Catholic Parishes of Grovely-Samford and Mitchelton in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Church

Catholic Parishes of Grovely-Samford and Mitchelton

Locality: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 7 3355 2667

Address: 67 Dawson Parade 4054 Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Website: https://gsmparishes.com.au

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25.01.2022 VIEW MASS ONLINE WITH Fr. Nigel:THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (Year A) Homily Trinity Sunday Homily As Catholics, every prayer that we say begins in the Name of the Holy Trinity and ends with glorifying the Trinity. All our sacraments from baptism, confirmation, communion, reconciliations, anointing of the sick, marriage and ordinations; we bless ourselves, and the priest blesses us in the name of the Trinity. Why do we do this?...Continue reading

23.01.2022 We wish ALL students well on their return to school today! Its wonderful to know our learning communities are coming back together after such a long time apart.

23.01.2022 The opportunity to attend Mass are increasing! Remember places are limited to 20 per Mass, so please call or email the parish office to book. Please share!

22.01.2022 14th Sunday Of Ordinary Time (A) LIGHT & EASY NOT A BAD YOKE! Today is the Fourteenth Sunday of the Ordinary Time. The Ordinary Time colour is green. Gree...n vestments and altar cloths have traditionally been associated with the time after Pentecost, the period in which the Church founded by the risen Christ and spiritually watered by the Holy Spirit began to grow and to spread the Gospel to all nations. Just as our fields of green grow after the rain. Today in Matthews Gospel extract, Jesus invites us, who are burdened and who labour hard, to accept His yoke for it is light and easy and will give us rest. A yoke is of course a crossbar or crosspiece of wood or other material that sits across the shoulders of the animal bearing it to pull or carry a load. The yoke itself can be quite heavy and uncomfortable. So just what is Jesus talking about? If we take on His yoke life will be all warm and fuzzy? Easy & restful? THE YOKE OF LIFE To say, Life is difficult, is an understatement. There are a privileged few who do have it easy by design, denial, or otherwise. But for most of us, life is a struggle. And that doesnt mean life is evil or bad life is always good; it is a gift from God! But it is a struggle. And as we have heard over the last few weeks in our Gospel readings, Jesus warned and prepared His Apostles as to how hard they could expect things to get by being His disciples. Nevertheless, there are good times. But despite the best of the good times, we get thrown some serious challenges from time to time. Health; family & friends; social norms; expectations; financial stress; unemployment; relationships are a few sources of challenge that we all experience from time to time and for some, consistently. The good times and the bad times are part of the yoke of life the crossbeam that everyone bears just to stay alive. Whilst the good times tend to lighten the load, the bad times seem to exponentially increase the weight of it. And so, for many of us, the bad times seem to outweigh the good times and we struggle. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY! Jesus knows this. He is fully aware of the human condition and how to celebrate the good times and how to bear the hard times. And He is excruciatingly aware of the suffering that awaits Him personally as we saw in the Garden of Gethsemane. And so to hear Him say, Come to me all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light is surely a statement that should raise our eyebrows! Hes just told us how tough its going to be to be His disciple, even to the point of persecution and death so His yoke is anything but easy and surely rates with the heaviest! And the cross, indeed the yoke He bore to Calvary was so heavy even He needed help to carry it! So just what does He mean, My yoke is easy, and my burden is light? The good, the bad, the ugly of life dont easily mix to be light and easy overall! And we know from experience that He is not promising to give us a smooth ride into Heaven! LIFE WASNT MEANT TO BE EASY! As Far as Thought Can Reach, the fifth part of Back to Methuselah, a play written by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and published in 1921, contains a rather obtuse response to an outburst by another character about how hard life at that time already is, Life is not meant to be easy, my child; but take courage: it can be delightful. We all remember of course, former PM Malcolm Fraser infamously quoting the first part of this line to politically justify his tough stance on social security as if difficulty in life is a given. Many interpret Shaws saying along the lines that despite the difficulties of life, if one takes courage, life can at the same time as not being easy, be beautiful. For instance, if one looks to the higher ideals or traditions of life, one can find beauty in the sunset that is not obvious while looking inwardly with self-pity or self-defeat at ones navel or feet! But Jesus also said that life wasnt meant to be easy just not in those words. In Matthew 7:13 Jesus directs us to enter life by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it. So no, Jesus is not promising us an easy and light journey through life. Not at all. To expect such is a serious misinterpretation of His teaching overall. He is teaching us how to approach life how to be strong in the face of adversity. How to remove the detriment of uncertainty and disillusionment in life by choosing His yoke and thereby responding to adversity with hope. WHAT IS JESUS YOKE FOR US? If one has the goal of becoming a world-class athlete and possibly even a gold medalist, one has to develop and enact a framework of learning technique, training, competing, overcoming adversity, and winning. But most of all, one must believe in the higher ideal that they can in fact win. That it is all worthwhile. I have a friend who was an Olympic athlete having competed in the 1964 Olympics and the 1970 Commonwealth Games. He was Australian National Athletics Champion over 100m in 1970 and 1971. So he is no slouch! I once asked him, what makes you think that you can win that race as you stand beside seven other world class athletes on the starting line. His answer stunned me It is 10% hard work but 90% self-belief. They all have their idols who they want to be like. But for all the champions, there are thousands who just want to be in the race - and they too have their champions/idols from whom they take inspiration and learn technique etc. And so too it is with us as we endeavour to be the best disciples we can be. The essential ingredient in our discipleship is faith. But faith in what? We dont all need to be champions of the race-winning elite but we need to be in the race, not just a spectator, and to believe we can get to the finish line! And we still need to train hard and consistently. We need to be tough and resilient. We need to be like our idol, our Saviour! Like Jesus. In our First Reading today (written about 500 years BCE), Zechariah talks of a Saviour to come who is meek and humble; who rides an ass, not a horse-drawn chariot; who is unarmed and poses no threat; who proclaims peace not war; and will rule from sea to sea. The description presents a vivid, poetic comparison or contrast between the leadership style of this promised Saviour and that of the pagan kings who had conquered and ruled Israel for so long. Indeed, it contradicts even our concept of leadership today. Paul, in writing to the Romans, exhorts us to focus on Christs spirit in this life lest we are condemned to live and die by the flesh to live and die by our sinfulness. In other words, Paul exhorts us to be like Christ. Not to take our eyes off the higher prize. Jesus yoke does exactly that. No matter what the challenge or pain experienced in this world is, by taking on the yoke, or even the cloak of Christ, we are called to see beyond the immediate; beyond the pain and suffering now. Without denying it but rather embracing it, to mix our experiences here and now with the grace and spirit of hope and joy the essence of Christs yoke. So as we receive Eucharist today, the food for our journey, the summit and source of our Christian life, pray with a thanksgiving heart that we can embrace the challenges of life and cloak them with the yoke of Christ. Help us to be strong and resilient at the same time humble and meek of heart. Taking on the yoke of Christ is to become more like Him to learn from Him and to find rest for our troubled souls. But we have to be like the champion athlete; like St Paul and the Apostles; we have to believe above all else that Christ is there with us through thick and thin. No. He doesnt promise us an easy ride but does promise us a smoother one leading to life for He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus yoke is a metaphor for being His disciple and living His mores and values. Come to me all you who are burdened; And I will give you rest. God Bless Dcn Peter Readings: Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalms 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-1; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30

22.01.2022 18th Sunday Of Ordinary Time (A) THERES A PARTY HERE TONIGHT AND YOURE INVITED! COME AS YOU ARE. Over the last six weeks or so, we have heard from Matthew...s Gospel, Jesus preparing his disciples for what they could expect as they became active in their ministry as His disciples; urging them to look and listen attentively to His Word; giving them insights as to what heaven is like, here on earth and in eternity; and today, how to serve His sheep with compassion and dignity. The people need to listen and hear His word. They just dont get it. Nevertheless, the disciple must persevere in taking Christs message of love and forgiveness to them! They could expect resistance and abuse as He knew was ahead for Him; they would have the unfailing support of the Holy Spirit with them at all times. He taught them about what heaven is like wheat in the barn with weeds in the furnace; a mustard seed and yeast. Heaven begins small but watered with the grace of the Holy Spirit blooms into magnificence and nothing can stop it. Heaven is like a priceless pearl, a dragnet of fish caught, and finally like the householder who brings forth from his pantry, the old and the new. All wonderous images for us to dwell on despite knowing that in our humanness we are severely limited in coming to understanding the reality of Heaven. But we are, nevertheless, invited to come in and enjoy the eternal party. As Isaiah in the First Reading shouts Come to the water! All of you who have nothing, come in and be filled with grain and eat; drink wine and milk! HOW DO WE DO IT? And that all sounds great! But how do we do it in this day and age? Firstly, we must come heedingly listening intently to the Word of Yahweh. Heeding the primacy of grace in the benevolence of God the Father. Grace comes first it is the free gift of God to all of creation. All of creation is here simply and solely as a result of the grace of God. So, God invites us to His party at no cost to us bring nothing but ourselves. Just listen to Him and obey. And nothing can break the link of love that God has for us. No matter how bad we have been; no matter how hard we try to desert Him; no matter how much we denounce Him, Gods love for us never ceases or diminishes. Paul in our second reading today asserts this unbreakable bond between God and His people. And he means nothing the list provided by Paul covers just about every possible way one could conceive of breaching a relationship, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. So we look to Christ. Who is this guy? How well do we know Him? Could He be our idol? Our guide? Our example of Gods love? And of course, He is just that. The Church teaches us that we are created in Gods image. And further, Jesus is like us in all things except sin. He is truly human and truly divine. He knows the human condition and all its imperfections and limitations. But sometimes we can run the risk of developing an untrue and possibly even unhelpful picture or image of Jesus. We can tend at times to emphasise His divinity almost to the denial of His humanness. I recall that when I was a young boy, I was taught that Jesus was the perfect male: He was exactly 6 feet tall; He had long brown wavy hair to His shoulders, beautifully groomed at all times; He had a constant beaming smile from His peaches and cream complexion with deep set blue eyes; and His tunic was pristine white with brand new sandals embellishing His feet. And this image of Jesus was reinforced by holy pictures and statues throughout the place. But in reality: Jesus was about 5 8 about my height; He had short hair He was a rabbi or teacher and not allowed by custom to have long hair - dusty and unkempt; He was dark-skinned with deep set brown eyes and a big nose He was Jewish, not Caucasian; and His tunic was dusty as were His sandals they had no paving in His time as He trod through the dirt and dust on His mission! He was tempted and overcame both in the desert and the Garden of Gethsemane. This is the real human Jesus, who, as the Church teaches, is like us in all things except sin. As mentioned, He was tempted; He had the same feelings as we do He felt remorse when John the Baptists head was cut off; He was moved by compassion for Marys & Marthas grief to bring Lazarus back from the dead; He got impatient with Peter when He called him Satan; He was angry when He evicted the traders from the Temple using a whip; He was indignant with His disciples conduct when He threatened them with Hell if they didnt stop sending the little ones away from Him; and He was always ready to forgive. There are many examples in the Gospels of just how Jesus displayed a human response to the circumstances He was in. Jesus was of course divine. And we cannot hope to emulate that side of His example. But we can learn many things from looking closely at His human responses, particularly His responses to the people with whom He interacted - to the world in which He lived. He physically shows us how to behave and demonstrates the desirable characteristics of being a disciple. LOAVES AND FISHES VERSUS PIETY AND WISHES! So, which is more important the loaves and fishes or piety and wishes? As Jesus taught us earlier, Heaven starts small and grows exponentially with the grace of the Holy Spirit. We could take todays Gospel story of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes as an example. The benevolence of Gods providing for us is unbounded. From 5 loaves and 2 fishes Jesus feeds many, many thousands of hungry people. But He didnt just wave His magical wand over the food. He took the food and raising His eyes to Heaven, prayed over the food, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the people. Almost a premonition of the Last Supper where Eucharist is constituted by Christ. Truly reminiscent in our minds of Eucharist, is it not? At the epiclesis of the Mass today, the priest in place of Christ at the altar of life will take the bread and wine, invoke the power of the Holy Spirit, bless it, break it, and share the consecrated Host and wine as the transubstantiated body and blood of Christ with the people gathered. Jesus act of benevolence, even against the recommendations of His Disciples, has rippled down through the ages and is today one of the most favoured stories in the Gospel. The Kingdom of God, then, can then be likened to the ripple effect on the surface of a still pond, caused by a small pebble landing on it. The ripples expand in ever-increasing wave circles to the very edge of the pond throughout the Kingdom of God. The Disciple by being compassionate, responsive, and lovingly attentive to the earthly needs of those who require it - just as Jesus did like the stone in the pond, sets off a series of waves of love, no matter how small. Better we give the loaves and the fishes and hold back on the piety and wishes, lest we risk standing condemned for being cold-hearted and insensitive. Jesus wants warmth and holy relationships. He is emphasising in todays Gospel that the barn of the Son of man, here on earth, starts here on earth and depends not on how many prayers we say or how many times we come to Mass, but on being concerned for our neighbours without judgement. WHAT SHOULD WE DO? As we receive Eucharist today, lets take away with us a renewed commitment to starting a small ripple in our life circle based on our knowledge that God: loves us unconditionally, invites us to His party with free admission, has a love for each and every one of us that cannot be broken or diminished; and provides bounteously anything we need to remain as His disciple. We just have to say Yes to His invitation, enjoy His party fully, and share His love for us by heeding his word and acting like Jesus did. God Bless Deacon Peter Readings: Wisdom: Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalms 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21

20.01.2022 12th Sunday Of Ordinary Time (A) June 21, 2020 BE PREPARED BUT DONT BE SCARED! Today is the twelfth Sunday of the Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is one of ...the six seasons in the Churchs liturgical calendar or year. In the liturgy of the post-Vatican II Roman Rite, Ordinary Time is that part of the Christian liturgical year outside of Advent, Christmastide, Lent, the Easter Triduum, and Eastertide. It is divided into two periods: that between Christmastide and Lent, and that between Eastertide and Advent. It is a time not just ordinary in meaning, like Thats a bit ordinary, isnt it? Like, its not as important or its a time to back off and relax. It has absolutely nothing to do with that concept, as prevalent and mistaken as it is, but is in fact the exact opposite. It is the longest season in the Churchs calendar and its weeks (this years totalling 34 weeks) are ordered by being numbered. The Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word ordo, from which we get the English word order. Thus, the numbered weeks of Ordinary Time represent the ordered life of the Churchthe period in which we live our lives neither in feasting (as in the Christmas and Easter seasons) or in more severe penance (as in Advent and Lent), but in watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ. A time of learning. Indeed, Liturgy Brisbane publishes a little booklet each year, this year called Ordo 2020, which sets out the full calendar for the Churchs liturgical year. Each season has its own colour. The Ordinary Time colour is green. Green vestments and altar cloths have traditionally been associated with the time after Pentecost, the period in which the Church founded by the risen Christ and spiritually "watered" by the Holy Spirit began to grow and to spread the Gospel to all nations. Just as our fields of green grow after the rain. So after Pentecost Sunday, on Monday 01 June, Ordinary Time re-commenced watching and waiting from the 9th week leading to today beginning the 12th week. The previous two Sundays of this section of Ordinary Time have been Solemnities - The Most Holy Trinity, and Corpus Christi leading us into a state of watchfulness and expectation for the next 23 weeks when the cycle will start all over again with the advent of Advent for Year B. IT AINT GUNNA BE EASY! Were back in Matthews Gospel now, the Gospel selected for Year A, having heard extensively from John over the Easter season. In todays reading Jesus is preparing His Apostles for their mission and that persecution and opposition will be part and parcel of being a disciple. As always, there is a risk with just taking excerpts from the Gospel in that the context and scene can be lost or at least confused by hearing a small snippet like todays. Today we enter this Gospel scene in the middle of it. Jesus is giving His Twelve Apostles instructions for their first missionary journey. Letting them know just what to expect. The most striking thing about these instructions is His repeated exhortation not to be afraid. In this passage, Jesus tells them three times not to be afraid - three times! He knows the human condition and He knows real fear. But why would they need to hear it? He is distinguishing between appropriate fear and inappropriate fear. Appropriate fear is that of falling out of faith with Christ nothing is more fearsome than falling out of favour with Yahweh. Inappropriate fear is allowing fear of earthly sovereignties and authorities, of harm to our reputation and person, to govern our responses as His disciples. Inappropriate fear will lead to death and damnation. Jesus knows His message is radical and will lead to political, religious, and even personal tension. It can be expected to come back on them because as they go out in Christs name to spread the Gospel in word and deed, they are going to run head on into these tensions. Jesus is warning them that they will meet up with persecution and hardship, just as He will, in a dramatic way, during His Passion. He is warning them, as He is warning us today, that their Christian mission will demand heroic courage, perseverance, and fidelity as they constantly face suffering, calumny, mockery, and opposition, indeed even death - as they are confronted with false Gods and temporal satisfaction.They are going to run into people who will want to destroy them, humiliate them, and even kill them, just because they bear Christs name and are trying to spread Christs message. In the verses immediately preceding this passage we just listened to, Jesus was explicit about missionaries being persecuted. Let me read a short extract it illuminates His concern. He told them: "Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, as evidence to them and to gentiles.....Brother will betray brother to death and father his child; children will come forward against their parents and have them put to death "You will be universally hated on account of my name." (Matt 10:17-19,21-22). They are frightening words! And coming from the Messiah, the Saviour! They are to be taken seriously. Those same warnings apply to us too. We live in an increasingly pagan, sin-filled world/society. Our voice as the voice of contradiction is needed today more than ever. Being a Christian is not like joining a nice social football or golf club. Then as now, there is an eternal spiritual battle going on in this fallen world. Self-gratification and greed seem to be paramount. Respect for human life is waning. Religion and faith is being internalised and privatised more and more, and worse still, scorned and ridiculed. Whenever we are truly following Christ and building up his Kingdom, the powers of darkness, the devil and his minions, dont like it, and they make it hard for us, just as they made it hard for the Apostles. I do not want to sound alarmist or preach fire and damnation, but we live in a particularly, increasingly pernicious world. We see in our world today, for instance, the ever-increasing emergence, mostly with sovereign endorsement, of horrendous evils such as abortion on demand for any reason; even infanticide if a baby survives an abortion attempt; voluntary assisted dying; euthanasia; divorce on demand; capital punishment; systemic and persistent denial of truths by political leaders even Catholic ones who should know better! Not to mention the plethora of scourges such as domestic violence; substance abuse; and racial vilification in all their forms. Of course, there is much good in the world but it wont sustain the onslaught of these evils unless we as the voices of Christian contradiction in our secular world stand up and are counted. AND HIS WORDS WERE TRUE! St Paul also understood persecution and that it comes from a state of sinfulness. Paul goes all the way back to the sin of Adam and Eve which led to death until redeemed from death by Jesus. He indeed was a particularly vicious and persistent persecutor of the Christians as we all know, himself a Pharisee, part of the sovereign establishment. So its no surprise to hear him saying in one of his most famous passages in his Letter to the Ephesians, (6:10-13) "For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil." The history of the Church proves that this battle is real, not just symbolic, starting with the Apostles themselves. Every one of Jesus first Apostles died a martyrs death - except St John the Evangelist, who miraculously survived being boiled in oil. 1. Peter was crucified upside down in Rome. 2. James the Greater was beheaded in Jerusalem. 3. Andrew was crucified on a cross in the shape of an X. 4. Bartholomew was skinned alive and crucified in Armenia. 5. Philip was stoned and then crucified in Turkey. 6. Thomas was speared to death in India. 7. James the Lesser was hurled from the city walls of Jerusalem and beaten to death with stones and clubs. 8. Jude was shot to death by arrows, in Persia, while tied to a cross. 9. Matthew was burned to death in Afghanistan [Note: the mode and exact location of his martyrdom are disputed by historians, but not the fact.] 10. Simon the Zealot was sawed to pieces in the Kingdom of Georgia. And St Paul, whose method of death is uncertain, is believed to have been beheaded in Rome. These are our older brothers in the faith. They teach us that being a Christian is demanding; it takes courage; it stirs up opposition. They followed in Christs footsteps, and blazed the trail for us to do the same - just as many have done since through the millennia. Hopefully we in Australia will not face a similar fate but we can certainly expect strident opposition to Christs message in todays morally twisted world. BE NOT AFRAID Jesus wants us to know that following Him is demanding. But He is no pessimist. And neither does He expect that we should do it alone. He gives us grace and strength through the Holy Spirit, through the Sacraments of the Church, and through you as brothers and sisters in worship united in baptism to be his disciples in the world. He talks to us through the Word and gives us food for strength in the Eucharist to sustain us on the journey. As mentioned earlier, He tells his Apostles three times - three times in just seven verses not to be afraid. These are not just idle words of comfort; they are Gods words. They are more than an exhortation - a commandment! As long as we stay united to Him, grounded in His friendship, we are assured of meaning, purpose, and everlasting joy - no matter how hard our pilgrimage through time may get. St Paul understood this well. As he said in todays Second Reading, even though sin, evil, and suffering weigh upon us all, Christs grace is infinitely more powerful: "For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many." Jeremiah in the First Reading understood it well too. After listing his horrible sufferings, he shouts out a cheer of confidence in God: "But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph." The Lord is our champion too. He proved it first when He rose from the dead. He has proven it thousands of times since, in the lives of the saints - those who have been faithful to His friendship. And He proves it every day right here on the altar, in the sacrifice of the Eucharist. As we receive Eucharist today, pray earnestly that we will respond to our challenges with grace and honesty but always as Christs disciple. Jesus will never abandon us. He wants to be our strength as we fight each day to be faithful soldiers of His Kingdom. Today, lets promise Him that this week, whenever we feel the cold breath of fear behind us, we will call out to Him in prayer, giving Him the chance to show His stuff. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Talk with Him each day as we journey through this extraordinary Ordinary Time, a time of learning, of great expectations and hope! A time of patience and courage. God Bless. Dcn Peter Readings: Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalms 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33

20.01.2022 SOLEMNITY: Pentecost Sunday (A) - May 31, 2020 Pentecost Sunday, a Solemnity within the Churchs liturgical calendar, is a high-point of Jesus post-resurrecti...on graces, where His promise to be present with us to the end of the ages is fulfilled. It announces the sending and arrival of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, by the Father and the Son as revealed by Jesus prior to His death and resurrection and confirmed as the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. Sent to embolden, teach, guide and encourage Jesus Apostles and His disciples down through the ages, it marks the beginning of the Church as we know it, in effect, the birthday of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. It replaces the Festival of Shavouot in the Jewish tradition. Shavouot means weeks in Hebrew. It is celebrated seven weeks following the second day of Passover, and constitutes an historical, national, agricultural and spiritual extension of Passover. While Passover highlights the physical liberty from slavery, Shavouot highlights the spiritual liberty to embrace the values of the Ten Commandments and the Torah, in preparation for the liberation of the Land of Israel . In the Christian faith, Jesus last supper with His disciples, His death on the cross and resurrection three days later is the new Passover the doorway to salvation what we celebrate today as the Triduum of Easter. And Pentecost, celebrated seven weeks after Easter Sunday, is the new Shavouot. The word Pentecost is derived from the Greek word pentekost meaning fifty. It was on this day, seven days after Jesus ascended into heaven, and seven weeks after He rose from the dead, that the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and Jesus Mother, Mary, and some others. On an aside, it is interesting to note that the shape of the bishops mitre (the pointed hat he wears at Mass and other liturgies) emulates that of a tongue of fire. The bishop is a source of spiritual unity within the Church and is responsible for teaching the Faith; governing the diocese; and sanctifying the people of God. He is the physical symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit within the diocese. He holds the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders (ordination) which is then shared by the priests and deacons within the diocese to teach and nurture the faith of the people of God. What is Pentecost to Us? Interesting question, isnt it? What is Pentecost to us? How often during the year other than on Pentecost Sunday are we consciously aware of Pentecost? Of the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives? For many, one could guess, it is a one-off celebration/memorial seven days after the Ascension. It reminds us of when the Apostles were emboldened to fearlessly proclaim the Good News and who subsequently, each and every one of them, went to their deaths for doing so. What a transformation it was! That was some two thousand years ago. But we still celebrate it today. All of that is true. But for us today, Pentecost is a salutary reminder that we have the Spirit, the Advocate, the Gift present here with us today and to the end of the ages as promised by Jesus. Why Do We Celebrate it? According to Johns Gospel today, Jesus breathed on His disciples gifting them the Holy Spirit and constituting the sacrament of Confirmation: Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained. In Johns Gospel, the Spirit came in a breath from Jesus, a quiet moment on the day of His resurrection. In the First Reading from Acts today, the Holy Spirit came in a rush of violent wind with tongues of fire settling above those present. The Spirit can work in both ways. But whatever the case, it is important to acknowledge that the gift of the Spirit was given by Christ to the group gathered His church, if you like. It was not just given to Peter, or Mary, or any one single Apostle/person. It was first given to the group as a whole. Each member of course received the Spirit if they were open to it. So, from the very beginning, the Spirit is with the Church first and foremost; with the individuals within and committed to the Church; and in and with the world through the Church. Having established first the sacrament of Himself as Eucharist at the last supper, upon which is based our Mass today, the very next sacrament Jesus instituted was reconciliation. Jesus commanded His disciples at the last supper to do this in memory of me and then delegated to them after His resurrection the authority to share the Holy Spirit (Sacraments of Baptism & Confirmation) and to forgive or retain sins (Sacrament of Reconciliation). As we heard last Sunday from Matthew, just prior to His ascension, Jesus commissioned His disciples to baptise as Christians all nations using His Trinitarian formula, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. So, we can see that Jesus Himself established the sacraments of Christian Baptism, Eucharist, and Reconciliation, and Confirmation. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and founded in Scripture, the Church identified and subsequently established the remaining sacraments of Marriage, Holy Orders, and the Last Rites. Consistent with the whole Easter story, the coming of the Holy Spirit was a cataclysmic event in the life of the Church and continues so today. To see the effect of the Holy Spirit in guiding the Church over time and bringing it back to its mission in the world, one only has to look at the survival and recovery of the Church through some horrible periods and events in the last 2000 years or so corruption at the top; warlike activities; gross inquisitions; clerical scandals; misguided missionary pursuits; the list goes on. And through it all the Holy Spirit works with true disciples (often to their own demise) to bring the Church, the People of God, back to full communion with the Word. Once back in union with the mission Christ gave His Church, it does wondrous good things, which far outweigh the worst of the worst that have occurred. Its work in public health, education, legislation, social structures and norms, assistance for the poor, and celebration over the last 2000 years is truly something to be proud of. Understanding and living the joy of the Gospel in a self-sacrificing manner is a truly wondrous work of the Holy Spirit. What Does It Mean for Us? Each time we bless ourselves, we acknowledge the Blessed Trinity; each time we recite the Creed, we acknowledge the Blessed Trinity; each time we baptise someone, we baptise them in the name of the Blessed Trinity. God the Father, Creator of all things send His only begotten Son, Jesus to redeem the world who together with the Father sent the Holy Spirit to teach, guide and encourage all people to receive the gift of salvation or redemption. At Baptism we are received into the life of the Holy Spirit and the Church. In Confirmation the gift of the Holy Spirit is sealed within us. In Reconciliation we are brought back into full communion with the Holy Spirit and the Christs community, the Church. In Eucharist we are fed with the Word and the Body & Blood of Jesus to sustain our Baptismal calling. In Marriage our love before God is affirmed as we make our vows and place the ring on each others finger invoking the Blessed Trinity. In Holy Orders a man is commissioned to proclaim the Word and is sealed again with the Holy Spirit. In the Last Rites, when the soul is prepared for new life in heaven through Reconciliation, Anointing (Extreme Unction) and Viaticum (Eucharist). The Holy Spirit therefore is like the spiritual lifeblood of the Church and also for us as individual disciples. But we have to be open to receive its transformative powers. As we pray in the Gospel Acclamation today: Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of your love. Dcn Peter Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

19.01.2022 The launch of the Australian Bishops Social Justice Statement for 2020-2021 - Mental Health in Australia Today.

17.01.2022 Memorial Weekend November 7th/8th We remember and pray for the deceased family and friends of parishioners at all masses on November 7th/8th. A time to celebrate the life and love shared. A time to comfort and console family, friends and parishioners within the richness of God's abiding care.... Please book online at gsmparishes.com.au from the evening of 25th October. Due to COVID restrictions, seats are limited and registration is essential.

15.01.2022 For Mass and liturgy times for 1-9 August, please visit the Grovely-Samford and Mitchelton parishes website: https://gsmparishes.com.au/mass-schedule-for-1-9-august/

15.01.2022 Congratulations to all the children making their First Communion at Masses this weekend. Our parish has a COVID safe industry plan which is carefully followed. We look forward to celebrating this weekend.

14.01.2022 VIEW MASS ONLINE with Fr Nigel: Homily Pentecost 2020 We hear in todays Gospel that, In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were and they were in fear. Lets go back to the time when we first realised the magnitude of COVID-19. When we first realised that the rate of infections were going up and we were highly susceptible to the danger of infection. How we began stocking up on food, toilet rolls and anything we... thought was necessary to carry us through the unknown period of isolation. Within the uncertainty, a sense of panic and fear was evident. As social beings, we know isolation can be detrimental to us, yet the risk presented by COVID-19 was greater than anything that we had known in the past. As a society, we took the path of the less harmful way to protect one another. As a result, for many there was a disconnection from the usual supports, including family, friends, church, colleagues, sports clubs and more. Indeed, for many, this period of isolation has been challenging and stressful. For some of us, it has triggered anxiety, extreme emotions and a deep mistrust of others. In such a state, it can be hard for us to have a sense of the scale of our problems. Fear distorts our thinking and often makes us react in ways that we can never imagine. The disciples in todays Gospel would have felt similar things. They were scared to go out and the doors were closed. Everything outside was a threat, magnified by fear. Jesus then appears to them and his words are: Peace be with you. And he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. The spirit comes with the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear (awe and wonder) of the Lord. We read from Lukes account in Acts that the people were bewildered, amazed and astonished. - Peace be with you are gentle words from Our Lord to us, who knows that we face uncertain times and we need that Peace which God alone can give. Today, as we celebrate the birthday of the Church, let us remove fear from our hearts and our minds and let the Holy Spirit come to us and work through us so that people may see the marvels of God.

13.01.2022 Welcome to our parish, Sisters of Mary Morning Star!

13.01.2022 21st Sunday Of Ordinary Time (A) WHO IS YOUR PET ROCK? Jesus is radical if nothing else. Never in the known world at the time, had the Greek word petra or t...he Aramaic word cepha or kepha, which mean rock, been used to name someone. But Jesus names one of His first disciples, Simon, Cephus in Jn 1:42, and Peter in todays Gospel. Marks (3:17) & Lukes (6:14) Gospels also have Jesus naming Simon as Peter, but their timing is different. Matthew makes a much bigger deal of the change of name than what seem to be passing comments by Jesus in the other Gospels when He first meets Simon. Matthew positions the name change some time into Jesus ministry after His disciples are starting to coalesce into His recognised core group of devotees to be commissioned to go out as His First Apostles. Peter or Simon Peter is Jesus rock upon which He will build His emerging community. Rocks have many images and qualities. They can be hot and dangerous like molten lava; they can be cold and unwelcoming, like arctic rock; they can be strong and enduring, like Uluru and The Remarkables; they can provide refuge and safety like caves and cathedrals; they can be hard like granite and soft like sandstone; they can be used as weapons or as defence against them. But the one characteristic common to all is that the ubiquitous rock is foundational material for the world. Tectonic plates are in effect exceptionally large slabs of floating rock; mountains are large rocks uplifted to great heights; rocky ground is usually very stable unless one lives on fault lines of tectonic plates; they are lifegiving in that soil emanates from them in which plants grow and waters flow. Without rock, we probably would not be here. In first-century Israel, Jesus knew that its what people think of rocks that matters what they remember and how they imagine them. Memory and imagery to the Jewish faith, (of which Jesus and His disciples were members) and life were intrinsic to them. Yahweh is often referred to as a Rock - strong, faithful, and enduring. God lives in places dominated by rock. Its no surprise then that the bible is resplendent with deified rock imagery. For instance, just a few examples: On Gods instruction, Moses struck the rock of Horeb to bring forth water (Exodus 17:6); The Ten Commandments were etched into two tablets of stone by Yahweh (Exodus 32:15-16); He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. (Deut 32:4); You are unmindful of the Rock (God) who gave birth to you (Deut 32:18); The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge (2 Sam 22:2-3); and Blessed be Yahweh, my rock (Ps 144:1). And it continues in the Christian Testament (formerly known as the New Testament), including in todays Gospel where Jesus renames Simon as Peter, the rock of His new community. But it would be a mistake to limit what Jesus is saying to Simon as only applying to Simon. Rather, He is establishing His community as a living rock, one against whom the forces of evil will not prevail. To many, this is where Jesus establishes His Church, almost as if Jesus planned to create a new organisation to be called the Catholic Church. WHY IS PETER JESUS PET ROCK? What is Jesus doing here? Why re-name Peter? Why get excited about re-naming him? Surely, its just another name, as innovative as Peter or Petra was at the time? Why couldnt a Simon or an Andrew lead His emerging community? And what does Jesus mean when He says to the new Peter that he will give him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven? Does He really mean, as so often portrayed in stories or even jokes, that Peter is to stand guard at the Pearly Gates and on his whim souls will be granted or denied entry to heaven? Of course not! To do so would give Peter the power to override Gods mercy and justice and that would be blasphemous! So what does it all mean? We have heard over the last few weeks that Jesus is focussed on believers those with faith in Him. Last week the Canaanite womans faith freed her daughter from a terrible demon. Jesus is looking for and insisting on faith within His coterie his emerging community of believers. He knows that believers see Yahweh God as being a rock of stability and goodness in their lives, as their eternal salvation. He is teaching His disciples that they must have faith above all else so that as His Apostles, sent out as His emissaries with His authority to proclaim His Word, they will stand fast and strong against any adversary. When Jesus questions His disciples, Who do people say that I am?, they respond what other people say but then Jesus turns up the heat! Who do YOU say that I am? Simon answers, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus recognises in Simon a deep faith which led him to answer in faith rather than just what he thought. Simons faith inspired from him a response that mere human thought or reflection could not. Jesus recognises in Simon the presence and influence of the Rock of Yahweh. Indeed, He recognises that in the group He has assembled, His disciples, there is a real presence of faith in God and Him as the Son of God and it is to the group, not just to Peter, that he refers when He says upon this rock I shall build my community Of course, Peter has a special leadership role and he and the group are entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven the sacred deposit of faith. In contrast, Eliakim in the First Reading today, was given the earthly keys of the House of David and all their possessions. There can be no denying, however, that Jesus trusted Peter despite all his foibles and weaknesses, his humanness. He entrusted Peter personally with the leadership role to guard and pass on the treasure the sacred deposit of faith. WHERE ARE THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM TODAY? The Church teaches us the deposit of faith is in the safe custody of the Church itself, invested in all of the Baptised but guided by the Magisterium. St Pope John Paul II, in the opening sentence of his letter Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum on the publication of the revised Catechism following Vatican II, states unequivocally, Guarding the Deposit of Faith is the mission which the Lord entrusted to His Church which she fulfils in every age. The deposit of faith being, of course, the keys to the kingdom of heaven referred to in our Gospel reading today, given to Peter by Jesus. It has thus been handed down through the millennia intact as exhorted, indeed demanded by St Paul to Timothy take great care of all that has been entrusted to you. From the very beginning, where Paul ordains Timothy, the safeguarding of the deposit of faith is in effect and continues today through the Church. WHAT SHOULD WE DO? We, the Baptised, should recognise that we are saved as a people of God not just as individuals who happen to come together from time to time to give praise or worship. Our salvation is tied to but not dependent on the Church. Only our humble acceptance of the deposit of faith through participating in the Sacraments of the church or more directly in the life of the Church can we truly stand up and be counted as a disciple of Christ. Thats not to say that there are no faults in the Church itself of course there are. But we must hold dear to the belief that the Church as a faith community cannot fall to the powers of evil. The Holy Spirit will be with this Church of sinners for sinners guiding it to the end of time. As we come to Eucharist today, call to mind the true custodian of the keys to the kingdom of heaven; the guardians of the sacred deposit of faith entrusted to us as the People of God. We are the Jesus Rock of our age. God Bless Deacon Peter READINGS: First Reading: IS 22:19-23 Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace: I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakims shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut when he shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honour for his family. Responsorial Psalm: PS 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8 R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple. R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands. I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth: When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands. The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands. Second Reading: ROM 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counsellor? Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Gospel: MT 16:13-20 Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus said to him in reply, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

13.01.2022 SOLEMNITY: Trinity Sunday (A) June 07, 2020 Over the last week or so, we have seen some dramatic events both good and not-so-good.... The good? In Australia as elsewhere, we have seen some lifting or relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions allowing us to re-connect with loved ones and friends. Re-establish, repair, or enhance close relationships with each other that might have been damaged by our isolation. The not-so-good? In the USA we witnessed per media the dreadful circumstances of Afro-American George Floyds death. Protests and riots across the USA resulted and are still ongoing, not just in the US but in other countries including Australia. Justifiable protests railing against injustice and inequality for minority groups but unfortunately accompanied by disastrous riots resulting in more lives lost and property destroyed. In both examples, the central issue is about love and relationships at the personal level and the social level. Love and relationships not just based on our nice feelings but on the love of our God willing good for the other. Our god, of course, is the Blessed Trinity. In the Name of the Father We all know the Sign of the Cross. As we trace the Cross, Christs deathbed, on ourselves, forehead, chest, and shoulders, we name the Blessed Trinity; In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen! Thats it. Its in our DNA Catholics and other Christians alike know it well. We do it instinctively. Christians have been signing themselves since the first century, initially on the forehead only. Over time it evolved into the practice we have today. We say it and sign ourselves often and often without giving a second thought as to what we are saying or doing. When we enter a Church or chapel; when we commence and/or finish prayers; when we prepare to proclaim/receive the Gospel; when we receive Eucharist we do it. Indeed, some of us might simply do it because it seems the right thing to do. Some of us might even do it for possibly inappropriate reasons like entering a boxing ring; or facing a pace bowler; or winning a race, a form of plea or thanks for good luck. But of course, it is much more than that. So, what does the sign of the Cross really mean? Where did it come from and why do we invoke it so often? What is the Sign of the Cross? The Sign of the Cross of itself is a uniquely profound prayer, blessing, and sacramental practised by Christians from about the middle of the first century knowing that our God is three distinct persons in one God, the Blessed Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As Jesus taught His Apostles, if you know me you know my Father. It is through Jesus life death and resurrection that we are able to know God more intimately. And so we humbly mark our bodies, the temples of the Holy Spirit and created in the image of God, as a sign of our love for God with all our mind and all our heart and all our soul accepting the indispensable role that Jesus played in our salvation by dying on a cross. So powerful a sign, St John Vianney, the Patron Saint of Priests, said that a genuinely made Sign of the Cross "makes all hell tremble." Revealed to us in the Christian Testament, by Jesus Himself, the triune nature of God is divine revelation. Theologians argue it is not the product of human imagination. God is a mystery. We can never claim to fully know or understand God, especially as the Blessed Trinity. In theology classes, one of the tenets they teach is that if you claim to know or understand God, then the God you claim to know or understand is not God! God is infinite and beyond human capacity to fully know or understand. And in the strictest sense, that is so. But that doesnt mean we can never receive some insight into Gods nature and character. And as concrete limited human beings we need some basic understanding of what we believe in. The Trinitarian articles of faith enshrined in the ancient Nicene Creed say it all. The first two articles of the Creed were first espoused at the First Council of Nicaea in Turkey in 325 and refined at the Second Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople in 381 (to include the third article of belief in the Holy Spirit). And they are: 1. I believe in one God, the Father almighty. Creator of heaven and earth; 2. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of God; 3. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver if Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. There we have the Blessed Trinity proclaimed in the Nicene Creed, the fundamental prayer of the Church since the fourth century. Derived essentially through rejecting major heresies about the nature of God, the Creed states the fundamental Christian dogma on the nature of God. These words are not new to us. We state them every time we say the Creed at Mass, as we will again today. In the early church, Jesus divinity and humanity were contentious. Jesus is the Word made flesh, a human personification of God the Father, the Creator. A true image of God, although not complete. The Catechism of the Catholic Church at Para 467 cites the fourth ecumenical council of Chalcedon in 451 which confessed that Jesus is: The same, perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity; The same, truly God and truly man composed of rational soul and body; Consubstantial with the Father as to His divinity; and consubstantial with us as to His humanity; and like us in all things except sin. Scripture tells us, recalled in many Gospel readings this Easter, that Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Jesus. So, in the person of Jesus, we have a valid but incomplete image of God. As just outlined, a basic dogma of our faith is that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. Our God is a God of Revelation Sometimes we can try too hard to understand or gain an insight into a mystery. And the increasing frustration can be a blockage to allowing our minds and hearts to remain open. Not long ago, I was doing the washing at home and put 5 pairs of black socks into the machine 10 socks (for all you mathematicians). When I went to hang the washing out, there were only 9 socks! I went back to the machine no sock; I retraced my steps no sock; I looked inside the sheets that were washed no sock! I looked in all the pockets no sock. It was a mystery! Where did that sock go? No matter where I looked, I couldnt find the elusive sock. Conclusion? The machine must have gobbled it up and discharged it with the water. Incredible, I know but that was the only rational explanation I could come up with. The sock had disappeared. No matter how hard I looked it evaded me. I could not see it. I could not explain it. I could not understand it. I gave up. Then, about a week later, I was doing some ironing and put one of my wifes jackets on the ironing board when around one of the shoulder pads, voila! there it was entwined with it. Both black. Couldnt see it til then. It taught me that sometimes we will gain insights into understanding something mysterious when we least expect it; when we are not thinking about it or running around bumping our gums; but rather when we are quiet and listening or being alert. And so too it seems to me that when we are challenged by the mysteries of faith, we might receive insights into understanding them if we remain quiet, alert, open, and just listen. And so too it is with the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. There have been many attempts by great thinkers to explain it. St Patrick famously used the Irish shamrock with its three leaves in one plant to explain it. But St Irenaeus, one of the early Church Fathers, provides an exquisite example in his teachings about the Blessed Trinity. In his treatise Against the Heresies, he deftly knits the role of the Father as Creator, His incarnated Son as saviour/redeemer, and the Spirit as perpetual grace for us in the world all working together seamlessly to bring about the symphony of Christian love for all time. Whilst we dont fully understand it, it just makes sense. Bless you. Each time we bless ourselves, we acknowledge the Blessed Trinity; each time we recite the Creed, we acknowledge the Blessed Trinity; each time we baptise someone, we baptise them in the name of the Blessed Trinity. God the Father, Creator of all things sent His only begotten Son, Jesus to redeem the world who together with the Father sent the Holy Spirit to teach, guide and encourage all people to receive the gift of salvation or redemption (the dew from heaven as St Irenaeus puts it). We dont need to understand something to believe it or in it. Our partners in life, our children and friends we never get to fully understand them. But we believe in them because we know them and love them. So too with the Blessed Trinity, our God. In the coming week, do not worry about not understanding the Blessed Trinity. But be open to receiving insights in your personal relationship with God - into Gods love for you and into your own nature. As Jesus would say, Do not let your hearts be troubled. But, in Pauls words, let the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. As we contemplate the recent incidents referred to earlier, reflect on how a deliberate and determined focus on love and relationship with God could help us to respond personally. Let the Blessed Trinity come to you and comfort you as you prayerfully say and/or reflect on the meaning of: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! Dcn Peter Readings: Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56; Second Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

12.01.2022 Next Monday is the solemn feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, Patroness of Catholic Australia since 1844. Her actual feast day is Sunday 24th but it coincides with Ascension Sunday which is also a Solemnity so it is moved to Monday 25th this year. Following is the prayer to Mary Help of Christians approved by the Bishops of Australia and published by the Catholic Leader this week: "O Immaculate Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of heaven & earth, and tender Mother of humanity... at this time when a pandemic all your children, we entrust to you our nation, Australia, and all who live in this country. We commend to your intercession all the members of our community, beginning with the weakest ones, from the unborn to the sick, the disabled and the elderly. We commend to you our families, our young and old, and all who are vulnerable, those who are quarantined or anxious. We entrust to your Immaculate Heart those who have lost their livelihood or employment, our pastors and other essential service workers, and our leaders at this time. We implore your intercession especially for the protection of doctors and nurses and those who minister to the contagious sick in this crisis. Reign over us, Mother of God, and teach us how to make the Heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us and around us, as it has reigned and triumphed in you." Our Lady Help of Christians, Pray for Us. Dcn Peter

12.01.2022 Thank you to all who came to celebrate St William on his feast day today. We welcomed about 40 parishioners including several teachers from St. Williams School. Not as flamboyant as our usual celebration but the joy of being back in the church was evident. Social Distancing did not hamper our reflection and prayerfulness. Nor did it stop us remembering that it is the Diamond Jubilee of our parish and being grateful for all those who have shaped and formed us into the community of people that we are. Happy Feast day everyone. St. William Pray for us.

11.01.2022 St Ignatius Parish Toowong hosted the Annual Womens Night of Spirituality on 28 July 2020. Sr Angela Mary Doyle RSM AO spoke about leaving her large family in Ireland to come to Australia, and music was performed Sr Maeve Louise Heaney VDMF. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5wj79LQGzY&feature=youtu.be

11.01.2022 VIEW MASS ONLINE WITH Fr. Nigel:THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD Sunday 24 May 2020 Fr. Nigels Homily:... The feast of the Ascension is a remembrance of Christs glorification following his resurrection from the dead. Taken from Hebrew tradition, we say in our creed, Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. This has to be understood as a metaphor. Its meaning is that Jesus is with God in the state of eternal happiness and glory that we sometimes call heaven. The disciples see the resurrected Jesus, but still some of them doubted as we read in the scriptures. Maybe it was just too hard to process, maybe they were too preoccupied with other happenings, perhaps, they were uncertain about the change and didnt want to face their new reality. But, they were there, they were present and they were being encouraged with the tender words of Jesus. I will be with you always even until the end of the world. This situation of Covid-19, has brought about a lot of soul searching and yes, similar doubts and preoccupations. There have been a lot of heartbreaking situations too. Early this week, I had a message from a school friend asking for prayers for his wife. His wife had lung cancer that the cancer that had spread to her liver. The liver was failing, and now the doctors have said that there is further they could do to reverse the situation. Given the restrictions with visitors at this time of Covid-19, it would be better that she goes home for palliative care, which would be around a month or so. His wife is very weak, and at that time, was not fully aware of her situation. They have a seventeen year old daughter and he going to break the news to her. They also have an eleven year old son who is autistic and missing his mother. We prayed for wisdom, courage and strength to deal with a very hard journey ahead. A few of my classmates got together and we arranged an online meet up. We decided e to talk, pray and whatever else comes our way. The meeting was something that really lifted him. He felt he was not alone and he had people supporting him. To pray for someone who is facing deep challenges is very soothing and helps us to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. There was another thing that we decided that we would do, and particularly he should do; we would use whatever time is left to make happy memories. A lesson for all of us, use whatever time is left (long or short) to make happy memories for ourselves and for others. Perhaps, it was a moment brought about by prayer gives has given us the resilience and strength to cope when we are faced with challenges. Jesus leaves his disciples with an instruction and a promise. He tells them I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He commissions them to a mission: Go and baptise and make disciples and the promise I will be with you always even until the end of the world.

11.01.2022 16th Sunday Of Ordinary Time (A) COME TO MY BARN DANCE! The barn on a farm is an essential asset. In times gone by, their primary purpose was of course to safe...ly store the harvest from the relevant crop and/or machinery. Today, of course, bulk grain is usually stored on farm in silos rather than in barns. However, in times past and not that long ago, grain was bagged and stored in the barn. In between seasons, the barn would pretty much remain empty. It could then put to another use such as barn dances, or bush dances as we call them in Australia. They were occasions of much joy and celebration. Rural and remote communities would gather to just socialise and enjoy themselves a few drinks and a meal intermingled with dancing. The dances were energetic and the singing raucous. They were not just an opportunity to socialise and let off some steam, but a form of reward for hard work. The barn was and still is today seen as a place of value and joy both commercially and socially. Today, the symbolism of a barn takes on a new dimension a new level of importance in our spiritual life as a Christian as the Kingdom of Heaven. It is good to be here! Jesus constantly talked about His Kingdom. He came to establish a Kingdom and will come again at the end of time to bring His Kingdom to fulfilment. The very prayer He taught us begins with: "Thy Kingdom come..." What Kingdom is Jesus talking about and why is it so important? Christs Kingdom is life as God created it to be lived: life full of meaning, purpose, wisdom, and lasting happiness; life to the full which we can only have through friendship with Christ, the one Saviour, through knowing, loving, and following him more each day. Jesus himself said this in the Gospel of John (10: 10) "I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full." St Paul defined Christs Kingdom as: "The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Thats the goal of Christs Kingdom: experiencing life to the full, experiencing righteousness, peace, and joy by letting Gods grace rule our thoughts and actions. Its a Kingdom that begins here on earth, in the Church, and will last through all eternity. It is Christs barn dance. WHERE IS THE BARN OF LIFE? If we are to understand the Kingdom, we need to have some idea of what it looks like. In todays Gospel, Matthew continues with Jesus teaching His disciples about what they can expect in their roles as His disciples. Over the last couple of weeks, He has been preparing them for what to expect as they go about proclaiming His Word, the difficulties and opposition they can expect. He has been emphasising the need for them to keep their eyes on the prize above the Kingdom of Heaven lest they become lost and discouraged and fall prey to the World. He has been warning them quite strenuously not to look at the world through rose-coloured glasses but to be realistic. Whilst there are great rewards to be had and much good in the world, there is also a malevolence that cannot be ignored. To do so is fraught with eternal danger! Continuing today, Jesus explains that the disciples primary goal must be to seek the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, Christs barn referred to as the kingdom of the Son of Man in the parable and thus the Kingdom of the Father for all eternity. He provides three examples of what the Kingdom is like. You could be forgiven for being confused with todays Gospel. It is complicated. It contains three similes for the Kingdom a field of wheat; a mustard seed; and yeast. It is a series of parables the seed sowers, the mustard seed, and the leaven or yeast. A parable is limited in its capacity to convey the message and usually is restricted to one or a single message only. The latter two are reasonably easy to understand in the sense of growth and protection the mustard seed takes root and grows into the hugest shady tree giving rest to the birds or the soul. The yeast expands the bread and flavours it. Both are small to start with and grow exponentially and produce much goodness as Gods benevolence does. So the Kingdom starts from small beginnings with us and grows. But the parable of the weeds is a tad more complicated! The seed sower parable often called The Parable of the Darnel Seed, is somewhat problematic or even confusing. So confusing, that the disciples themselves sought Jesus explanation of it. THE GOOD SEED VERSUS THE WICKED WEED There are two themes running through the explanation of the parable by Jesus the ever-present competition between good and evil in the Sons kingdom, the world as we know it; and the risk of hypocrisy, in our being deluded into believing that we are good when in fact the opposite is the case. Jesus doesnt hide the fact that evil exists and that it is active and unrelenting in trying to contaminate the good. It is of course the moral versus the immoral life on a spiritual level but translated into action on our part. The good or Christian moral life is like the wheat seed planted by God and the evil or immoral life is the weed seed planted by the Evil one. Both grow in the Sons kingdom, in the same soil, here on earth. Not only that, as we heard earlier in Matthew (5:45), the Father in Heaven causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike. Co-existence of good and evil in the Sons kingdom is therefore inevitable through to the eschaton the end of time. No surprises there, I suppose! But not so in the Fathers Kingdom, Heaven in the next life. It is at the very essence of our spiritual life the fundamental understanding of free will granted to us by God that we are free to choose do we want to host a wheat seed, or do we want to host a weed seed? WHEAT OR WEED? Generally, there are inherent risks in adopting a literal or superficial interpretation of any parable, but it is appropriate in this case. In coming to understand this parable, we presume that we have chosen to be either a wheat plant (living the good or moral life) or a weed (living the evil or immoral life). The good plants are destined for eternal happiness. The weeds are destined for eternal hellfire with much weeping and gnashing of teeth. But Gods mercy and forgiveness will prevail to ensure no-one is unjustly treated. The wheat plant is the child of God; the weed plant, or the darnel weed, is the child of the devil. They coexist until the end of time when the children of God will shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father. The evil ones of course are burnt in the furnace. But thats where the physical analogy must end. For a wheat plant cannot become a weed and vice versa in the physical world. The parable is as simple as that. It is illustrating that God the Father allows evil to co-exist with good and that He will be the final arbiter at the end of time. If we are wheat, we will shine like the sun in the Fathers Kingdom; if we are darnel weeds, we will weep and gnash our teeth and be discarded into the eternal furnace. In our lives, we can choose which one to be. But God the Father will be the final arbiter as to our fate. WHAT SHOULD WE DO? The darnel weed in Jesus time looked much like a wheat plant. It looked good but choked the goodness out of the wheat plant next to it. It is a symbol of hypocrisy in that it is not what it pretends to be. For the wheat plant to survive, it must be healthy and strong. So too must we guard ourselves against the temptations and evils of the world around us by remaining committed to the truth and the real good that comes from Christ alone. In our First Reading from Wisdom, Gods leniency and mercy will prevail to ensure no-one is unjustly condemned: But though you are Master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much leniency you govern us. As we receive Eucharist today, the Body of Christ that comes from a little piece of real wheat, take hope and rejoice in our loving God who is merciful and lenient. For though we are weak and sinful, we can trust that despite our infinitely inconspicuous attempts to live our lives as faithful disciples of Christ, through Him, we will be brought into the eternal heavenly barn, the Kingdom of the Father and shine like the sun. Let us remember the barn of life each time we pray, Thy kingdom come, on earth God Bless Deacon Peter Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Psalms 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43 or 13:24-30

09.01.2022 Please note the Grovely-Samford and Mitchelton Mass times will remain the same throughout July. In light of some continued restrictions, we ask that you phone the parish office or email to book in advance. We look forward to seeing you!

09.01.2022 A Family Retreat on recognising Gods presence in challenging times The retreat content has been developed by the Olinda team in Taize, France as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. RETREAT FORMAT... Meeting the Families... The beginning and end of the retreat will include an opportunity for families to gather for a play and early BBQ dinner at the Leslie Patrick All Abilities Park, behind the PCYC, access via Olearia Street West. Sundays 2/8/2020 and 20/9/20 from 4-5:15pm Sharing the Materials within your family... The Taize team have produced a beautiful weekly program (initially designed to be completed over six days in Taize) comprising a song to learn, a theatre performance to watch, the scripture of the week including the story of Noah, and some questions to ponder and activities to try. The resources will be sent on Monday morning for you to explore as appropriate within your family across the week. Sharing with others... On six Sunday evenings (9/8-13/9) from 8 pm, adult participants will be invited to join a zoom discussion in small groups. Zoom Small Groups will be made up with approximately five families/group. Consideration will be taken in forming groups of childrens ages and any requests you have re people you would like to have in the group e.g. specific families, people from your school community etc. There will be opportunities for adults to reflect on the questions posed in the materials, and how their family responded. For more information contact Sarah and Luke Matthews [email protected] For a taste of Taize https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDZ8Oo5mHZ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us-v4slsUX4 Please register your interest on this form https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3W9TFSG

09.01.2022 Congratulations to our wonderful parish priest, Fr Nigel Sequeira, who celebrates his 9th anniversary of ordination today (29 June 2011). We are grateful to Fr Nigel for his wise, pastoral leadership and for the many gifts he brings to our community. Thank you, Fr Nigel!

08.01.2022 VIEW MASS ONLINE WITH Fr. Nigel: THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST Homily:... On this great solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the Church celebrates the timeless gift of the Real Presence. Our hearts are filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for the love that has been given to us. The Holy Spirit looks kindly upon us, at our simple offering of bread and wine and, through the mystery of transubstantiation, changes them into something more significant: the true food and the real drink, the body and blood of our saviour. The Eucharist is not simply a sign or a symbol, it is Jesus really, truly and substantially present under the Eucharistic signs of bread and wine. During this time we have been physically isolated from receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. The lifeblood that spiritually and physically nourishes us, the tangible presence of Christ. That is why we have been longing and a pining to receive our Lord. If we love someone, it is so much better for us to be with them in person than to merely see them in a picture. In a sense, these online masses bring us together but how much better is it now that our churches are opening up for us to receive the real presence and gather in community? Some people think that as Catholics our thoughts on the Eucharist are peculiar. They would be no different from the earlier disciples in Johns Gospel who followed Jesus but left him because he said. "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." His disciples quarrelled among themselves: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" They found his words too hard to accept and left. Jesus doesnt call them back and say that he was speaking symbolically or metaphorically. Jesus further emphasizes: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. The presence of the risen Christ in the Eucharist is an inexhaustible mystery that the Church can never fully explain in words. We must remember that the triune God is the creator of all that exists and has the power to do more than we can possibly imagine. Let us return to our churches now that the way is opening up for us and receive the real presence of our Saviour.

08.01.2022 22nd Sunday Of Ordinary Time (A) IT’S MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY (TO HELL)! Well what do we make of this? Last Sunday, Jesus was all excited about Simon, Son of Jona...h, when He heard his answer to His question, Who do you say I am? and Simon answered You are the Christ , the Son of the Living God. So pleased was Jesus he re-named Simon, Peter, meaning the rock of faith in which He would build His community. It was Peter’s faith and inspiration he received from Yahweh that allowed him to answer this way and that’s what excited Jesus. So much so, He didn’t only just re-name him, He gave Peter and His followers the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven the sacred deposit of faith that only God could give with the mission to guard & treasure it and pass it on to others with His full authority after He returns to the Father in Heaven. A substantial vote of confidence in Peter, no less. Happy times! This week, something changed. This week Jesus not only seemingly reprimands Peter but in doing so calls him Satan! Whoa! If that’s not a 180 degree turnaround nothing is. Similar language appears earlier in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels where Jesus is being tempted in the desert (Matt 4:10; and Luke 4:8) and Jesus tells the tempter Get behind me Satan. or words to that effect. But let’s just take a deep breath and step back a bit. WHAT IS JESUS ALL ABOUT? In our post-Resurrectional times, we who have faith in Jesus know that He is the second person of the Blessed Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit Three Divine Persons, One God. A mystery to us. We say in the Nicene Creed we believe Jesus is, consubstantial with the Father that is Jesus is Divine, or God. Jesus is of the same substance as God the Father and the Holy Spirit. And from this platform, we tend to develop our image of God via Jesus’ divinity. But for us, there is little or no doubt that Jesus is the Messiah. To Simon Peter and the other Apostles, however, Jesus was a man. They had yet to come to the understanding/belief that Jesus really was their Saviour, the Messiah that Israel anticipated and passionately believed in. For them, it was not easy. Whilst they were men of great faith, they were human and weak. Peter, the recognised leader of the group, had his heart in the right place but he was impulsive and sometimes let his emotions run away with him. Nevertheless, a simple-minded hard-working fisherman, he was pragmatic. When he was confronted with an avoidable issue, he took steps not to engage. Jesus on the other hand was focussed on one thing the mission His Father had given Him. Through His life of sacrifice and faithful prayer, He grew in His understanding of His mission that to save the world He had to suffer the ignominy and unspeakable torture of His cross on Calvary. Jesus would not, indeed could not allow anything of this world to get in His way of delivering the Cross of salvation for the sake of the Father’s will. IS PETER REALLY SATAN? No-one wants to choose suffering over peace or pleasure. In today’s First Reading Jeremiah laments all the ridicule and suffering he endures for the Lord’s cause. He was called to be the Lord’s prophet in a time when people preferred their own counsel and wished for an easy solution to their problems that didn’t involve faith or sacrifice. He is dejected because his mission is as hard as he imagined but he acknowledges and stays committed to his mission. Besides, he let the Lord talk him into it. After making tough decisions, we often ask ourselves in hindsight, What was I thinking? Jeremiah is having one of those moments. Despite difficulty and dejection, he nevertheless burns inside with desire to carry on, because he knows he is heralding the truth, something no one can turn their back on. He knows his message will save his people. Peter hasn’t gotten to this stage yet. He knows Jesus is the Saviour, but does he really believe it? Last week he did. But what about this week? In today’s Second Reading St. Paul reminds us that we are called to a spiritual worship that implies sacrifice, indeed demands sacrifice, just as Christ sacrificed Himself on the Cross as an act of perfect worship for our sins. Peter is not ready to take up the cross of Christ just yet. His heart is in the right place, but he doesn’t quite understand the single-minded focus Christ has in weaving Calvary into the cloth of our salvation. For us, the message is simple. By shouldering our crosses, we offer spiritual sacrifice to Our Lord and we place our worship alongside Our Lord’s perfect sacramental worship each time we celebrate the Eucharist. We can never forget that now we offer in a non-bloody manner at each Mass what He offered in a bloody manner on Calvary. The world tries to turn our minds away from the Cross, but the cross is the true path to life and fulfilment. When we accept and shoulder the crosses in our life, we reinforce our focus toward what is truly important as opposed to embracing the fleeting distractions of this world. But back to Peter. Is he really Satan or is Jesus just name-calling for the sake of it? PETER THE ROCK OR SATAN THE SHOCK! Jesus is human. The Church teaches us that Jesus is human like us in all things except sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church Para 467). The priest states in the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer at Mass that Jesus is a man like us in all things except sin. We can compare this with the Letter to the Hebrews "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin" (Heb 4:15). Jesus didn’t just not sin He couldn’t sin. So His primary focus was on His mission and nothing could be permitted to dissuade Him from it. On the other hand, we are merely human and can be distracted from time to time from our mission as Jesus’ baptised disciples. In the Gospel, Peter is arguing with Jesus about His destiny. Which brings us to understanding that word Satan. In the Hebrew Testament, satan is often used as a verb to act as an adversary, a blocker, a dissuader. It is used as a proper noun (a name) only three times Job 1:16, 2:1; Zech 3:1,2; 1 Chron 21:1. Satan converses with Yahweh from time to time and whilst not presented as a force for good, Satan is not pure evil either but rather one who tests, one who opposes - even God’s will. Jesus has just told the Disciples that He must go on with His mission and suffer greatly at the hands of the chief priest, scribes, and elders to the point of His death. He foretells of His resurrection to happen three days after His death. Peter is shocked. He obviously believes what Jesus is forecasting otherwise he wouldn’t have taken it seriously. So, Peter begins to argue with Jesus about how He might avoid this horrendous fate. He tests Jesus and opposes the path on which Jesus has embarked. "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." This surely is not an evil statement by Peter. He is not seeking to breach his relationship with Jesus. He is simply concerned for Jesus’ physical welfare out of his love for Him. And we know that Jesus didn’t want this to happen to Him either as we learn from His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane Father, let this cup pass from me; but not my will but yours be done. (Matt 26:39-40). When Jesus responds, Get behind me, Satan, most commentators suggest He is severely reprimanding Peter. It’s almost as if Jesus is enraged by Peter’s objections and He turns on him. But it could also be argued that Jesus is firmly teaching Peter the errors of his ways. If we change the tone of Jesus’ voice to being firm but soft and loving as He points out to Peter that he is blocking Jesus from doing His Father’s will, it changes our perspective of the story. It is the voice of a caring teacher who gently but firmly re-focusses Peter to the importance of the higher things in life. Don’t let your humanness erode your mission in life to serve God faithfully with unrelenting resolve. It then puts into better perspective the rest of Jesus teaching in this passage about taking up our cross to follow Christ. No. Jesus is not calling Peter evil! He is teaching him by His own example how to remain faithful to God and not to let even those closest to you (as Peter was to Jesus) to distract you from that. Of course, Peter would have been somewhat set back by Jesus’ response to him but the general interpretation that Jesus was calling Peter evil is wide of the mark. He was certainly pointing out to Peter that we can all behave in an evil way and if we continue to argue against Christ’s presence and influence in our lives, we can become solely worldly-focussed and thereby risk eternal damnation. Last week Peter’s response to Jesus was predicated on deep faith and inspiration from Yahweh. This week, he responds solely from his humanness. Hence, Jesus' correction. WHAT’S IN IT FOR US? The readings this week are dripping with imagery and instruction: The image of Jesus as the firm but compassionate teacher who is single-minded in His mission; The lessons He leaves for us to take up our cross to follow Him as baptised disciples. When we say Amen this week to receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, lets test ourselves as to how serious we are about Christ’s presence in our lives. How willing are we to truly put God’s will that we should be prepared to suffer for His sake ahead of our own desires for worldly satisfaction? Over the coming week, maybe we could reflect on the higher things in life like: Intentionally taking up our cross for Christ; How can we deny ourselves for others, even in the smallest of ways, like a smile for a stranger; compassion for those annoying us; refraining from criticising others; and Being open to the grace of Christ to be His disciple. Then we can say, I choose Your way, Jesus not the easier highway to hell! God Bless Deacon Peter Readings: Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalms 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27 READINGS: First Reading Jer 20:7-9 You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violence and outrage is my message; the word of the LORD has brought me derision and reproach all the day. I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it. Responsorial Psalm Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy. My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me. R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. Second Reading Rom 12:1-2 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. Gospel Mt 16:21-27 Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."

08.01.2022 Keeping you informed and taking small steps forward!

08.01.2022 Church opening times for the weekend ahead...

08.01.2022 Read Fr Nigels Parish Update about the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Find out about arrangements in place for Mass and Adoration this weekend and for accessing Parish Churches until 12 June.

08.01.2022 26th Sunday Of Ordinary Time (A) ON YOUR MARK! GET SET! GO! As a kid, we have probably often heard the words of the starter, On your Mark! Get set! GO! Then i...n a flurry of flapping limbs we made our way as quickly as we could to the finish line. We rarely, if ever, won the race, but we tried at least for that race. Some took it very seriously and became first class athletes. I asked a friend of mine who was a world class athlete, When you lined up against 7 other world-class athletes on the starting line, what made you think that you could win? He replied, 10% hard work and training; 90% self-belief. I was astounded it would never have worked for me no matter how much self-belief I had! One has to be gifted physically etc to be a champion of any sport. In Matthew’s Gospel today, Jesus is saying much the same as my friend said to be a champion disciple, it starts in the mind/heart and is consummated in action. Like the champion athlete, the champion disciple has to train hard (prayer and worship) and run the race (service). One big difference though the belief is not in self, but rather in Jesus Christ. The talent or gift necessary for the race is from God on request the gift of faith. We’re not born with it, but we choose it (faith is a choice, not an obligation). The action doesn’t need to be extraordinary, but sincere and consistent. As Jesus claims, even the tax collectors and prostitutes can do it! They listened, believed, repented, and acted. Indeed, Matthew the author of today’s Gospel was himself a former tax collector. Tax collectors and prostitutes were two groups or sub-sets of jews who were despised by the faithful Jews. The former because they collaborated with the Roman oppressors/occupiers; the latter for their loose morals for pecuniary gain. In challenging the Chief priests and Pharisees with the parable of the two sons, Jesus is setting up two contrary examples of people who claim to be disciples but only one is. WHICH SON WAS RIGHT? Let’s recap the first son said he wouldn’t do as he was asked but then changed his mind and did so. At least he did it, albeit possibly begrudgingly! The second said Yes he would but had no intention of doing so! So certainly not the second! These two sub-sets of disciples exist in our world today as well as in Jesus’ time. It is common in today's world to find Catholics who openly disagree with core Catholic teaching. And of course, they are entitled to on matters of moral teaching but not on dogma - provided they have done so with full knowledge and a well-formed conscience. Then their disagreement is private and should not be aired publicly and certainly not in any sense of a teaching role. Our Christian values often clash with the values of the secular world. We all know people who say that they are Catholic, but who don't come to Mass on Sunday - they may only come on Christmas and/or Easter, if they come at all. And of course, that is their choice. But it amplifies a basic lack of understanding of our Christian faith that was handed to us to guard and implement. You might recall a couple of weeks ago when Jesus re-named Simon son of Judah as Peter, the Rock as He established Peter as the leader designate of His community of believers. Faith was essential but action was intrinsic and inherent to the true role of discipleship. It is a common theme in scripture: St James says faith without works is dead (Jms 2:14); Jesus says, not all who claim me as Lord, Lord will not enter the kingdom (Matt 7:21); And so on. So paying lip service to Jesus is clearly not enough. In Matthew’s Gospel reading today, Jesus, through His confrontation with the Chief Priests and Pharisees, continues His strenuous and emphatic education of His disciples in what is to be expected of them. After all, He gave Peter and His disciples the sacred deposit of faith to share, guard, and implement. He didn’t give it to the others! Of course, to answer Jesus’ question as to which son did the will of the father, the answer is obviously the first son. But it would be really superficial if we left it there which many of us tend to do. So, what is Jesus doing here? Once again, He is railing against hypocrisy. We all have heard or read about politicians who say that they are ardent and practicing Catholics, but who publicly support laws that go directly against some of the most basic tenets of morality as taught by the Catholic Church classic examples are abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, breach of seal of confession, and so on. And if we are honest with ourselves, we even recognize in our own lives this same tendency to profess commitment to the Church’s (and by default, to Christ’s) mores and laws but then to coalesce into silent consent, maybe even support, for contrary mores of the secular world. We call ourselves practicing Catholics, and yet we spend more time working on our favourite hobbies than on our prayer life, and we spend more time becoming an expert in our profession than in our faith and we tolerate in our own lives hidden habits of selfishness and sin while we criticize other people for their more visible faults. If we think about it a little bit, we see very clearly that this contradiction between what we believe and how we live is not a good thing. It is like the second son in today's parable. He impressed his dad with fancy words and a good show of purported healthy obedience, but underneath the surface he was still living for his own self-centred gratification, not for the greater good of his mission in the Father's kingdom. When we fall into that contradiction, it is no wonder that we don't grow in our experience of Christ's love and grace, and it is no wonder that we don't grow in wisdom, interior peace, and the deep Christian joy that we thirst for. Faith, if it's real, makes a real impact on our lives. It becomes our way of life. It puts into practice the robing of ourselves in white at baptism taking on the dignity of being a baptised disciple. When it doesn't, our spiritual growth is stunted. FAITH REQUIRES REAL ACTION The champion athlete who claims to be a champion but has never run a race, makes a hollow claim. So too for us. As baptised disciples of Christ, we who claim to be His disciples, if we never act on that claim, we too make a hollow claim. It is of little use to claim that Christ is our Saviour unless we express it in our behaviour unless like the tax collectors and prostitutes to whom Jesus refers, we hear His message, believe it, and act on it; unless we love, treat, and respect each other for Christ. Jesus can’t be more direct and emphatic when He delivers such guidance to the Chief Priests and Pharisees Truly I say to you the tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the Kingdom of God before you! Jesus unequivocally contrasts the two classes of Jewish believers those who do actually believe John the Baptist’s message, and those who simply profess to. The former of course includes tax collectors and prostitutes who have heard, repented, and changed their ways (like the first son); the latter of course being the Chief Priests and Pharisees who refused to hear the Good News from John (hypocrites like the second son). Both make a choice one life-giving; the other life-stifling. In which group would we like to be included? It’s our choice! A CALL TO ACTION! As we come to Eucharist today, and as we say Amen or So be it! to receiving the Body of Christ, might we reflect on how well do we hear the call of Jesus to not only claim to be His disciple, but to do His work for Him here and now. It’s never too late to start. On our mark! Get set! Go and announce the Gospel not only by words, but by how we live our holy lives! God Bless Deacon Peter Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Philippians 2:1-11 or 2:1-5; Matthew 21:28-32 READINGS: First Reading: EZ 18:25-28 Thus says the LORD: You say, "The Lord’s way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Responsorial Psalm: PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord. Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my saviour. R. Remember your mercies, O Lord. Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old. The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD. R. Remember your mercies, O Lord. Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way. R. Remember your mercies, O Lord. Second Reading: PHIL 2:1-11 OR 2:1-5 Brothers and sisters: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others. Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Gospel Acclamation: JN 10:27 R. Alleluia, alleluia. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel: MT 21:28-32 Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, 'I will not, ' but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir’, but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."

07.01.2022 Homily by Deacon Peter McDade SOLEMNITY: Ascension Sunday - May 24, 2020 Today is Ascension Sunday, the Seventh Sunday of the Easter Season designated as a Solemnity by the Church in Australia. It precedes Pentecost Sunday next week which is also a Solemnity. Solemnity feast days are attributed the highest level of liturgical celebration afforded by the Church in its liturgical life cycle. To emphasise the importance of the event being celebrated, Ritual and Funeral Masses ...Continue reading

06.01.2022 Archdiocesan Small Blessings Campaign - Weekly Reflections By Deacon Peter McDade 23 September 2020 ON YOUR MARK! GET SET! GO!... As a kid, we have probably often heard the words of the starter, On your Mark! Get set! GO! Then in a flurry of flapping limbs we made our way as quickly as we could to the finish line. We rarely, if ever, won the race, but we tried at least for that race. Some took it very seriously and became first class athletes. I asked a friend of mine who was a world class athlete, When you lined up against 7 other world-class athletes on the starting line, what made you think that you could win? He replied, 10% hard work and training; 90% self-belief. I was astounded it would never have worked for me no matter how much self-belief I had! One has to be gifted physically etc. to be a champion of any sport. In Matthew’s Gospel today, Jesus is saying much the same as my friend said to be a champion disciple, it starts in the mind/heart and is consummated in action. Like the champion athlete, the champion disciple has to train hard (prayer and worship) and run the race (service). One big difference though the belief is not in self, but rather in Jesus Christ. The talent or gift necessary for the race is from God on request the gift of faith. We’re not born with it, but we choose it (faith is a choice, not an obligation). The action doesn’t need to be extraordinary, but sincere and consistent. As Jesus claims, even the tax collectors and prostitutes can do it! They believed and acted. The champion athlete who claims to be a champion but has never run a race, makes a hollow claim. So too for us as baptised disciples of Christ, who claim to be His disciples but if we never act on that claim, we too make a hollow claim. It is of little use to claim that Christ is our Saviour unless we express it in our behaviour unless like the tax collectors and prostitutes to whom Jesus refers, we hear His message, believe it, and act on it; unless we love, treat, and respect each other for Christ. On our mark! Get set! Go and announce the Gospel by our holy lives! God Bless Dcn Peter

06.01.2022 Today is World Refugee Day and the Refugee Council of Australia declared 2020 the Year of Welcome. As followers of Christ, we are called to be a welcoming people! https://ajustcause.com.au/a-prayer-for-refugees/

06.01.2022 As we prepare for tomorrows Feast of the Assumption, Father Richard Leonard SJ reflects on the significance of Mary, particularly in times of suffering

05.01.2022 VIEW MASS ONLINE with Fr Nigel: Sixth Sunday of Easter, 17 May 2020. Fr Nigels Homily: Jesus says to us If you love me, you will keep my commandments. How does one explain love? When I was a lot younger, it probably meant the tingling feelings that I had whenever I saw her. Sometimes, yes, even the paralysis that, believe it or not, silenced me when she was around. And lets not forget that wonderful nervous-but-excited feeling when that person was near. How I tried to do...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Apologies - the last post didnt include THIS WEEKENDS Mass times!

04.01.2022 Celebrating National Volunteer Week Monday 18 May Sunday 24 May 2020 Changing Communities. Changing Lives. A message from Fr Nigel:... "When we face big challenges as a community we often turn to volunteers for help and, this year, its more important than ever we recognise the people who give generously of their skills, talents and time. Across the Archdiocese, we currently have some volunteers who are courageously serving our community from the frontline. Some have adapted the way they work and have taken on new roles to help support those in our community who need it most. And many are standing ready to resume their roles when life returns to normal." Thank you to all our volunteers for sharing your time and gifts with our community.

02.01.2022 We share some helpful and important information affecting our churches as restrictions ease in Queensland: The rules of social distancing, cleaning protocols, collecting contact details and sanitising remain in place. Masses, private prayer, weddings, funerals and baptisms may have a maximum of 100 participants. The occupancy continues to be determined by the one person per four sq.metre rule and the social distancing of 1.5 sq. metres between people. Smaller churches,... under 200 square meters, may now determine occupancy using one person per two sq. metres up to a maximum of 50 persons at a time. Communion is generally distributed by the presider alone, who should disinfect his hands before and after distributing. If necessary, Extraordinary Ministers may assist to distribute Communion and they, too must sanitise their hands before and after. See more

02.01.2022 Did you know you can now book online to attend weekend Masses? Visit the parish website: https://gsmparishes.com.au/mass-bookings/

02.01.2022 Today marks Sorry Day with National Reconciliation Week beginning tomorrow, 27th May. Today and every day, we work towards healing and reconciliation, acknowledging the pain of those who were separated from their families and the harm that it caused.

01.01.2022 Please note the following Mass and Liturgy times until the end of July: St. Williams Grovely Masses Thursday July 16th 8:00 am ... Saturday July 18th 5:00 pm Sunday July 19th 7:00 am, 9:00am Saturday July 25th 5:00 pm Sunday July 26th 7:00 am, 9:00am Our Lady of Dolours - Mitchelton Masses July 15th 17th 8:30 am July 18th 4:00 pm July 19th 11:00 am July 20th 24th 8:30 am July 25th 4:00 pm July 26th 11:00 am July 27th 31st 8:30 am Adoration and Reconciliation Saturday July 18th 10:30 am 11:30 am Saturday July 25th 10:30 am 11:30 am Sacred Heart Samford Masses July 19th 8:00 am July 26th 8:00 am Please register by phone or email by the Thursday before the weekend mass you would like to attend. No need to register in advance for the weekday masses, just sign in as you enter.