A RENEWED MENTALITY WITH NEW MASS TEXTS
Pope Benedict has exhorted us to develop “a renewed mentality” as we use the new texts. To prepare us internally, Father Michael Fallon will give us formation at all Masses for five Sundays from 11 September. Fr Michael was ordained a priest for the Church of Brisbane in 1968. Later he obtained a Masters in Religious Education at Catholic University of America. Then he was involved in assisting teachers in RE at the Catholic Education Office Brisbane. Later, he was the Director of Continuing Education for the Clergy in Brisbane. Then he was a Parish Priest. He came here in 2005 for our parish renewal week. Fr Michael will be residing and ministering in our Parish for a couple of months.
At the Liturgy Planning meeting last week, we decided on the music for the new texts and we will begin this after the school holidays. From the first Sunday of Advent, the new texts are to be used in the English speaking world. We need several teams to operate the computer for the screens showing the new texts. Please contact the Parish Office so a roster can be drawn up.
YOUTH GROUP
Our Youth Group will be gathering this Sunday at 6.30pm at St Anne’s Church. Please bring along a favourite board game and a friend to join in the fun. Refreshments are provided. All are welcome. Further details contact garnetjacob@yahoo.com.
THANKSGIVING OFFERING TOKENS
At every Mass, we offer ourselves to God the Father through Christ. To help those who give by automatic payments (direct debits, credit card and internet banking) to become conscious of their offering at every Mass, we shall have available tokens to be placed on the collection plate. These tokens have the printed text: “We support our parish by automatic payments: The tokens will begin this Sunday.
STEWARDSHIP……A WAY OF LIFE
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS
Jesus throws out a challenge to all who wish to follow him in today’s Gospel. Immediately after St. Peter identified him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus declares that he is not the sort of Christ people expected. Instead of being a conquering hero, he must suffer greatly and be killed. Even worse, each of his followers “must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
That’s the contradiction of the Christian life. The fallen world, what St. Paul terms “this age,” is centered on self – indulging what our wills want so we can achieve maximum pleasure, power, and prestige. But Christians are called to let our minds be transformed and renewed by Jesus Christ, so that our wills are conformed to the will of God. We die to self so we can live for God.
When we allow God’s formation to renew our minds, we discover that it changes how we use our time, apply our talent, and spend our treasure. We pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” When our minds have been renewed by God’s grace, we do our best to make this prayer come true.
Copyright © 2011 www.TheCatholicSteward.com
FATHER JOHN CARNIE– A REDEMPTORIST FATHER
Last Tuesday over 3000 Marcellin College present students in uniform and past students in suits celebrated Fr John’s funeral Mass in the largest funeral for years at our Cathedral . the College choir filled the Cathedral with its music. Later, a guard of honour of hundreds of students lined the entire block beside the Cathedral. The moving celebration was a tribute to Fr John who has been chaplain at Marcellin for 25 years until he had an operation for cancer and died of complications. Aged 80, he was a quiet man, with a quick wit and a memory for names. He has been a model of pastoral care– he would be at school everyday before class; he was present to students, tuckshop mums and staff. He continued his involvement after the
students left school. He celebrated over 200 marriages of past students. As a current student blogged: “For you Fr John heaven will be having everyday an 18th or 21st birthday party to gate-crash!”
134 CHILDREN HAVE MET THE FORGIVING CHRIST
Over three evenings students from our parish celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Congratulations to them, their parents, teachers and catechists for leading the children into a very prayerful and joyful celebration of God’s forgiveness. Our Thanks also to Fr Tom Cleary, Fr Bert Fulbrook and Fr Joe Binh and Fr Peter Monaghan for assisting over the three nights.
.….Fr Kevin
THANK YOU
Caritas East Africa Appeal raised $2304.80 and CatholicCare raised $1379.20. Thank you so much for your generous support of these very important charities. Many people will receive much needed assistance with these funds.
NEW CANDLE PROTECTORS
Thank you to a generous parishioner for the new candle protectors at both churches. These protectors are very expensive but will protect the Altar from the candle wax which is very difficult to clean.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
SPECIAL COLLECTION THIS WEEK
FAREWELL GIFT FOR SR MAUREEN AND SR MARY
SPECIAL COLLECTION NEXT WEEKEND
NATIONAL DAY FOR MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
THANKSGIVING OFFERING
The loving gifts given by our parishioners are our life blood. Our generous givers give back in thanksgiving to God for all that we receive. Without givers, the Parish would not have began 100 years ago. Without our generous givers, we would cease to exist now.
Statements on our giving have been sent already and today new sets of envelopes are still available to be collected. You may find it more convenient to give electronically by direct debit or by internet banking instead of finding cash each Sunday. Our banking details are enclosed with your statements to assist with any changes you may need. Electronic giving is also more convenient for our Parish.
SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS
A copy of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council’s media release on funding is available at the Information Desk. Dr Neil Johnston’s 470 page report to the Department of Finance found “a huge gap between policy intent and policy execution.”
Details of two events on positive change in the Australian Constitution are also available at the Information Desk. One is a Q & A on the Constitutional Recognition of Australia’s First Nations on Thursday 25th August at Avila College in Mt Waverley. The other on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Constitutional Recognition is being held on 1st September at the Aboriginal Advancement League in Thornbury.
A beautifully illustrated book will be released this week and provides a very important update of the current thinking about the intervention. The book articulates the views of Aboriginal Elders as well as those of other leading Australians. Elders are calling on the “People of Australia” to walk with them in their quest for justice. “Walk With Us” is available from ‘concerned Australians’, PO Box 281, East Melbourne, Vic 8002. Cost $15 plus $3 postage. Cheques payable to Michelle Harris.
WORLD YOUTH DAY MADRID
The climax of the week is Mass later today Australia time. Please pray for the million pilgrims especially the Melbourne pilgrims who have been adversely affected by the extreme heat and are now accommodated in hotels.
SPECIAL COLLECTION FOR SRS MAUREEN & MARY
A special collection will be taken up this weekend as a token of appreciation for the witness of these two religious sisters. There will also be an opportunity to say farewell to Srs Maureen and Mary at a shared lunch in the Parish Centre on next Sunday 28 August from 12.00 lunch time. Please bring a plate to share.
STEWARDSHIP……A WAY OF LIFE
CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS
Paul concludes his discussion of the relation of Jews and Gentiles in the Church in today’s reading from Romans. In his amazement at God’s action in sending Jesus as both Jewish Messiah and universal savior, he cannot express anything except praise for God’s “riches and wisdom and knowledge,” his inscrutable judgments and unsearchable ways. God is beyond human comprehension, not because he doesn’t care or is hostile (as some religions have held), but because he is so great and loving and generous that neither our imagination nor our reason can grasp it.
Because everything we have comes as a gift from God, even our existence, Paul reminds us that we can’t give something to God in a fashion that puts God in debt to us. “For from him and through him and for him are all things.” So although we are in debt to God, we ought not to view our return to God of a portion of our time, talent, and treasure as a duty to be grudgingly accepted. Instead we’re invited to make a loving response.
Among the many blessings for which we owe thanks to God is the Church, through which we receive sacramental grace and in which we live our Christian life. Jesus built the Church on St. Peter and entrusted to him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” In it we can safely journey through the storms of this life until our arrival at heaven.
Copyright © 2011 www.TheCatholicSteward.com
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 
You must be logged in to post a comment.