St Mary’s Catholic Parish Maryborough
(Embracing the Communities of Maryborough, Tiaro and Aramara)
Parish Newsletter
First Sunday of Advent - B 30th November, 2008
Today we begin the season of Advent, a time when we are asked to ‘stay awake’ and be alert. We are asked to act with integrity, and to turn away from anything that will dull our perception of the coming of Christ. It is a time of fine-tuning our priorities. We are “clay in the hands of the potter,” God, who yearns for our love and attentiveness.
Watchfulness: That is the focus for the people of God as they journey through the church year; watchfulness for the coming of the Lord in his Incarnation, and the end of days, and in fact every day.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to “stay awake”, to pay attention. But, pay attention to what? Well, pay attention to our lives. Look your family member or friend in the eye when they’re telling you something. Notice the look of worry or frustration on your spouse’s brow. Pay attention to the sun streaming in through your windows, to the taste of your food, to the news about a local family left homeless by a devastating incident. It’s Advent. A time to be watchful. A time to look at our lives and see if we are ready. Ready to welcome Christ in so many ways, into the ordinary events and incidents of our daily life.
You will not be without any of the gifts of the Spirit while you are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to
be revealed.
(1 Corinthians 1:7)
• How am I distracted rather than alert? What is standing in my way? How have I wandered from God’s ways?
There is a sense of impending change in the words
of Isaiah and in the warnings of Jesus. Where, in my own life right now, do I feel the urgency to make changes?
Do I feel that God’s face is hidden from me lately?
Am I willing to let God be the potter, shaping my life? How do I react to that image? I may believe in God,
but do I trust God?
What, spiritually, am I waiting for? Watching for?
What practices help me be alert and watchful? What
habits work against that?
Advent and Christmas provide great opportunities to bring more prayer and ritual into the home. Here’s one to put into practice today: On the first Sunday of Advent, perhaps families can gather in their homes to bless an Advent wreath. Every day, perhaps at the evening meal, make lighting the candles and saying an Advent table prayer part of your grace before the meal.
Mass/Liturgy times
First Week of Advent Year 1
Monday 1st December
No Mass or Liturgy
Tuesday 2nd December
Mass 8 a.m.
Wednesday 3rd December
Groundwater Mass 9.30 a.m.
Year Seven Farewell Mass 5.15 p.m.
Thursday 4th December
Reconciliation & Holy Hour 11.30 a.m.
Mass 12 noon
Friday 5th December
Mass 8 a.m.
Whole Primary School end of year Mass
11 a.m. in St Mary’s Church
Dates to note
Sunday 7th December
Baptism Prep 9 a.m.
Facilitator Stuart McKinnon
Welcomers: St. Vincent de Paul
After Mass cuppa: Filipino Ladies
Tuesday 9th December
Choir Practice 7.30 p.m.
Wednesday 10th December
Mass Yaralla 3 p.m.
Thursday 11th December
Mass Chelsea 10 a.m.
Tuesday 16th December
Mass of Reconciliation, Tiaro 6.30 p.m.
Wednesday 17th December
Mass of Reconciliation, M’boro 5.15 p.m.
Soup Kitchen Report:
The combined St Paul’s Anglican and St Mary’s Catholic Church
Communities have prepared meals for 979 guests throughout this year, averaging 20 per night. There are presently 18 volunteers, 8 of whom attend every week and the others attend on a monthly basis. Meals are prepared and served every Monday commencing with setting up at 3 p.m. at St Paul’s hall. Special thanks to these and all the regular soup makers and providers of donations of other foods to help with the task of feeding those who come along. It is also a social outing for many people who
live alone and provides the opportunity to meet new friends. Cash donations for the year have amounted to $759.00. The upgrading of the kitchen has been well received and of benefit to the
volunteers. In all, the kitchen operates on Monday nights, Wednesday mornings and Friday nights by various church groups.
Baptisms:
This Sunday, the 4 children of the Bade family will be baptised and we welcome Courtney, Alexander, Harry and Tarni-Anne, children of Stephen and Patricia into our parish community.
Peter’s Pence Annual Collection:
the Peter’s Pence Collection gives us an opportunity to contribute towards the financial support of the Holy See and show our support and gratitude for the great works of His Holiness: There will be collectors at the doors after Masses this weekend.
Can you help?
: The St Vincent de Paul Society’s Christmas appeal has commenced. There are envelopes provided on the seats for your donation. Please take them home and bring them back next week. Funds from this appeal go directly towards services in our local community. Please give what you can and add a little hope to someone’s life this Christmas. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Columban calendars and Christmas cards are now available from the piety stall.
Rest in Peace:
We offer our prayers of sympathy to the families and friends of Glen Byrne and Joan Kimber who have died recently. Also, to Kathleen & Jeremy Lowe and family on the death of Kathleen’s father, Barry Dwyer.
Christmas Carols recital:
Judith Massey and her advanced students from St Mary’s
Primary School and St Mary’s College invite you to join them in the church today, Sunday 30th November from 3 –4 p.m. for some first class entertainment. Please come along and show your support for these young people who love music and wish to share their talents.
Farewell Aaron:
On behalf of the parish, we extend a hearty thank you to Aaron Beach who has been a loyal and outstanding organist here since taking up a position as APRE at St Mary’s College some years ago before moving to Hervey Bay Xavier College as Deputy Principal.
Aaron has accepted the position of Principal at St Mary’s Catholic School in Casino, NSW for the beginning of the 2009 school year and we wish him and his wife Brenda and their children Eleanor and Edward all the best in this new venture.
We pray for those who are sick: Dallas McLeish, Faye Whitaker, Daniel Borg, Garry Lambert, Eve Dingle,
Terry & Dulcie Balkin, Win Cordie, Jack McKay, Patricia Claxton, June Bradshaw, baby Austin Anderson, David Byrne, Ann Graham, John Ellis, Iona Anderson, Alice O’Connell, Kathleen & Frank Pickering, Marie Albrecht, baby Patterson Huggard, Ted Reeves, Mary Leighton, Judy Scott, Debbie Robertson, Merle Hart, Graeme Carroll, Gary Dalton, Gloria Jones, Maurice Calderwood, Doreen New.
May those who have died recently rest in peace: Joan Kimber, Glen Byrne, Barry Dwyer, Lily Thompson, Eileen Thomas, Amy Allen, Delia Pershouse, Julie Scott, Phillip Holstein, Sister Scholly.
We pray for those whose anniversary occurs at this time: Brian & Mary Barry, Irene & Sid Barbeler,
Maureen & Brenda Sauer, Greg Schellbach, Julie Ward, Leo & Ellen Clancy, Arthur & Eileen Walker,
Jim Schlecht, Coyne Cordie, Judy Steinhardt, Barry Massingham, Mary Smith, Bell Geissler, Lucy Kersnovske.
Christmas Mass Times for Maryborough Parish:-
Wed 24th December (Christmas Eve)
4 p.m. Mass at the township of Aramara (on the Biggenden Highway)
6.30 p.m. & 8 p.m. Masses St Mary’s, M’boro
Thursday 25th December (Christmas Day)
8 a.m. Mass St Mary’s, M’boro
10 a.m. Mass in the town of Tiaro (John Street)
Celebrations of Penance
: St Mary’s, Maryborough— Mass of Reconciliation Wednesday 17th December 5.15pm. Sacred Heart, Tiaro— Mass of Reconciliation Tuesday 16th December 6.30 p.m. There will be an opportunity for individual Reconciliation afterwards.
Giving by direct debit or credit card:
Anyone who contributes to the Planned Giving by this method is welcome to take a token sheet to place on the 2nd collection plate. These can be found in the stands at the entrances to the church.
Thanksgiving Programme
: Many thanks for your continued support of the parish through the 1st and 2nd collections. Counting team 4 for Sunday 7th December.
Bridge proceeds:
A group of people gather in the parish hall once a month to enjoy one another’s
company and play Bridge, the proceeds of which goes to help pay off the Convent loan which was taken over by the Primary School from the parish a few years ago. This year the sum of $740.35 was raised and has now been credited to the loan account with the ADF. Many thanks to Marge, Hazel and Betty, the players and anyone else who has contributed to the success of these functions. Bridge resumes on the 3rd Thursday in February at 1 p.m.
Break Open the Word:
All Ministers of the Word are asked to take a copy and prepare well for their rostered dates. We have only received some of our order but hope to have the remainder by next weekend. Please cross off your name when you take one—we have allowed only one per family where there is more than one reader.
Special Acknowledgements:
We wish Wayne Lusk and also to Jan Hunt and best wishes to both in their retirement. We pay tribute to them for their tireless work in their chosen careers over many years and also for their valued contribution to our parish. We also extend our good wishes to Stephen, Helen, Stephanie, Anastasya and Michael Adair who are heading to Jimboomba for the start of the 2009 school year.
SAFETY POLICY
: St Mary’s Parish: We are committed to fostering a Safe environment for everyone ! (Children, Young People, ALL). Some thoughts on safety: (For more information, please visit our website http://www.parishes.bne.catholic.net.au/maryborough/maryboroughchild.htm ).
Catholic Mission donations:
Mary Lowcock the Director has advised the following donations for which she is very grateful:-
North Country Deanery 2006 $9 781.00 2007 $17, 223.75 2008 $11, 529.25
Maryborough Parish 2006 $1 636.95 2007 $2, 949.35 2008 $2, 788.20
A Vocation View:
It’s Advent; almost Christmas! A Season of dreams come true. Be on guard. The Lord may call you to follow Him.
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EUCHARISTIC PREFACE: ADVENT I
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER: Various Needs and Occasions 1 (or Euch prayer I)
PENITENTIAL RITE: Penitential Option 8
MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION (IF NOT SUNG):
4. Lord, by your cross and resurrection
you have set us free.
You are the Saviour of the world.
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PEOPLESPEAK – TRUE STORIES CONNECTING THE SCRIPTURES TO EVERYDAY LIFE (COLLECTED BY THE CARMELITES)
Lynette tells how being alert to a feeling of disillusionment enabled her to change her outlook on life:Last year was all about survival and settling in to life in the real world after being released from prison. Going back to work this year I really didn’t want to be there. I survived each day by a constant plea: ‘God, please get me through today’.A week ago I sat down with myself for a really good think, wondering where the positive person who survived five years of prison had disappeared to. I asked myself what was going on. Locked away, the green grass of freedom is so much better than anything you can imagine, yet out here in the real world I can’t find it. Not being able to find it, I had become very disillusioned with the life I have. I believed that a change of job or some other thing would fix it. Thankfully, however, I was able to see the forest for the trees and realise that no external change would work, for this needed to be internal.I had a long think about what I really like about my job, and, of course, the answer to that is the interaction with people. I still say, ‘God, please get me through today’, but this time I’m asking for help and guidance to get the best out of each day instead of just surviving it.I love this new view of the world around me, and I really feel much more alive than I have for a long time. This is truly an amazing journey I’m on! (Lynette)
Courage for living
A work colleague’s mother died not too many weeks before Christmas. When I saw her after the holiday break, I asked how she had spent her Christmas, knowing that it would not have been easy. Before her mother’s death, Anne, a single woman, had made arrangements to travel to a country region as part of a large group. After some deliberation, she had decided to go ahead with her plans. However, she was quite ill and had to spend part of the holiday confined to her room.‘That must have been awful!’ I said.‘On the contrary,” she replied. ‘The other travellers kept an eye on me, while respecting my privacy, and if I needed anything I only needed to ask. There were videos and cable TV, so as I recovered I had plenty of entertainment. If I had been at home I wouldn’t have been nearly so well off!’It was a real example to me of the maxim: Life is what you make it. (Tracey)
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EXTRA RESOURCES FOR THE NEWSLETTER (IF ROOM)
Surprise, surprise
SOME PEOPLE LOVE SURPRISES. Others do everything in their power to organize their lives against the unexpected. If your idea of a great party is having guests leap out from behind the furniture when you arrive home to a dark house, then maybe you’ll love the end of the world, too. Because the eschaton is designed to be the surprise party to end all surprise parties. No one gets advance warning or a chance to change clothes. As so many of the parables warn, thinking ahead is essential. It’s best to don the right attire at once. Put oil in your lamp, too. And as we heard in last week’s gospel, make sure to take every opportunity to care for those who don’t enjoy the bounty, health, and liberty you do. Because nobody knows when the party’s going to start, and there won’t be time to get ready once it begins.
Why the secrecy? Why is Jesus so hush-hush about the date and time? The state of vigilance is meant to keep us constant in our intentions to do the right thing. Because all of us are sloppy sometimes. Even neat freaks allow themselves one closet or desk, one corner of the house or hour of the day when they let it all come apart. Jesus is saying, when it comes to the reign of God, we can’t allow ourselves a junk corner or a bumpy rug under which the debris gets swept.
We have to keep ourselves—heart and mind and soul and strength—focused on God’s will. Our intentions have to be as polished as that front room at your grandmother’s that was always kept perfect for guests—even when none were expected. Think of how the Jewish community holds an empty chair at the Passover table for Elijah, who hasn’t returned in 29 centuries and counting. This could be the year. You never know.
But most of us, perhaps all of us, don’t keep this kind of expectant vigilance. Maybe the truth is we don’t believe an unscheduled guest will ever come, so what’s the use? Even those of us who have dedicated guest rooms in our homes use them for storage because, deep down, we’re not really open to the possibility of the unexpected. The unscheduled guest is frankly unwelcome. We don’t like to have our plans disrupted by something off our radar.
The coming of Christ into the world is what you might call the ultimate disruption. It was unsettling 20 centuries ago when he showed up the first time. It will be the same on that unknown day when he shows up the next time. And the coming of Christ is equally disturbing of business-as-usual when he shows up in the face of a brother or sister in need, every single day. Those who embrace these little surprises will be better prepared when the big one comes.
—Alice Camille
Scripture links
Our life is over like a sigh: Psalm 90:1-10
Urgency of the time: Matt. 24:37-44; Rom. 13:11-14; 1 Thess. 5:1-8
God’s help for us: Psalm 6:5; Rom. 9:16; Eph. 6:10-17
Need for change: Isa. 1:16-18; Matt. 13:15; Eph. 5:14
Catechism links
Advent: CCC 522-524
Waiting in joyful hope: CCC 668-672; 1024-1029; 2612
Community at prayer
General intercessions
As we begin the season of Advent, we pray for a deeper appreciation of Christ coming into the world.
• For the leaders of the world, that they find the strength and grace to work for peace. May God meet them doing right, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer
• For the church, that we return to God’s ways and grow in mindfulness of God’s awesome deeds. May God meet us doing right, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
• For the members of this community, that our anticipation of the Lord’s coming may awaken us to the ways in which he is already here. May God meet us doing right, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
• For the sick and especially for those responsible for the just care of the sick, whom we recall today, World AIDS Awareness Day. May God meet them doing right, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
Ever-faithful God, let our prayers prepare us to welcome your Son now, and at the end of time, when he will be revealed in the sight of the whole world, forever and ever.
Bulletin insert
Advent and Christmas provide great opportunities to bring more prayer and ritual into the home. Here’s one to put into practice today: On the first Sunday of Advent, the household can come together to bless an Advent wreath. Every day, perhaps at the evening meal, make lighting the candles and saying an Advent table prayer part of your grace before the meal. For other ideas see Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops).
STORY STARTERS
ONE of modern American life’s rites of passage is the moment when a teenager is issued a driver’s license. For the teen it becomes the ultimate symbol of freedom, of having grown up, of independence from the family. On the other hand, for the parents of that teen, it usually is a very traumatic moment, a time when the important lessons of responsibility and respecting authority need to be reinforced.
The teen daydreams about taking the car out with friends on Saturday night, while the parents worry about insurance, gas, their own plans for Saturday, and, most important, wondering if their child could possibly be ready to get behind the wheel and drive off alone.
One end is tugging to get away: “Don’t you trust me?” The other end hopes to hold onto control: “You’ll have to earn the privilege of driving.” The wise teen will back off. The wise parent will give in a little. New boundaries need to be set.
Isaiah speaks to God honestly and lovingly. But clearly there is an impatient tone waiting for a reply: “Lord, I am trying my best.” It is natural to want a relationship where God trusts us. But that needs to be earned as the servants earn the trust of their master in the gospel parable.
When all is said and done, Paul reminds us that our relationship with Christ will continue to be strong, although like a healthy family, we will test new boundaries. All this takes preparation and work and that is what Advent is all about.
—Father Dominic Grassi
Our God will come openly; our God will come and will not keep silent. The first coming of Christ the Lord, God’s Son and our God, was in obscurity; the second will be in the sight of the whole world.
—SAINT AUGUSTINE
Love him who loved you when he was a child and who suffered cold for you and wept in the manger for you. . . . And as he grew older, his love grew too and was sown in the works which he did among us. As his body grew, his trials grew, his pains and tortures and crosses. Love, then, him who first loved you and loves you now in heaven.
—SAINT JOHN OF AVILA (1500-1569)
Psychology says, “Let go.” Spirituality says, “Wake up.” In both cases there is a withdrawal from the busyness of daily life (our dream state) and a waking up to the subconscious and spiritual depths of ourselves.
—ALFRED MCBRIDE, O. PRAEM., THE PRIEST
WHEN THE CHURCH celebrates . . . Advent each year, she makes present [the] ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.
—CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (NO. 524)
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Masses: 6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. Sunday
First Rite of Reconciliation: 5 p.m. Saturday
Sacred Heart Church, John Street, Tiaro, Mass: 10 a.m. Sunday
St Mary’s Church, Biggenden Road, Aramara, Mass: 6 p.m. (second Sunday of each month)
Pastoral Associate: Sr. Rose Cavallo, RSM. (currently on leave)
St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School. Cnr. Walker & John Sts. Ph: 41215705
St. Mary’s College. 51 Lennox St. Ph: 41212650. Principal: Joy Massingham
