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
Mob: 0417 279 437
Assistant Priest: Fr Paschal Okpon
Mob: 0438 562 731
paschalokpon@yahoo.com
Priest in Residence: Fr Phil McCormack
Mob: 0437 521 257
Mob: 0437 521 257
Postal Address: PO Box 362
Parish Office: 90 Stewart Street
(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
Parish Mass times for the Month: mlcpmasstimes.blogspot.com.au
Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au for news, information and details of other Parishes.
Parish Prayer
Heavenly Father,
and calling us to serve as your disciples.
as we use our gifts to serve you.
as we strive to bear witness
to the Gospel and build an amazing parish.
Amen.
Our Parish Sacramental Life
Eucharistic Adoration - Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus
Weekday
Masses 24th - 27th April
Tuesday: 9:30am Penguin
9:00am Devonport
9:00am Ulverstone
Thursday: 10:30am Karingal
Friday: 11:00am Mt St Vincent
Weekend Masses 28th & 29th April, 2018
Saturday Vigil: 6:00pm Penguin
6:00pm Devonport
Sunday Mass: 8:30am Port Sorell
9:00am Ulverstone
10:30am Devonport
11:00am Sheffield
5:00pm Latrobe
Ministry Rosters 28th & 29th April, 2018
Devonport:
Ulverstone:
Penguin:
Port Sorell:
Readings this week – Fourth Sunday of Easter
PREGO REFLECTION:
As I begin to read this most famous of Gospel
passages, I let myself settle, and imagine Jesus the Good Shepherd watching
over me with attentive kindness.
I read slowly, stopping frequently to let its
words or images move me.
What do I notice?
Maybe the Good Shepherd giving his
life for his sheep?
Perhaps his voice?
The sheep listen to this.
What does it
sound like?
I pause to listen; to go deeper … Jesus is distinguishing himself
from the ‘hired hands’ – he knows his own relationship to the sheep is
different from the others.
What is his relationship with me?
And mine to him?
What is it like to ponder that I am his, and he always acts out of love?
I am
known by Jesus in the same way that Jesus himself knows the Father, and the
Father knows Jesus. How does this make me feel?
I end my prayer by talking with
Jesus from the heart.
Maybe I feel drawn to ask him to help me trust him ever
more completely, and to accept that I am truly known and loved by him.
Perhaps
I also sense a desire to do all I can to cultivate the unity of one flock under
one Shepherd.
Our Father …
Readings next week – Fifth Sunday of
Easter
Your prayers
are asked for the sick:
Joy Kiely, Vic Slavin & …
Let us pray for those who have died recently:
Bernie
Mason, Lexie Weedon, Laurie Fox, David Welch, Brian Corbett, Katy Freeman
Let us pray for those whose anniversary occurs
about this time: 18th – 24th April
Terrence
McCarthy, Dawn Ashman, Bridget Imlach, Molly Dunphy, Stephen Gibbons, Wilma
Bacchin, Andrew Smith, Marie Nichols, John Munro, Leo Sheehan, John Redl,
Lillian Stubbs, Lola O’Halloran, Fr Terry
Southerwood, Joyce Sheehan, Flo Smith, Emily Sherriff. Also Ila Breen, Aileen
& Gerard Reynolds.
May they Rest in Peace
Congratulations
to Jean Phillips on the occasion of her
ANZAC DAY: 
The Ode
Please note:
Anzac Day Mass Times - Wednesday 25th April, 2018
9:00am Sacred Heart Church, Ulverstone
2pm Service at Mt St Vincent Home, Ulverstone
Weekly
Ramblings
Almost 60 people came to the Introduction to the Ministry
of Hospitality Gathering at Ulverstone last Sunday. There is still more that we
have to do as a community but there are steps that we are going to take that
will build on our experience of last weekend.
During the week, Frs Phil, Paschal and myself, enjoyed some
wonderful weather on the East Coast (well at least as I write this on Wednesday
afternoon). We also had a chance to hear some solid theological presentations
by Fr Kevin Lenehan on the role and ministry of the priesthood - Proclaim the
Word, Celebrate the Sacraments and Gathering the People of God.
We were also fortunate to share some wonderful presentations
by 6 lay people responding to these same themes - three of them are or have
been parishioners of the Mersey Leven Parish. The richness of all the
contributions was greatly appreciated leaving me, and most others, with a real
desire to continue reflecting on these themes in the weeks ahead. Hopefully
that will be further supported when we move towards a new model of Parish
Pastoral Team in the coming weeks.
This weekend we will be having a session for Lectors. As
well as looking at some training it will focus on what the Ministry of Lector
looks like and how all the roles people play in Liturgy contribute to the life
of the parish and the gathered Community.
Masses on
Wednesday, Anzac Day, will be at Latrobe, Ulverstone and Devonport. Masses are
at 9.00am to allow parishioners to attend the March and Services later in the
morning.
REMINDER:
ONGOING TRAINING FOR LECTORS: this Sunday 22nd April 2pm
- 4pm Community Room Ulverstone.
MACKILLOP HILL SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
SPIRITUALITY
IN THE COFFEE SHOPPE -
Monday 30th April,
10.30am – 12 noon. A great opportunity over a cup of tea or
coffee to share the joys and struggles of faith and life. See you there! No booking necessary!
MARGARET SILF NB. Venue and times now
confirmed!
Ulverstone
Thursday 24th May, 7pm – 9pm - “The Stories that Shape Us”
– reflecting on the precious gift of imagination which enables us to shape
stories and narratives in our search for meaning and understanding in our
lives. Some are life-giving, some
control and seduce us and others endure and grow as we grow.
Ulverstone
Friday 25th May 10.30am – 12.30pm - “Born to Fly” – how we, too, like the
caterpillar’s metamorphosis, are in the process of transformation – invited to
be co-creators of a different kind of future for humanity.
Book now! Phone 6428:3095
or email: rsjforth@bigpond.net.au. Cost $20.00 per session.
KNIGHTS OF
THE SOUTHERN CROSS MEETING: Next
Sunday 29th April at the Parish Hall, Devonport commencing at 4pm. No meal. Interested
men are invited to attend.
CATHOLIC
CHARISMATIC RENEWAL TASMANIA – HEALING MASS: St Mary’s Catholic Church Penguin Thursday
10th May starting at 7.00 pm with Fr Alexander Obiorah and
Fr Paschal Okpon as the celebrants. All
denominations are welcome to come and celebrate the liturgy in a vibrant and
dynamic way using charismatic praise and worship, with the gift of tongues,
prophecy, healing and anointing with blessed oil. After Mass, teams will be
available for individual prayer. Please bring a friend and a plate for supper
to share in the Hall. Contacts: Celestine 6424:2043, Michael 0447 018 068 at
Devonport or Tom 6425:2442 at Ulverstone.
FOOTY
TICKETS:
BINGO - Thursday Nights - OLOL
Hall, Devonport. Eyes down 7.30pm!
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE ARCHDIOCESE:
TASMANIAN CATHOLIC YOUTH
FESTIVAL:
Awe and Surrender
I once spoke to my friend, an old squirrel, about the
Sacraments—
Contemplation is really the art of full relationship. It is
learning how to relate to reality in an immediately appreciative and
non-manipulative way. The contemplative mind does not demand, is not needy, and
is not easily offended. It allows other things and people to have their own
voices without trying to impose its own agenda on them. It takes a lifetime to
learn this, it seems.
A daily practice of contemplative prayer will help you to
both allow and trust an overwhelming gratuity from outside yourself. It then
offers you the safety, the validation, and the courage to relate to everything
else as gratuitous gift too. When we see contemplatively, we know that we live
in a fully sacramental universe, where everything is a finger pointing at the
moon of Divine Reality. Every ordinary moment can be an epiphany.
To let the moment teach us, we must allow ourselves to be at
least slightly stunned by it until it draws us inward and upward, toward a
subtle experience of wonder. We normally need a single moment of gratuitous awe
to get us started.
The spiritual journey is a constant interplay between
moments of awe followed by surrender to that moment. We must first allow
ourselves to be captured by the goodness, truth, or beauty of something beyond
and outside ourselves. Then we universalize from that moment to the goodness,
truth, and beauty of the rest of reality, until our realization eventually
ricochets back to include ourselves. This is the great inner dialogue we call
prayer.
Moral outrage is the antithesis of morality. Yet it’s everywhere present in our world today and is everywhere rationalized on the basis of God and truth.
We live in a world awash in moral outrage. Everywhere individuals and groups are indignant and morally outraged, sometimes violently so, by opposing individuals, groups, ideologies, moral positions, ecclesiologies, interpretations of religion, interpretations of scripture, and the like. We see this everywhere, television networks outraged at the news coverage of other networks, church groups bitterly demonizing each other, pro-life and pro-choice groups angrily shouting at each other, and politics at its highest levels paralyzed as different sides feel so morally indignant that they are unwilling to contemplate any accommodation whatever with what opposes them.
And always, on both sides, there’s the righteous appeal to morality and divine authority (however explicit or implicit) in way that, in essence, says: I have a right to demonize you and to shut my ears to anything you have to say because you’re wrong and immoral and I, in the name of God and truth, am standing up to you. Moreover, you’re immorality gives me the legitimate right to bracket the essentials of human respect and treat you as a pariah to be eliminated – in the name of God and of truth.
And this this kind of attitude doesn’t just make for the angry divisions, bitter polarizations, and the deep distrust we live with today within our society, it’s also what produces terrorists, mass shootings, and the ugliest bigotry and racism. It produced Hitler – someone who was able to capitalize so powerfully on moral outrage that he was able to sway millions of people to turn against what was best inside themselves.
But moral outrage, however much it tries to justify itself on some lofty basis, religion, morality, patriotism, historical hurt, or personal injustice, remains always the opposite of genuine morality and genuine religious practice? Why? Because genuine morality and religious practice are always characterized by the opposite of what’s seen in moral outrage. Genuine morality and genuine religious practice are always marked by empathy, understanding, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, respect, charity, and graciousness – all of which are glaringly absent in virtually every expression of moral outrage we see today.
In trying to draw us into a genuine morality and religiosity, Jesus says this: Unless your virtue goes deeper than that of the Scribes and the Pharisees you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What was the virtue of the Scribes and Pharisees? On the surface, theirs was a very high virtue. To be a good Scribe or Pharisee meant keeping the Ten Commandments, being faithful to the prescribed religious practices of the time, and being a man or woman who was always just and fair in your dealings with others. So what’s lacking in that?
What’s missing is that all of these things (keeping the commandments, faithful religious observance, and being fair to others) can be done with a bitter, accusatory, unforgiving heart just as easily (and perhaps even more so) than with a warm, empathic, forgiving heart. Keeping the commandments, going to church, and being a just person can all be done (as is only too clear sometimes) out of moral outrage. To paraphrase Jesus: Anyone can be gracious to those who are gracious to you. Anyone can love those who love you. And anyone can be good to those who do good to you … but can you be gracious to those who are bitter towards you? Can you be loving towards those who hate you? And can you forgive those who kill you? That’s the litmus test for Christian morality and religious practice – and nowhere inside of anyone who passes this test will you still find the kind of moral outrage where we believe that God and truth are asking us to demonize those who hate us, do us evil, or try to kill us.
Moreover what we do in moral outrage is deny that we are ourselves morally complicit in the very things we demonize and pour our hatred out on. As we watch the world news each day and see the anger, bitter divisions, violence, injustices, intolerance, and wars that characterize our world, a deep, honest, courageous scrutiny should make us aware that we cannot fully separate ourselves from those things. We live in a world of longstanding and present injustice, of ever-widening economic inequality, of endemic racism and sexism, of countless people living as victims of plunder and rape in history, of millions of refugees with no place to go, and in a society where various people are branded and ostracized as “losers” and “sickos”. Should we be surprised that our society produces terrorists? However sincere and innocent we might personally feel, how we’re living helps create the ground the breeds mass killers, terrorists, abortionists, and playground bullies. We’re not as innocent as we think we are.
Our moral outrage is not an indicator that we are on the side of God and truth. More often than not, it suggests the opposite.
and calling us to serve as your disciples.
as we use our gifts to serve you.
as we strive to bear witness
Amen.
Our Parish Sacramental Life
Baptism: Arrangements are made by contacting Parish Office. Parents attend a Baptismal Preparation Session organised with a Priest.
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 name to the Parish Office. We have a group of parishioners who are part of a Care and Concern Group who are willing to provide some backup and support to them.
Eucharistic Adoration - Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus
Benediction with Adoration Devonport: First Friday each month.
Prayer Group: Charismatic Renewal – Mondays 7pm Community Room Ulverstone
Weekday
Masses 24th - 27th April
Tuesday: 9:30am Penguin
Wednesday: 9:00am Latrobe
9:00am Devonport
9:00am Devonport
9:00am Ulverstone
Thursday: 10:30am Karingal
Friday: 11:00am Mt St Vincent
Friday: 11:00am Mt St Vincent
Weekend Masses 28th & 29th April, 2018
Saturday Vigil: 6:00pm Penguin
6:00pm Devonport
Sunday Mass: 8:30am Port Sorell
9:00am Ulverstone
10:30am Devonport
9:00am Ulverstone
10:30am Devonport
11:00am Sheffield
5:00pm Latrobe
Ministry Rosters 28th & 29th April, 2018
Devonport:
Readers: Vigil V Riley, A Stegmann, B Suckling 10:30am: E Petts, K Douglas, K
Pearce
Ministers of Communion: Vigil:
B O’Connor, R Beaton, T Bird, Beau Windebank, J Heatley
10:30: K Hull, F Sly, E Petts, S Riley, S
Arrowsmith
Cleaners. 27th April: K.S.C. 4th May: M.W.C.
Piety Shop 28th April:
L Murfet 29th April: K Hull
Ulverstone:
Reader/s: E Cox Ministers of Communion: P Steyn, E Cox, C Singline, M Barry
Cleaners: M Swain, M Bryan Flowers: M Bryan Hospitality: M Byrne, G Doyle
Penguin:
Greeters: J Garnsey, P Ravallion Commentator: J Barker Readers: A Landers, J Garnsey
Ministers of
Communion: M
Hiscutt, M Murray Liturgy: Pine Road Setting Up: A Landers
Care of Church: M Bowles, J Reynolds
Port Sorell:
Readers: V Duff, G Duff Minister of
Communion: L Post
Clean/Flowers/Prepare: C Howard
Readings this week – Fourth Sunday of Easter
First Reading: Acts 4:8-12
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2
Gospel: John 10:11-18
PREGO REFLECTION:
I take some moments to become aware of how I am as I
approach this time of prayer.
As I begin to read this most famous of Gospel passages, I let myself settle, and imagine Jesus the Good Shepherd watching over me with attentive kindness.
I read slowly, stopping frequently to let its words or images move me.
What do I notice?
Maybe the Good Shepherd giving his life for his sheep?
Perhaps his voice?
The sheep listen to this.
What does it sound like?
I pause to listen; to go deeper … Jesus is distinguishing himself from the ‘hired hands’ – he knows his own relationship to the sheep is different from the others.
What is his relationship with me?
And mine to him?
What is it like to ponder that I am his, and he always acts out of love?
I am known by Jesus in the same way that Jesus himself knows the Father, and the Father knows Jesus. How does this make me feel?
I end my prayer by talking with Jesus from the heart.
Maybe I feel drawn to ask him to help me trust him ever more completely, and to accept that I am truly known and loved by him.
Perhaps I also sense a desire to do all I can to cultivate the unity of one flock under one Shepherd.
Our Father …
As I begin to read this most famous of Gospel passages, I let myself settle, and imagine Jesus the Good Shepherd watching over me with attentive kindness.
I read slowly, stopping frequently to let its words or images move me.
What do I notice?
Maybe the Good Shepherd giving his life for his sheep?
Perhaps his voice?
The sheep listen to this.
What does it sound like?
I pause to listen; to go deeper … Jesus is distinguishing himself from the ‘hired hands’ – he knows his own relationship to the sheep is different from the others.
What is his relationship with me?
And mine to him?
What is it like to ponder that I am his, and he always acts out of love?
I am known by Jesus in the same way that Jesus himself knows the Father, and the Father knows Jesus. How does this make me feel?
I end my prayer by talking with Jesus from the heart.
Maybe I feel drawn to ask him to help me trust him ever more completely, and to accept that I am truly known and loved by him.
Perhaps I also sense a desire to do all I can to cultivate the unity of one flock under one Shepherd.
Our Father …
Readings next week – Fifth Sunday of
Easter
First Reading: Acts 9:26-31
Second Reading: 1 John 3:18-24
Gospel: John 15:1-8
Your prayers
are asked for the sick:
Joy Kiely, Vic Slavin & …
Let us pray for those who have died recently:
Bernie
Mason, Lexie Weedon, Laurie Fox, David Welch, Brian Corbett, Katy Freeman
Let us pray for those whose anniversary occurs
about this time: 18th – 24th April
Terrence
McCarthy, Dawn Ashman, Bridget Imlach, Molly Dunphy, Stephen Gibbons, Wilma
Bacchin, Andrew Smith, Marie Nichols, John Munro, Leo Sheehan, John Redl,
Lillian Stubbs, Lola O’Halloran, Fr Terry
Southerwood, Joyce Sheehan, Flo Smith, Emily Sherriff. Also Ila Breen, Aileen
& Gerard Reynolds.
May they Rest in Peace
Congratulations
to Jean Phillips on the occasion of her
99th
Birthday, which was celebrated on 19th April.
May the lord
continue to bless and keep you safe.
ANZAC DAY:
Remember, O Lord,
All those the brave
and the true, who have died the death of honour and are departed in the hope of
the resurrection to eternal life. In that place of light from which sorrow and
mourning are far banished, give them rest, O Lord, thou lover of men. And grant
to us who remain the spirit of service which may make us worthy of their
sacrifice, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Ode
They shall
grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not
weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going
down of the sun and in the morning
we will remember them.
Eternal rest
grant to them O Lord
and may perpetual light shine upon them.
Please note:
Anzac Day Mass Times - Wednesday 25th April, 2018
9:00am Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Devonport
9:00am St Patrick’s Church, Latrobe
9:00am Sacred Heart Church, Ulverstone
9:00am Sacred Heart Church, Ulverstone
2pm Service at Mt St Vincent Home, Ulverstone
Weekly
Ramblings
There are a couple of great reasons to be thankful this
week so I’ll start with last weekend.
Almost 60 people came to the Introduction to the Ministry
of Hospitality Gathering at Ulverstone last Sunday. There is still more that we
have to do as a community but there are steps that we are going to take that
will build on our experience of last weekend.
During the week, Frs Phil, Paschal and myself, enjoyed some
wonderful weather on the East Coast (well at least as I write this on Wednesday
afternoon). We also had a chance to hear some solid theological presentations
by Fr Kevin Lenehan on the role and ministry of the priesthood - Proclaim the
Word, Celebrate the Sacraments and Gathering the People of God.
We were also fortunate to share some wonderful presentations
by 6 lay people responding to these same themes - three of them are or have
been parishioners of the Mersey Leven Parish. The richness of all the
contributions was greatly appreciated leaving me, and most others, with a real
desire to continue reflecting on these themes in the weeks ahead. Hopefully
that will be further supported when we move towards a new model of Parish
Pastoral Team in the coming weeks.
This weekend we will be having a session for Lectors. As
well as looking at some training it will focus on what the Ministry of Lector
looks like and how all the roles people play in Liturgy contribute to the life
of the parish and the gathered Community.
Masses on
Wednesday, Anzac Day, will be at Latrobe, Ulverstone and Devonport. Masses are
at 9.00am to allow parishioners to attend the March and Services later in the
morning.
Please take care on
the roads and we look forward to seeing you next weekend.
REMINDER:
ONGOING TRAINING FOR LECTORS: this Sunday 22nd April 2pm
- 4pm Community Room Ulverstone.
MACKILLOP HILL SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
SPIRITUALITY
IN THE COFFEE SHOPPE -
Monday 30th April,
10.30am – 12 noon. A great opportunity over a cup of tea or
coffee to share the joys and struggles of faith and life. See you there! No booking necessary!
MARGARET SILF NB. Venue and times now
confirmed!
One of the most renowned and accessible spirituality writers of our time
returns to Tasmania in May 2018. She
will be presenting 2 sessions at Sacred Heart Church Community Room,
Ulverstone– come to one or both!
Ulverstone
Thursday 24th May, 7pm – 9pm - “The Stories that Shape Us”
– reflecting on the precious gift of imagination which enables us to shape
stories and narratives in our search for meaning and understanding in our
lives. Some are life-giving, some
control and seduce us and others endure and grow as we grow.
Ulverstone
Friday 25th May 10.30am – 12.30pm - “Born to Fly” – how we, too, like the
caterpillar’s metamorphosis, are in the process of transformation – invited to
be co-creators of a different kind of future for humanity.
Book now! Phone 6428:3095
or email: rsjforth@bigpond.net.au. Cost $20.00 per session.
KNIGHTS OF
THE SOUTHERN CROSS MEETING: Next
Sunday 29th April at the Parish Hall, Devonport commencing at 4pm. No meal. Interested
men are invited to attend.
CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL TASMANIA – HEALING MASS: St Mary’s Catholic Church Penguin Thursday 10th May starting at 7.00 pm with Fr Alexander Obiorah and Fr Paschal Okpon as the celebrants. All denominations are welcome to come and celebrate the liturgy in a vibrant and dynamic way using charismatic praise and worship, with the gift of tongues, prophecy, healing and anointing with blessed oil. After Mass, teams will be available for individual prayer. Please bring a friend and a plate for supper to share in the Hall. Contacts: Celestine 6424:2043, Michael 0447 018 068 at Devonport or Tom 6425:2442 at Ulverstone.
FOOTY
TICKETS:
Round 4 (Friday 13th April) Collingwood defeated
Adelaide by 48 points. Congratulations to the following winners; Athol
Bryan, Tony Muir
There are still plenty of tickets to be sold at Devonport
and Ulverstone each week, so for a little bit of fun why not help support our
Parish fundraiser and buy a footy margin ticket (or two) $2.00 each. There are
three prizes of $100.00 each week. You’ve got to be in it to win it!!
BINGO - Thursday Nights - OLOL
Hall, Devonport. Eyes down 7.30pm!
Callers for Thursday 26th
April – Rod Clark & Merv Tippett.
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE ARCHDIOCESE:
TASMANIAN CATHOLIC YOUTH
FESTIVAL:
The Tasmanian Catholic Youth Festival will bring a
host of international and local speakers and performers to Tasmania for what is
sure to be two days full of joy and celebration. The festival will include:
plenary sessions, workshops, live music, discussion, expo stalls, prayer
opportunities, night rallies, social justice initiatives, food/drink, and
plenty more. The TCYF will be held on Wednesday 16 May (Launceston) and
Thursday 17 May (Hobart). The event will consist of a day session
(9:30am-4:30pm) followed by a night rally (4:30pm-8pm) on both days. Youth from
high school years 8-12 are invited to attend both the day and night sessions
whilst young adults under the age of 30 are invited to attend the night
rallies. Registration for the event is FREE for all attendees. More
information on the event, schedule, speakers/performers and registration can be
found at the website https://hobart.catholic.org.au/content/tasmanian-catholic-youth-festival-1
Awe and Surrender
This reflection is taken from the daily emails from Fr Richard Rohr OFM. You can subscribe and receive the emails by clicking here
I once spoke to my friend, an old squirrel, about the
Sacraments—
he got so excited
and ran into a hollow in his tree and came
back holding some acorns, an owl feather,
and a ribbon he had found.
And I just smiled and said, “Yes, dear,
you understand:
everything imparts
His grace.”
—Francis of Assisi [1]
When Lady Julian of Norwich looked at a little hazelnut and
said, “This is everything that is,” [2] I think she meant that one authentic
relationship serves as the only real doorway to a relationship with everything
else. How you do anything is how you do everything. To encounter one thing in
its gratuity and uniqueness is to encounter all of creation—and its
Creator—along with it. An authentic I-Thou relationship with one thing opens a
universal doorway. How you relate is how you relate.
Contemplation is really the art of full relationship. It is
learning how to relate to reality in an immediately appreciative and
non-manipulative way. The contemplative mind does not demand, is not needy, and
is not easily offended. It allows other things and people to have their own
voices without trying to impose its own agenda on them. It takes a lifetime to
learn this, it seems.
A daily practice of contemplative prayer will help you to
both allow and trust an overwhelming gratuity from outside yourself. It then
offers you the safety, the validation, and the courage to relate to everything
else as gratuitous gift too. When we see contemplatively, we know that we live
in a fully sacramental universe, where everything is a finger pointing at the
moon of Divine Reality. Every ordinary moment can be an epiphany.
To let the moment teach us, we must allow ourselves to be at
least slightly stunned by it until it draws us inward and upward, toward a
subtle experience of wonder. We normally need a single moment of gratuitous awe
to get us started.
The spiritual journey is a constant interplay between
moments of awe followed by surrender to that moment. We must first allow
ourselves to be captured by the goodness, truth, or beauty of something beyond
and outside ourselves. Then we universalize from that moment to the goodness,
truth, and beauty of the rest of reality, until our realization eventually
ricochets back to include ourselves. This is the great inner dialogue we call
prayer.
[1] Francis of Assisi, fancifully rendered by Daniel
Ladinsky, Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West
(Penguin Compass: 2002), 53. Used with permission.
[2] Julian of Norwich, Showings, chapter 5.
Adapted from Richard Rohr, Just This (Center for Action and
Contemplation: 2017), 9-11, 70.
MORAL OUTRAGE
This arrticle is taken from the archive of Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI. You can find the original article here
Moral outrage is the antithesis of morality. Yet it’s everywhere present in our world today and is everywhere rationalized on the basis of God and truth.
We live in a world awash in moral outrage. Everywhere individuals and groups are indignant and morally outraged, sometimes violently so, by opposing individuals, groups, ideologies, moral positions, ecclesiologies, interpretations of religion, interpretations of scripture, and the like. We see this everywhere, television networks outraged at the news coverage of other networks, church groups bitterly demonizing each other, pro-life and pro-choice groups angrily shouting at each other, and politics at its highest levels paralyzed as different sides feel so morally indignant that they are unwilling to contemplate any accommodation whatever with what opposes them.
And always, on both sides, there’s the righteous appeal to morality and divine authority (however explicit or implicit) in way that, in essence, says: I have a right to demonize you and to shut my ears to anything you have to say because you’re wrong and immoral and I, in the name of God and truth, am standing up to you. Moreover, you’re immorality gives me the legitimate right to bracket the essentials of human respect and treat you as a pariah to be eliminated – in the name of God and of truth.
And this this kind of attitude doesn’t just make for the angry divisions, bitter polarizations, and the deep distrust we live with today within our society, it’s also what produces terrorists, mass shootings, and the ugliest bigotry and racism. It produced Hitler – someone who was able to capitalize so powerfully on moral outrage that he was able to sway millions of people to turn against what was best inside themselves.
But moral outrage, however much it tries to justify itself on some lofty basis, religion, morality, patriotism, historical hurt, or personal injustice, remains always the opposite of genuine morality and genuine religious practice? Why? Because genuine morality and religious practice are always characterized by the opposite of what’s seen in moral outrage. Genuine morality and genuine religious practice are always marked by empathy, understanding, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, respect, charity, and graciousness – all of which are glaringly absent in virtually every expression of moral outrage we see today.
In trying to draw us into a genuine morality and religiosity, Jesus says this: Unless your virtue goes deeper than that of the Scribes and the Pharisees you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What was the virtue of the Scribes and Pharisees? On the surface, theirs was a very high virtue. To be a good Scribe or Pharisee meant keeping the Ten Commandments, being faithful to the prescribed religious practices of the time, and being a man or woman who was always just and fair in your dealings with others. So what’s lacking in that?
What’s missing is that all of these things (keeping the commandments, faithful religious observance, and being fair to others) can be done with a bitter, accusatory, unforgiving heart just as easily (and perhaps even more so) than with a warm, empathic, forgiving heart. Keeping the commandments, going to church, and being a just person can all be done (as is only too clear sometimes) out of moral outrage. To paraphrase Jesus: Anyone can be gracious to those who are gracious to you. Anyone can love those who love you. And anyone can be good to those who do good to you … but can you be gracious to those who are bitter towards you? Can you be loving towards those who hate you? And can you forgive those who kill you? That’s the litmus test for Christian morality and religious practice – and nowhere inside of anyone who passes this test will you still find the kind of moral outrage where we believe that God and truth are asking us to demonize those who hate us, do us evil, or try to kill us.
Moreover what we do in moral outrage is deny that we are ourselves morally complicit in the very things we demonize and pour our hatred out on. As we watch the world news each day and see the anger, bitter divisions, violence, injustices, intolerance, and wars that characterize our world, a deep, honest, courageous scrutiny should make us aware that we cannot fully separate ourselves from those things. We live in a world of longstanding and present injustice, of ever-widening economic inequality, of endemic racism and sexism, of countless people living as victims of plunder and rape in history, of millions of refugees with no place to go, and in a society where various people are branded and ostracized as “losers” and “sickos”. Should we be surprised that our society produces terrorists? However sincere and innocent we might personally feel, how we’re living helps create the ground the breeds mass killers, terrorists, abortionists, and playground bullies. We’re not as innocent as we think we are.
Our moral outrage is not an indicator that we are on the side of God and truth. More often than not, it suggests the opposite.
REBUILT | 2018
This is taken from the blog of Fr Michael White, Pastor of the Church of the Nativity.You can find the original blog here
This week we hosted one of the biggest, boldest, and quite possibly, bravest Catholic Church conferences anywhere, all about the heart of the whole Church which is the parish church. Our main sessions, keynotes, breakouts, round table discussions, and Q & A’s were all about enlightening, inspiring, and equipping parish leaders to lead their parishes in rebuilding. The experience was everything it proposed to be (and much, much more) and doubtless will be a game changer in the life of many of the attendees. I could write a book on the experience (in fact, maybe I will) but here I just want to offer some thank you’s.
1. Thanks to Our Conference Attendees
Coming from 30 States and 10 different countries, over 1,000 parish leaders attended in person, selling out the Conference. Others attended online (including our friends in Halifax Canada, St. Benedict’s Parish, who made it an all call staff gathering). Our most far flung attendee came from New Zealand, our closest from just next door in Hunt Valley.
The reach and diversity of the gathering suggests the makings of a movement, but it only comes at the expense and sacrifice of attendees themselves. Parish budgets don’t usually have a lot of extra room for conferences, and making the trip was a sacrificial exercise for many. It is also an act of humility to come and learn from others about what you yourself do. And there is also a certain entrepreneurial boldness that they should be commended for as well. I am quite confident that it was a gathering of many of the best and the brightest when it comes to parish leaders.
2. Thanks to Our Member Ministers
Hats off to the 175 member ministers who helped host this conference, obviously we could not have done it without you.
Many took time off from work or school, or stepped away from other daily duties. Some even opened up their homes to house attendees. Everyone worked long hours in the days leading up to the conference as well as during the event. There were ministers here when I arrived in the morning and there were ministers here when I left in the evening. To truly underscore the impact they had on the conference, let me tell you the number one comment/question I got was “Where did these people come from?”
3. Thanks to Our Staff
Kellie Caddick, our Conference Director (and Director of Marketing Communications), joins me in extending heartfelt thanks to our adjunct staff, creative partners, and vendors for another amazing job. They set the bar high for themselves and they made achieving it look easy. No complaints, no drama, no weak links.
Sue Mihok, our Director of Operations, joins me in thanking our Ops Team for tireless efforts undertaking a Herculean schedule of set-up, knock-down, clean up.
Mike Hamilton, our Director of Worship Arts, joins me in thanking all the musicians, who simply left the crowds breathless.
Alison DeMartin, our Staff Director, joins me, in a special way, to thank all our full and part time staff for service above and beyond the call of duty. And that is literally the case: they hosted the event in addition to their regular duties (which don’t go away or diminish just because there’s a conference.) It was truly a labor of dedication and love.
As I was leaving on Tuesday evening I passed a visitor who thanked me for the experience.
I asked her what she thought of it.
She said: “It was electric.”
This is taken from the blog of Fr Michael White, Pastor of the Church of the Nativity.You can find the original blog here
This week we hosted one of the biggest, boldest, and quite possibly, bravest Catholic Church conferences anywhere, all about the heart of the whole Church which is the parish church. Our main sessions, keynotes, breakouts, round table discussions, and Q & A’s were all about enlightening, inspiring, and equipping parish leaders to lead their parishes in rebuilding. The experience was everything it proposed to be (and much, much more) and doubtless will be a game changer in the life of many of the attendees. I could write a book on the experience (in fact, maybe I will) but here I just want to offer some thank you’s.
1. Thanks to Our Conference Attendees
Coming from 30 States and 10 different countries, over 1,000 parish leaders attended in person, selling out the Conference. Others attended online (including our friends in Halifax Canada, St. Benedict’s Parish, who made it an all call staff gathering). Our most far flung attendee came from New Zealand, our closest from just next door in Hunt Valley.
The reach and diversity of the gathering suggests the makings of a movement, but it only comes at the expense and sacrifice of attendees themselves. Parish budgets don’t usually have a lot of extra room for conferences, and making the trip was a sacrificial exercise for many. It is also an act of humility to come and learn from others about what you yourself do. And there is also a certain entrepreneurial boldness that they should be commended for as well. I am quite confident that it was a gathering of many of the best and the brightest when it comes to parish leaders.
2. Thanks to Our Member Ministers
Hats off to the 175 member ministers who helped host this conference, obviously we could not have done it without you.
Many took time off from work or school, or stepped away from other daily duties. Some even opened up their homes to house attendees. Everyone worked long hours in the days leading up to the conference as well as during the event. There were ministers here when I arrived in the morning and there were ministers here when I left in the evening. To truly underscore the impact they had on the conference, let me tell you the number one comment/question I got was “Where did these people come from?”
3. Thanks to Our Staff
Kellie Caddick, our Conference Director (and Director of Marketing Communications), joins me in extending heartfelt thanks to our adjunct staff, creative partners, and vendors for another amazing job. They set the bar high for themselves and they made achieving it look easy. No complaints, no drama, no weak links.
Sue Mihok, our Director of Operations, joins me in thanking our Ops Team for tireless efforts undertaking a Herculean schedule of set-up, knock-down, clean up.
Mike Hamilton, our Director of Worship Arts, joins me in thanking all the musicians, who simply left the crowds breathless.
Alison DeMartin, our Staff Director, joins me, in a special way, to thank all our full and part time staff for service above and beyond the call of duty. And that is literally the case: they hosted the event in addition to their regular duties (which don’t go away or diminish just because there’s a conference.) It was truly a labor of dedication and love.
As I was leaving on Tuesday evening I passed a visitor who thanked me for the experience.
I asked her what she thought of it.
She said: “It was electric.”
The risen Christ, the consoler
The gospels tell us that the disciples were profoundly changed by their encounters with Jesus after his resurrection. ‘Ignatius’s firm conviction was that, to this day, encounters with the risen Christ will similarly be typified by experiences of hope, joy and life, even amidst the darkest times’, says Iona Reid-Dalglish. What does the framework of Ignatian spiritual direction tell us about how we meet the risen Christ in our everyday lives? Iona Reid-Dalglish is a spiritual director and a member of the retreat team at St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre in North Wales.
Pope Francis, in a recent address to his Jesuit brothers, encouraged them to pray persistently for consolation for themselves.[1] Initially we might respond in surprise at that sort of petitionary prayer. It doesn’t seem very self-less. ‘God, please console me’, can come across as selfish and thoroughly me-focused, generally not traits held up as Christian virtues. So what is consolation, and why do Ignatius, the pope, the Jesuits, place so much emphasis on choosing to follow its path?
I would like to suggest four key things that Ignatian spiritual direction might tell us about encountering the risen Christ, which offer a possible answer. Firstly, that we encounter Christ in the reality of our lives. Secondly, that Christ enters into that reality as consoler. Thirdly, that this consolation is how Christ enables people to live lives of discipleship. Fourthly, that Christ calls us to collaborate in that same consoling action of his today. If these are the case, then they invite a response. By opting for the path of consolation, indeed asking for the grace of consolation, Ignatius, the pope and the Jesuits are choosing to find and respond to the action of the risen Christ in the world. You can continue reading this article by clicking here
The gospels tell us that the disciples were profoundly changed by their encounters with Jesus after his resurrection. ‘Ignatius’s firm conviction was that, to this day, encounters with the risen Christ will similarly be typified by experiences of hope, joy and life, even amidst the darkest times’, says Iona Reid-Dalglish. What does the framework of Ignatian spiritual direction tell us about how we meet the risen Christ in our everyday lives? Iona Reid-Dalglish is a spiritual director and a member of the retreat team at St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre in North Wales.
Pope Francis, in a recent address to his Jesuit brothers, encouraged them to pray persistently for consolation for themselves.[1] Initially we might respond in surprise at that sort of petitionary prayer. It doesn’t seem very self-less. ‘God, please console me’, can come across as selfish and thoroughly me-focused, generally not traits held up as Christian virtues. So what is consolation, and why do Ignatius, the pope, the Jesuits, place so much emphasis on choosing to follow its path?
I would like to suggest four key things that Ignatian spiritual direction might tell us about encountering the risen Christ, which offer a possible answer. Firstly, that we encounter Christ in the reality of our lives. Secondly, that Christ enters into that reality as consoler. Thirdly, that this consolation is how Christ enables people to live lives of discipleship. Fourthly, that Christ calls us to collaborate in that same consoling action of his today. If these are the case, then they invite a response. By opting for the path of consolation, indeed asking for the grace of consolation, Ignatius, the pope and the Jesuits are choosing to find and respond to the action of the risen Christ in the world. You can continue reading this article by clicking here
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