SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR C 9th DECEMBER 2018 Dear Parishioners, We are already in the second week of Advent (wow!) and I can’t help but reflect on how I have prepared my heart for the coming of Christ in the past week. It has been an extremely busy year for us all and December is no excepon. School is coming to a close, youth group has finished up, work places are preparing for the holidays, and there seems to be some sort of Christmas funcon on every other night! Have I put aside me for prayer? Have I priorised my social life over my faith in the past week? Reflecng recently, I heard the queson, “if Jesus showed up in your life today, would there be any room for him?” It is easy to lose track of what is truly important in this season. We must keep our minds and our hearts focused on the coming of Christ, preparing room for him in our lives through prayer and reflecon, building up our relaonships with God and with each other. We must reach out to those around us, our neighbours and friends, making peace and spreading joy through acvely living our faith. In this weekend’s Gospel reading, we witness John the Bapst acvely preparing the way for the coming of Christ. He travels along the River Jordan preaching to people about the Lord’s coming, asking that they clear a road for him for once he is here all will be well and right. John the Bapst teaches us about preparaon and devoon. We don’t need to run throughout the streets yelling, but we do need to put me aside to ask the Lord each day to renew our minds and prepare our hearts, and encourage our neighbours to do the same. It has been a wonderful Year of Youth for The Hive Youth & Young Adult Ministry within the Ipswich Catholic Community. Our youth group ran fortnightly with an average of 15 students in aendance each Friday night, our young adult ministry grew from something very small to 20 people at various events, and our 24 Hours of Joy event in October reached out to parishioners across all churches within our community. We held our first youth and young adult retreat days, aended Ignite Conference with 1500 other young Catholics, and are now preparing to send some of our young adults over to Panama in January 2019 for World Youth Day. We feel very blessed to be a part of such a loving and supporve community. A big thank you to our wonderful priests, Fr Stephen, Fr Enoch and Fr John, who have given us an abundance of support and advice over the year. Thank you to all parishioners who have shown us support, big or small, we appreciate it all! We will connue to provide opportunies for the young people of our community to encounter Christ in 2019 and beyond because of your support. We are praying for you all in this Advent season, and we hope everyone has a blessed Christmas and joyful New Year! Felicity Jones (The Hive Youth Coordinator) OUR CHURCHES St. Mary’s - Elizabeth Street, Woodend St. Brigid’s - Matthew Street, Rosewood Mater Dei - Cnr Ferrett Street and Rowland Tce, Sadliers Crossing St. Joseph’s - 42 Pine Mountain Road, North Ipswich Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - Robertson Rd, Eastern Heights Immaculate Heart of Mary - 22 Old Toowoomba Road, Leichhardt This weekend our tree becomes our ‘GIVING TREE’, and will then become our ‘CHRISTMAS TREE’. Today Parishioners are invited to take an envelope from the tree and make a donaon to either St Vincent de Paul, Ipswich Hospice and/or Rosies. On the next two weekends (16th & 23rd) we will decorate the tree - all are invited to bring a decoraon to place on the tree - perhaps a bauble or star, and you might like to write your family name or love, peace, joy etc on this. The decoraons will be placed on the tree before Mass begins. On the third Sunday of Advent (16th) the CRIB will be set up during Mass, with the story of the First Christmas Crib read during the Liturgy of the Word. The children of the Ipswich Catholic Community will present the Navity story at the 6.00pm Christmas Eve Mass at St Mary’s and 6.00pm, St Brigid’s, Rosewood. ADVENT IN THE IPSWICH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
Transcript
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR C 9th DECEMBER 2018
Dear Parishioners,
We are already in the second week of Advent (wow!) and I can’t help but reflect on how I have prepared my heart for the coming of Christ in the past week. It has been an extremely busy year for us all and December is no exception. School is coming to a close, youth group has finished up, work places are preparing for the holidays, and there seems to be some sort of Christmas function on every other night! Have I put aside time for prayer? Have I prioritised my social life over my faith in the past week?
Reflecting recently, I heard the question, “if Jesus showed up in your life today, would there be any room for him?” It is easy to lose track of what is truly important in this season. We must keep our minds and our hearts focused on the coming of Christ, preparing room for him in our lives through prayer and reflection, building up our relationships with God and with each other. We must reach out to those around us, our neighbours and friends, making peace and spreading joy through actively living our faith.
In this weekend’s Gospel reading, we witness John the Baptist actively preparing the way for the coming of Christ. He travels along the River Jordan preaching to people about the Lord’s coming, asking that they clear a road for him for once he is here all will be well and right. John the Baptist teaches us about preparation and devotion. We don’t need to run throughout the streets yelling, but we do need to put time aside to ask the Lord each day to renew our minds and prepare our hearts, and encourage our neighbours to do the same.
It has been a wonderful Year of Youth for The Hive Youth & Young Adult Ministry within the Ipswich Catholic Community. Our youth group ran fortnightly with an average of 15 students in attendance each Friday night, our young adult ministry grew from something very small to 20 people at various events, and our 24 Hours of Joy event in October reached out to parishioners across all churches within our community. We held our first youth and young adult retreat days, attended Ignite Conference with 1500 other young Catholics, and are now preparing to send some of our young adults over to Panama in January 2019 for World Youth Day.
We feel very blessed to be a part of such a loving and supportive community. A big thank you to our wonderful priests, Fr Stephen, Fr Enoch and Fr John, who have given us an abundance of support and advice over the year. Thank you to all parishioners who have shown us support, big or small, we appreciate it all! We will continue to provide opportunities for the young people of our community to encounter Christ in 2019 and beyond because of your support.
We are praying for you all in this Advent season, and we hope everyone has a blessed Christmas and joyful New Year!
Felicity Jones (The Hive Youth Coordinator)
OUR CHURCHES
St. Mary’s - Elizabeth Street, Woodend St. Brigid’s - Matthew Street, Rosewood
Mater Dei - Cnr Ferrett Street and Rowland Tce, Sadliers Crossing St. Joseph’s - 42 Pine Mountain Road, North Ipswich
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - Robertson Rd, Eastern Heights Immaculate Heart of Mary - 22 Old Toowoomba Road, Leichhardt
This weekend our tree becomes our ‘GIVING TREE’, and will then become our ‘CHRISTMAS TREE’. Today Parishioners are invited to take an envelope from the tree and make a donation to either St Vincent de Paul, Ipswich Hospice and/or Rosies.
On the next two weekends (16th & 23rd) we will decorate the tree - all are invited to bring a decoration to place on the tree - perhaps a bauble or star, and you might like to
write your family name or love, peace, joy etc on this. The decorations will be placed on the tree before Mass begins.
On the third Sunday of Advent (16th) the CRIB will be set up during Mass, with the story of the First Christmas Crib read during the Liturgy of the Word.
The children of the Ipswich Catholic Community will present the Nativity story at the 6.00pm Christmas Eve Mass at St Mary’s and 6.00pm, St Brigid’s, Rosewood.
Meditation Group 7.45am-8.45am, St Mary’s Presbytery
Dec 18th, Tues
2nd Rite of Reconciliation
7.00pm, St Mary’s Church, Ipswich
Dec 19th, Wed
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
7.00pm-8.00pm, St Mary’s Church
WEEKDAY MASS TIMES
Monday, 10th December - 2nd Week of Advent
7.00am St Joseph’s, Nth Ipswich
7.00pm Mater Dei
Tuesday, 11th December - 2nd Week of Advent
9.00am Immaculate Heart of Mary, LCHT
Wednesday, 12th December - 2nd Week of Advent
9.00am St Mary’s, Woodend 9.30am St Brigid’s, Rosewood
Thursday, 13th December - St Lucy
9.00am St Joseph’s, Nth Ipswich
9.00am St Mary’s, Woodend
Friday, 14th December - St John of the Cross
9.00am OLMM, Eastern Heights; MASS OF ANOINTING
2nd RITE OF RECONCILIATION will be held on Tuesday,
18th December at 7.00pm, St Mary’s Church, Ipswich.
IF WE DID NOT SLANDER OTHERS, PEACE WOULD ADVANCE, SAYS POPE FRANCIS: (DECEMBER 04, 2018 POPE'S MORNING HOMILY).
“If we all did only that - not slander others - peace would advance,” said Pope Francis during the Mass he celebrated last Tuesday, in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. In his homily, reported by “Vatican News,” the Holy Father reflected on the Season of Advent. He explained, Advent is “a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Prince of Peace. It’s a time to seek peace”: first of all, to be at peace with ourselves, to pacify our soul.” “If we are often not at peace,” but in anxiety, in anguish, without hope.” And the Pontiff asked: “how is your soul today? Is it in peace?”
Then, he shared that we are to be “architects of peace,” it’s necessary to “pacify oneself.” “There is so much sadness in families, so many quarrels, so many small wars, so much disunity and “walls that separate.”
“What do I do to aid peace in the world? How are we peacemakers in our Parish Communities?” “But what do I do to aid peace in my neighbourhood, in my school, in my place of work, in my Parish? Do you always find an excuse keep resentment going, it is easy to hate, to bad-mouth others? That is to make war! Am I gentle? Do I seek to make bridges? Am I someone who seeks peace?”
Pope Francis addressed his comments to those who were at Mass, including children. “What do you do at school? When you have a schoolmate that you don’t like, who is a bit vicious or weak, do you harass him or her or make peace? Do you try to make peace? Do you forgive or do you carry hurt?
“To make peace is somewhat to imitate God when God willed to make peace with us and forgave us; when God sent Jesus to make peace, to be the Prince of Peace,” We need to model our lives on Jesus - I wish for people to model Jesus! Make yourself little, make yourself humble, make yourself a servant of others. Make yourself little and the Lord will give you the capacity to understand how to make peace and the strength to do it…. Bring this gift to your Parish!”
“And every time we see that there is a possibility of a quarrel at home, in one’s heart or at school or work, it’s necessary to stop and make peace,” concluded the Holy Father. Never, never wound another - never; don’t bad-mouth others, don’t fire the first cannon shot. If we all did only that - not slander others - peace would advance. May the Lord prepare our heart for the Birth of the Prince of Peace - let us do everything, let us do our part to be peacemakers: to pacify our heart, our soul, to pacify our family, our school, our neighbourhood, our Parish, our place of work.
Let us be men and women of peace,” he pleaded. What a lovely reflection as we prepare for the Parish Reconciliation Service on Wednesday 18th December at St Marys at 7pm!
… what’s happening in the Ipswich Catholic Community ...
FROM THE HIVE: YOUNG ADULTS: Our Christmas celebration and the final young adult gathering of the year will be held next Wednesday 12 December at Darling and Co, 156 Given Terrace, Paddington. Dinner kicks off at 7pm. All aged between 18-35 are welcome! Come celebrate a great year with us. ADORATION: The final Adoration of the year will be held on Wednesday 19 December from 7pm-8pm. Come and join us in prayer and reflection as we prepare our hearts to receive Christ in this Advent season.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATE TO OUR GROCERY COLLECTION EACH WEEK. WITH CHRISTMAS ALMOST HERE, YOU MIGHT LIKE TO CONSIDER SOME ‘CHRISTMAS GOODIES’ WHEN MAKING YOUR DONATIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. All families are invited to bring along one non-perishable item, place it in the collection basket, which will form part of our Procession of Gifts, and then passed on to SVDP to support those in need in our community. Thank you for
supporting this initiative.
CHRISTMAS EVE FAMILY MASS: IPSWICH: It is still not too late to be part of the story of the birth of Jesus at the 6pm Christmas Eve Mass in St Mary’s. We are looking for more shepherds and angels and would love for our young children to be part of the fun of presenting this story during Mass. If your child is not able to attend the practices but is available to be a shepherd or an angel then we would love to hear from you. We have costumes for children, but need to know the sizing. Please phone the parish office on 3281 2133 to register your child’s name.
ROSEWOOD: Children who will be attending the 6pm Christmas Eve Mass in St Brigid’s, Rosewood, are invited to take part in the annual
Nativity Play. There will be a rehearsal on December 23rd at 5 pm. If your child would like to take part or if you would like any more information, please contact Madeliene 0405504838
or Chrissie 0418200842.
MEALS ON WHEELS: Many thanks to those who have already volunteered to help out with MEALS ON WHEELS deliveries during
December and January. All places for December have now been filled BUT we are still looking for people to help out in January - please see the notice board at your church, and volunteer where you can. Thank you.
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR MASSES IPSWICH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 2018/2019
CHRISTMAS DAY - Tuesday, 25th Dec 7.30am- North Ipswich; 8.00am- Rosewood; 8.30am- St. Mary’s, Ipswich.
NO EVENING MASS IN THE IPSWICH CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
NEW YEARS DAY - (Tuesday, 1st January): Leichhardt 9.00am; St Mary’s 9.00am
CHRISTMAS ROSTER - HELP NEEDED: IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE TO SERVE IN ANY MINISTRY AT CHRISTMAS MASS, COULD YOU PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS ON THE SHEET AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH.
NOTICES FOR THE NEWSLETTER NEED TO BE IN THE PARISH OFFICE BY 11.00AM ON THURSDAY. Please send them to [email protected]
MASS OF ANOINTING:
Held at Our Lady of the Miraculous
Medal Church, Eastern Heights on
Friday, 14th December at 9.00am.
The Advent messages from FRANCISCAN MEDIA have been well received by some Parishioners. An email comes to you each day with a practical reflection and prayer. It is free and a wonderful resource. “Some comments from Parishioners ….. “Beautiful reflections”; “It is so simple and practical for me”; “I’ve loved the first week”; “It is great to get something free!” SO please sign up https://info.franciscanmedia.org/a-franciscan-advent
BELLS FOR CHRISTMAS MASS: All are
invited to bring along a bell to ring
during any of the Christmas Masses.
SHEPHERDS OR ANGELS: Children are welcome to
dress as shepherds or angels for any of the Christmas
Masses
CHURCH OPEN EACH THURSDAY IN ADVENT: For each Thursday in Advent it has been suggested that we leave one of our Churches open for quiet and individual prayer. For security and practical reasons we will leave St Marys Church open till 6.00pm each Thursday in the lead up to Christmas. All parishioners from across the Ipswich Catholic Community are welcome. (If there is a further need or request we will leave it open later!).
PLEASE PRAY FOR: FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE HOUSE-BOUND AND RECEIVE COMMUNION AT HOME.
SICK: Gemma D’Aubbonnett
RECENTLY DECEASED: Margaret McAndrew, Maureen Rigby.
ANNIVERSARY: Laurie Byrne, Margaret Ryan, Francis McMahon, Macrina Tobes, John Patrick Maguire.
NOTICE FOR LEICHHARDT/NORTH IPSWICH PARISHIONERS: Christmas gift tags ($1 for a pack of 25), pack of 50 assorted Christmas cards ($2 a pack) and Christmas bookmarks (10c each) will be on sale at Leichhardt (15th December) and North Ipswich (16th December). Please come prepared with some coins as change for large notes will not be possible. All funds raised will go to the St Vincent de Paul Society. Your kind support will be greatly appreciated.
FROM FR STEPHEN: I am often asked to do references for Parishioners and I am very happy to help out in this regard to gain employment, however from next year, anyone requesting a written reference for positions for the Archdiocese or Catholic Education Office or any Agency of the Catholic Church are asked to make an appointment to see me please. This is to ensure accuracy and that I do know people for whom I am writing references. Thanks for your understanding. Stephen ofm
Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness,
send your Holy Spirit upon our
preparations for Christmas. We who have so much to do
seek quiet spaces to hear
your voice each day. We who are anxious over many
things look forward
to your coming among us. We who are blessed in so many
ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy
seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people, walking
in darkness,
yet seeking the light.
To you we say,
“Come Lord
Jesus!”
- Henri J.M. Nouwen
ADVENT - A REFLECTION: During the four weeks of Advent, we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth through prayer and reflection. We contemplate the First Coming of Jesus as Saviour, and anticipate his promised Second Coming. And amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives. Advent is steeped in themes of conversion, redemption, preparation and hope. Our culture tends to skip Advent and start celebrating Christmas. The season could be compared to the months before a child is born: there is excitement, wonder, joy and expectation. There is new life is in our midst, yet there is also hope and a desire to get things in order.
PARISH OFFICE HOURS OVER CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR: The Parish Office will close on Monday, 24th December at 1.00pm and will re open at 8.00am on Wednesday, 2nd of January 2019.
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