Mendonça is known in Rome as “the poet cardinal” because Pope Francis told him “you are the poetry” in the College of Cardinals when he gave him the red hat. That was on Oct. 6, 2019, when he served as the archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church, a post he held from 2018 to 2022. In 2022, the pope appointed Cardinal Tolentino as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education.
Today, the 58-year-old Portuguese cardinal is widely recognized not only as a poet—he represented Portugal at World Poetry Day in 2014—but also as one of the leading intellectuals of the Roman Curia. The seventh-youngest member of the College of Cardinals, he organized two significant cultural events this year involving Pope Francis. The first was the pope’s encounter with artists in a women’s prison at the Venice Biennale contemporary art festival on April 28; the second was the meeting with some of the world’s most famous comedians in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall on June 14.
To learn more about this poet, theologian and intellectual, I sat down with the cardinal—commonly referred to by one of his baptismal names, Tolentino—on July 10 for an hour-long interview in the dicastery that he leads, with a breathtaking view of St. Peter’s Basilica. The interview is divided into two parts. Part I focuses on his early life in Angola, his entry to the seminary and debut as a teenage poet in a leading Portuguese daily, and his teaching experience in Catholic universities in Brazil. Part II speaks of his relationship with Pope Francis, life in the Roman Curia, the main challenges facing the church today and his view of the Synod on Synodality.
Childhood in Africa
Cardinal Tolentino was born on the island of Madeira, Portugal, on Dec. 15, 1965, the youngest of five children, and at the age of 1, his family moved to Angola, then a Portuguese colony. “I spent my childhood there, and that certainly marked my life,” he said. “It helped form my soul, my outlook. Not only because the secret of a man is what he experiences in childhood but also because Africa allows us an experience of the world with breadth, with originality, with an intact, still primordial, sense of the world, since Africa makes us feel like the first humans, the first inhabitants of the earth.”
There, he experienced in his heart “spaces without boundaries,” he said, discovering that “space and our way of living have no boundaries.” He recalled, “The spaces were huge, both the convivial spaces and the landscape, and that formed in me a disposition for contemplation, for attention to reality.” He experienced “an enchanted world, not this disenchanted world of modernity, but a world prior to modernity, and that marked me very much afterward.”
“I grew up in a large family, an extended family that included aunts, cousins, like typical big Portuguese families that really like to live together,” the cardinal recalled. “So I spent my childhood not only in my house but in my aunt’s house, and there was no difference between our table and the table of other relatives. So there was really an idea of community that has been with me for as long as I can remember, and the joy of being together.”
His classmates in school and catechesis classes “were African, and I always had a good relationship with them because children move the boundaries; for me there was no difference between a Black African friend and me.” It was only later, he said, “that I reflected on the colonial experience. And recently visiting Angola again, I realized how much the colonial system, which also was a racist system, blocks the reality and does not let fraternity flow in a right way. Today, looking back on my history, I read some episodes as episodes of racism. There were not equal opportunities for everyone, but that was the colonial system that, thank God, has now been overcome.”
Return to Portugal
The Portuguese withdrew from Angola in November 1975 without formally handing over power to any of the independence movements, and many Europeans living there, including the cardinal’s family, fled the country. The cardinal, who was 9 at the time, recalled this as “a dramatic moment. Hundreds of thousands were taken from Angola in an airlift and in ships to return to Portugal with virtually nothing to rebuild their lives. For my parents—like for all the parents of that generation—it was a dramatic challenge because, with their five children, they had to find jobs, find homes, rebuild their life, rebuild everything.”
“That experience brought us very close together,” he said. “It helped me a lot to understand the value of family because in these hours we had nothing left, but we had the family. And slowly with love and by keeping united, we made the way forward.”
“Dramatic as that moment of decolonization was,” he said, “it gave me a great sense of the beauty of the family as a place of safety and the common building of our humanity, and seeing how parents safeguard the joy of their children.” He said he experienced this exodus from Angola “not as a trauma but as an opening of new worlds.”He recalled the re-entry to Portugal, on the island of Madeira, as something “very nice” ecause of the influence of his maternal grandmother, who lived with them in Angola. “Although she was an illiterate woman,” the cardinal said, “she introduced us all, her grandchildren, to the oral songbook, telling us the stories, the poems of Portugal, and so when we returned to Madeira it was like going back to the environment of those stories that we used to hear from her in Africa.”
Reflections on Africa
Reflecting on his experience in Africa, Cardinal Tolentino says, “I would say contact with Africa always leaves us with three things. The first is the ‘mal d’Africa,’ or nostalgia. One always wants to go back, it comes from a passion for those people, their spontaneity, and the high human quality that Africans culturally have.”
“Second,” he said, “the youth of Africa; wherever we turn we see children, young people. It is truly a continent where youth has exploded and that is a hope, but also a huge challenge. In terms of education, for example, how to offer educational proposals, how to really promote those generations and not condemn them to an uncertain future, to migration.”
“The third aspect is the pressing need for a framework of international thinking that has respect for the just independence of each country, each people, that can help Africa because there the level of poverty and social inequality is massive. Western countries have a historical responsibility here; that is also a challenge for them, to think of alternative forms of building greater real social justice.”
Cardinal Tolentino rejoices that the Dicastery for Culture and Education can help Africa by investing in and strengthening its university network, which he sees as “a resource of hope for both the church and the society in Africa.”
He noted that the continent also boasts artistic communities “with incredible vitality in all disciplines from a cultural perspective. They can offer testimonies, experiences that can be very enlightening.” He envisages “the increasing inclusion of African artists and theologians in our [dicastery’s] committees” and said that he has seen firsthand “the enthusiasm of African theology.”
Reflecting on the role of the Catholic Church in Africa, Cardinal Tolentino said: “The church [there] really anticipated what European nations understood only later…for example, by entrusting whole episcopates to native priests like in the case of Angola or by fostering the life of local communities in Africa.” He recalled that when Pope Paul VI received the leaders of the independence movements of the former Portuguese colonies at the Vatican in 1970, it was viewed with hostility by the authoritarian government of António de Oliveira Salazar.
“It means the church has had a prophetic role,” the cardinal said, “and I think it continues to have it today because we can’t think of the future without Africa, although the levels of development don’t seem to be at the level of the so-called First-World countries. Nevertheless, they have anthropological resources, future resources, beyond our own. That we promote the dialogue, the collaboration, the integration of Africa in everything we do and think is so important.”
Seminary and poetry
In 1976, a year after returning to Portugal, Cardinal Tolentino entered the minor seminary in Funchal “at the age of 10 or 11.” Today, however, the cardinal does “not recommend so much” such an early entry to the seminary. “I think vocational discernment should be done in a more integrated form in families at an older age. But those were the times, the paradigms that I grew up in.”
Looking back, he recalled that the seminary opened a whole new world for him. “Because it had two huge libraries, it gave me the opportunity to be a reader, an omnivorous reader, as a teenager who appropriates the world through books and culture,” he said.
In the seminary, he said, “I started writing, like many teenagers do.” He remarked, “I think every teenager in the world has written at this age a poem or has tried. But in the case of poets, it is something that becomes more and more serious and it becomes a life issue, and not just an antenna to intercept the world. It also becomes a language, decisive for the lived expression of our worldview.”
He recalled that in those years “the big newspapers had a literary supplement where young poets and writers made their debut. As a seminarian, I, too, made my debut in a national newspaper, Diario de Noticias, where my generation of writers started.”
He acknowledged that “[i]t was a little strange because someone who is in the seminary seems somewhat outside the world.” But, he said, “maybe literature called me to the world, and that also marked a part of my personal history. I felt a very great desire to dialogue with [the world of] my time.”
“I have always had a passion for dialogue with the world,” the cardinal said. “As a priest, I worked for 20 years in a university and that opened me up to a very, very different, interdisciplinary world.”
Asked why or how he started to write poetry, the cardinal said it was difficult to say. “No one knows how poetry came about,” he said. “They say it is related to the worship of the dead. They say it is related to the lullaby of mothers. They say it is the language of childhood. They say it is a very sophisticated form of language. It is not known historically how poetry began as art, as a form of knowledge. Even in a person’s life you don’t know, you don’t know how a poet is made. Certainly, there are conditions of life, sensibility and culture that lead to a certain kind of relationship with language and make language a form of attention, of hospitality, of human experience, of reflection on self.”
Global Studies
Cardinal Tolentino began his studies for the priesthood in 1982 at the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon and obtained a licentiate in theology in 1989. In 1990, he was ordained a priest and sent to Rome to pursue a licentiate in biblical studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, which he completed in 1992.
He lived for one year in New York (2011-12), engaging in post-doctoral research on religion and public reason at the Straus Institute for the Advanced Study of Law and Justice at New York University.
He described New York as “one of the world’s most beautiful, most diverse cities.” Indeed, he said that for those who love culture, “it’s kind of like going to the ancient cities; New York is a major landmark.”
He rejoiced that while living there he “was able to follow in the pathway of Dorothy Day” and came to understand “a social Christianity in New York that is closer to the tradition of the social doctrine of the church rather than to cultural power only.” At the same time, he said, “I was also very touched by the loneliness that can be felt walking the city’s streets.”
After returning from New York, he became the vice rector of the Catholic University of Portugal in 2012 and held that post until his move to the Vatican in 2018. He served as the director of the university’s Center for Studies of Religions and Cultures from 2012 to 2017, during which time he held multiple visiting professorships at two Jesuit-led tertiary education institutions in Brazil.
From his long teaching experience, he said he knows that “students are always magnificent because they are in a stage of openness, of curiosity.” But he was especially impressed by “the quality” and “freedom of association in reading” of the students in Brazil. For example, he said, “they would take a contemporary philosopher together with a church father and do so with a naturalness that is not usual in Europe…. They put it all together with creativity and a depth that amazed and fascinated me.”
He is impressed, too, by the Latin American bishops and how they have worked together in the episcopal conference of Latin America and the Caribbean, “notwithstanding the fact that they have two different languages and very different cultures and histories; they produced something together that is really admirable and sets an example for the other continents.”
Cardinal Tolentino pointed especially to what the bishops achieved at their gathering in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007, “where [Cardinal] Bergoglio played a very important role.” He hailed Aparecida as “a key moment in the contemporary church” and said that in a certain way, “it could only happen in Latin America because the episcopates made a journey together, also in their differences, a journey truly together of church. And that is what I admire most.”
Source: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/07/17/cardinal-tolentino-poet-248379
EXPLORING OUR FAITH-LITURGICAL
LAY COMMUNION MINISTERS
Lay people who help distribute Holy Communion at Mass and to the sick are called Extra-ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The word ‘extraordinary’ indicates that they are not the ordinary or usual ministers of communion - the ordained clergy.
The ministry was first established by Pope Paul VI in 1973. Because more people were now coming to Communion at Mass and it was being offered under both kinds, the distribution of Communion had become difficult for the clergy to manage alone. Also, when priests and deacons are unable to take Communion frequently to the sick and aged, lay ministers are needed to take on this ministry.
The role of special ministers is to serve the assembly by distributing the elements during the Communion Rite, so they are Ministers of Communion not ‘ministers of the Eucharist’ or ‘eucharistic ministers’.
Communion ministers are carefully selected and commissioned by the parish. They are required to undertake liturgical and spiritual formation as well as practical training.
Qualities required of lay Communion Ministers include respect for the Mass and for all people, and ease in making contact with people with eyes, words and hands. Above all they need the capacity to be truly present to the other in that special moment of communion together as members of “The Body of Christ”.
Elizabeth Harrington
Commitment To Child Safety and adults at risk
(please see next page…)
Each Parish in the Archdiocese of Brisbane has a Local Safeguarding Representative who is responsible for:
Making sure that the whole parish is aware of the importance of safeguarding children and Adults-at-risk
Promoting safe practices including articulating for others what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour; and
Assisting the Parish Priest and staff in the implementation of the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Children and Adults-at-risk Policy in the Parish
The Archdiocesan Safeguarding Children & Adults-at-risk Prevention & Protection Policy can be found at: https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/support/safeguard
WAYS TO REPORT A SAFEGUARDING INCIDENT OR CONCERN OR TO GIVE FEEDBACK REGARDING SAFEGUARDING
Here is how you can report an incident or concern, or contact someone to talk about a safeguarding matter or get more information:
Talk to the police (Emergency: '000' Non-emergency: 131 444) or KidsHelpLine (1800 55 1800 or www.kidshelpline.com.au)
Through the anonymous STOPline (1300 304 550 or AOB@stopline.com.au)
talk to our Local Parish Safeguarding Representative
Fill out a Safeguarding Incident Report and send it to safeguarding@bne.catholic.net.au or GPO Box 282 Brisbane Qld 4001
VOLUNTEERS - Parish Ministries, Groups etc.
The Archdiocese of Brisbane has implemented standards of conduct for voluntary church workers to maintain a safe and healthy ministry environment. Our commitment to these standards requires that we have a record of your Blue Card and conduct background referencing for all who intend to engage in voluntary ministry, having direct and regular involvement with children, young people and adults at risk
SAFEGUARDING TRAINING
The Archdiocese of Brisbane has the following safeguarding training packages, Safeguarding Induction, Applied Safeguarding Training and Training for Local Safeguarding Representatives, which can be viewed here https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/safeguarding/safeguarding-training
BLUE CARD - ‘No Card, No Start’
Individuals must have a valid blue card before starting paid work or volunteering. All card holders must apply to renew their blue card before it expires to continue working/volunteering. If an individual lets their card expire, they must cease work until they obtain a new valid blue card. For further information about the Blue Card Application process, please click here >>
SEE ALSO
‘Police Check’ can now be completed online using InterCheck. Volunteers can do this via the Volunteer Portal http://archbne.org/welcome which will inform you whether you need a Police Check for your service.
Acknowledgement of Country -
This is Kombumerri Country, the traditional custodian 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/)
** The significance of the ancient Catholic Blessing Symbol. “20 C+M+B 24”
An ancient medieval practice that developed in the Catholic Church was to bless one’s home with blessed chalk at the yearly epiphany. On the door or the lintel will be this symbol:
This means that 2000 years ago, after Christ’s birth, Wise Men visited and gave homage to the Lord and were welcomed into the hospitality of the Holy Family’s abode. We dedicate the present year of this century, ‘24, to the protection of the Lord. May the Lord bless this abode.
The letters C+M+B represent Caspar, Bathasar and Melchior, the three Wise Men. CMB is also the initials of the Latin phrase “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” - “May Christ Bless this dwelling place.”
St Kevin’s Catholic School, Community business directory: https://www.sk.qld.edu.au/Pages/Rainbow-Connection.aspx
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