At a review meeting last Wednesday, it was decided to alternate the Liturgy of the Word and the Prayer of the Church for the next two months.
NEW MISSALS
Orders are currently being taken for people who would like to order New Missals. Please leave your details for Dolly Causer at the Piety Stall so orders can be placed.
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS
On the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, we contemplate the nature of the Eucharist. We reflect on the fact that we are invited to consume the literal body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. We reflect on the central role that the Eucharist plays in the life of the Church. In today’s readings, we focus on the sacrificial element of this great gift.
“This is the blood of the covenant,” Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, a phrase that is familiar to all of us, as we hear it time and again in the words of consecration at Mass. Christ offered Himself as the Sacrificial Lamb. He shed His blood once for all on the cross, and every time we celebrate the Mass, that sacrifice is re-presented to the Father for our sake. And then we step forward and partake of the blood that was shed; we participate in the sacrifice as we consume Christ’s body and blood.
It is our responsibility as Christ’s disciples to not only consume His body and blood, but to participate in His sacrifice by offering ourselves to the Father. Sure, we aren’t shedding our blood (most of us aren’t, anyway), but we are to offer ourselves as a sacrifice, uniting ourselves with Christ on the cross. We give the Lord all that we have and all that we are telling Him, as the Israelites in the first reading proclaim, “We will do all that the Lord has told us.” And then, when we receive the Eucharist, recognizing that it is Christ’s actual body and blood, our “Amen” response resounds from our hearts. For, just as Christ gave Himself – whole and entire – on the cross, we, as Christian stewards, offer ourselves each and every day, at each and every Mass, completely, to the Lord.
Copyright © 2012 www.TheCatholicSteward.com
THANKS……….Fr Kevin
Thanks for your prayers and best wishes last week on our anniversary of ordination in 1970. Twenty-four of us were ordained for Tasmania and Victoria. Since then, six have been called to their reward: (four aged less than 60 years)- Frs Con Busser, Peter Cross, Joe Flyn, Peter Fulton, Steve Sas. Twelve have retired and six of us are still in active ministry.
As I look back over the past year there have been very happy and sad times, especially with the loss of good friends. There is never a dull moment. Last weekend, I had a first– I have never celebrated all six Sacraments before in one weekend: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Marriage, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. I continue to hear amazing stories, like the parishioner who is fluent in the Russian language! ……Kevin McIntosh
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS
Today, on the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, as we reflect on God’s nature as three persons in one God, we recognize that He is a family whose life is love.
What’s more, the gospel tells us, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
We are a family of persons called to live together in love. It is our duty as Christian disciples to live in love with others and to live out of love for others. In so doing, we bring others to Christ and His Church, inviting them to establish an intimate relationship with the Lord and to live a sacramental life united to Christ and His Church.
Here, Christ commissions all of us to make disciples, and He has given us many gifts with which to do so. Are we using the time, talent and treasure God has blessed us with to make disciples and build the Church? How can we do an even better job of that?
Copyright © 2012 www.TheCatholicSteward.com
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS
In this Sunday’s gospel reading, we hear Jesus call Himself the Good Shepherd. He loves and cares for us like a shepherd cares for His sheep — taking care of their every need and leading them along the right path. In fact, so much does He care for us, that Jesus says, “I would lay down my life for my sheep.”
Of course, we know that He did in fact do that. We just celebrated the paschal mystery, in which Jesus gave himself up to death for our sake. And as we continue to celebrate the Easter Season and rejoice in His glorious redirection, we recognize that Christ’s loving care for us extends to today. He is actively involved in the life of the Church, providing for all of our needs and guiding us along our way.
In response to Christ’s life-giving love, it is our responsibility as His disciples to give ourselves to Him. We offer Him our time, talent, and treasure — truly, we offer Him our whole lives in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. As His disciples, it is our calling, our responsibility to use our lives for His greater glory. Everything we do — at home, at school, at work, and elsewhere — should glorify the Good Shepherd and call others to believe in
His loving care.
Copyright © 2012 www.TheCatholicSteward.com
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS
Today we celebrate the third Sunday of Easter, and the readings today highlight for us the redemptive nature of the cross and the joy of the resurrection.
In the first reading, we hear Peter tell his audience, “The author of life you put to death, but God raised Him from the dead. Of this we are witnesses.”
Christ had to die in order to rise from the dead, but we see in His resurrection that God’s plans are greater than any we can imagine. So, as His disciples and stewards of His many gifts, we give ourselves to Him as His servants know at all time – in joy and in suffering – His plans far outweigh our own. We are His disciples, and in giving Him ourselves, we ask Him to do with us what He will.
Copyright © 2012 www.TheCatholicSteward.com
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS
Today’s readings emphasize for us what it means to live as a Christian disciple – both in the early Church and today over 2,000 years later. It means living a life rooted in faith. That faith leads us to love.
The second reading tells us, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by Him” (1 Jn. 5:1).
As Christian disciples, we live a life of love – love of God and love of neighbor, and we use all that we have – our time, our talents, and our treasure – in love of others, following Jesus’ footsteps. Remember, Christ’s whole life on Earth was lived for love of others, so much so that He died out of love for all of us. And so it is our responsibility as His disciples to use all that He has given us out of love for others, proclaiming the Gospel by the way we live.
Copyright © 2012 www.TheCatholicSteward.com
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD
Childrens Liturgy of the Word starts next Sunday 22 April at 10.30am Mass in St Anne’s Church. Children will be welcome to join the leaders in front of the altar after the opening prayer of the Mass. After being blessed by the priest, the group will then gather in the Meeting room for the Gospel reading, a chat and sharing of stories and un activities relating to the Gospel.
Our leaders will present the Gospel in a variety of ways, such as the use of figurines to play out the readings. Music and actions will also be part of the Children’s Liturgy in order to appreciate the Word of the Lord. Children will return to the congregation to take the Gifts up as a group then return to their families. Children may have activities to show their families, or be able to take the activity home to work on. Please discuss these with children so they can tell you what they have experienced.
Children aged 3 and under are also welcome with parental supervision please. Any parents who are interested in helping with Children’s Liturgy, please contact Joanne on 0448 566 270.
RIGHT TO LIFE AUSTRALIA
Right to Life Australia is hosting a dinner on 28 April 2012 to fundraise to support their Pregnancy Counselling 24 hour service which is a telephone service to assist pregnant mothers in crisis.
The trained counsellors provide voluntary help Australia wide around the clock, every day of the year.
This service does not receive government funding.
Support Pregnancy Counselling Australia to continue to provide this vital service and have a great time at a fun event www.pregnancycounsellingaustralia.com.au Mary Collier, Right to Life Australia ph (03) 9385 0100.
FOSTER CARE
Every night in Victoria there are thousands of children who need a safe place to stay because they are unable to live at home. Also, the long-term benefits of providing a stable and loving home environment are crucial to development of the vulnerable children and young people MacKillop work with every day.
For further information please contact MacKillop Family Services on 8398 6800 or www.mackillop.org.au.
CATHOLICCARE OUTREACH PROGRAM
In the past our community has given generously to Catholiccare. Our community has access to the services provided by this wonderful organisation through the outreach program.
It is run through the Sunbury Community Health Service and the hours of operation are: Mon, Tues, Thurs 9-5; Wed 11.30am-7pm.
Services provided range from individual, couple and family counselling, stress management, grief and loss, pain management and parenting.
Please contact 9744 4455 to arrange an appointment if you need to use this service.
50th ANNIVERSARY OF VATICAN II
It is 50 years this October since the bishops of the world gathered at the Vatican for an ecumenical council. Pope Benedict has called for a Year of Grace from October to renew the Church as the Council Fathers taught. An excellent article on Vatican II is by Professor Richard Gaillardetz of Boston, USA, posted on http://www.cathnews.com on 11 March 2012. He writes of the dynamics of the Second Vatican Council how the bishops listened to one another respectfully, were humble learners and were open to the world.
…..Kevin McIntosh
PROJECT COMPASSION REFLECTION
Happy Easter from all at Caritas Australia!
Celebrate that your generosity to Project Compassion continues aid and development work reflective of the life of Jesus Christ, and shaped by the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching principles, in over 35 countries around the world.
You have offered new life to your brothers and sisters struggling with poverty and injustice. Thank you for supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion 2012 appeal.
If we want peace, we must work for justice.
Click on the image below to go to the Caritas website.
YOUTH SUNDAY
Please keep our youth in your prayers as they grow to be active Christians in our Church and feel God’s presence and love in their daily lives.
1 April 2012 – Palm Sunday
PROJECT COMPASSION PASSION SUNDAY
PASSION (Palm) SUNDAY – Week 6 Australian Indigenous
1 April
Liturgy of the Palms: Mk 11:1-10 OR Jn 12:12-16
Liturgy of the Passion: Mk 14:1-15:47 OR Mk 15:1-39
As the Lenten season approaches its end, the Gospel readings relate the events leading to Jesus’ suffering and death – the culmination of the work he was born to do – and we look towards the great and glorious Resurrection of Christ.
During the past five weeks we have heard and reflected upon stories from Timor Leste, the Thai-Burma Border, Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Peru. These are stories of people living in poverty and injustice, lacking access to basic services and often denied the opportunity to exercise the rights that we all have as human persons.
In Australia, our Indigenous sisters and brothers also face many similar struggles. In a prosperous country where most of us claim adequate nutrition and health care as a fundamental right, Aboriginal Australians in remote communities have shortened life-spans because of high rates of diet-related illness – particularly diabetes.
The Project Compassion story this week comes from such a community, near Broome in Western Australia. With its local partners, Caritas Australia is supporting a community-owned program which promotes and educates for health care and healthy living.
Caritas Australia works for justice – for the kind of world that God desires.
Caritas works in partnership – building ‘right relationships’ between all of God’s people.
In justice and right relationships lies the path to peace.
If we want peace, we must work for justice.
The glorious celebration of new life is almost upon us. It brings hope for change and renewal for all of us.
We can show our solidarity with communities living in poverty, our compassion to those struggling against discrimination and stigma and our preparedness to challenge injustice. As Pope Benedict XVI said: “Our hearts cannot be at peace as long as we see our brothers and sisters suffering”.
If we want peace, we must work for justice.
Click on the image below to go to the Caritas website.
PARISH DONKEY
The Parish Donkey will be present at all Masses at St Anne’s this weekend to lead us in the Procession of Palms.
We thank Gary and Jack Reddan for their daily care of our donkey.
RITE OF ACCEPTANCE FOR CHILDREN BEING INITIATED INTO SACRAMENTAL LIFE
This will take place at all Masses today. This is the first step into the Sacramental life of Christ since their Baptism eight years ago or so. The children and their families are committing themselves to prepare to begin celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist.
Loving God, You have filled these children with the desire to be people of loving kindness and reconciliation and to be nourished in the Eucharist. May they ever deepen their awareness of your love for them, and may they grow ever closer to your Son, Jesus, in their families and in our community. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
EXTRA MASSES
Please notice Mass times for this week with 3 Masses and Anointing at the various nursing homes and the Lenten Penitential service.
We look forward to seeing you all there.
LENTEN MASS WITH ANOINTING OF THE SICK: will be celebrated this Friday 30th at 10am followed by morning tea in the church foyer. Invitations are available at the Welcome Desk in St Anne’s Church.
GOONAWARRA AGED CARE: This Tuesday 27th
LION’S HOSTEL: This Wednesday 28th
REQUEST FOR PALMS
We are asking for donations of palm or olive branches for next Sunday. Please leave outside St Anne’s Church. The palms can be taken to OLMC Church on Sunday afternoon for the evening Mass.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 
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