Mersey Leven Catholic Parish
Parish Priest: Fr Mike Delaney mob: 0417 279 437;
email: mike.delaney@catholicpriest.org.au
Assistant Priest: Fr Augustine Ezenwelu mob: 0470 576 857
Postal Address: PO Box 362, Devonport 7310
Parish Office: 90 Stewart Street, Devonport 7310
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday 10am-3pm
Office Phone: 6424 2783 Fax: 6423 5160
FaceBook: Mersey Leven Catholic Parish
Weekly Newsletter: mlcathparish.blogspot.com.au
Parish Newsletter: mlcathparishnewsletter.blogspot.com.au
Secretary: Annie Davies/Anne Fisher
Pastoral Council Chair: Mary Davies
Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au for news, information and details of other Parishes.
Our Parish Sacramental Life
Baptism: arrangements are made by contacting Parish Office.
Parents attend a Baptismal Preparation Session on first Tuesday of February, April, June, August, October and December.
Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist: Are received following a Family–centred, Parish-based, School-supported Preparation Program.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: prepares adults for reception into the Catholic community.
Marriage: arrangements are made by contacting one of our priests - couples attend a pre-marriage Program
Anointing of the Sick: please contact one of our priests
Reconciliation: Ulverstone - Fridays (10am - 10:30am)
Devonport - Saturday (5:15pm– 5.45pm)
Penguin - Saturday (5:15pm - 5:45pm)Devonport - Saturday (5:15pm– 5.45pm)
Scripture Readings
FIRST READING
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
(R.) Do
not forget the works of the Lord!
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because
by your cross you have redeemed the world. Alleluia!
GOSPEL: John 3: 13 - 17
PREGO REFLECTION ON TODAY'S GOSPEL:
Martin Luther called the highlighted verse above “the
Gospel in miniature.” Jesus says these words to Nicodemus — and to each
individual — with the certainty that comes from his origins in God: as Son of
God, he knows God’s love and desire for each person, and he wants us to know
beyond doubt and to let ourselves experience that same love and desire.
I settle into prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to be in my
mind and heart as I welcome the Good News of this Gospel passage.
I read the passage slowly; I ponder those parts that speak
to me
Perhaps I contemplate, with Nicodemus, the origin of Jesus
and the authority that this gives to his teaching.
Perhaps I look at Jesus as he is lifted up — on the cross,
in the Resurrection and at the Ascension. As I do so, what thoughts and
feelings do I have? Does it say anything to me about my life? What do I want to
say to Jesus?
Perhaps I consider that God risked the life of his only Son
because of his love for me, and that in God there is only love, no
condemnation. Do I really believe this?
I finish my prayer by glorifying God, Glory be to the
Father ….
Weekday
Masses 16th - 19th September, 2014
Monday: 11:00am Ulverstone Funeral Mass
Tuesday: 9:30am
Penguin
... Sts Cornelius
& Cyprian
Wednesday: 9:30am Latrobe
Thursday: 10:30am Karingal
Friday: 11:00am
Mt
St Vincent
Next
Weekend 20th & 21st September, 2014
Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm
Penguin
& Devonport
Sunday Mass: 8:30am Port Sorell (LWC),
9:00am Ulverstone,
10:30am Devonport,
9:00am Ulverstone,
10:30am Devonport,
11:00am Sheffield,
5.00pm Latrobe.
5.00pm Latrobe.
Eucharistic
Adoration:
Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon,
concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus
Devonport: Benediction with Adoration - first Friday of
each month.
Prayer Groups:
Charismatic Renewal - Ulverstone (Community Room) Every
second and fourth Monday of the month 7:30pm - Devonport (Emmaus House) Thursdays - 7:30pm
Christian Meditation - Devonport, Emmaus House - Wednesdays 7pm.
Ministry Rosters 20th & 21st
September, 2014
Devonport:
Readers:
Vigil: M Kelly, B Paul, R Baker 10.30am: F
Sly, J Tuxworth, K Pearce
Ministers of Communion: Vigil T Muir, M
Davies, J Cox, M Gerrand, T Bird, S Innes
10.30am: C Schrader,
R Beaton, E McLagan , B & N Mulcahy, L
Hollister
Cleaners 19th Sept: E & L Edillo, E
Howlett 26th Sept: B Bailey, A Harrison, M Greenhill
Piety Shop 20th Sept: Jill Di Pietro 21st Sept: K Hull
Ulverstone:
Reader: M McLaren Ministers of Communion: M Byrne, D Griffin
Cleaners: V Ferguson
Penguin:
Greeters: J & T Kiely Commentator: J Barker Readers:
J Garnsey, A
Landers
Procession: Y & R Downes Ministers of Communion: T Clayton, E
Nickols
Liturgy: Sulphur Creek J Setting Up: F Aichberger Care of Church: J & T Kiely
Port Sorell:
Readers: M Badcock, L
Post Ministers of Communion: E Holloway
Clean /Prepare/Flowers: B Lee, A Holloway
Latrobe:
Reader: Elizabeth Ministers of Communion: M Kavic, P Marlow
Your prayers
are asked for the sick:
Tom Hyde, Madeline Simpson, Shirley
Fidler, Shirley White, Connie Clavo, Rose Ackerley, Theda
(Joan) Bates, Nene Reyes, John Purtell, Louise Murfet, Joan Stafford, Shanon
Breaden, Tom Knaap, Kieran McVeigh, Kath Smith, Jamie Griffiths, Anne
Johnson, Arlene Austria &.....
Let us pray for those who
have died recently:
Br Tony Smith, John Koppleman, Joan
Scully, Russell Foster, Terence Doody, Ted McCarthy, David Windridge, Marion
Roberts, Allan Horton, Robert Sheehan, Kathryn McLennan, Leo
Kelly, Lionel Rosevear and David Covington.
Let us pray
for those whose anniversary occurs about this time:
Evelyn Murray, Denny Sproule, Ellen
Ann Regan, Jan Deeka, Cyril Scattergood, Sybil O'Connor, Molly Page, Melba
Robertson, Dorothy Crawford, Leonard Payne, Patrick Laird, Donald Philp, Peg
McKenna, Carlito Edillo. Also Petronilo & Cemon Fat, Santos
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
First Reading
BAPTISM:
We welcome and congratulate Zelda Powell
who is being baptised this weekend.
FROM FR MIKE:
I’ve just been reminded that today is Thursday and I’m
supposed to have prepared my thoughts. I
have less that 40 minutes before I’m due at Eliza Purton Nursing Home for Mass
and I'm now officially behind the pump.
Thanks to all those who extended their best wishes and
prayers for me last week for my ‘kidney stone removal’. After Archbishop Adrian
offered to celebrate Masses for me (gratefully appreciated) I felt a great big
fraud as I relaxed, although I do have to admit it made life a little easier not
having to run round to get everything done.
This week has been hectic with there being some more
bereavements in our Parish Community – the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross this weekend - reminds us that there is always a ‘cross’ as part of our
life’s journey and although it is not any easier knowing that it can sometimes
give us strength to know that the Cross is always followed by the Resurrection
and life eternal.
Next week, life will be back to some sense of normality –
says he hopefully – so I am hopeful that we will be able to follow through with
some of the visits and work that has not been completed over these last two
weeks.
A reminder: please remember that anyone wishing to make a
response to the Parish Draft Plan needs to be either emailed or delivered to
the Parish Office by the end of the month and any nomination forms for people
to be considered for training as Lay Liturgical Leaders also need to be
returned to the Parish Office by the end of September.
Until next week, take care on the roads and in your homes,
Fr Mike
SICK AND RETIRED PRIESTS FUND APPEAL: Next weekend (21st September).
The fund began in January 1948 and was set up to ensure
that all diocesan priests incardinated into the Archdiocese of Hobart would
receive adequate material and financial care when they retire or should a
priest become sick.
Please give generously to this annual Appeal so that those
priests who have laboured in the Archdiocese of Hobart
MACKILLOP HILL:
MACKILLOP HILL - FOUNDATION COMMITTEE: meeting MacKillop Hill, Thursday
25th September at 10am. Everyone welcome!
SPIRITUALITY IN THE COFFEE SHOPPE: Monday 22nd September 10:30am -
12noon. Come along...share your issues and enjoy a lively discussion over
morning tea! Phone 6428:3095 email mackillophill.forth@sosj.org.au
ST MARY'S CHURCH PENGUIN:
Saturday 27th September St Mary's Penguin is having a Soup
and Sandwich night after Mass. Wear your footy
colours if you wish as it is Grand Final day - celebrate or commiserate! All
welcome.
PASTORAL
COUNCIL DRAFT PLAN:
Responses to the draft plan need to be at the Parish
office, either delivered, placed on the plate or sent by email by the end of
September. If you have not yet seen the
draft, it can be accessed on Blogspot: mlcathparishplan.blogspot.com.au or you
can obtain a hard copy from the Parish office.
VINNIES: If you are looking to fill in a few
hours volunteering, Vinnies Shops would welcome you at our local Vinnies
stores. Please contact TONI on 6427:7100 or call into Vinnies Ulverstone,
Penguin, Latrobe, East Devonport, Devonport .
SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMENT:
“The Christian tradition of working to persuade others to
strive for the common good and the participation of all, particularly the ones
least equipped to do so, leads us, the Catholic bishops of Australia, to call
on our fellow Australians to be in solidarity in this critical moment in the
fight against world poverty.”
From the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Social Justice
Statement 2013-2014: Lazarus at our Gate: A critical moment in the fight
against world poverty.
THANK YOU!
Mt
St Vincent Women's Auxiliary would like to thank everyone who helped out in any
way with the recent cake stall held at Mt St
Vincent Nursing Home. It was a huge success!
CONGRATULATIONS YVONNE DOWNES:
On the recent launch of her book telling the
story of her great grandfather: The Brownsville
HELLO EVERYONE:
Former parishioners Lorna and Paul Castles say
'hello' and send their best wishes to all parishioners.
They are both settling into their new home at Mary's Grange, Taroona.
Ordinary
$2.00 footy margin tickets will be sold (as normal) during the Finals.
GRAND FINAL TICKETS:
$10.00
tickets are now selling – hurry and get yours today! The winner of the $10 tickets will receive $500.00 and the holder of the ticket
with the number either side of the winning number $100.00.
The $10.00 tickets
are only
available from Devonport and Ulverstone or by phoning the Parish Office 6424:2783 or
Mary Webb 6425:2781.
FOOTY MARGIN: First Final held Friday 5th Sept Hawthorn won by 36 points
Winners: Charlies Angels, Rosemarie Guest, Eileen Beard.
BINGO Thursday Nights - OLOL Hall, Devonport. Eyes down 7.30pm!
Callers for Thursday 18th September are Rod
Clark and Bruce Peters.
SAINTS OF THE WEEK:
Sept 14 The
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Also known as Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. The Cross is the most potent and universal
symbol of the Christian faith. The cross is a symbolic summary of the Passion,
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ – all in one image. Rather than being a symbol of shame, faith in
the resurrection makes the cross a symbol of pride. The worst weapon of Jesus'
enemies could not overpower him. Through the cross, Jesus triumphs over
death. The cross represents the One
Sacrifice by which Jesus, obedient even unto death, accomplished our salvation.
Sept 16
Sts Cornelius & Cyprian Third
Century
Decius, Roman Emperor from 249 – 251, instigated fierce
persecutions aimed at the total extinction of Christianity. Large numbers were lost to the Church through
both martyrdom and apostasy. St
Cornelius, as Pope, worked to maintain unity against the opposition of the
first anti-pope, Novatian, and to welcome back those who had apostacised. He was supported by St Cyprian, Bishop of
Carthage. Both Cornelius and Cyprian claimed that the Church had the authority
and the power to forgive repentant apostates. Persecutions of the Christians
started up again in 253 under Emperor Gallus and both Cornelius and Cyprian
were martyred.
Sept 19 St Januarius
The New Advent website, in providing an entry for St Januarius, contains a fascinating tale (from another source) about how a phial of the saint’s blood apparently “is wont to melt and bubble in a very strange way, as though it had but freshly been shed,” when placed next to the saint’s head.
Whether it is apocryphal or the result of some other logical explanation, the story is one of the few details available about this little-known patron of blood banks and volcanic eruptions. Living and dying in fourth-century Italy
Sept 20 Sts
Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Paul Chong Ha-sang and companions (martyred in the period 1821-1846)
‘The Korean
Church
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE ARCHDIOCESE:
NATSICC 2014 YOUTH GATHERING: National Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Catholic Council will be holding their 2014 National Youth
Leadership Gathering in Adelaide
HOLY GROUND: Facilitated by Monica Brown and
Hilary Musgrave.
Would you enjoy a day of reflection and music, with
opportunity to experience God's Presence in and around you? The Sisters of St
Joseph invite you to spend a few hours with Monica Brown, a brilliant musician
and composer of many songs used in our Tasmanian Parishes and Schools. When:
this coming Friday 19th September, 10am - 3pm. Where: Josephite Hall, St Thomas
Newsletter items must be
received before 12 noon
Thursday – thank you.
Evangelii Gaudium
”Proclaiming the Gospel
message to different cultures also involves proclaiming it to professional,
scientific and academic circles...When certain categories of reason and the
sciences are taken up into the proclamation of the message, these categories
then become tools of evangelisation. Water is changed into wine...’
-
Para
132 from Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis, Nov. 24, 2013
What
place does human freedom have in the plan of salvation?
Our freedom is weakened because of original sin.
This weakness is intensified because of successive sins. Christ however, set us
free “so that we should remain free” (Gal 5:1). With his grace, the Holy Spirit
leads us to spiritual freedom to make us free co-workers with him in the Church
and in the world.
From: Compendium of the Catechism of
the Catholic Church: Paragraph 366
(Catholic Enquiry Centre www.catholicenquiry.com)
Words
of Wisdom –
Pope Saint Gregory the Great (540-604), Doctor of the Church
“A man does not climb a
mountain in great bounds, but by taking slow, steady steps.”
Meme of the week
Here’s one for anyone
that was ever a fan of Breaking Bad.
(For those who appreciated this particular television program, and its incisive
look at a man who “gained the world” but lost his soul in the process, there is
a new show coming to your small screen. It’s called Better Called Saul... Hence this meme, and what seems like a nod to
not only the show but also make a nice theological point.)
OUR TIMIDITY IN THE FACE OF GOD’S ABUNDANCE
An article by Fr Ron rolheiser omi (original found at) http://ronrolheiser.com/en/#.VBNv5fmSzAY
My youth had both its strengths and its weaknesses. I
grew up on a farm in heart of the Canadian prairies, a second-generation
immigrant. Our family was a large one and the small farm we lived on gave us
enough to live on, though just enough. There were never any extras. We were
never hungry or genuinely poor, but we lived in a conscriptive frugality. You
were given what you needed, but rarely anything extra. You got just one portion
of the main course at a meal and one dessert because these had to be measured
out in a way that left enough for everyone. And I lived happily inside that,
taking for granted that this was the way life was meant to be, assuming that
all resources are limited and you shouldn’t ever be asking for or taking more
than what’s necessary.
And such a
background has its strengths: You grow into adulthood with the sense that
there’s no free lunch, you need to earn what you eat. You know too that
you shouldn’t be taking more than your share because the goods of this world
are limited and meant to be shared with everyone. If you take more than your
share, than there won’t be enough for everyone. Resources are limited, so if
anyone gets too much, someone gets too little.
But such an
upbringing also has its downside: When everything has to be measured-out to
ensure that there’s enough for everyone and you live with the underlying fear
that there might not be enough, you can easily end-up with a sense of scarcity
rather than of abundance and an inclination towards stinginess rather than
generosity.
A mindset of
scarcity rather than of abundance debilitates us in several ways: First, it
tends to leave us standing before life’s abundance too timid to celebrate life
with any exuberance. Life is too equated with frugality and you are forever
haunted by guilt in the face of life’s goodness and especially before any
experience of luxury, not unlike the discomfort felt by Jesus’ disciples when
they are face to face with a prodigal woman lavishly anointing Jesus’ feet with
expensive perfume. Inside a mindset of scarcity there’s the perennial
temptation to falsely idealize suffering and poverty and have them replace
grace and abundance as God’s real gift to us. More crippling still is the fact
that a sense of scarcity too often gives us a concept of a God who is limited
and who is frugal rather than prodigal. But that isn’t the God of Jesus.
Allow me just one,
rather pointed, illustration: A seminary professor whom I know shares this
story. He’s been teaching seminarians for many years and in recent years, when
teaching about the sacrament of penance, is frequently asked this question,
often as the first question in the class: “When can I refuse absolution? When
do I not grant forgiveness?” The anxiety expressed here is not, I believe,
triggered by a need for power but by a very sincere fear that we have to be
rather scrupulous in handing out God’s mercy, that we shouldn’t be handing out
cheap grace. And, undergirding that fear, I believe, is the unconscious notion
that God too works out of a sense of scarcity rather than of abundance, and
that God’s mercies, like our own resources, are limited and need to be measured
out very sparingly.
But that’s not the
God whom Jesus incarnated and revealed. The Gospels rather reveal a God who is
prodigal beyond all our standards and beyond our imagination. The God of the
Gospels is the Sower who, because he has unlimited seeds, scatters those seeds
everywhere without discrimination: on the road, in the ditches, in the thorn
bushes, in bad soil, and in good soil. Moreover that prodigal Sower is also the
God of creation, that is, the God who has created and continues to create
hundreds of billions of galaxies and billions and billions of human beings. And
this prodigal God gives us this perennial invitation: Come to the waters, come
without money, come without merit because God’s gift is as plentiful,
available, and as free as the air we breathe.
The Gospel of Luke
recounts an incident where Peter, just after he had spent an entire night
fishing and had caught nothing, is told to cast out his net one more time and,
this time, Peter’s net catches so many fish that the weight of the catch
threatens to sink two boats. Peter reacts by falling on his knees and
confessing his sinfulness. But, as the text makes clear, that’s not the proper
reaction in the face of over-abundance. Peter is wrongly fearful, in effect,
wanting that over-abundance to go away; when what Jesus wants from him in the
face of that over-abundance is to go out to the world and share with others
that unimaginable grace.
What God’s
over-abundance is meant to teach us is that, in the face of limitless grace, we
may never refuse anyone absolution.
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