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Messages from our Parish Priest
| WELCOME! |
| Welcome back and thanks to Fr Harry Payne who has very kindly offered to celebrate all the Masses this weekend. I shall be attending the third and final meeting for the year of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council (ASCJC) from Friday through to Sunday.
21-22 Nov 2009 |
| Books for Sale |
| After each Mass this weekend and again next weekend, all the books in the Parish Library at Arncliffe will be for sale. A gold coin donation would be appreciated. All money raised will go towards subsidising any youth in our parish who wish to attend the World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain in 2011. The cost for these young people could be as high as $6,000 to $7,000 each. The Library is in the demountable building on the grounds at Arncliffe. 21-22 Nov 2009 |
| Advent Booklet |
| “Lectio Divina – Praying the Scriptures in Advent” is an attractive booklet written by Bishop David Walker and published by the Australian Bishops” Conference. Its purpose is to assist you in reflecting on the Sunday readings during the four weeks of Advent. Lectio Divina is a simple method of reading and reflecting on the scriptures. Its aim is to bring depth and meaning to our reading. Included in the booklet are notes on how to use the Lectio Divina method, both for individuals as well as for groups. The booklets are free and there will be someone at each door of both Churches this weekend offering it to you. We have a hundred copies for Arncliffe and another hundred for Rockdale. Please consider taking one and making this Advent a time of prayerful renewal. Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. 21-22 Nov 2009 |
| Ordination of Deacons |
| Next Saturday, 28 November, at 10.00am in St Mary’s Cathedral, the Archbishop will confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders on five men by ordaining them to the Diaconate. Being ordained a deacon is a very important stage in the journey to Priesthood. Some of you might recall when I was ordained a deacon here in the church at Rockdale on December 1993. A Deacon can celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony, he may proclaim the Gospel and preach at Mass. Please keep these men in your prayers this coming week as they offer themselves to the service of the Church. They are: J Gedeon, K Ha, R Doohan, J Ssemaganda and S Kitimbo. 21-22 Nov 2009 |
| Charter of Human Rights |
| The Catholic Church has been and will continue to be a defender of human dignity and a promoter of human rights. However, in our secular society a Charter of Human Rights may well be use ideologically to limit freedom of conscience, religious practice, the rights of parents and the role and identity of Catholic Schools, welfare agencies and the hospitals etc. The best way to promote human rights is to promote, through education, the intrinsic right of every human being to live with dignity. You may care to oppose the Charter of Human Rights personally through you local member of parliament or by accessing the petition. 21-22 Nov 2009 |
| November Masses |
| During the month of November, we traditionally remember the “Holy Souls” in our prayers. The “Holy Souls” are those who have died and who await entry into the Kingdom of Heaven through forgiveness of their sins. In Chapter 12 of the 2nd Book of Maccabees we are told that it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead in order that they may be delivered from their sins. Therefore, during this month of November, all the Masses will be offered for those who have died. We pray especially for those who have died and who have no-one left to pray for them. The November Mass offerings will be placed on the altar each Mass during this month. The special Mass envelopes are available in each of the Churches.
14-15 Nov 2009 |
| Holy Communion |
| A fax was received in my absence from the Cardinal concerning Holy Communion under both species. Now that the concerns about the swine flu epidemic have abated, permission is once again given for Communion to be received under both species. Accordingly, the custom at Arncliffe of offering the Precious Blood at all Masses and at Rockdale at the Tuesday evening Mass will be resumed.
Please note: it is most important that should you have a cold, a cough, a runny nose, a cold-sore or any other infectious condition, you should refrain from receiving the Precious Blood from the chalice. Respect and courtesy for others and the personal responsibility each one of us has with regards personal hygiene is both expected and desirable. The practice of some people of taking the Consecrated Host and dipping it in the Chalice oneself is prohibited. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion have been instructed not to offer the Chalice for people to dip the Host into. If you are refused the Chalice because of this, please do not be offended but come and speak to me, Fr Brendan. Likewise, each of us should remember that receiving Holy Communion from the Chalice should be done prayerfully and respectfully. Accordingly, the practice of bowing reverently to acknowledge the Real Presence of Christ before receiving Holy Communion applies equally to receiving the Precious Blood and the Eucharistic Host. The privilege of receiving from the Chalice calls us to take a small sip only, and not a large gulp of the Precious Blood. 7-8 November 2009 |
| The Sign of the Cross |
| Catholics often begin and end prayers with the Sign of the Cross. This is not an empty gesture. It is a constant reminder to us that the Cross brought Salvation. It is a prayer. A cross is traced with the right hand, touching the forehead, the chest, then the left and right shoulder while invoking the Holy Trinity by saying “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.“ From the Catholic Enquiry Centre |
- Fr Brendan Quirk
Source: Parish Weekly Bulletin