WHAT DOES ABORIGINAL SPIRITUALITY HAVE TO OFFER AUSTRALIA
Time, or rather timelessness, is another component of Aboriginal life and spirituality. Time to the European mind is a commodity to be used. For the Aboriginal person, time is the present – the given moment is what is important. Aboriginal people are comfortable waiting for a better moment, changing plans, going with what is happening. The greatest gift Aboriginal people have to offer is the gift of Dadirri, that is, the gift described as ‘inner deep listening and quiet still awareness’. There is a patience in the listening, patience for the right time. In the listening comes strength and renewal. Our experience of wind is varied, from the parching winds of inland Australia to the cool winds that signal a break in the weather. The Aboriginal people are attuned to these changes, always patiently waiting and watching for signs of change. We use wind as a symbol of the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Job 7,7; Mt 11,7). The formation of stars we call the Southern Cross is significant in the Southern Hemisphere. As it journeys across the night sky it is a symbol of our life journey through the Paschal Mystery of birth, death and resurrection (Dan 12,3; Mt 2,2)…..Parish Social Justice Group
A combined Christian celebration will be held today at 5.00pm to 6.10pm in St Andrew’s Church on the Village Green. Kiwanis are providing a sausage sizzle. Each church is asking 10 people to bring a dessert. As the Mayor and several Members of Parliament will be attending, it would be great to see a good attendance from our parish.
Sing-a Long at Goonawarra Nursing Home, Anderson Rd Sunbury on Friday 3 June 2.30 – 3.15pm. Please come along and help entertain the residents.
First Friday of each month at St Anne’s Church 7.00pm—8.00pm. All welcome.
The CEO Sleepout is on again this year and the Society hopes to exceed last year’s results. Business and community leaders will sleep out at Etihad Stadium on Thu 16 June where they will get a glimpse into what life is like for more than 105,000 Australians who sleep rough each night.
To register, sponsor a CEO or to find out more about the event visit www.ceosleepout.org.au
Married couples, make 2011 the year that you prioritise your relationship. It underpins your family life. Please join us for a Marriage Encounter weekend this year. The next weekends will be held on 3-5 June (Anglesea)19-21 August and 11-13 Nov (Melbourne). Further info & bookings contact Peter & Erika 9899 0824, email vicbookings@wwme.org.au. website www.wwme.org.au
This has been reverent and has received many compliments.
Our annual celebration concludes next Sunday at 6.00pm (Sat) and 10.30am Masses.
We meet this Sunday 6.30pm at St Anne’s Church. Indoor games, refreshments…..and discuss activities for the months ahead.
A combined Christian celebration will be held next Sunday 29 May at 5.00pm to 6.10pm in St Andrew’s Church on the Village Green. Kiwanis are providing a sausage sizzle. Each church is asking 10 people to bring a dessert. Please indicate to our parish office your intention to bring a dessert.
235 adults were received into the Catholic Communion throughout the parishes of Melbourne this Easter.
A special Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated here on Sunday 5 June at 8.30am.
There is a proposal to develop this service which has been in the same format for 30 years.
Each church is invited to have two parishioners on the organising committee which will meet this Saturday 28 May.
Please ring our Parish Office before 5.00pm Monday.
Aboriginal law is based on wholeness and right relationships. All that has life was created to live in harmony. They further believe this harmony is kept in balance when persons, species and elements fulfil their purpose and live out their responsibilities. Aboriginal people graciously share their story and culture with all people and in return we respect their Ancient Dreaming which has existed for over 40,000 years. We respect that which has gone before the birth of Christ our Redeemer and respond to the call to be united in love as one human family. For thousands of years the Aboriginal people used a message stick as a way of communicating across country. Today the Aboriginal Catholics carry the Message Stick with the bible, symbolising the respect for cultural differences when spreading the Good News. The Message Stick is a sacred symbol of the Aboriginal people and is a powerful symbol of reconciliation, forgiveness, love, hope and peace, and is only used when the Proclamation of The Word is made…..Social Justice Group
Journey Together is a series of five meetings. The gatherings in homes follow the method of ‘see, judge, act’ – looking at our world, judging life in the light of the Bible and resolving some action. In the recent exhortation ‘Verbum Domini’ (Latin for ‘Word of the Lord’) Pope Benedict and 250 bishops gathered in a synod express their hope for ‘a new season of greater love for the sacred Scripture on the part of every member of the People of God’ (par. 72).
Anyone wishing to join a group is invited to contact the Parish Office.
Meet at St Francis Church, cnr. Elizabeth & Lonsdale Streets, Melbourne at 2.00pm on Sat 28 May.
If you can’t make it this month, the walks are held on the fourth Saturday of each month.
Bookings: 9926 9300 or macyac@sosj.org.au
A Mass of Anointing will be held at St Anne’s Church on TUESDAY 24 May at 11.00am followed by morning tea hosted by the Legion of Mary (you are welcome to bring a plate of food to share).
Anyone requiring transport please contact the parish office.
Since 1929, 922 priests have been ordained from the Melbourne seminary, Corpus Christi College, to work in parishes in Tasmania and Victoria. Among these 922 are two parish priests baptised and educated in our Sunbury parish: Fr. Paul Mercovich P.P. of Charlton & St. Arnaud in 1967 and Fr. Brian McMahon P.P. of Reservoir East in 1966. On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations let us pray some from our parish today will be open to the call as the need for more priests is so great that parishes like Altona and Woodend from this week will be sharing a priest from another parish. 58 of 238 Melbourne parishes now share a priest.
Many thanks to those who attended the recent Sunbury Chaplaincy fundraiser – the Welsh Choir Concert. A big thank you also to everyone who donated food for the afternoon tea – we had ample to feed about 160 people! The Chaplaincy Committee greatly appreciates your support of this Concert which raised $1500!
To support their work of helping women to help themselves, a Peruvian Winter Warmer of music, food and accessories for sale will be held at Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre, 362 Albert St. East Melbourne on Thu 19 May 12.30 to 8 pm.
A Christian Meditation Workshop by the Office for Evangelisation will be held at St Christopher’s Airport West on 17 May 7.30 to 9.00pm.
Free entry.
Enquiries: 9926 5761.
Click below for a list of Meditation Groups
Thanks for all the prayers for me. The surgery has been successful and I am recuperating at Yarraville convent. The power of your prayers was very strong……Sr Maureen Cahir
You must be logged in to post a comment.