We do not find an explicit statement of the doctrine of the Trinity in the Gospels; it took centuries of discussion before the Council of Nicea came up with the language we profess in our creed about Father, Son, and Spirit. What we do find is a seminal faith and an experience of God present in the life of Jesus and the early Christians. As a Jew Jesus would have daily prayed the great Jewish proclamation of faith, ‘Hear O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one.’ Drawing on his Jewish traditions and Scriptures Jesus spoke to God as ‘Abba’, father. While the Greeks had the idea of God as a distant impersonal and immovable being, Jesus knew God as personal and loving.
Jesus’ experience of an intimate loving God continued in the experience of the early Christians who glimpsed that while the historical Jesus of Nazareth was no longer with them, Jesus as the Risen Christ was a powerful presence, still alive in their midst, and they experienced this as a powerful Spirit of love, courage, gratitude and peace, even in the midst of hostility and suffering. They knew with the certainty of experience God as Father, as Son and Spirit. How this could be so, remained mystery, as it still is, but the experience of love has its own certainty, as Paul writes with conviction: ‘the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.’ For this certainty, he will travel thousands of miles to share his experience, and ultimately will give his life.
The section from John’s Gospel continues Jesus’ Final Discourse as he tries to console and encourage his disciples on the night of his arrest. He promises them that even in his absence they will still have an advocate, a teacher and guide; they will not be left orphaned. The understanding of God as Trinity can also help us understand our own life.
The Trinity expresses the Christian faith that the essence of Divine life is a love that reaches out to another in desire to be in relationship. As this Gospel reveals, the Spirit is turned towards Jesus, the Son; all the Spirit expresses comes from the Risen Christ, just as all the Father has, is given over to the Son. Our own relationships and desires for love image the dynamic self-giving within the life of God. As Genesis states, ‘in the image of God they were created, male and female.’
In celebrating the Trinity, may we also celebrate and give thanks for our participation in this life of loving desire. May the patterns of our own loving mirror the generous self-giving of our God.
St Vincent de Paul 2019
Winter Appeal Our annual Vinnies Winter Appeal starts this
weekend at all Masses. Loneliness is more than a feeling, it's a danger.
After her husband died a decade ago, 73-year-old Ruby found herself living alone, barely able to pay for food, or cover the rent. Like many older
Australians living in poverty, Ruby felt forgotten. You can change the way poverty feels.
Envelopes are in our three parish churches. Please place all donations in the envelopes provided and place on the
collection plates during Mass, over the next three weekends. Thank you for your generosity.
daughter of Brent & Leanne. She will be baptised this Sunday in St Catherine’s Church.
Upper Mt Gravatt Wishart Parish Sacrament of
Anointing All are invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing, Thursday 20 June, 10.00 am in St Bernard’s Church. This is a special time when those who are well, gather around those who are ill or infirm as they receive the Sacrament of Anointing. Families are invited to bring their loved ones who are ill to this special celebration of God’s love and grace.
Mums & Dads:
we need your
help! Our 9.30 am Mass at St Bernard’s urgently needs at least two adults who are willing to lead the children in the Liturgy of the Word on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month [during school term time] for the first 20 mins of Mass. Trish will give you all the assistance you need. Please email her or call the office 3849 7158. Our parish has implemented the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults policy. We are committed to high standards of recruitment, screening and selection of all of our employees and volunteers and undertake intentional strategies to maintain a safe and healthy ministry environment for all.
Liturgy
Training for
Youth & Young
Adults Sr Ursula O’Rourke (a Sister of the Good Samaritan) will help youth leaders gain a deeper understanding of the Mass at this next youth leader training for the Archdiocese of Brisbane. Date: Thursday 20 June 2019 Time: 6:15pm - 8:45pm For: Youth leaders (your whole team!) Address: The Hall, Lavalla Centre 58 Fernberg Rd., Paddington Cost: Free Register here: Facebook.
READERS ROSTER -
22/23 June 2019
Please arrive 15 mins
before Mass.
St Bernard’s: Luke Lim, Denis &
Amanda Fi t zpatr i ck; Mary
Kubainski, Jan Rhoades, Irene Lam;
Carol Wilson, Dick Allen, Shelley
Allen; Roshea Buksh, Michael
Buksh, Cheryl Mirhan.
St Martin’s: Jasmine & Jacob
Cheruvankalayil, Diane Broe.
St Catherine’s: Hannah Cabalse,
Hans Cabalse, Darryl Petersen;
Judy Rudd, Blythe Bishop, Paul
Robertson.
Come seek his
face! The Acts of the Apostles. ALL are welcome! 7.00 pm on Tuesdays: 25th June & 16th & 30th July. RSVP Pauline 0417 708 549 or just turn up.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NATIONAL THEMES FOR
DISCERNMENT
OPENS NEXT PHASE FOR PLENARY COUNCIL
The Plenary Council 2020 moves into its next phase of preparation today with the announcement of the National Themes for Discernment that emerged from an historic process of listening to the voices of more than 222,000 people. Between May 2018 and March 2019, almost 17,500 submissions, from individuals and groups of all sizes, addressed the Plenary Council’s central question: “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” Over several days of listening to what the people of God said, with intense moments of prayer and discernment, the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council and its Executive Committee, joined by the Facilitation Team, considered what people were longing for.
Six National Themes for Discernment emerged. “The National Centre for Pastoral Research was able to pinpoint more than 100 recurring subject areas from those 17,500 submissions,” said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, president of the Plenary Council. “In some ways, those subject areas described what one might call ‘the messy reality’ of Catholic life in Australia today. The voices of the faithful help all of us to understand something of the historical experience and the current reality of the Catholic Church in Australia.
The six National Themes for Discernment invite people to reflect, to pray and to consider how God is calling the People of God to be a Christ-centred Church in Australia that is: • Missionary and Evangelising • Inclusive, Participatory and Synodal • Prayerful and Eucharistic • Humble, Healing and Merciful • A Joyful, Hope-Filled and Servant Community •
Open to conversion, Renewal and Reform.
Plenary Council facilitator Lana Turvey-Collins said many topics relate to one or more of the National Themes for Discernment and this next stage of preparation – “Listening and Discernment” – is a time of prayerful consideration of the “big” questions that have been raised by the faithful. CARDS with the themes and the web address are available
Come along and enjoy some time at St Catherine’s School Fete and help the school provide resources for their students. Stalls include Craft, Cakes, Sweets, Trash & Treasure, Plants and many more. Entertainment, games, raffles and prizes. Hot food available in the beer garden.
