St Christopher’s Cathedral Parish, Canberra 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A 25/26th October 2014 Weekend Mass Times St Christopher’s Cathedral (SCC) Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn Archbishop: Most Rev Christopher Prowse DD STD Vicar General: Mgr John Woods Acting Administrator: Fr Varghese Vavolil St Peter Chanel’s Church: Fr Peter L’Estrange SJ ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. Cnr Franklin & Furneaux Streets, Forrest (Manuka) ACT Sunday: 8.00am, 11.00am, 5.30pm St Peter Chanel’s Church (SPC) Cnr Weston & Loch Streets, Yarralumla ACT Saturday: 6.00pm Vigil Sunday: 9.30am Weekday Mass Times St Christopher’s Cathedral Monday: 12.15pm Tuesday to Friday: 6.45am, 12.15pm Saturday: 12.15pm St Peter Chanel’s Church Tuesday: 5.30pm Thursday: 10.00am, following 9.30am Adoration Reconciliation St Christopher’s Cathedral Thursday: 6.00 - 6.30pm Saturday: 11.00am - 12noon St Peter Chanel’s Church RESP. PSALM. R: I love you, Lord, my strength. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! All who love me will keep my words, and my Father will love them and we will come to them. Alleluia! COMMUNION ANTIPHON: We will ring out our joy at your saving help and exult in the name of our God. As a parish we pray for… Those to be baptised Victoria Damo, Levi Muscat, Spencer Dowling Those who are ill Hazel Lamdin, Frances Beattie, Terry Conlan, Henry Friend, Janet Meaney, Gwen Winchester, Elizabeth Hall, Melanie Swan, Ana Marko, Timothy Batinich, John Wilson, Rachel Capps, Fr Phil Harding Anniversaries of death William Stanislaws James Duffy, Dorothy Whitfield, William Patrick Boyle Tuesday: 6.00 - 6.30pm Saturday: 5.15 - 5.45pm Recently deceased Sr Mary Esler RSM Perpetual Novena to Mary St Christopher’s Cathedral Special intentions Sammy Calago (RIP), Ralph, Allan & Leo Biggs (RIP) _________________________________________________________________________ Wednesday: 6.00pm Holy Days this week Anointing Mass First Thursday of the month at St Peter Chanel’s Church, 10.00am Mass for the Anointing of the Sick. Tue 28 Oct Fri 31 Oct Sat 1 Nov Sun 2 Nov Sts Simon & Jude, Apostles Day of Penance All Saints All Souls Feast (red) (green) Solemnity (white) (violet) ______________________________________________________ Baptisms by appointment on second and fourth Sundays at St Christopher’s and on third Sundays at St Peter Chanel’s. Weddings by appointment on Saturday afternoons. Liturgy of the Hours: Psalter Week 2 Parish Office: Cathedral Presbytery, 55 Franklin Street, Forrest ACT 2603 Tel: (02) 6295 9555, Email: st.chris@cg.catholic.org.au, Website: www.stchristophers-act.info Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am-12.15pm, 1.15-5.00pm; Parish Secretary: Jacinta Smallhorn OUR PARISH PARISH MINISTRIES Director of Music Jaki Kane School of Religion Muriel Joseph PPC Chair Keith Baker Pastoral Care Practitioner Elizabeth Porra Young Adults Leaders Jonathan Lee & Genevieve Nicoll Accounts Linda Casella & Karina Widjaja Lector/EMHC Coordinators Edwina & Mark Hyman Maintenance Manager Pieter van Gent Devotional Groups in our Parish Serra Club Encouraging and affirming vocations to Priestly and Consecrated life RCIA The Cathedral parish’s RCIA (Rite for Christian Initiation of Adults) program for 2014/15 has commenced but is still open to new participants. If you are or know someone who is interested in exploring entrance into the Catholic Faith, please feel free to come along or extend the invitation; sessions occur on Thursday evenings at 7.00-8.30pm at the Cathedral Presbytery (55 Franklin Street, Forrest; entrance at main/front door, on Franklin Street side). MGL ORDINATIONS TO DIACONATE & PRIESTHOOD All are welcome to attend the upcoming Ordinations to the Diaconate of MGLs Isuru Weliwatte and Lenin Thenamirtham, and to the Priesthood of MGL Izak Belyanan, at St Christopher’s Cathedral on Friday 14th November at 7pm. NOVEMBER: MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS During the month of November the 12.15pm Mass on Fridays at the Cathedral will be set apart for your intentions. November Mass Offering envelopes have been placed for collection in both churches. You may inscribe the names of your dear departed on an envelope with your offering and put it in the collection basket or hand it in at the Parish Office. The All Souls chapel at the back of Cathedral is open from around 6.30am-6.30pm every day for you to pray for your departed family and friends., and is a quiet place to be still and reflect. MISSION SUNDAY Every diocese throughout the world is encouraged to undertake a World Mission Sunday appeal in their parishes for the support of the Church’s global mission activity. Please give generously; envelopes are available in the pews for this weekend of 25/26th October. Cathedral Young Adults Animating parish and Archdiocesan life through prayer and event participation Jesus Youth Catholic charismatic youth reaching out to other young people Good Shepherd Prayer Group Renewing spiritual life through regular charismatic prayer and seminars Syro-Malabar Rite Our Catholic brothers and sisters following the East Syrian Rite liturgy Legion of Mary Sharing the faith through charitable works and Marian spirituality Spanish community Meeting for Mass in Spanish together one Sunday every month African community Meeting for Mass together one Sunday every month St Vincent de Paul Assisting people in need and combatting social injustice in our community Christian Meditation Meeting regularly for silent contemplation in an ecumenical context For contact details of any of these groups, inquire of the Parish Office. LITURGICAL MINISTRIES ROSTER Lectors Extraordinary Ministers of Eucharist Mass 25/26 October 1/2 November 25/26 October 1/2 November 6.00pm (SPC) Frances Bulbrook Mike Nash July Blundell Sheila van Gent Frances Riordan Margaret Phelan Mary Debus Sue Buckingham 8.00am (SCC) Liza Quinn Mineke Peerboom Phil Pocock [Assigned] Tony Pelle Mimma Memmolo Betty O’Brien 9.30am (SPC) Colliss Parrett Therese Jordan Gloria Osborne Lynn Chan Keith Baker Gwen Winchester Gwen Winchester 11.00am (SCC) Maria Noronha John Austen Edwina Hyman Ceciley Matthews Liz Porra Ines Marcetta Jacqueline Hipwell Mark Hyman 5.30pm (SCC) Jeanette D’Souza Emma Buckham Damien Balachandran Marcelle Disanayake Rene Sutherland Tony Croke Wilfred & Margaret Lawrence OUR ARCHDIOCESE & BEYOND MT CARMEL RETREAT CENTRE Day retreat 1st November: “Love and Beauty: St Teresa’s poetry, a resource to bring love and beauty to our life of faith today.” Presenter: Fr Greg Burke OCD. Cost: $20. Time: 930am400pm. Where: Mt Carmel Retreat Centre, 247 St Andrews Road, Varroville NSW 2566. Please bring own lunch (tea and coffee provided). Inquiries to 8795 3400 or retreats@carmelite.com.au, or visit www.carmeliteretreats.com.au. ‘GUINNESS AND GOD’ Tuesday 11th November: “How pornography is ruining your life”. Melinda Tankard Reist, the co-founder of Collective Shout, is an author and speaker on the objectification of women and girls. She will be exploring the impact of pornography on our daily lives and culture. Venue: King O’Malley’s Irish Pub in Civic. Dinner and some live music from 6.30pm, talk starting at 7.30pm. For more info email youth_events@catholiclife.org.au or call 6163 4300. TWILIGHT SPIRITUALITY SEMINARS Presented by Shane Dwyer (CatholicLIFE) at the Rheinberger Centre, Yarralumla, 5.30pm-7pm on Wednesday 29th October, $10 at the door. To register: CatholicLIFE on 6163 4300 or at register@catholiclife.org.au. ‘THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE’ An address by Francis Sullivan (CEO Truth Justice and Healing Council) at Holy Family Church, Gowrie, Tuesday 28th October, 7pm-8.30pm. Francis will present an overview of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, including: * an update on what the Truth Justice and Healing Council is doing; * insights into how the Church leadership is working with the Council, and where to from here. There will also be time allocated for questions from the floor. L’ARCHE GENESARET invite you to attend their Open Prayer next Monday evening, 27th October, from 6.30pm to 8pm at St Alban’s Anglican Church, Lyons. All welcome. Enquiries to 6282 9066. A FUNDRAISING CARD DAY with proceeds to L’Arche Genesaret will be held on Monday 1st December at the Canberra Bowling Club, Hobart Avenue, Forrest from 10am to 2pm. Cost: $20 per head, including tea, coffee, lunch, wine/juice. If you would like to attend and can arrange a table of 4 to play a card or board game, please contact Di 6241 2658 or Mary 6258 1739. RSVP by 26th November. ST BENEDICT’S, NARRABUNDAH warmly invites all to a Healing Mass, with special attention to praying for the healing of mental health and addictions of all kinds. When: Friday 7th November, 5.30pm. “I came that you might have life, and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). ST THOMAS MORE FORUM Thursday 30th October, 7.30pm-9pm, 30 White Crescent, Campbell. Rev Fr Maurizio Pettena CS, Consulter to the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care to Migrants and Itinerant People, will speak on “The Church and Asylum Seekers and Refugees”. Hear how Catholic teaching highlights a broad awareness of the context of forced migration, as well as the weaknesses and ambiguities of the strategies that the international community and national states have developed in response to the phenomenon. To register: www.stthomasmore.org.au/Forum/upcomingforums.html or Sharon on 6163 4300. ANNUAL CATECHIST MASSES with Archbishop Christopher are coming up soon and all Catechists, family and friends are welcome. Details: 7th November Cootamundra @ 12pm, 2nd December Gowrie @ 6.30pm, 3rd December Narooma @ 11am, 10th December Crookwell @ 12pm, 11th December Cooma @ 12pm. RETREAT DAY AT ST CLEMENT’S on the Spirituality of Charles de Foucauld - conducted by Fr Peter Ryan CSsR: 7-9th November. To book: Jacqueline Donohue on 6251 3950 or Maria Noronha on 0413 617 390. Sts Simon & Jude: Feast Day 28th October Jude is so named by Luke and Acts. Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus. He is not mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels, except, of course, where all the apostles are mentioned. Scholars hold that he is not the author of the Letter of Jude. Actually, Jude had the same name as Judas Iscariot. Evidently because of the disgrace of that name, it was shortened to “Jude” in English. Simon is mentioned on all four lists of the apostles. On two of them he is called “the Zealot.” The Zealots were a Jewish sect that represented an extreme of Jewish nationalism. For them, the messianic promise of the Old Testament meant that the Jews were to be a free and independent nation. God alone was their king, and any payment of taxes to the Romans - the very domination of the Romans - was a blasphemy against God. No doubt some of the Zealots were the spiritual heirs of the Maccabees, carrying on their ideals of religion and independence. But many were the counterparts of modern terrorists. They raided and killed, attacking both foreigners and “collaborating” Jews. They were chiefly responsible for the rebellion against Rome which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70. (http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ Saint.aspx?id=1182) Readings of the Day - Thirtieth Sunday, Year A First Reading: Exodus 22:20-26 If you are harsh with the widow or the orphan, my anger will rage against you. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the sons of Israel this, “You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan; if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans. “If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him. “If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset. It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would he sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity.”’ Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 You turned away from idols to serve God and await his Son. You observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord; and it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the gospel, in spite of the great opposition all round you. This has made you the great example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread - and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming. Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40 You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbour as yourself. When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’ Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); and The Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981 & 1997, ICEL. All rights reserved. Commentary on the Gospel Loving one another, without exception ‘Love your enemies’: these words were addressed to a people whose traditions urged them to care for their own; but saw no place for good will and generosity to foreigners in general - whom they looked upon as rivals and enemies. Old Israel had been taken into covenant with the living God, shown in the Exodus to be the champion of the poor and oppressed. Through the covenant they were called to identify with the ways of God. In fact, their traditions - as today’s reading from the book of Exodus makes clear - were remarkable compared with the outlook of other peoples of their time. As they began to learn what identification with God’s ways involved, they recognised that they must care for the powerless the poor, widows and orphans, the strangers who had settled among them. But they still had much to learn - their good will was not extended to all of God’s children without exception. In advocating this as the ideal as his new Law of love, Jesus was not abolishing the old Law, but bringing it to ‘fulfilment’. The ideal held up by Jesus as the fulfilment of the Law was clear: ‘I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you will be children of your Father in heaven’ (Mt 5:44). (From a sermon by Fr John Thornhill SM, http://www.theemmausseries.com/a30sunday.html) St Christopher’s Cathedral Parish encompasses the areas of Barton, Causeway, Deakin, Forrest, Fyshwick, Griffith, Kingston, Manuka, Parkes, Red Hill, Yarralumla