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Dear friends
This week the Word is teaching us to be people of prayer and justice. It is reaffirming the value of giving time to God in prayer. Above all things in this world, prayer can obtain for us, what is impossible for the human person. That is because prayer is engaging with the Divine. Grace flows through the power of prayer. That is, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Only prayer can really bring about real change. Only prayer can enable me to be my true self. Only prayer can obtain the miracle I need in order to finally live by the will of God which is the purpose of my life. Prayer is spending time with your best friend – God. It is taking time to listen to Him and to speak with Him. It provides protection, guidance, blessing and forgiveness. Prayer enables enemies to become reconciled with each other. It brings healing and joy. We will only be truly happy when we are free from the tyranny of self. Prayer encourages me to forget myself and place my energy where it can be transformed into grace. That is, living in the awareness and presence of God. It provides us with confidence and wisdom. Poetry, music, art, theatre, dance are all evolved from the creative power of prayers. One of my favourite prayers is the prayer of serenity. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. Just remember, we are always beginners when it comes to prayer. One small step in prayer each day will lead us to the Kingdom. Fr Frank’s health is improving steadily. He is very grateful for all the prayers and well wishes. Please keep him in your prayers.
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Dear friends,
This week, we find Jesus in the Gospel spending time in Bethany amongst his closest friends, Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Here in Bethany Jesus could receive the healthy affection and love of his friends. He could be himself and feel at home. This friendship was so important for Jesus as He spent His life, giving to others. For ourselves too, we are blessed by God in our friends. Their love and affection fills us up when we are empty. Friendship is essential for a healthy sense of well being. It is love that renews, heals and provides energy when the difficulties of life face us. Jesus puts it quite clearly to Martha that what He requires is the listening attentive heart of her sister Mary. The first step to love is to listen. True friendship can only be realised with one who listens with the heart. A great deal of healing and the relief of a heavy burden are achieved through the friend who gives time to listen to me. In order to listen we have to be quiet and attentive. We cannot be distracted by our own personal issues. My friend needs me to be centred on what they are feeling and experiencing. In order to be fully attentive to a friend, one must learn to listen with the heart. Few words are needed in a true conversation. Jesus is asking all of us to take the time to become quiet from the noisy distractions of daily living when we come to Sunday Mass. How can we possibly listen to His Word in the scriptures and feel His Presence in the Eucharist if we are absorbed in our own little world? True prayer is being silent and attentive before Our Lord. It is important to arrive early for Mass, in order to quieten down and become calm; free from the distractions of daily life. The better part is “to be still and know that I am God” says the Lord. Silence is golden because it provides the opening for grace and the presence of God. Fr Frank’s health is improving steadily. He is very grateful for all the prayers and well wishes. Please keep him in your prayers. Today at we are partnering with Catholic Mission through their annual Church Appeal.
Thanks to your generosity, the funds raised from last year’s Church Appeal enabled St John’s School in the remote Myanmar township of Hakha to complete the first building of classrooms and begin construction on a second block. This progress has allowed students to continue on to higher levels of education, while increasing the capacity at the school and ensuring more children in the area have the opportunity to learn and develop in an holistic way. I am proud to share that your support also allowed the Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Education (PSIE) to increase the number of young men and women they enrol and train to become qualified teachers equipped with child-focused education techniques. In 2018, twelve new teachers completed their training course at PSIE – this year the number is expected to triple. The appeal this year focuses on the work of the Church in Ghana as they provide support to children in need. The funds raised through the Church Appeal contribute to vital faith and community building projects in mission lands around the world. Your support is crucial in ensuring all of God’s people can have life to the full. Catholic Mission is the Australian agency of the international Pontifical Mission Societies. We raise funds and form people for mission. This enables us to reach out through heroic missionaries and community leaders to help children and communities in need and provide vital training for seminarians and other young leaders. We invite you to reach out and help children who are vulnerable through the life-giving work of the Church in Ghana today.” 2019 CATHOLIC MISSION CHURCH APPEAL Dear friends,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday falls this year on Sunday 7 July 2019 and is a significant celebration in our Church’s calendar. Whilst providing us with an opportunity to acknowledge our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters, the celebration also signifies that we are united as one in God’s love and care. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics number over 130,000 and are a growing demographic in our Church today. We must continue to reach out and provide opportunities where we may be enriched and nourished by their deep spirituality, culture and love for Jesus Christ, by opening the doors to our hearts and our homes. In the Gospel of the day Jesus says “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Just as Jesus did, we must meet people where they are and walk alongside our First Nation’s peoples on their journey to reconciliation and justice. As Catholics we can set an example for the rest of Australia to follow by coming together as equals and friends in our Schools, Parishes and Organisations in the name of Jesus Christ and in the spirit of mutual respect and unity as one people. God Bless, Most Rev Columba Macbeth-Green OSPPE Chairman Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Fr Frank is recuperating. We do not expect Fr Frank back in the parish before early September. As more information comes to hand it will be printed in the parish newsletter. Please keep him in your prayers. |
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