Feast of the Holy Family

Mersey Leven Catholic Parish

To be a vibrant Catholic Community 

unified in its commitment 

to growing disciples for Christ 

Parish Priest: Fr Mike Delaney 
Mob: 0417 279 437 

mike.delaney@aohtas.org.au

Priest in Residence:  Fr Phil McCormack  
Mob: 0437 521 257

pmccormack43@bigpond.com

Postal Address: PO Box 362, Devonport 7310

Parish Office: 90 Stewart Street, Devonport 7310 

(Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am - 3pm)

Office Phone: 6424 2783 Fax: 6423 5160 

Email: merseyleven@aohtas.org.au

Secretary: Annie Davies / Anne Fisher

Pastoral Council Chair:  Jenny Garnsey

Mersey Leven Catholic Parish Weekly Newsletter: mlcathparish.blogspot.com.au

Parish Mass times for the Month: mlcpmasstimes.blogspot.com.au

Weekly Homily Podcast: mikedelaney.podomatic.com  

Our Parish Sacramental Life Baptism: Parents are asked to contact the Parish Office to make arrangements for attending a Baptismal Preparation Session and booking a Baptism date. 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)                                   Care and Concern: If you are aware of anyone who is sick or in need of assistance in the Parish please visit them. Then, if they are willing and give permission, could you please pass on their names to the Parish Office. We have a group of parishioners who are part of the Care and Concern Group who are willing and able to provide some backup and support to them. Unfortunately, because of privacy issues, the Parish Office is not able to give out details unless prior permission has been given.

Eucharistic Adoration - Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus

Benediction with Adoration Devonport:  First Friday of each month.

Legion of Mary: Wednesdays 11am Sacred Heart Church Community Room, Ulverstone

Prayer Group: Charismatic Renewal – In Recess until Monday 15^TH January, 2018

                      Healing Mass sponsored by CCR will be held at St Mary’s Church Penguin on Thursday 8^th February, 2018

Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au  for news, information and details of other Parishes.

Parish Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for gathering us together 
and calling us to serve as your disciples.

You have charged us through Your Son, Jesus, with the great mission

  of evangelising and witnessing your love to the world.

Send your Holy Spirit to guide us as we discern your will

 for the spiritual renewal of our parish.

Give us strength, courage, and clear vision 
as we use our gifts to serve you.

We entrust our parish family to the care of Mary, our mother,

and ask for her intercession and guidance 
as we strive to bear witness

 to the Gospel and build an amazing parish.

Amen.

                                                                    

Weekday Masses 1st - 5th January 2018

Monday:         12noon Devonport - Mary, Mother of God
Tuesday:        9:30am Penguin

Wednesday:    9:30am Latrobe 

Thursday:      12noon Devonport                     

Friday:           9:30am Ulverstone
                      12noon Devonport                                                                                     

                                                  

Next Weekend 6th - 7th January 2018 
Saturday             9.30am Ulverstone                                                             
Saturday Vigil:     6:00pm Penguin                                                                              

                                        Devonport 

Sunday Mass:      8:30am Port Sorell

                          9:00am Ulverstone

                        10:30am Devonport

                        11:00am Sheffield

                        5:00pm Latrobe    

                                    

Your prayers are asked for the sick:  Vic Slavin, Rex Bates, David Welch & …

Let us pray for those who have died recently: Tony McKenna, Georgia Lewtas, Fr Tim O’Toole CP, Bob Wallace, Sr. Joy Hanrahan, Tony Marshall, Zoe Duncan, Margaret Devine, Ken Denison, Donald Cooper.

Let us pray for those whose anniversary occurs about this time: 27^th December – 2^nd January

Jean Matthews, Kathleen Sheehan, Brian Salter, Grant Dell, Mavis Wise, Thelma Batt, Barbara George, Rob Belanger, Pearl Sheridan, William Cousins, Bill Kruk, Ian Stubbs, Tori Enniss, Nicola Tenaglia, Roy Beechey, Cavell Robertson.

May they Rest in Peace

                               

Readings this week – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – Year B

First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 3: 2-6. 12-14 

Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21

   Gospel: Luke 2:22. 39-40

PREGO REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL:

I try and find a quiet place where I can pause a few moments on my journey and reflect on the lines above. 

In my imagination, I accompany the Holy Family on their way back to Nazareth. 

Perhaps I re-live with them all they had to do to fulfil the Law before returning home. 

I reflect on my own life and my attitude towards our Church Laws. 

Do I find them reassuring, supportive, inflexible, out of touch ... or...? 

I tell the Lord what is in my heart, trusting he will listen and understand. 

Perhaps my attention is drawn to Jesus’ mother. 

Once again, I tell the Lord in my own words how I feel. 

Joseph supported Mary throughout their journey together.

I may like to picture him in detail. 

What was he like? 

An old man with a beard, or a younger one, athletic and full of vigour? 

Perhaps I see him interact with Mary and Jesus. 

What images come to mind? 

I stay with this scene a while longer and pray for all those who have not been able to know what it is like to grow up with loving parents, who could help them on their journey. 

In time, I thank the Lord for being with me and slowly conclude my prayer.

Readings next week – The Epiphany

First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6

   Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

                                             

Weekly Ramblings

Over these past twelve months we have taken a number of steps that are all aimed at developing a sense of what being a renewed Parish in the 21st C might look like. At present we are focussing on deepening our relationship with God through our prayer life and the scriptures and so we have been using the Chosen program during this Advent & Christmas Season and we will be using the Surrender Program during Lent and Easter.

I have added another page to the Bus Stop in each of our centres, repeating information that I presented in the Weekly Ramblings a few months back, about the reformation of the Parish Pastoral Team. We are asking Parishioners to re-read the material at the Bus Stop so that all of us might be considering how we can respond to this invitation to be part of the on-going development of our Parish Vision. We will have more information at the Bus Stop in coming weeks so please visit and catch up with the latest information.

As we come to the end of another year (my 4^th year as your PP) I would like to express my thanks to everyone who has done so much to help me in so many and varied ways – there are too many to mention in all the centres who work to ensure that our Liturgy is celebrated well, our Churches are clean, tidy and looking good, our counting and fundraising activities are both celebrated and successful. 

I would also like to express my thanks to Fr Smiley for his forbearance and friendship to me and for his priestly ministry amongst us. To Annie, Anne and Digna for their assistance and friendship in the house, the Office and in the Parish – thanks. To John and Maureen who support me as members of the Parish Leadership Team – your assistance and friendship has been wonderful – I would not be able to do it without your support. 

Please take care when you are travelling and be safe

                             

Open to Love

This is an extract from the daily email series from Fr Richard Rohr, OFM. You can subscribe to receive these emails by clicking here 

Picture someone or a situation you feel resistance or bitterness toward. What do you feel in your body? Where do you hold the pain or tension? With gentle awareness, send loving kindness toward this part of your body. Observe your muscles relaxing and your breath coming more freely.

If you have a hard time finding the sensation in your body, clench your fists and draw your arms toward your chest. Hold this posture for a few moments; then release your arms and lay your open hands, palm up, on your thighs.

As you read aloud this prayer from Thomas Merton, allow your heart to continue to soften and let love flow through you toward this person or situation:

Oh God, we are one with You. You have made us one with You. You have taught us that if we are open to one another, You dwell in us. Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts. Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection. Oh God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept You, and we thank You, and we adore You, and we love You with our whole being, because our being is in Your being, our spirit is rooted in Your spirit. Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes You present in the world, and which makes You witness to the ultimate reality that is love. Love has overcome. Love is victorious. Amen. [1]

Reference:

[1] Thomas Merton, The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton, eds. Naomi Burton, Patrick Hart, and James Laughlin (New Directions: 1975); 318-319. Merton offered this prayer at a spiritual summit in Calcutta, just after admitting “I have no idea what I am going to say.”