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Isaiah 2:1-5 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the days to come the mountain of the Temple of the Lord shall tower above the mountains and be liſted higher than the hills. All the nations will stream to it, peoples without number will come to it; and they will say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ He will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not liſt sword against nation, there will be no more training for war. O House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Psalm 121:1-2. 4-5. 6-9 R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’ And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R.) It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of David. (R.) For the peace of Jerusalem pray: ‘Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!’ (R.) For love of my brethren and friends I say: ‘Peace upon you!’ For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. (R.) Romans 13:11-14 You know ‘the time’ has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under the cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ. Gospel Acclamation Alleluia, alleluia! Lord, show us your mercy and love, and grant us your salvation. Alleluia! Matthew 24:37-44 Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one leſt; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one leſt. ‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. The English translation of the Psalm Responses, Alleluia and Gospel Verses, and Lenten Gospel Acclamations from the Lectionary for Mass © 1997, 1981, 1968, International Committee on English in the Liturgy. The Living “Because of his boundless love, Jesus became what we are that he might make us to be what he is.” —Irenaeus, third-century Christian apologist F IRST S UNDAY OF A DVENT A - N OV 27 2016 Ingham Sat 6.00pm Sun 8.30am Sun 7.00pm Halifax Sun 7.00am Canossa Sun 10.00am Abergowrie Sun 10.00am Sunday Masses 3/4 December Mon 5.30pm St Patrick ’ s 6.00pm St Peter ’ s End of Year Mass Tues 7.00am St Patrick ’ s 6.00pm Mary Mackillop End of Year celebration Wed 7.00am St Patrick ’ s 6.00pm Lourdes Yr6 Farewell Mass St Andrew Thur 5.30pm St Patrick ’ s Fri 7.00am St Patrick ’ s 9.00am Lourdes Thanksgiving Mass Sat 8.00am St Patrick ’ s St Francis Xavier Weekdays 28 November—3 December A lovely farewell was held on Tuesday for Timothy Ham as he prepares to leave us aſter eight years as Principal of Our Lady of Lourdes School. In the speech that I gave, I numbered off a few of the achievements, in building and curriculum, that have occurred under his leadership. The school is definitely the better for his commitment and service. One of the interesting facts that I recounted concerns a study commissioned by Townsville Catholic Education on schooling in our district in 2012. This study predicted that Lourdes would only have 207 students this year and 202 students next year. In fact, the school is sitting on 264 students this year and expects over 270 students for next year. This is a remarkable outcome, especially given the transition of Year 7 to secondary school a couple of years ago. St Peter’s School at Halifax is also doing incredibly well. It currently has 35 students. This is a 20% increase on last year and makes St Peter’s the fastest growing school in the Diocese. Tracy Nuttal, the School Principal, is planning for continued growth in the hope that the school can offer three classes. Under her leadership, I’m sure that this can be achieved. This coming week, there are farewell liturgies for both of our Primary Schools as well as “graduation” for our Mary MacKillop Kindergarten children. Times are to the right and inside. The Kindergarten redevelopment is coming along very well. Gerard Cavallaro’s excellent paint job has the building looking an absolute treat (hopefully he will give me an extra discount for writing that). Now that the pieces are starting to fall into place, it is obvious that it will be an excellent learning space. It is already over- subscribed for next year, which makes the project more than worthwhile. There are a few changes to the Mass schedule coming up. Tuesday Masses will revert to St Patrick’s Church and Adoration will only be held on a Tuesday morning. Some other times are bouncing around, due to end of year commitments. So, if you are a regular weekday Mass attendee, please pay attention to the schedule. I read an excellent article recently about the health benefits of going to Church, called “Religion may be a Miracle Drug” and published in the American daily newspaper USA Today: http:// usat.ly/2eMoBoq. Weekly church attendance reduces mortality by 20% to 30% over a 15 year period. It also leads to better mental health outcomes: people are more optimistic, have lower rates of depression, and lower rates of suicide. On top of that, it increases the likelihood of a stable marriage, leads to greater charitable giving and more robust volunteering and civic engagement. All of that for a voluntary contribution! I now have a new excuse for why I don’t need to go to the gym. Welcome to all visitors and new parishioners. Please make yourself known to us. Rosary Mon 9.30am in St. Patrick ’ s Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Tuesday 9am to 1.00pm in St Paul ’ s Chapel No Benediction Devotions Confessions 11.00am Saturday 5.00pm Saturday or by appointment Parish Contacts Parish Priest: Fr Damian McGrath Associate Pastor: Fr Vitalis C Oguh Parish Secretary: Pauline Pennisi Assistant and RE Co-ordinator: Marcella Cantatore Youth Ministry: Michael Van Blerk ([email protected]) Pastoral Care: Sr Nina Barra Mail: PO Box 375, Ingham Q 4850 Phone: 4776 2600 Fax: 4776 5199 Web: www.inghamcatholic.com Email: parishoff[email protected] Office Hours: 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday, 1pm to 3pm Monday to Thursday The Pastor’s Pen!
