General
Sundays of the Year
THE LITURGICAL YEAR OF THE CHURCH, YEAR B.
O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
29 January 2012
Save us, Lord our God and gather together from the nations, that we may proclaim your holy name and glory in your praise.
The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
22 January 2012
Sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendour, strength and honour in his holy place.
Hobart Parish Newsletter
From the St Joseph's and St Francis Xavier's Parish Newsletter
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
4/5 February 2012
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
4/5 February 2012
Next Week’s Ministers (2nd Sunday of the Month)
11/12 Feb, 2012 – The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
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6.30 pm Vigil
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7.30am
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8.30am
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9.30am
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11.00am
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John Mazengarb
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Tom Dorey
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Michelle Williams
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Gail O’Brien
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John Mansour
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R
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Toosey Bannerman
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Cathy Barta
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Martin Stone
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Br. Ed Adhiue Y
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John Kitt
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David Mazengarb
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Antonia Di Santo
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Max Grueber
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Jan W Pat G
Terry D Kieran S
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Peter Mansour
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Margaret Sprott
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Lidia F Shelah Q
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Andy B Maureen B
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Shirley King
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Children’s Liturgy: 9.30 Mass, 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays (outside of school holidays) and on each Sunday of Lent & Advent
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CLEANERS 09.02.12
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Shea & Denise
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COUNTERS 12.02.12
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Michael Burke’s Team
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FLOWERS: 11/12.02.12
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Jacqueline & Danielle
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CHILDREN’S LITURGY 19.02.12
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Danielle Pacaud
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FOR PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCE
SICK: George White, Josephine Murray, Denise Sproule, Lois Nimmo, Fr Ray Wells, Fr Felix Kialoi, cp, Lynette Wicks, John Graves, Charles Galea, Mary Keady.
RECENTLY DECEASED: John Bilyk, Sr Mary Morgn, pvm, James Michael Tighe, Valentin Godec.
ANNIVERSARIES: George Huxtable, Peter Dillon ,Desmond O’Callaghan, Frederick Keating, Hannah Madden, John Bryan, Charles Deegan, Francis O’Brien, Fr. Clem Kilby, Justin Hutchinson.
MASSES: Special intentions x 6, forgotten souls, Souls in Purgatory, Cyril, Eileen & Joan Shirley, Mollie Reid, thanksgiving for a wedding anniversary, Susan Wilson, Jack and Flo Grant, Peter Fearn, Maria Krasnicki.
BIRTHDAYS: Andrea Stone, Denise & Chris Connolly.
GOSPEL REFLECTION
‘What I came to do! Jesus is exhausted. His power to cure illness made him a free doctor. At the time physicians were primitive and usually ineffective. The sick were thought to be "possessed" by evil spirits, rather than germs. The devil has successfully side-tracked Christ's true ministry. This explains his somewhat strange response when Peter announces that "everyone is looking for you”. Jesus proclaims that it is time to move on to other areas. In effect, he is abandoning his home base in Capernaum. Our Lord reveals the real focus of his career. He is a teacher with the most important lessons that will ever be shared. He does not want to be a healer, but a educator. He came to teach the way to eternal life in God.’ Fr Richard Lonsdale,sj
SINCERE THANKS TO THOSE WHO OFFERED THEIR HOME FOR A MISSION GATHERING.
MORE ENROLMENTS WELCOMED TODAY IN PREPARATION FOR FINAL ADJUSTMENTS NEXT WEEK.
LEAFLETS STILL AVAILABLE SO THAT YOU KNOW TOPICS AND TIMES FOR THE MISSION PROPER.
FUN DAY AT THE MARKET - MAKE AN OFFER (AND BE PREPARED TO HAGGLE!)
On the mornings of 18th/19th Feb, right between the Home Gatherings and the Mission proper, the Garage Sale cum Morning Tea out in front of Cullen House will be a fun social time if we can just get help on Wed 15 Feb:
- To sort out the basement of 163, and decide what to bring up for the Sat & Sun mornings!
- Make a start on getting items from basement to ground floor, ready for early Sat & Sun morning.
- Find help with setting up from 7 am on both mornings, tents, trestles, tables, hotplates, water, etc.
- More scones to be buttered & jammed on Sat morning, and tea ladies on both days!
Books & Treasures will accompany Sat’s tea & scones; Books & religious items, with Sunday’s pancakes & tea. Everything will go for loose change since nothing’s returning to the basement! Much simpler than the Fair, it is a social and outreach event in conjunction with the Mission – TO WHICH ALL CUSTOMERS WILL BE INVITED!
FROM TODAY’S FIRST READING RONALD ROLHEISER REFLECTS ON SUICIDE:
‘Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall never see happiness again.’
Too-Bruised to be Touched - The poet, Hafiz, wrote a poem nearly 700 years ago entitled, We Should Talk About This Problem. In it, God addresses a wounded soul:
There is a Beautiful Creature
Living in a hole you have dug ...
And I often sing, but still, my dear,
You do not come out.
I have fallen in love with Someone
Who hides inside of you.
That's God's feeling, and perhaps ours too, when someone is in a suicidal depression. Few things can so devastate us as the suicide of a loved one. There's the horrific shock of losing a loved one so suddenly which of itself, can bring us to our knees; but, with suicide, there are other soul-wrenching feelings too, confusion, guilt, second-guessing, religious anxiety. Where did we fail this person? What might we still have done? What is this person's state with God?
What needs to be said about this? First, that suicide is a disease and generally the most misunderstood of all sicknesses. It takes a person out of life against his or her will, the emotional equivalent of cancer, a stroke, or a heart attack. Second, we, those left behind, need not spend undue energy second-guessing as to how we might have failed that person, what we should have noticed, and what we might have done to prevent the suicide. Suicide is an illness and, as with any sickness, we can love someone and still not be able to save that person from death. God loved this person too and, like us, could not, this side of eternity, do anything either. Finally, we shouldn't worry too much about how God meets this person on the other side. God's love, unlike ours, can go through locked doors and touch what will not allow itself to be touched by us.
Is this making light of suicide? No. Anyone who has ever dealt with either the victim of a suicide before his or her death or with those grieving that death afterwards knows that it is impossible to make light of it. There is no pain like the one suicide inflicts. Nobody who is healthy wants to die and nobody who is healthy seeks to burden his or her loved ones with this kind of pain. And that's the point: This is only done when someone isn't healthy. The fact that medication can often prevent suicide should tell us something.
Suicide, in most cases, is an illness not a sin. Nobody, who is healthy, willingly decides to commit suicide and burden his or her loved ones with that death any more than anyone willingly chooses to die of cancer and cause pain. The victim of suicide (in most cases) is a trapped person, caught up in a fiery, private chaos that has its roots both in his or her psyche and in his or her bio-chemistry. Suicide, in most cases, is a desperate attempt to end unendurable pain, akin to one throwing oneself off a high building because one's clothing is on fire.
Many of us have known victims of suicide and we know too that in almost every case that person was not full of pride, haughtiness, and the desire to hurt anyone. Generally it's the opposite. The victim has cancerous problems precisely because he or she is wounded, raw, and too-bruised to have the resiliency needed to deal with life. Those of us who have lost loved ones to suicide know that the problem is not one of strength but of weakness, the person is too-bruised to be touched.
I remember a comment I over-heard at a funeral for a suicide victim. The priest had preached badly, hinting that this suicide was somehow the man's own fault and that suicide is always the ultimate act of despair. At the reception afterwards a neighbour of the victim expressed his displeasure at the priest's homily: "There are a lot of people in this world who should kill themselves," he lamented, "but those kind never do! This man is the last person who should have killed himself because he was one of the most sensitive people I've ever met!" A book could be written on that statement. Too often it's the meek who seemly lose the battle in this world.
Finally, we shouldn't worry too much about how God meets our loved ones who have fallen victim to suicide. God, as Jesus assures us, has a special affection for those of us who are too-bruised and wounded to be touched. Jesus assures us too that God's love can go through locked doors and into broken places and free up what's paralyzed and help that which can no longer help itself. God is not blocked when we are. God can reach through.
And so our loved ones who have fallen victim to suicide are now inside of God's embrace, enjoying a freedom they could never quite enjoy here and being healed through a touch that they could never quite accept from us.
MUSIC AND PRAYER WORKSHOP WITH BROTHER MICHAEL HERRY: Tue 7 Feb 7.30 – 9 pm. St John’s Church Bowden St Glenorchy. Michael Herry is a Marist Brother working as a pastoral musician, mainly in the Melbourne Archdiocese. He has already published collections of his chants and has a new collection to share. Much of his work is available for free download from the website: www.maristmusic.org.au For many years Michael has been writing and publishing short reflective chants based on the Gospels, which can assist with prayer from the scriptures, and be adapted according to time and place. His hope and prayer is that in these simple refrains people might hear and ponder the Word deeply in the heart, indeed as Mary did, and in so doing, become nothing less than the presence of Jesus for our world today. You will find some of his chants familiar, as with the lyrics for ‘Penola Plains’ in honour of Mary MacKillop. He will introduce a new Mass setting as well as lead into a prayer experience by sharing his new chants. CDs will be available for purchase on the night, and available online. Michael’s Workshops are invaluable for everyone, not just musicians, and since there’s no charge, you are asked to notify of your attendance by Thur Feb 2: St John’s 6272 6363 or email
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(after hours Mary-Anne Johnson 6228 6000)
CHRISTIAN MEDITATION: 10-11am, Tues from Feb 7, Christian meditation is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition, a form of contemplative prayer which uses a mantra or prayer word; a prayer of silence and listening. Cost: Donation. Emmanuel Spirituality Centre, 24 Hopkins Street, Moonah. Facilitator: Toosey Bannerman 6223 8817
OPENING LITURGY: Mon Feb 13, 7.00pm, Emmanuel Spirituality Centre, 24 Hopkins Street, Moonah. A time to celebrate a new year at Emmanuel with friends old and new, and to pray for God’s blessings on the ministry. Enjoy a short time in prayer and stay on for supper. All welcome. Enquiries: Angela Dance lcm 6278 1460
ACCEPTING THE EMBRACE OF GOD: Lectio Divina, 10–11.15 a.m. Thurs Feb 16, Mar 1, 15, 29, Apr 12, 26, May 10, 24, an ancient art, practiced one time by all Christians, is a slow contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Word of God to become the means of union with God. Cost: Donation. Emmanuel Spirituality Centre, 24 Hopkins Street, Moonah. Presenters: Team. Enquiries: Annie Brush 6273 2183.
ONE DAY RETREAT: 9.30am to 2.30pm Sat 18 Feb, Maryknoll, 15 Home Ave., Blackmans Bay. Mass at 11.45am. All welcome.
THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF SCOTTSDALE (1887 – 2012), celebrates the125th anniversary of the dedication of the first Catholic Church there, commencing 19 Feb. with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Doyle at 11:30am, followed by a family fun day at 1:00pm. Plate requested for a shared lunch. Mon 20 Feb: concelebrated Mass at 11:30am followed by a barbecue lunch, (RSVP by 5Feb to assist with catering) -
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or
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or phone 6352 2306. Wed 22 Feb: interfaith service at St. Patrick’s at 7:00pm, please bring a small plate for supper following the service.
PALM SUNDAY PILGRIMAGEwill be back bigger and better than ever in 2012, and with a very special guest! Keep Sun 1st April available for this great event!!
CRAFT: Mon March 19, April 2, 16, 30, May 14, 28, 1.00pm – 3.00pm. A FUN AFTERNOON for those who enjoy handcraft - a very friendly, non threatening group who gather for company and conversation as well as learning new skills. Led by a very gifted and talented lady, Mary is delighted to share her skills with anyone interested. Even if you are a beginner and would like to learn, come along and enjoy time with Mary and the group over a cup of tea or coffee. Last year’s group created some beautiful work. Bring your latest project or just yourself – and see if it’s for you. Emmanuel Spirituality Centre, 24 Hopkins Street, Moonah. Facilitator: Mary Harris 6260 4111 for Bookings.
LIFE LINE HOBART: Volunteer telephone counselor training course commencing early February. For information or to register please visit www.lifeline.org.au/hobart or email
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ph: 6224 3450
ST VINCENT DE PAUL CONFERENCE OF ST CAMILLUS: Helpers needed to visit Catholic patients in RHH on Sat or Sun mornings once a month. Please phone 6234 4866. NEXT MASS @ RHH: 5pm Sat, 4.30pm Sun.
HUMAN LIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY: Prayer for mothers & unborn babies, Thur Feb 9, Prayer for True Love Waits, Feb 19, both Salvation Army Citadel, Moonah.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES: I went to a medical clinic for an electrocardiogram. While the technician was lining up her machine, I told her I have dextrocardia. ‘What's that?’ she asked distractedly as she readied the equipment. ‘It means my heart is on the right side of my chest rather than on the left,’ I answered. ‘You should set up your machine to accommodate that.’ As she attached the wires, she asked casually, ‘So tell me, have you had that for long?’
on end.
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Tasmanian Parishes
Any Tasmanian Parish Web Sites may be accessed through the Web Site of the Archdiocese:
http://www.hobart.catholic.org.au/
Parish Dedication
Almighty God, we say "YES" to your invitation,
to welcome the stranger, traveller and refugee.
To feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty who come to our door.
To clothe the naked who suffer with cold.
To visit the sick in the hospitals and in their homes.
To care for prisoners, for people caught up in loneliness and despair.
In this way, as a community and as individuals,
we shall live out our baptismal call to bring others to Christ,
by living out the good news your Son proclaimed,
a message of love and compassion for all people.
We ask that your wisdom touch our every word and deed.
Amen.
Pastoral Visit
We thank Archbishop Adrian Doyle for his presence during the weekend of 12th and 13th March, at St Joseph's and St Francis Xavier's and for all he has done for each member of the Parish during his visit.During this time he confirmed seven candidates at the 6.30 pm Saturday Vigil Mass, which he celebrated and he preached at all the other Masses, as well as celebrateing the 11 am Sunday Mass. He visited some of the sick in their homes and was also available to meet the parishioners socially on the Saturday evening. The Archbishop will visit all parishes during the year, in preparation for his retirement at the end of 2011.
We wish him every blessing for this year and the years to come.