St. Thomas More Catholic Church 298 BAY ST, BRIGHTON-LE -SANDS, NSW 2216,

Australia Phone: 9567 3589

Parish Priest : Fr Manuel Santiago.

Weekend Mass Times: Sat: 5.30pm, Sun: 8., 10am & 7pm

Confessions 4.30pm—5.15 pm Saturday Afternoons

15TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C) 14TH JULY 2019

1st Reading Deut 30:10-14 Moses said to the people: 'Obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping those commandments and laws of his that are written in the Book of this Law, and you shall return to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. 'For this Law that I enjoin on you today is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, "Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?" Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, "Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?" No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance.' Thanks be to God.

Resp Psalm: Ps 68:14. 17. 30-31. 33-34. 36-37 R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

This is my prayer to you, my prayer for your favour. In your great love, answer me, O God, with your help that never fails: Lord, answer, for your love is kind; in your compassion, turn towards me. R.

As for me in my poverty and pain let your help, O God, lift me up. I will praise God’s name with a song; I will glorify him with thanksgiving.R.

The poor when they see it will be glad and God-seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains. R.

For God will bring help to Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah and men shall dwell there in possession. The sons of his servants shall inherit it; those who love his name shall dwell there. R.

2nd Reading Col 1:15-20 Christ Jesus is the image of the unseen God and the first-born of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers—all things were created through him and for him. Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity. Now the Church is his body, he is its head. As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he

should be first in every way; because God wanted all perfection to be found in him and all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, when he made peace by his death on the cross.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Acclamation: John 6:63. 68 Alleluia, alleluia! Your words, Lord, are spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life. Alleluia!

Gospel : Luke 10:25-37

There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, 'Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? What do you read there?' He replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.' 'You have answered right,' said Jesus. 'Do this and life is yours.' But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbour?' Jesus replied, 'A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. "Look after him," he said "and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have." Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands' hands?' 'The one who took pity on him' he replied. Jesus said to him, 'Go, and do the same yourself.' The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Lost Items - If an item is left behind, and you find it, please take it to the Sacristy .

PARISH DIRECTORY

Parish Office Hours. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 9.30am and 3.30pm. Contact Details : Phone: 9567 3589 Email: office@thomasmorebrighton.org.au Finance Chairman : Mr Patrick Bugden WEB SITE : www.thomasmorebrighton.org.au St Thomas More Primary School: Tel: 9597 5884 - Principal Mrs Jenny Frost

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney’s policy on the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young persons is available on the Back Notice Board — www.sydneycatholic.org

ALL parishioners, volunteers and parish families are asked to take the time to look at the rear notice board and make yourself, and in particular those with families—familiar with what the Archdiocese has in Place in regards to the Recent Safeguarding Response. Please be aware that the Parish has a safeguarding officer, any questions or concerns can be confidentially discussed with the Safeguarding officer . All contact details of the Parish Safeguarding Officer and those of the Archdiocese can be found on the back notice board.

Childrens’ Liturgy In RECESS! Returns in February!.

This Week ahead in the parish

4 Feb Mon

9am Communion Service– Followed by Rosary

5 Feb Tue

9am Mass—Followed by Rosary

St Agatha

6 Feb Wed

9am Mass—Followed by Rosary

St Paul Miki and Companions

7 Feb Thur

9am Mass—Followed by Rosary

8 Feb Fri

8.15 Adoration 9am Mass—Followed by Rosary

9 Feb Sat

4.30pm—Confessions— 5.30 - Vigil Mass— 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

10 Feb Sun

8 am , 10am Morning Mass

7pm Evening Mass

Prayer for Child Protection

Lord, you asked that the little children be allowed to come to you, for it is such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs. You entrust them to the care and protection of our communities of faith. Guide us as we strive to ensure that our Catholic Communities provide a safe environment for each child. We pray especially for all those who have been harmed in their childhood, give them courage in facing the past and lead them to your healing protection. Amen

7pm Sunday Evening Mass.

Last Mass in St George/Sutherland Area!

Bethany College will be holding their 2019 Open Day on 5 March from 3.00pm to 6.00pm. Meet the Principal at 4.30pm

Enrolling Year 7, 2021 Enrolment packages will be available on the day

Visitor Offering Envelopes are now available at the back of the church - Visitors to the parish are encouraged to use these envelopes for your offering—please place them on either collection—Thank you

EVERY FRIDAY—8.15AM ADORATION BEFORE MASS

2019 Rosters are now available—they are located on the top of the organ

Volunteers Needed—there are spots on our Liturgy Roster for those that can help out—please call the office if you are able to help.

We remember and pray for all our family and friends.

The Sacrifice of the Holy Mass was offered this week for :

Sick and other intentions— All our Parishioners who are sick at the moment; Jesse Valenzuela, Bernice Fahey;

Recently Deceased: Ivan Soljic; June Waters; Garry Hood.

Deceased/Anniversaries— Lee Say Hun; Lee Bok Soon and Pammy; Sixto Rubio; Mary Gatt (31/1/2018); John Sultana; Evelyn Aca; Mary Cassidy; Doreen Grady (29/1/2009) John (Reg) Grady (5/2/2009), Herbert Fenech; The Holy Souls in Purgatory;

2nd Sunday of the month

9 February 5.30 PM (Sat) Vigil

10 February 8:00 AM (Sun)

10 February 10:00 AM (Sun)

C S Barakat Ave Maria Choir

L F McManus, A Beltran

S Barakat, J Meagher

M Pirotta, L Adams

E C Rees, L Manalac

T Lenzo, T Liaw

G Ataya, J Meagher

A M Tomasiello R Hung

M Raymundo P Healion

M Diel R Legaspi

Dear Parishioners, Please be aware of the closest exit doors in the church. Should a fire occur please exit the church and proceed to the Carpark behind the church—this area is the designated meeting area. Fr Manuel and the Acolytes will be your fire wardens and will give you instructions.

Lost Items - If an item is left behind, and you find it, please take it to the Sacristy .

PARISH DIRECTORY

Parish Office Hours. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 9.30am and 3.30pm. Contact Details : Phone: 9567 3589 Email: office@thomasmorebrighton.org.au Finance Chairman : Mr Patrick Bugden WEB SITE : www.thomasmorebrighton.org.au St Thomas More Primary School: Tel: 9597 5884 - Principal Mrs Jenny Frost

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney’s policy on the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young persons is available on the Back Notice Board — www.sydneycatholic.org ALL parishioners, volunteers and parish families are asked to take the time to make yourself aware and familiar with what the Archdiocese has in place in regards to the Recent Safeguarding Response. Please consult firstly with the Parish Priest or the Parish safeguarding officer any questions or concerns will be confidentially discussed. All contact details of the Parish Safeguarding Officer and those of the Archdiocese can be found on the back notice board. A message from the Archdiocese of Sydney Abuse is a crime. The appropriate people to deal with a crime are the police. If you – or anyone you know – have been abused, please contact the police. Alternatively, you can contact the Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office at (02) 9390 5810 or safeguardingenquiries@sydneycatholic.org. You may also want to speak to your Parish Priest who will be able to provide support and guidance. The Archdiocese has a legal obligation to report crimes to the police.

Prayer for Child Protection Lord, you asked that the little children be allowed to come to you, for it is such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs. You entrust them to the care and protection of our communities of faith. Guide us as we strive to ensure that our Catholic Communities provide a safe environment for each child. We pray especially for all those who have been harmed in their childhood, give them courage in facing the past and lead them to your healing protection. Amen

We remember and pray for all our family and friends.

Especially :

All our Parishioners who are sick at the Moment;

Those Recently Deceased:

Those who are Deceased and have Anniversaries at this time

The Holy Souls in Purgatory.

And all those who have offered prayers of thanksgiving.

Mass Intention Envelopes are located at the back of the Church, It is always helpful to give at least a weeks notice if you wish a particular

intention mentioned at a certain time Mass.

Would you like to contribute to our Envelope PLAN GIVING? Forms are located at the back of the church, please place your completed form in any collection bag during Mass.

This Week ahead in the parish

15 July Mon

9am Communion Service —Followed by Rosary—

16 July Tue

9am Mass—Followed by Rosary Our Lady of Mt Carmel

17 July Wed

9am Mass—Followed by Rosary

18 July Thur

9am Mass—Followed by Rosary

19 July Fri

Friday Adoration 8.15am 9 am Mass Followed by Rosary

20 July Sat

4.30pm—Confessions 5.30 - Vigil Mass

21 July Sun

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (c)— 8 am Mass 10am Mass 7pm Mass

Tribunal of the Catholic Church Reaching out to all who have experienced a marriage breakdown and question the validity of their first marriage as understood by the Church. Enquiries: Ph (02) 6239 9813 Email: tribunal@cg.org.au

Marriage Mass & Renewal of Vows at St Mary’s Cathedral If you’re celebrating a significant

wedding anniversary in 2019 Why not celebrate with the blessing of

Archbishop Anthony at St Marys’s Cathedral?

Families are welcome, and there will be Morning tea with a presentation of certificates to follow

Solemn Mass. Date: Sunday 21 July. Mass begins at 10:30am

If you wish to receive a certificate or be catered for, please contact chris.dasilva@sydneycatholic.org with your names, the church/town where you were married, and the date on

which you were married.

GOT YOUR WEDDING UNDER CONTROL? But how prepared are you for marriage?

Engaged Encounter provides you with deeper insights into each other and into married life. We give you a chance to spend time togeth-er to strengthen and enrich your relation-ship. For further information see our web

site: www.engagedencounter.org.au

PARISH NEWS/EVENTS

In addition to the personal gifts Jesus gives us, we also have the gift of our parish – the freedom to belong to a vibrant faith community. But we should ask ourselves-

Are we truly making full use of this gift? What do new members of our parish experience?

Are we truly welcoming? Are we truly evangelising our faith?

Is there more I/We can do? As great as our parish is, what would we need to do to truly make full use of our gifts?

What could we do to transform our parish even more?

With the Cold weather now upon us may our parish be one that exudes warmth, hospitality and friendliness.

Kids’ Bulletin. Each week there will be available at the back of the church a Bulletin especially for our children.

This Kids Bulletin is produced to enable both children and parents/grandparents to teach or talk about the weekly readings as well as learn about saints or other interesting catholic facts.

NEW—

ALL WELCOME!

Ages: From birth to 5 years

When: Thursdays from 9:00-10:30am (school terms only)

Where: St Thomas More's Catholic School Library

Cost: $2 per child (first session is FREE!)

For more information: Phone: (02) 9597 5884

Email: info@stmbrighton.catholic.edu.au

Not all ministries require a lot of time and effort—CAN YOU HELP? If you haven't had a chance to take part in helping the parish here are some ideas….

Once a Week Once a Month

Taking up a collection Counting money

Locking or opening the gates Being Part of the Church Clean team and Altar Ladies

Collect the bulletins after each Mass Taking care of a small part of the garden

Keeping the Bathrooms respectable Helping Piety stall members

Sweeping the leaves around the church. Remembrance book entries

Do you have an idea— write it below! Overheads/slides

Please Consider – Extraordinary

Ministers of Holy Communion—and

Acolytes! This course is right near

the parish!

For those interested in this Ministry (and those

wishing to attend the Acolytes Training Course

as this course is a pre-requisite), a two-night

training course will be held: When:

Wednesday, 7th and 14th August 2019 Time:

7 to 9pm Where: Our Lady of the Rosary

Jubilee hall 4 Roma Avenue Kensington

(Please Note: both sessions are to be attended

to receive certificate) Required: 1) Completed

Registration Form (available from Fr Manuel)

2) Endorsement by the Parish Priest

3) Copy of Birth Certificate This course

would also be an opportunity for current

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy

Communion and Acolytes to renew their

understanding of their ministry, as well as

to support and mentor those undertaking

training.

Journeying to a Better Marriage St Luke's Revesby would like to invite you to a special event. We work on our health, careers, our cars, even our homes but how often do we work on our marriage? Chris Da Silva from the Archdiocese of Sydney will be sharing an inspiring talk called: Jour-neying to a Better Marriage. Tickets are only $20.00 per person or $15.00 for sen-iors, with dinner included. The event will be held On Saturday 20 July 2019 at 6:15pm St Luke's School Hall 1 Beaconsfield Street, Revesby,

https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=519266&

What Stops Us From Being a Good Samaritan?

“. . . while mere neighbourhood does not create love,

love does create neighbourliness.” -T.W. Manson

Today’s Gospel story is the famous Good Samaritan. This parable is directed by Our Lord Jesus to his audience. At the end of the parable one has to make a response to the challenge of Jesus to the scholar of the law; “God and do likewise.” Indeed, Jesus is asking us to do what the Good Samaritan did. But what prevents us from being “good Samaritan” to our neighbours over the fence, to people we meet in the Church, or to those we meet in the ordinariness of life’s daily encounter?

The great lens to look at our response is to start at the response of the scholar of the law ;“And who is my neighbour?” Jesus did not answer him straightaway, and instead, he narrated the good Samaritan who helped the wounded man who was neglected by the previous passersby. At the end of the parable, Jesus asked him: ”Which of the three persons in your opinion was neighbour to the victim?” And the scholar of the law’s answer is too idealistic from his perspective: “the one who treated him with mercy.”

I learned and remember from my mathematics professor that a “reciprocal number” is a number that when multiplied by any given, gives one as a product. Perhaps this is what stopping us from being good Samaritan. It is our failure “to practice reciprocity”. A reciprocal describes something that’s the same on both sides . . . if you tell someone you like them and they say, “the feelings are reciprocal,” that means they like you too (vocabulary.com).

In the story of the Good Samaritan, the latter recognises and is aware of something that’s the same between him and the victim. If we will only take a leap of sacrifice or a great time to see that there is something the same between me and my neigh-bour that is a good practice of being good neighbour. If I see that I have a dream and others have dream and my neighbours have dreams too, then we can understand. If I felt the hurt and emotional woundedness of others and, hence, see and also that I felt the same then that’s understanding and being compassionate—that’s reciprocal, we can help each other carry the burdens. Now let us apply these: What can make me a good son or a good daughter? What is it to recognise in others that I can be good friend to them? The great danger is that we see only the differences and not recognising something that’s the same.

The scholar of the law in the story must have devoted his life seeing only himself and that he absolutized being different from others. Yes he perfected the obedience to the commandments, but that is not true according to the standards of our Lord.

Did he become a real neighbour? NO! because he failed to see that something that made him the same as others. FR Manuel Santiago

Happiness is like your shadow;

It Follows you while you don’t think of it.

Run after happiness and you will never find it. Happiness is like your shadow; It follows you while you don’t think of it! Happiness comes to rest on you as a wonderful feeling. When you forget your-self to live for others. Just try to forget yourself and your comforts to bring a bit of happiness to your family. Console a sick person, help someone who’s poor, keep a handicapped person company; And one day, you will discover all of a sudden, that you are happy! That happiness cannot be bought. It is like an echo, that only answers to the giving of yourself. And the gift of yourself, that gift is love! Vitamins for the heart—Book 1— May 1990—Camilo J Marivoet

Pointers to be a real neighbour;

for you and for others (the people next door)

who live over the fence.

1. don’t ask questions , simply help—meaning don’t copy the expert of the law who asks questions, help your neighbour straightaway 2. make it happen—try to practice putting your-self in one’s situation of helplessness, make “mercy” happen into your life. 3. please stop like the Good Samaritan—life is speeding now, please stop like the Samaritan, stop hating, stop quarrelling, stop gossiping, stop hating others. 4. give all you can give (this one is difficult) , the Samaritan as a good neighbour used everything (his material possessions, olive oil, wine, donkey, silver money, time, risks etc)

Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) (Dutch, Leiden 1606–1669 Amsterdam)