Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish - Weekly Parish Mass - podcast of Eucharist, including readings, prayers, homily)
Greetings from Surfers Catholic parish!
Please find linked below the latest edition of the Parish weekly Homily and link to the (audio) podcast of the mass, especially produced for those who are unable to be with us at mass.
https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-15c-ordinary-time-2022-episode-373
Many thanks,
The Parish Team
Readings for Sunday, July 10, 2022 - Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year C
FIRST READING: Deut 30:10-14
Ps 18:8-11 - "The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart."
SECOND READING: Col 1:15-20
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 10:25-37). Alleluia, alleluia! Your words, Lord, are spirit and life. You have the words of everlasting life.
GOSPEL: Luke 10:25-37
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Vector ID: 235809499. illustration of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Vector Contributor: kanarina -
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year C - Sunday, July 10, 2022, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-15c-ordinary-time-2022-episode-373 (EPISODE- 373)
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The readings this weekend are really beautiful. Each of them has a similar thread running through them. What we believe in, the Word of God, and how we live this word is very, very practical, down-to-earth and tangible! The word of God is not something distant and theoretical and ponderous, but it is alive and active and it is living in our hearts and minds and on our lips and actions.
Jesus is not some distant figure, he is God-made-flesh, who shows us what God the Father I like and how God treats sinners and how God loves us, infinitely! In the Gospel, Jesus reinforces this by telling the famous and wonderful parable of the Good Samaritan. We show love for God and have his word in our hearts through how we show love to our neighbour, anyone in need, and how we respect ourselves and the gift of life and responsibility we have been given.
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Imagine a newly married couple sitting down to their first dinner together after returning from their honeymoon. Imagine if the husband said to his new wife, "I just want to get something clear with you? I hope you don't mind! What is the absolute minimum I need to do to fulfil my obligations to you as your spouse? – I don't want to be seen shirking my responsibilities so if you could just tell me what the absolute least things are that I need to do, to satisfy requirements? "
Could you imagine such a question?? It is outrageous… It is crazy!!!
Of course, this would be an awful, immature and shockingly unloving attitude.
The answer to such a question, (as if it even needs answering), would be twofold. This is about LOVE, not merely the letter of the law or doing one's "duty." This is not about grudgingly doing the bare minimum. This is actually about love, friendship, and companionship between two people loving, living and working together; united in heart and mind.
How much do you need to give????
Answer: Whatever it takes! Everything you've got.
We are not just "in this together" for a capped "30% minimum." Nor are we in this for merely 50/50, (whilst keeping score all the way!!??) – It is actually 100% by both of the parties.
As crazy as this extreme example is, the lawyer is asking Jesus something very similar in today's Gospel. And although we can scoff at such a preposterous scenario, we too can be guilty of asking insanely similar things of Our Lord! Whenever we try to ration our commitments and responsibility to Our Lord, (who is our everything!), we are asking the same crazy question as to the ill-considered groom in my theoretical example above.
The Lawyer in the gospel is looking for a clear and definite pathway to Heaven, and so he asks: 'What must I do?'
When Jesus tells him that the answer is Compassion and love, the lawyer again asks for a definition: "What are the limits of this? "
Jesus tells him that this "Way of Christ" is not lived by merely following rules, and not satisfied by meagre rationing-out of our efforts -- and nor is the Gospel kept by staying merely within strict and limited boundaries……the absolute minimums. Rather, the Gospel is lived by responding to life with love, wherever and whenever we find it; with the Love and compassion of God abiding in us. This is the love that is God's very essence: serving, self-sacrificing love to others and to all. Our Lord's answer immediately alerts the lawyer to how ridiculous the question is, because the lawyer becomes sheepish and embarrassed and tries to justify his question with a clarification about who really is his neighbour. But this is yet again an attempt to limit one's commitment. Jesus is not going to let him slip away with things that easily.
Eternal life is a free, generous, unrestrained, authentic gift of true, compassionate, self-forgetting love for others. Giving what is needed - giving all we have and giving it freely with love and compassion and not grudging duty.
Living in a loving relationship with God means loving and caring for all that God has created; and going beyond the minimums, the reservations, the fears, the restrictions and responding freely, lovingly and passionately, (come what may, and irrespective of the personal cost), to the situations and people life throws up at us.
The law of God, the word of God is not some distant thing - we are told - it is not written in stone, but it is a living, breathing, flexible and loving law as the first reading tells us.
"The Word (of God) is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance. "
With this parable, Jesus shows us that God's love doesn't care one jot about what others think of a person. God's love does what is right, what is compassionate, and what is just. God responds to real needs, irrespective of popular opinions.
Scripture Commentator William Barclay gives profound insights into this parable. He writes:
"The first listeners to Our Lord's parable, in First Century Palestine, would have been utterly shocked and thrown off balance by the unexpected results of the story Jesus tells. The hero in this parable is not the one the listeners expected. The hero turns out to be the one who is usually despised by Jesus' listeners. How could the "good guy "be the Samaritan??" They would have gasped in astonishment.
And worse…. The expected "good guys "- the priest and the Levite, turned out to be not responding the way that Jesus was teaching God's disciples to respond.
Interestingly, the traveller who gets attacked has been very foolish and even reckless. The road to Jericho was notorious for robbers, as it was steep and winding. People who travelled that road travelled in groups and were taking their lives into their hands if they dared to travel alone and with valuables. So Our Lord is saying, even if people have been foolish and have contributed to the situation they have found themselves in, Gospel compassion responds to their needs and doesn't moralize.
Compassion does not encourage us to stop to apportion blame or fault. A true friend and disciple of Christ does not respond to real and urgent needs by first asking "does this person deserve this help?" - or "Have they brought this upon themselves? In which case I don't have to help them!" Not at all, not ever! God's compassion does not stop to work out whether people deserve a loving response when their own folly may have played a (big or small) part in their situation. That is quite irrelevant to divine compassion and its response.
The parable Jesus tells does not suggest that the Priest was a bad guy. Nor does it suggest that the priest did not care about the poor person who had been robbed and left for dead. It may have been that the Priest was very concerned for the victim. However, it is clear that he put his religious and legal duties ahead of the human and physical needs of this robbery victim.
Neither the Priest or the levite even go off to get help for this victim. They just walk on their way.
The Samaritan alone was prepared to help in a practical way.
If we think that urgently rushing to the aid of someone in serious need is ever forbidden by God's laws or teachings, then we have definitely read these teachings very wrongly.
We must help any person, of any nationality, any creed or value system…. Anyone who is actually in need is our neighbour. Our help must be as wide as the love of God, - that is to say, as wide as something that cannot be measured.
The help we give must be practical, and not consist merely of empty platitudes, or of just feeling sorry for someone when practical action is what is needed. No doubt the Priest and the Levite felt a pang of pity for the wounded man, but in the end, they did nothing to help him, which Our Lord makes clear is not acceptable!
In order for the fullness of compassion to exist, it must flow into deeds.
What Jesus said to the scribe, he says to us too -- "Go and do the same. " "**
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
**William Barclay - THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES. REVISED EDITION. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. THE WESTMINSTER PRESS. PHILADELPHIA. 1975
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Vector ID: 235809499. illustration of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Vector Contributor: kanarina
Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year C (Sunday, July 10, 2022)
(EPISODE- 373)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May Our Lord's Fidelity strenghten you.}}
My brothers and sisters, we have gathered to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, - so let us pause and reflect upon our sins, so as to rejoice in Gods loving mercy.
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick: Lord, have mercy
Lord Jesus, you forgave sinners: Christ, have mercy
Lord Jesus, you give us yourself to heal us and bring us strength: Lord, have mercy.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Ps 69:13+16, 29-30, 32-33, 35ab+36. "The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart."
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 10:25-37). Alleluia, alleluia! Your words, Lord, are spirit and life. You have the words of everlasting life.
Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary IV
Eucharistic Prayer II
Communion side. pwk: LH
(theme variation: (welcome 4) Good evening/morning. A special Gold Coast welcome to everyone, especially visitors to this part of the world. We hope your stay is enjoyable and blessed. Our Presider tonight/today is Fr…………………………. Please stand as we sing our entrance hymn. +v26)
(pre+post variation: v1-long)
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{Thank you for giving generously of your time and prayer.}
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: Subscribe to mailing list to keep up-to-date
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure MV5 Digital Condenser (USB)
Editing equipment: NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor
[Production - KER - 2022]
May God bless and keep you.
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[ Production - KER - 2022]
May God bless and keep you.
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(Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish sends these emails in order to speedily keep in touch with parishioners, including for the occasional urgent/emergency emails affecting parish schedules (which has come in handy already for several unexpected events in the past - which people were grateful to receive quickly - So, we ask that you please consider keeping subscribed to this mailing list, as it helps us keep in touch in all sorts of changing situations. We have had times when parishioners said they did not know of an important development within the parish and it turns out that they had opted out of this central email).
