Parish Priest's Desk Archive July to December 08

6July 08	13July 08	20July 08	27July 08	3Aug 08	10Aug 08
17Aug 08	24Aug 08	31Aug 08	7Sept 08	14Sept 08	21Sept 08
28Sept 08	5Oct 08	12Oct 08	19Oct 08	26Oct 08	2Nov 08
9Nov 08	16Nov 08	23Nov 08	30Nov 08	7Dec 08	14Dec 08
21Dec 08	28Dec 08

July 6

As you are all aware, this week is set aside for what has been called ‘Days in the Diocese’ – days in which the overseas pilgrims enjoy a taste of the local church and gift us with their own rich traditions and faith.  We often reflect on the importance of offering hospitality. I am sure that our pilgrims from PNG, Samoa, Canada and France will enjoy sharing in the faith and community of our parish. As I go to press there are still a number of uncertainties, mainly because of problems re visas, and also the complexities of communication from overseas and through the WYD Office. Our prayer is that thanks especially to the constant attention given by Marian, John and Sarah, biut also to your understanding and generosity their dasys in Canberra will be enjoyable and hopefully inspiring for them.

We have been advertising the fact that there is no Saturday Evening Mass on July 12th, because of the Mass at EPIC. I wish also to advise that on World Youth Day itself there will be no 10:00am Mass on Sunday 20th. That is the time for the large Mass at Randwick Race Course, and you may wish to watch that Mass at home (and perhaps invite friends to watch with you).

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A note re the Stations. We had our first communal stations on Friday June 27th at 3.30. We chose Friday because of the association with Good Friday. We chose 3:30 to avoid the dark and cold, and we thought that those in paid employment would not be attracted to coming out on a Friday night. I did not count, but estimate there were between twenty and thirty present. It took 1 hour, so we have shortened it to fit into 40 minutes. We have also produced 10 booklets, reduced from A4 size to A5 for convenience.  Suggestions as to how to make the time more prayerful are always welcome.

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Our attempts to get an i-glass screen for projection have fallen through. They still have not produced a satisfactory one for forward projection. So we will have to put up with the present screen till we can get a better alternative.

July 13

I write this as the WYD pilgrims are completing their first full day of activities in the parish.  Our 8 pilgrims from a Polish parish in Canada were the first to arrive, followed yesterday (Tuesday) by our full contingent of 80 Samoans, and then, later in the afternoon by most of our pilgrims from PNG.  Our billeting families adapted beautifully to the fluid timetable, though, in spite of all the warmth provided, the cold Canberra night will remain in the memory of most of our pilgrims for a long time.

Today, Wednesday, began beautifully with a 9:30 Mass, concelebrated by our visiting priests and accompanied by some glorious island music. After morning tea they headed off with John Drury, Sarah Sams (our two industrious organisers) along with Toni Cox and Father Mark, for Tidbinbilla. We were joined by another 20 Samoan pilgrims being billeted in Charnwood. Three buses in all. The pilgrims saw and enjoyed our ‘wild life’ and arrived back (very aware of Canberra cold) into a warmed up parish Centre and a small warm afternoon meats and tea/coffee. They listened as Bev Purnell spoke of the work and aims of the Refugee Resettlement Committee.

By the time you are reading this the pilgrims will have completed the ‘Service activity’ with ‘Greening Australia’ and participated in a special Mass with a Samoan Bishop on Thursday, and a visit to the Australian Museum and a Lake Cruise organised for Friday, culminating in the big day at EPIC on Saturday.

A special thanks to the multitude of parishioners, who offered their homes, their kitchen, their time and their love to our visitors. I hope you enjoyed having these lovely people in our midst this week, and our prayers go with them as they head off for Sydney. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Marian England, Sarah Sams and John Drury (our indefatigable organisers), and to the many parishioners who rallied to help with catering and the many aspects of providing hospitality here at the parish centre.

July 20

Firstly, I would like to repeat my gratitude expressed in last week’s Compact to the parishioners who generously billeted the pilgrims, and to Marian England, John Drury and Sarah Sams who steered us through the inevitable complications of the Days in the Diocese, and to thank also the scores of people who helped make this a memorable time for our visitors. They appreciated your welcoming of them, and I pray that you experienced special joy in their presence among us.

This coming Tuesday we complete the lecture series on the Catholic Catechism started in February 2006.  It has proved a big commitment for me. I trust it has been of some benefit for those seeking an adult appreciation of our faith. In a month’s time (Tuesday August 26th) I am planning to offer the first of a series of five lectures which I am entitling ‘An Introduction to the Torah’.  The Torah opens with the Book of Genesis, which tells the stories of Adam and Eve, and the Flood, followed by stories about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The rest of the Torah (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) focus on Moses and the Law. My aim is to share a key fruit of the 10 months of study that I undertook in Rome in 2007. There is wide agreement among scholars regarding the literary form of the Books of the Torah, but scholars have not reached a consensus as to the dating of these central books of the Hebrew Scriptures. I will be offering what seems to me the position most supported by the available evidence, and in the process hope to offer guidance as to how to read this inspired material.

During these rather hectic days, three keys have gone missing from our keyboard: the one that opens the projector cupboard; the key for the ‘long room’ in the parish centre; and the key for the outside carpark lighting. Please search your pockets for them.

July 27

As I have noted a number of times in this column, the Parish Pastoral Council at its next meeting will decide whether or not to retain the Stations of the Cross that have been hanging in the church on a trial basis for a number of weeks now. Now that you have got used to them, if you have any comments, favourable or unfavourable, please share them with one or other of the members of the Council so that we will come to our next meeting with as complete a picture of your desires as we can get. As the Council members are going to Rosedale on retreat on the weekend before the meeting (9th-10th August – please remember us in your prayers), we have organised to have at least one member of the Council at each Mass next weekend (2nd-3rd). You can, of course, share your view at any time. If you want to test your view more fully, a small group pray the Stations of the Cross each Friday at 3:30pm. You are welcome to come and join us.

The Saint Vincent de Paul parish group have put off the Winter Appeal because of the all-consuming effort needed for the Days in the Diocese prior to World Youth Day. They will address you next weekend and there will be a leaving collection for this most important of causes. The way we care for the poor and disadvantaged is surely a key measure of our genuineness in following Jesus.

August 3

We have managed to get help in updating the parish website.  You may be interested in going to the website, click on ‘Youth’ and then click on the link ‘Worldyouthday’, which has John Drury’s report on the Days in the Diocese (with photos), and also on the link ‘Worldyouthdayphotogallery’ which has many photos of the wonderful week spent with the pilgrims.  If anyone has any ideas about the website, please contact Maureen, and we will see what we can do to improve this important means of parish communication.

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Having completed the long course on the Catechism (begun February 2006), I have decided to go back to the Bible, and to begin with an Introduction to the reading of the Torah. The Torah opens with the Book of Genesis, which tells the stories of Adam and Eve, and the Flood, followed by stories about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The rest of the Torah (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) focuses on Moses and the Law. My aim is to share a key fruit of the 10 months of study that I undertook in Rome in 2007. There is wide agreement among scholars regarding the literary form of the Books of the Torah, but scholars have not reached a consensus as to the dating of these central books of the Hebrew Scriptures. I will be offering what seems to me the position most supported by the available evidence, and in the process hope to offer guidance as to how to read this inspired material.

August 26th  Inspiration, Revelation and Religious Experience

September 9th How to read the inspired literature

September 16th Authorship of the Torah, with special focus on the Book of Deuteronomy

September 23rd Tribal Israel and the Period of the Kings

September 30th The Babylonian Exile and the writings of the Deuteronomic and Priestly Schools

August 10

Stations of the Cross can be prayed privately at any time. A copy of the prayers is kept on the sound system cupboard near the second station. More copies are available in the Office should they be required. Our present plan is to offer a communal Stations of the Cross on First Fridays at 7:00pm followed by reception of Holy Communion.

Job Advertisement

After 13 years of service to the parish, Maureen Craddock is retiring as Parish Secretary in early October. I and the other five parish priests who have been here during her time have found her a delight to work with. I am sure you share these sentiments. You may be interested in joining St John’s Parish Team (Parish Priest, Assistant Priest and Parish Coordinator) in the role of part time Secretary (3 days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).

General details, including job profile, selection criteria and remuneration, are available on the parish website (http://www.stjohnkippax.org.au/administration/secretary.htm). For those who might not have access to the web, there are some copies on the small table in the foyer.

Expressions of interest close on Monday August 25th. If you would like to discuss your interest or seek more information please contact the Parish to make an appointment with me.

I will be absent this week in Broome, conducting a retreat for the priests of the Broome Diocese. Please pray for me and for them that we be open to the grace that God will surely be pouring out on these wonderful men during this week of prayer and reflection. I am leaving on Saturday  afternoon September 30th, and returning on the morning of Saturday September 6th.

On the Information desk are a number of copies of two pamphlets produced by the Diocesan Liturgical Commission of the Wollongong Diocese. One gives a fine explanation of the two small changes that have been made in the celebration of the Mass. It supports the decision made at the Clergy Deanery meeting, and later affirmed by our own Archbishop, that the people stand at the conclusion of the invitation: ‘Pray, my brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty”. The second pamphlet speaks of the reception of Holy Communion.

Finally, a thought from Pope Gregory the Great (Feast on Wednesday Sept 3): ‘Conversion, culminating in the life of contemplation, is the objective of understanding the Scriptures.’

September 7

We are pleased to tell you that we have accepted Sharon Greaves into the position of Parish Secretary. Many of you will know her, as she has been working here of a Monday for two years, contributing her considerable talents in the financial field. Sharon will retain that portfolio and, as from October 6th, she will be adding three days, working in the role of secretary. She will be present in the Office on Mondays and Fridays and on two other days during the week.  In the meantime she will be learning the ropes from Maureen Craddock. Marian, Mark and I welcome her and I hope that you will share our welcome, as I am sure you share with us our gratitude to Maureen for her thirteen years of service to the parish, tinged with the sadness of seeing Maureen move on. We pray that she will receive something of the hundredfold promised to those who minister to others in his name.

September 14

On Thursday 18th members of our St Joseph the Worker group will be pulling down the shade timber from the western side of the Church. The timber is unsafe and has to be demolished. They are using special equipment and need to begin early in the morning. This means that Mass will have to be conducted in the library. The same arrangement may have to be made for Friday, depending on progress.

I will be away this weekend. An Italian MSC who was part of the community where I lived last year is visiting Canberra and I will be showing him around and taking him down to Rosedale for the weekend. I have given two clergy retreats recently, and will be away next weekend, lecturing to principals of Catholic Schools in Mulgoa as part of their Professional Development. This as part of the MSC commitment to the wider Church.  My special thanks goes to Father Mark for ‘holding the fort’ in my absence. I can’t imagine how parish priests manage when they are in a parish with no priestly help.

September 14

On Thursday 18th members of our St Joseph the Worker group will be pulling down the shade timber from the western side of the Church. The timber is unsafe and has to be demolished. They are using special equipment and need to begin early in the morning. This means that Mass will have to be conducted in the library. The same arrangement may have to be made for Friday, depending on progress.

I will be away this weekend. An Italian MSC who was part of the community where I lived last year is visiting Canberra and I will be showing him around and taking him down to Rosedale for the weekend. I have given two clergy retreats recently, and will be away next weekend, lecturing to principals of Catholic Schools in Mulgoa as part of their Professional Development. This as part of the MSC commitment to the wider Church.  My special thanks goes to Father Mark for ‘holding the fort’ in my absence. I can’t imagine how parish priests manage when they are in a parish with no priestly help.

September 21 guest column

September 28

As noted on an earlier occasion, Archbishop Mark Coleridge invited me to join him in offering a series of lectures to mark the ‘Year of Paul’ which we are currently celebrating.  The Archbishop has already presented three lectures, and they have been enthusiastically received. It is always good to have a bishop who teaches, and Archbishop Mark is well qualified, being one of the few Australians who have a doctorate in Sacred Scripture. His fourth and final lecture is on September 30th at the Rheinberger Cenre, Corner of Weston and Loch Streets Yarralumla, from 7:30 to 9:30pm.

I take over from him and will be offering 7 lectures beginning on October 7th and then every Tuesday till November 18th. The lectures will be offered at the Rheinberger Centre at 7:30 on Tuesday evenings. I will be offering the lectures also on Tuesday mornings at the same centre from 10:00 to midday, for those who find it difficult to go out in the evening. Regretfully the lectures will not be offered in our parish centre. I am taking 7 letters of Paul, placing them in their geographic and chronological context, and then selecting a core theme from each letter.

1. October 7th ‘Christ gave himself to set us free’(Galatians 1:4). A reflection on Christian freedom.
2. October 14 ‘To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for a good purpose’(1Corinthinas 12:7). A reflection of the unique gifts we each have for building up the church.
3. October 21st ‘Clothe yourself with love’(Colossians 3:14). A reflection on Christian love.
4. October 28th ‘Be transformed by the renewing of your minds’(Romans 12:2). A reflection on the constant need to renew theology.
5. November 4th ‘To gather up all things in Christ’. A reflection on the nature and demands of truth.
6. November 11th ‘Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus’(Philippians 2:5).  A reflection on living Christ’s life.
7. November 18th ‘Appoint presbyters in every town as I directed you’(Titus 1:5). A reflection on church leadership in the first century.

October 5

Last Sunday Sr Jan Barnett (a Josephite Sister from Sydney) led us in an afternoon reflection on the parish. 30 people attended. A special thanks to them. Others expressed their wanting to come, but for various reasons, they were unable to attend. It seemed to me to be a very productive four hours. The process was very good and many ideas were shared, resolutions taken, and actions recommended. We will be discussing them at the Parish Pastoral Council this Thursday (9th), and I hope to be able to share the results of our deliberations in the next Compact.

I draw the attention of young men to the brochures on the Information table about a weekend offered by Chris McPhee at Douglas Park from Friday evening (10th October) to Sunday (12th). It is for single men in their twenties and thirties, and aims to assist them in discerning their vocation, whether it be to married or single life, or religious life or priesthood. The retreat is entitled ‘What’s a life for?

A special thanks to Eddie Roots and the men in the Joseph the Worker group for the time and expertise they contributed in removing the awning on the west side of the church. They saved us thousands of dollars. Some shading will presumably be needed in the hot months. We will get onto that as soon as we are in a position to see what is required.  Thanks also to Bert Broekhuyse for re-positioning the data projector. Those who prepare the slides for singing at Mass are delighted. I hope you all are.

Father Mark will be taking a break for the next two weeks.

October 12

I would like to recommend to you the current Spring volume (n. 3) of the MSC Theological Journal Compass.  It focuses on our identity as a Catholic parish, and is available in the bookshop for $7:00 (There are a number of copies of the Winter volume n. 2 there as well. You can purchase the two for $10.00). Barry Brundell msc has entitled his editorial ‘The Empty Pews’. It is followed by two reflections on World Youth Day by members of the Kensington Antioch group. Richard Rymarz in ‘A New Catholic Narrative’, speaks of the need for us to re-imagine and re-define what it means to be Catholic. There is also an article by Paul Monkerud, parish priest of Ryde, Sydney, entitled ‘The Modern Urban Parish: challenges and opportunities’. He is asking the same questions that you and our PPC are asking – questions that surfaced at our recent Ideas Forum.  We are interested in any reflections you might have about the points raised in Paul Monkerud’s article, for they get to the heart of what we are called to be as a parish community. This Evening (Thursday) the PPC will be looking at the ideas raised at our Ideas Forum. I hope to have something to offer you in the next Compact. Daniel Ang, marketing officer for Pauline Electronic Publishing, has an article on ‘Diminishing Mass Attendance’, and Bishop Michael Putney of Townsville has a ten page article entitled ‘The Churches and Ecumenism’. Joseph Sobb SJ reflects on ‘The Prayer for the Jews on Good Friday’. He reminds us of Pope Benedict’s 2008 revised formula of the pre-Vatican prayer for the Jews from the Good Friday Liturgy.  While it is an improvement on the pre-Vatican prayer, Father Sobb wonders why the 1970 (post-Vatican) prayer, which is much more sensitive, hopeful and humble, did not simply replace the older prayer. In making this point he poses some challenging questions for those who think of the Tridentine Mass as ‘traditional’ and want to return to it.

Since I am not offering the lectures on Paul here in the parish, I am putting the slides on the web (www.michaelfallonmsc.com - click on PAUL), and next Sunday at all Masses I will be selling and autographing my commentary on Paul’s Letters (769 pages, cost $50.00). I judge it my best commentary and hope it will help you understand Paul in this year devoted to him.

October 19

Ideas Forum

At our monthly meeting on Thursday 9th October, the Parish Pastoral Council discussed ideas that had come out of the Ideas Forum held in the Parish Centre on September 28th.

Sunday Masses

• We decided to encourage people from the congregation to offer personal reflections as part of the homily. There is a wealth of spirituality and experience in the parish. Technically the homily is the responsibility of the priest, but I have permission to invite parishioners to offer a reflection to accompany the homily. If I tap you on the shoulder, I am hoping that you might respond positively and share your reflections with us. We think that this would work best if it happened once a month for each of the four assemblies: 6:00pm Saturday on the first week; 8:30 Sunday on the second week; 10:00 Sunday on the third week; 6:00pm Sunday on the fourth week.

• We decided to make another attempt to encourage everyone to wear name tags at Mass to facilitate community. If you don’t have one, Ted and Clare Kell are willing to make a tag for you. We will put a list on the Information Desk. Please print clearly the name you want people to see. When the list seems complete, we will give it to Ted and Clare and await the tags.

• There is a prayer box in the foyer. We will bring it up at the offertory at each Mass. If you have any intentions or prayers of gratitude to offer please write them out and put them in the box. We won’t read them out but they will be part of the offering.

Prayer Groups

• There are many prayer groups in the parish. Some of them have been functioning well for 20 or so years. There are, of course, limits to the size of a prayer group. We would like existing prayer groups to let us know who is in the group and when you meet, and whether or not you would welcome new members. We also decided to organise an open parish meeting for anyone who would like to belong to a prayer group, with a view to setting up new groups, if that is what people would like.

Sick and housebound parishioners

• We want to keep an updated register at the presbytery of those who are sick, in hospital or housebound, to ensure that they are being cared for, especially that they are receiving communion regularly. Would the contact people for the neighbourhood communities please send us a list (even if you think we already know), and would every parishioner who knows that a parishioner is sick or in hospital let us know, and also if you know who is taking them communion. If we hear of someone from three different people, it is better than our not knowing.

• When a parishioner dies we will ask the family if they would like to supply a photo which we can put in the foyer with the person’s name so that the parishioners can more easily recognise who it is that has died.

• We are also setting up a working party to look into ways of remembering parishioners who have died (a wall with plaques?).

Children/Young People

•  We discussed the possibility of setting aside the 10:00am Mass on the Second Sunday of the month as a Mass at which children would sing/serve/organise prayers of the faithful/ bring up the offertory procession/etc. One month it could be organised by SFX, another month by St Johns, and another month by the School of Religion. This idea needs further discussion.

Social Life in the Parish

•  We decided to invite onto the Council a person with special skills in this area to keep the issue constantly before our eyes, and to ask that person to gather a group to help organise celebratory functions in the parish.

• We want to encourage growth in Family Groups and in Teams.

• In Compact we will include people’s Christian names (rather than just their initial) in the duty rosters. We hope this will assist in our getting to know at least those who come to the same Mass.

Ministries

• We intend to organise retreat days for those involved in various ministries (eg., Acolytes, Senior Servers and Special Ministers; Readers; Refugee Resettlement and St Vincent de Paul)

• We decided to set aside some money in next year’s budget to be used to support parishioners who are involved in ministries (music is an obvious one, but there are others, such as care of the bereaved) to develop their gifts for the benefit of the parish.

October 26

I am away in Sydney this weekend. Here is a selection from the homily I would have shared with you if I were here. In today’s Gospel, Jesus focuses attention, in the most simple terms, on the very essence of what it means to be a human being: to be a woman or a man is to live a life of love. Whatever we might achieve in our life, if we fail in this our life has been a failure. Whatever our failures, if we learn something about how to receive and to give love, our life has certainly not been in vain. At the last supper, Jesus asked us to love one another as he loves us (John 15:12). If that is what he asks us to do, he must know that it is possible.  However it is not on this love that I wish to reflect now. For there is a more important love, and it is no accident that in today’s Gospel Jesus speaks first of our love for God. What we have come to see through Jesus is that ‘God is love’(1John 4:16). We are made in God’s image and thanks to Jesus we know that God is not an isolated infinite solitary being. God is one because in God communion in love is complete. We see this in Jesus and in the Spirit of love that he shares with the Father, and we know that the love Jesus experienced is the love that is the very being of God. For us, real love (‘charity’) is the love that God pours into our hearts. When we offer this love to other people we are truly loving them as Christ loves us. Jesus said as much when he prayed to his Father: ‘May the love with which you have loved me be in them’(John 17:26). Love for God is the essential love of the human heart and every other love is possible only to the extent that we open our hearts to receive God’s love and live in communion of love with God.

Just as true love for other people is a sharing in God’s love for them, so love for God is a sharing in the love that Jesus has for his Father. It is not something we can work up on our own. We are asked only to open our hearts and let the Spirit pour something of Jesus’ love into them. The love we are to give to God is the fire of God’s own love caught by the soul. This is the fire that Jesus longed to cast upon the earth by kindling human hearts (Luke 12:49). When we experience a deep restless searching, emptiness, meaninglessness, we are experiencing this call. Likewise, when we experience an act of loving kindness that frees us from crippling fear or heavy sorrow and we feel a surge of deep calm and joy, we know that we have been touched and blessed by God. It is natural to love God who loves us and who gives us the grace to respond in love. I conclude with the last words spoken by Saint Therese of Lisieux. May we so grow in love that these will be our sentiments too when our life’s journey is complete: ‘I am not sorry for handing myself over to love … Oh, I love Him! My God, I love you.’

Firstly a special thank you to those who generously gave their time and energy to the Spring-cleaning of the Church last Saturday (I escaped to Sydney – the thought of physical work sent me into a spin!!). I heard that the book fare on Sunday also went well. Thanks to those who bought books to help update and enhance our parish library.

Celebrating All Saints Day (Saturday) and All Souls Day today reminds us of the all-embracing family to which we belong through baptism.  The author of the Letter to the Hebrews encourages us: ‘Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

I conclude these reflections with a hymn composed by Cardinal Newman:

Jesus, by that shuddering dread which fell on thee
Jesus, by that cold dismay which sickened thee
Jesus, by that pang of heart which thrilled in thee
Jesus, by that mount of sins which crippled thee

Jesus, by that sense of guilt which stifled thee
Jesus, by that innocence which girdled thee
Jesus, by that sanctity which reigned in thee
Jesus, by that Godhead which was one with thee

Jesus, spare these souls which are so dear to thee
Souls who in prison calm and patient wait for thee
Hasten, Lord, their hour and bid them come to thee
To that glorious home where they shall ever gaze on thee.

November 9

On Thursday 13th November, Maureen Craddock spends her final day here as Secretary, and Pauline Greig is taking the occasion to retire after over 14 years as Editor of Compact. We will miss them both enormously. The five of us in the parish office are going out together to thank them and to celebrate the extraordinary contribution they have both made. They will stay involved in the parish in many other ways, sharing their faith and their life, please God, for many years to come. If you would like to farewell them in a more formal way we are having a morning tea after the 9:30 Mass on Thursday 13th. You are most welcome to join us.

I have just received my appointment for 2009. The Provincial Council has re-appointed me here as Parish Priest for one year. I did not request it, but the plan seems to be to free me up at the end of 2009 so that I can spend more of whatever time is left to me in lecturing, giving retreats etc. With your help I hope to be able to spend next year serving the parish as well as I can in my continuing role as Parish Priest. Mark is remaining as well, which delights me, as I am sure it delights you. We both enjoy being part of the Saint John the Apostle Community.

Today we celebrate the last Sunday of the liturgical year, dedicated to Christ the King. The reality that we are recalling is that expressed in the ‘Our Father’ when we pray: ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’(Matthew 6:10). Our mission as a Church community is to do all we can to ensure the reign of God’s love by committing ourselves to open our hearts and our lives to Jesus, who wants us to be his instruments in bringing about God’s reign.

The Church is inviting us to look back over the past year and to recall the ways in which we have experienced the guiding hand and the love of God leading us into ever closer communion with him. One more stage of our religious journey has come to an end. Whatever our age we are one step closer to that for which we are created. We are made by love and for love and it is God’s will that everyone enjoy full communion in love with him and so with each other and the whole of the created universe. God’s longing is to be all in all. In the final analysis nothing else matters. As John of the Cross reminds us: ‘In the evening of our life we will be judged on our love’.

On this feast of Christ the king let us renew our baptismal commitment, when we were anointed priest, prophet and king - 'king' for we are to be instruments of Christ in bringing about the reign of God on the earth. Let us renew also our commitment as a parish community to carry on Jesus’ mission – a mission expressed in the MSC motto: ‘May the sacred heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.’ We can have many projects in life and be ambitious for many things. We will not find a more worthy way of spending our lives than in living in such a way as to attract others to Jesus and so to his Father. A good resolution as we begin a new year in the Church’s life would be to resolve to harness the love with which we have been graced, and to encourage others to give of their love to the community of Christ’s body in service of the world.

November 30

Today we begin the Church’s year with the season of Advent during which we prepare for Christmas, the Feast of the Incarnation. The transcendent God wills to approach us and for us to approach him through human contact, through Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Saint John of the Cross writes about the long wait for the Messiah and speaks of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) who is a symbol for all who longed for him:

‘In these and other prayers a long time passed;
But in the later years their fervour greatly increased;
When the aged Simeon burned with longing,
and pleaded with God that he might see this day.

And so the Holy Spirit answered the good old man,
and gave him his word that he would not see death
until he saw Life descending from the heights,
until he took God himself into his own hands,
held Him in his arms, and pressed Him to himself.’

Archbishop Coleridge has offered us an Advent Letter, which he has entitled “Let there be Light”. He shares with us some of the fruit of the recent Synod in Rome, and makes many fine suggestions that we will be implementing to highlight the central place of God’s Word in our liturgical life as well as in our life as a community that desires to be faithful disciples of Jesus. The Letter will be published in Catholic Voice and is available on the Archdiocesan website (http://www.cg.catholic.org.au).

December 7

Elizabeth of the Trinity (Elizabeth Catez of Dijon) entered Carmel in 1901 and died in 1906, a slightly younger contemporary of Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (Therese Martin of Lisieux).  The key to her inner spiritual life was her devotion to the Blessed Trinity dwelling in the depths of her being. Linked with this was her special devotion to Mary during the period when Mary was carrying Jesus in her womb. This focus drew her into her own soul where she believed that she, too, was carrying Jesus in her heart to bring him forth into her world, as Mary did at Christmas. We might find a similar focus helpful during this time of Advent, for each of us is called, through our baptism, to grow to be able to say with Saint Paul: ‘I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.’ We are all called to carry Christ in our hearts and to bring him forth into our world.

Carryl Houselander, an English mystic (1901-1954), also had a special devotion to Mary, which is expressed beautifully in her book ‘The Reed of God’. The Love-Spirit of God breathed through Mary, God’s reed, and Jesus was the music we heard. You might enjoy the following pastoral from her book:

I am your reed, sweet shepherd, glad to be.
Now, if you will, breathe out your joy in me
and make bright song.
Or fill me with the soft moan of your love
When your delight has failed to call or move
The flock from wrong.

Make children's songs, or any songs to fill
Your reed with breath of life; but at your will
Lay down the flute,
And take repose, while music infinite
Is silence in your heart; and laid on it
Your reed is mute.

December 14

Three books that I wrote in Rome last year have now been published and copies have just arrived. I will be selling and signing them after all Masses next weekend. They include an Introduction, and the complete Scriptural text with an accompanying explanation in a parallel column.

1. The Book of Genesis (246 pages, $25.00). This Book includes the story of Creation, of Adam & Eve, the so-called ‘Fall’ and ‘Original Sin’, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, and the stories of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
2. A Priestly Kingdom and a Holy Nation (441 pages, $30.00). This includes the traditions about Moses. The Book of Exodus tells of the escape from Egypt, the Journey to Mount Sinai and the Revelation received by Moses. The Book of Numbers tells of the journey from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land. Wedged in between these is the Book of Leviticus, which contains the regulations covering the cult, presented as given to Moses from the Tabernacle just before the Israelites leave Mount Sinai.
3. The Book of Deuteronomy, Joshua and Judges (355 pages, $30.00). The Book of Deuteronomy is a spiritual re-look at the Moses’ traditions. The Book of Joshua is an epic account of the beginnings of the people of Israel in Canaan. The Book of Judges recounts the stories of tribal leaders in the period before the establishment of the monarchy.

You are welcome to call in during the week as well. If I am here I will happily sign them for you.

December 21

At a meeting on Wednesday we looked into setting up youth groups for the parish. Our preliminary conclusion was that it would be good to have a group for those who have left school and are between the ages of 18 and 35. The discussion also identified the need for younger youth groups. We decided at this stage to set up a Parish Young People’s Council, which will have its first meeting on Thursday February 5th. The aim of the Council is to help steer the 18 to 35 group, and to look into setting up two other youth groups, for those in Years 7 to 10, and those in College (Years 11-12). All this needs refining. Please pray that we will be sensitive to the inspiration of God’s Spirit in our deliberations.

Advent is a season of longing. As it draws to a close, you might like to dwell on one or other of the following questions:

1. What are my deepest longings? for myself? for those I love?

2. In the baptismal liturgy the Christian community rejoices with the parents who see the hope of eternal life dawning for their child. Some had these hopes for us when we were taken to be embraced by the Church. Let us listen again to God saying to us the words he said to Jesus: ‘You are my son/daughter. You are the one I love. My delight is in you.’ Jesus was obviously able to delight in sinners like us when they gave in to their longing and accepted his invitation to believe, and to cry out for release. The Advent liturgy wants us to focus on this longing and this hope. What role does this yearning have when we come to make decisions about ourselves, or decisions about those in our family, or decisions about the contribution we can make to society?

3. In what ways do we experience the image of God in our own hearts, and in the hearts of those we call ‘family’? Let us keep looking till we come up with some definite answers here, for ‘God is faithful’. God did not create us for no reason, and he will keep the promise he made us when we were conceived, and when we were baptised into the community of the Son whom he loves. Throughout this season we keep hearing the words: ‘Be alert’: we are being invited to keep our eye out for the grace that is coming to us from God at every moment of our lives and in every situation.

4. Let us join Isaiah in pleading with God: ‘Tear open the heavens and come down’. Our poor broken world needs to turn from violence to peace, from litigation to reconciliation. We need more and more people to turn to our ‘Father’, if we are ever to become a family of ‘United Nations’. And what family does not need the constant healing of grace to renew the homes which we all need, and in which we long to live.

December 28

This is my final column for the year. I enjoy communicating with you each week. My aim is to keep you up to date in anything significant that is happening in the parish, as well as taking the occasion, at times, to share some spiritual thoughts with you. The plan is that 2009 will be my final year with you as parish priest. It has been a privilege for me.

I will be away for most of January, spending 1 week with my only remaining brother in Gloucester, then a fortnight at the MSC ‘Retreat’ at Rosedale, followed by a week’s retreat at Douglas Park. Then back, refreshed, to share with you another year of growing closer to God, accompanied by our brother, Jesus.

As regards lectures, I propose to offer a ten week course on the Book of Isaiah on Tuesday Evenings, beginning February 3rd and going straight through to April 7th. You are welcome to join us downstairs in the Parish Centre.

The plan is to keep Compact going through January. In my absence, I thought I would use this column to offer you one of my favourite religious poems each Sunday.

With a prayer that your New Year finds you and those you love open to the graces that our loving God will surely be pouring out upon you.