Catholic Parish of Lindfield-Killara

Transcription

1 Catholic Parish of Lindfield-Killara Diocese of Broken Bay Holy Family Parish Church, Lindfield Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church, Killara LINDFIELD: KILLARA: MASS TIMES: Saturday 6:00pm Saturday Vigil: 5:30pm Sunday: 8:15am Sunday: 9:15am 10:15am 12:00 (Chinese Community Mass) 6:00pm (for both our communities) Weekdays: Monday 9:15am 8:15am Tuesday 12:15pm 8:15am Wednesday 9:15am ~ Thursday 9:15am ~ Friday 9:15am * 8:15am ** Saturday 9:15am SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Saturdays 5:00 5:30pm (Lindfield) For 15 minutes after the 5:30pm Mass (Killara) * NO 9:15 Mass at Lindfield nor 7:30am Mass at Killara on the 2nd Friday of each month ** Healing Mass for whole parish at Killara at 10am each 2nd Friday of each month FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME This week: Zech 9:9-10; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11:25-30 Next week : Is 55:10-11; Rom 8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23 Our society values strength and competence, and of course each of them is a good thing in the proper place and time. But they are not the only thing, and the God revealed by the Gospel is a God who also values their opposites. The first reading today reminds us of the strength to be found in weakness, and the Gospel extols the value of simplicity.if we are really a Gospel people then the challenge is to really value, not merely tolerate, those Gospel qualities weakness and simplicity when we find them in others. And of course, to ensure that they find their place in our own heart as well.

2 2 Parish Staff and Contact Information We are the one parish of Lindfield-Killara containing our two distinct but collaborating and cooperating communities centred on our two churches at Killara and Lindfield. Holy Family Church: cnr Pacific Hwy and Highfield Rd, Lindfield Immaculate Heart of Mary Church: cnr Fiddens Wharf Rd and Charles St, Killara Parish Priest: Blayney Assistant Priest: Fr Thomas Alackakunnel VC Apart from the case of emergency please restrict the use of the above numbers to between 9:30am and 5:00pm. For office or routine enquiries please contact the Parish Office during office hours. PARISH OFFICE: Parish Secretary: Philita Marundan: Address: Level 1, 2 Highfield Road (cnr Pacific Hwy) Lindfield NSW 2070 (Postal: PO Box 22, Lindfield NSW 2070) Ph: Fax: parish@lindfieldkillara.org.au Parish Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9:30am-1:00pm and 1:30pm-4:00pm Catechist Coordinator (Primary Schools): Sue-Anne Sherwood Sacramental Programme Coordinator: Sue-Anne Sherwood Assistant Sacramental Programme Coordinator: Maia Schulze Tsang Parish Priest s Secretary: Maia Schulze Tsang sue-anne@lindfieldkillara.org.au sue-anne@lindfieldkillara.org.au maia@lindfieldkillara.org.au maia@lindfieldkillara.org.au Parish Bookkeeper: Alison Williams alison@lindfieldkillara.org.au Parish Facilities Coordinator (volunteer):anthony Cassidy anthony@lindfieldkillara.org.au Youth Ministry Coordinator (volunteer) Jean Shatek youth@lindfieldkillara.org.au Parish Primary School: Holy Family School, 4 Highfield Rd, Lindfield 2070 Ph: Fax: Principal: Mr Lou Dogao info@holyfamily.nsw.edu.au School Website: Parish Website: Saturday Lindfield 6:00pm Killara 5:30pm Sunday Lindfield 8:15am Killara 9:15am Lindfield 10:15am Lindfield 12:00noon Lindfield 6:00pm 8 July Fr Thomas 9 July Fr Thomas Fr Thomas 15 July Fr Thomas 16 July Fr Thomas Fr Ching Fr Thomas

3 3 RICHARD ROHR S MEDITATION: PAUL'S CONVERSION EXPERIENCE All of Paul s major themes are contained in seed form in his conversion experience, of which there are three descriptions in Acts written by Luke (chapters 9, 22, and 26). Paul s own account is in the first chapter of Galatians: The Gospel which I preach... came through the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:11-12). Paul never doubts this revelation. The Christ that he met was not the Christ in the flesh (Jesus); it was the Risen Christ, the Christ who is available to us now as Spirit, as an energy field that we eventually called the Mystical Body of Christ, the Cosmic or Universal Christ. Paul continues, describing his pre-conversion life as Saul, who persecuted and even tried to destroy the young Christian church, then called The Way : I was more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers than anybody else (Galatians 1:13-14). A Pharisee by training, Saul had achieved some status in the Sanhedrin, the governmental board of Judea during the Roman occupation. He was delegated by the Temple police to go out and squelch this new sect of Judaism. At this point, Saul is a black and white thinker, dividing the world into Jewish good guys and upstart Christian bad guys. Suddenly, while traveling to Damascus, just before he reached the city, there came a light from heaven all around him. He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? He asked, Who are you, Lord? The voice answered, I am Jesus and you are persecuting me (Acts 9:3-5). This choice of words is significant. Paul must have pondered: Why does he say me when I m persecuting these people? He comes to the insight that there is a complete, almost organic union between Christ and those who love God. The voice tells Saul to go into the city and do what he s told, but though his eyes were wide open, Saul could see nothing and had to be led by the hand. For the next three days he was blind and fasted (see Acts 9:6-9). Paul realises on the Damascus Road or shortly thereafter that, in the name of religion, he had become a murderer. In the name of love he had become hate. Paul becomes an image for all generations of religion, showing that religion can be the best thing in the world, and it can be the worst thing. That which makes us holy can also make us evil. If the ego uses any notion of religion to wrap God around itself it will be the source of the ultimate idolatry: God serving us instead of us serving God. That is why, for the rest of his life, Paul is obsessed with transforming people into love and forming loving communities. He is forever the critic of immature, self-serving religion, and the pioneer of mature and truly life-changing religion. TAX RECEIPTS for CWF will be issued in the third week of July. Charitable Works Fund is 100% tax deductible. THE PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL meets this Tuesday 11th July at 7:30pm in the parish hall at Killara. This will be preceded by a meeting of the Killara Development Committee at 7pm. PARISH YOUNG ADULTS GROUP - the next gathering takes place today Sunday 9th July immediately following the 6pm Mass in the lounge in the Shirley Wallace Parish Centre on the first floor of Lindfield church a relaxed gathering over a meal with discussion. SOME CHANGES TO OFFICE HOURS DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS Wednesday 12 th July: Parish Office CLOSED Thursday 13 th July: Parish Office CLOSED

4 4 Youth News FUSION and BLAST are having a break over the holidays. Our first meetings back in Term 3 will be: FUSION: Friday 28 July BLAST: Sunday 6 August In the meantime, parents, if you re looking for something to read this holiday try The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving by Lisa Miller. It is a comprehensive collection of recent psychological and neurological research about why kids need spirituality in their lives. Basically, the research finds that children who are raised with a robust and well-developed spiritual life are: - happier - more optimistic - more thriving - more flexible - and better equipped to deal with life s ordinary (and even extraordinary) traumas than those who are not. Teenagers, in particular, are exponentially better off if they re in touch with their spiritual sides less likely to abuse alcohol and drugs, to engage in risky sex, to cope with depression. (NY Mag article/review, April 26, 2016) The Commissioning of Our Bells Above: The bells are now hanging in the tower (though they re upside down!). As explained in last week s bulletin we are going to spread the inauguration of the bells over two celebrations: we will have the first ringing of the bells at the 6pm Mass on Sunday 17th September (followed by a chance to see the bells being rung) and we will have the formal dedication of the ring of bells by Bishop Peter on Sunday 12th November at the 6pm Mass (again followed by a chance to see the bells being rung). This will be followed by a parish supper in St Brigid s Hall. As Sunday 12th November was the day already scheduled for the annual visit by the choir from St Francis of Assisi at Paddington the choir will now sing at the 6pm Mass rather than the 10:15am Mass so that we don t have two major events on the same day. Full details about the bells can be found on the parish website by clicking on the hotlink box on the homepage. The St Vincent de Paul Society Annual Winter Appeal will take place next weekend and the weekend after. Envelopes will be available for your contribution.

5 5 A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO MINISTER There is an urgent need for new volunteers to be Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Royal North Shore Hospital. The role of the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion is to bring the Eucharist and power of Christ s presence, prayer, conversation and compassionate presence to Catholic Patients. Currently, there is a committed team who have been dedicated over many years but who are now in urgent need of your help. Do you have a little spare time? Would you like to make a difference? Would you like to meet new people and make new friends? Would you like to support the sick in this very special way? You might be available for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday, once a month or perhaps on a weekday. Training, support & encouragement are offered to volunteers for this special ministry. For more information please contact: Sue May, Administrator for Catholic Volunteer Eucharistic Ministry CatholicCare, Diocese of Broken Bay M: sue.may@dbb.org.au OUR MONTHLY HEALING MASS Our monthly Healing Mass (including the celebration of the Sacrament of the Sick) will take place as usual on the second Friday of the month (THIS Friday 14th July) at 10:00am in our church at Killara. Mass will be followed by morning tea in the (heated) hall. If you or someone you know would like to attend but is unable to get there or needs assistance in travelling please ring Fran Grant who will be happy to organise transport: PETER S PENCE COLLECTION THIS WEEKEND In late June-early July parishes around the world will take up the Peter s Pence Appeal. This Appeal allows the Holy See to carry out its mandate regarding charitable works and structures of mercy. The charitable projects that will directly benefit from the 2017 collection are as follows: Expansion of the Filippo Smaldone Institute for poor and hearing-impaired children in Kigali, Rwanda; Ten scholarships to complete college for young people displaced from Iraqi Kurdistan; Support for the Parish school of the Immaculate Conception of Al Huson in Jordan that welcomes young refugees from Syria; In the Philippines, through the Archdiocese of Manila, the Holy See is funding a twoyear project that allows 1,000 young survivors of Typhoon Yolanda to complete their university studies; Aid for the humanitarian emergency in famine-struck Ethiopia; A reconstruction project for the coastal regions of Ecuador affected by the earthquake; Rebuild homes destroyed by terrorist attacks in Bangladesh; A new cathedral for the faithful of Moroto in Uganda; In support of the children at the Paediatric Hospital in Bangui, Central African Republic; An appeal to alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian People; Tangible support from the Holy See for the First Catholic University in Jordan.

6 6 THE PRAYERS AND RESPONSES OF MASS GLORIA: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. INVITATION TO PRAYER LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST: Celebrant: Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours.. May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise & glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church. SANCTUS: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION: Celebrant: Behold the Lamb of God All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION:

7 THE PSALM PS 144: I will give you glory, O God my King, I will bless your name for ever. I will bless you day after day and praise your name for ever. The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God. The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall and raises all who are bowed down. At Masses at which the Psalm is sung the response is: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom. Alleluia! RESPONSES TO THE PSALM FOR WEEKDAY MASS : Mon: In you, my God, I place my trust. Tues: In my justice, I shall see your face, O Lord. Wed: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Thur: Remember the marvels the Lord has done. Fri: The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Sat: Turn to the Lord in your need and you will live. CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Tues.: Memoria of St Benedict Sat.: Memoria of Saint Bonaventure 7 THE NICENE CREED I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, (all bow at the following words in bold): and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father & the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen Our Parish SCRIPTURE STUDY GROUP meets as usual on the second Wednesday of each month (this Wednesday 12th July) from 10am 11am. The venue is the Library in the Shirley Wallace Parish Centre. It would be helpful to have read John chapter 9.

8 8 GOSPEL REFLECTIONS BY: BERYL CATES LEARNERS IN LIFE It was a heartfelt prayer and something must have given cause for it. Only in St Luke s gospel is it repeated after the 70 disciples returned overjoyed about the success of their first mission. I bless you Father, Lord of Heaven for hiding these things from the learned and clever and revealing them to mere children. God reveals profound truths to mere children rather than the learned and clever? Become like little children and find the Divine in your life? The literalist must hesitate. But Jesus never meant us to be childish. We know children as innocent, appealing and extremely loveable, but they are self seeking, capable of screaming their protest when denied what they want. It takes years of patience, love and discipline to train a child from our creaturely selfcenteredness to living Jesus teaching at his/her level. All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain. But there in the sandpit of Sunday school. Here are the things I learned. Share everything. Play fair. Don t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up our own mess. Don t take things that aren t yours. Say you are sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush (Jesus and the gods of the New Age. - Ross Clifford and Philip Johnson). Few if any excel at living Jesus ideals without stumbling and remorsefully returning to walking in the footsteps of the Master, yet it can seem odd that Jesus said to imitate a beginner in his teachings rather than a committed parent, the first spiritual director a child knows. What Jesus asks is that we emulate children as learners of life and teachable (cf. John: 16:23). Not those in his day who held so rigidly to their religion s time-honoured decrees and traditions they stubbornly had no ears to hear his liberating interpretation of the Torah and tradition. It is possible to hold our beliefs- even in good faith- within a closed circle of long-held concepts and practices, nonviable for renewal and Spirit-led extension (cf.john 16:13). Following centuries of an on and off relationship mainly off science and theology can have a genial compatibility. Both are bringing back to those of us too daunted or ill equipped for such erudite and lofty endeavors, discoveries of creation and our place in it. As the scientist discovers more of the How of creation and our inter-connectedness within it, the theologian insights further the Why for the How. The scientist, unfolding before humankind s astonished eyes more of the cosmos unimaginable vastness, beauty and mystery, squashes many an immature and inadequate concept of its Creator. The theologian, drawn moth-like to the hidden Light of the Creator Spirit insights further the all-pervading Spirit s unalterable Love, gratuitous giving, boundless glory and essential incomprehensibility. The theologian, long aware that everything is as one in God, holds out his hand to the scientist discovering more of the interrelationship of everything in creation, including ourselves. Drawn by the Spirit in their questing; the more they learn, the more their ignorance of the essentially inexplicable whole (Aristotle). Christ is in the Church the same way as the sun is before our eyes. We see the same sun as our fathers saw and yet we understand it in a much more magnificent way (Teilhard de Chardin). Jesus never denigrated the drive, workaday skills and academic achievements of people working in the workaday world, co-operating with the Creator Spirit the progression of our evolving world, and for the theologian, faith is always seeking (continued on page 9):

9 9 (continued from page 8): understanding. Today theology is slowly familiarising itself with.. the achievements of current explorations of the world, of life and of the cosmos itself it is beginning to learn a new language, one more worthy of the limitless mystery it serves ( Tony Kelly CSsR: An Expanding Theology ). The Church is always in need of reform, renewal and interior conversion (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council: Decree on Ecumenism) and if disruption in the Church was the aftermath of many early Church Councils, probably none was as tumultuous as in the years following Vatican II. It has been said that we are experiencing a greater reformation than the Reformation. We are called to evangelisation, to spread the Good News, and to their credit most do, daily living Jesus love of God and neighbour. But the world-view, religious culture and subjectivity of the people are vastly different when Jesus first revealed his timeless Truths in his culture and commissioned the Laity to mission. In our society a person s religious beliefs are private and today s evangeliser respects them. But should someone, intrigued perhaps by the liturgy in a Catholic funeral, asks us what our religion teaches, how well equipped are we to answer? Are we acquainted enough with the Church reforms and renewal to evoke more interest in the questioner? To join the RCIA? To know what is happening in the Church today it is highly impractical to follow only what is in the secular news media. Prejudice against Christianity, particularly Catholicism in some main news outlets is fierce and relentless, gleefully strident now when the Church is humbled and shamed by its past failures to live the gospel. The thinking person knows to be better versed in Church affairs - he/she needs local or overseas publications by respected, well informed, more balanced writers. It is worth knowing a wide collection of magazines and books is available from the parish library. Christianity is dying, but Christians have never been afraid as it leads to resurrection (Lawrence Freeman OSB, World Community for Christian Meditation). RENOVATIONS & BUILDING MAINTENANCE CHRIS IACONO Parishioner All work large and small Lic 89879c Fully Insured 50 years experience Mobile : Phone : chris.iacono@bigpond.com Comfort Inn North Shore Family owned and professionally operated motel with on-site restaurant Address: 1 Gatacre Avenue, Lane Cove Phone: res@cins.com.au Website: PHYSIOFIT Lindfield Parishioner PHYSIOTHERAPISTS: KERRY WESTON (Bogard) THERESA GUDE Hands on treatment Exercise prescription Exercise classes We are located at 7/345 Pacific Highway, Lindfield 2070 (Scholastic Building) Ph: Mob: kerry@physiofitlindfield.com.au Advertising Space Available Please contact Parish Office at Henry & Gloria Cheung Parishioners Serving the Australian Construction Industry for 30 years UNIVERSAL INSTRUMENTS 326 Pacific Hway, Lindfield NSW 2070 Tel no Fax no E:sales@universalinstruments.com.au

10 常年期第十四主日 9/7/2017 讀經一 ( 看, 你的君王到你這裡來 ; 他是謙遜的 ) 恭讀匝加利亞先知書 9:9-10 上主這樣說 : 熙雍女子, 你應 盡量喜樂! 耶路撒冷女子, 你應該歡 呼! 看, 你的君王來到你這裡 ; 他是 正義的 勝利的 謙遜的, 騎在驢 上, 騎在驢駒上 他要由厄弗辣因, 剷除戰車 ; 從耶路撒冷, 除掉戰馬 ; 作戰的弓箭, 也要被消除 他要向萬 民宣布和平 ; 他的權柄, 由這海到那 海, 從大河直達地極 上主的話 ( 默想片刻 ) 答唱詠詠 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 答 : 我的天主, 我的君王, 我要 世世代代頌揚你, 永遠歌頌你的名 ( 參閱詠 145:1) 或 亞肋路亞 領 : 我的天主, 我的君王, 我要世世 代代頌揚你, 永遠歌頌你的名 上主, 我要每日讚美你, 不斷頌 揚你的名 答 領 : 上主慈悲為懷, 寬宏大方 ; 他常 緩於發怒, 仁愛無量 上主對待 萬有, 溫和善良 ; 對他的受造 物, 仁愛慈祥 答 領 : 上主, 願你的一切受造物稱謝 你 ; 上主, 願你的一切聖徒讚美 你, 宣傳你王國的光榮, 講述你 的威力大能 答 領 : 上主對自己的一切諾言, 信實不 欺 ; 上主對自己的一切受造物, 聖善無比 凡跌倒的, 上主必要 扶持 ; 凡被壓抑的, 上主必使他 們站起來 答 讀經二 ( 如果你們依賴聖神, 去致死 肉性的妄動, 必能生活 ) 10 CHINESE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 恭讀聖保祿宗徒致羅馬人書 8:9,11-13 弟兄姊妹們 : 你們已不屬於肉性, 而是屬於 聖神, 只要天主的聖神, 住在你們 內 誰若沒有基督的聖神, 誰就不 屬於基督 再者, 如果那使耶穌從 死者中復活者的聖神, 住在你們 內, 那麼, 那使基督從死者中復活 的, 也必要藉那住在你們內的聖 神, 使你們有死的身體復活 弟兄們! 這樣看來, 我們並不 欠肉性的債, 以致該隨從肉性生 活 如果你們隨從肉性生活, 必要 死亡 ; 然而, 如果你們依賴聖神, 去致死肉性的妄動, 必能生活 上主的話 ( 默想片刻 ) 福音前歡呼 領 : 亞肋路亞 眾 : 亞肋路亞 領 : 父啊! 天地的主宰! 你將這些 事, 瞞住了智慧和明達的人, 而啟示給小孩子 ( 參閱瑪 11:25) 眾 : 亞肋路亞 福音 ( 我是良善心謙的 ) 恭讀聖瑪竇福音 11:25-30 那時候, 耶穌發言說 : 父 啊! 天地的主宰! 我稱謝你, 因為 你將這些事, 瞞住了智慧和明達的 人, 而啟示給小孩子 是的, 父 啊! 你原來喜歡這樣 我父將一切 交給了我 ; 除了父之外, 沒有人認 識子 ; 除了子, 和子所願意啟示的 人外, 也沒有人認識父 凡勞苦和負重擔的, 你 們都到我面前來 ; 我要使你們 安息 你們背起我的軛, 跟我 學習吧! 因為我是良善心謙 的 這樣, 你們必要找得你們 靈魂的安息, 因為我的軛是柔 和的, 我的擔子是輕鬆的 上主的話 ( 講道後默想片刻 ) 華人天主教會北區中心主日彌撒 12 時, 彌撒後午餐., 餐費 $5.00 牧職修女司徒金美修女聯絡 中心聯絡 Gloria Cheung 聯絡 E :contact@ccc-inc.org.au 主日學 Sunday School, 學校假期期間暫停 在學校假期期間, 9/7 午餐暫停供應, 加拿大程明聰神父雪梨之旅 Fr. Francis Ching, Companions of the Cross 6/7-16/7 Theme 主題 : 1) Amoris Laetitia. 教宗方濟各 愛的喜樂 勸諭 2) Evangelization in a community 團體內的福傳 3) The messages of Fatima, being the 100 anniversary of Mary's apparition 花地瑪的訊息花地瑪聖母顯現 100 週年 歡迎程明聰神父聚餐 9 th July Sunday 5:30 pm 依士活百 福酒家, 餐劵每位 $ /7 星期日北區活動 12 noon: 程明聰神父粤語主日彌 撒 彌撒後與程神父午餐聚會, 歡迎 各教友參加, 餐費 $5.00 午餐後., 2:00pm 講座, 歡迎各教友參加. 主題 : [ 有效的福傳和領導能力 ]

11 (continued from page 12): disconnecting our phone, & turning off every information gadget that we own. For the next 29 hours we don t receive any calls & we don t make any. We are on a cyber-fast, non-contactable, off the wheel, unavailable. At 9:00pm on Monday night we end our Sabbath as we began it, symbolically: we break our cyber-fast & fire up again our phones & our computers & begin answering our messages. We get back on the wheel for another week. Sometimes making ourselves unavailable like this irritates our families & friends, but if we are to celebrate Sabbath, given our pressured lives, this pulling away is the most important single thing that we have to do. It s either that or working 7 days a week! 11 When I was young both our churches and our culture still took the concept of Sabbath (for Christians, especially the idea of not working on Sunday) more seriously. A popular question was always: what are you allowed to do on a Sunday and what are you not allowed to do? Mostly this focused on different kinds of physical labour: may you work in your garden on a Sunday? May you harvest your apples tree on a Sunday? Today, I worry less about gardening or picking apples on a Sunday. The more important issue is: can we step off the treadmill of phones and computers on Sundays and be genuinely available to celebrate Sabbath? Sabbath, as Wayne Muller tells us,* is time off the wheel, time when we take our hand from the plough and let God and the earth care of things, while we drink, if only for a few moments, for the fountain of rest and delight. Today that plough looks a lot like a mobile phone or a computer. Centuries ago, the mystic poet, Rumi, wrote: I have lived too long where I can be reached! Haven t we all! Fr Ron Rolheiser omi, from the website of the Centre for Liturgy, University of St Louis Address: 319 Pacific Highway, North Sydney, NSW King Street, Newton 6 Pitt Street Parramatta Phone: / FAX: W: E: wnbull@wnbull.com.au Member of Australian Funeral Directors Association Lindfield Dental Practice Dr Peter Chung DDS, MDS, PhD Clinical Assoc Professor Open: Mon-Sat P: Suite 1, 345 Pacific Highway (Scholastic Bldg) Next to Lindfield Medical Practice Lord, in Jesus your Son, you restored to us the gift of everlasting life. Grant that life to: Please pray for Eileen Lyons, who died on Wednesday. For details of the Funeral Mass, which will be celebrated at Holy Family Lindfield, see the Stop Press section of the parish website under News and Events. Recently deceased: Alan Betts. Anniversary: Ray Jones. And for: Marion Grace Blayney, George Joseph Blayney. Please pray for those who are sick : Eileen Lyons, Fr Franciscus Choi, Ken Kan, Paddy Nolan, Gizelle Tan, Basilisa Choi, Cyril Ferriere, Br Braden, Brian Couper, Kieran Norton, Sean Maguire, Pakie Maguire, Naneth Bernado, Marjorie Simpkins, Michael Swan.

12 12 REFLECTING ON THIS SUNDAY S SCRIPTURES.. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. (Second Reading) THE DEMANDS OF PHONES AND COMPUTERS A comedian recently quipped that today s information technologies have effectively rendered a number of things obsolete, most notably phone-books and human courtesy. That s also true for human rest. Today s information technologies (the internet, , software programs like Facebook, mobile phones, Iphones, pocket computers, and the like) have made us the most informed, efficient, and communicative people ever. We now have the capability, all day, every day, of accessing world events, world news, whole libraries of information, and detailed accounts of what our families and friends are doing at any moment. That s the positive side of the equation. Less wonderful is what this is doing to our lives, how it is changing our expectations, and robbing us of the simple capacity to stop, shut off the machines, and rest. As we get wrapped up more and more in mobile phones, texting, , Facebook, and the internet in general, we are beginning to live with the expectation that we must be attentive all the time to everything that s happening in the world and within the lives of our families and friends. The spoken and unspoken expectation is that we be available always and so too others. We used to send each other notes and letters and expect a reply within days, weeks, or months. Now the expectation for a reply is minutes or hours, and we feel impatient with others when this expectation is not met and guilty inside of ourselves when we can t meet it. And so we are, daily, becoming more enslaved to and more compulsive in our use of mobile phones and the internet. For many of us it is now existentially impossible to take off a day, let alone several weeks off, and be on a genuine holiday or vacation. Rather the pressure is on us to constantly check for texts, s, phone messages, and the like; and the expectation from our families, friends, and colleagues is precisely that we are checking these regularly. The sin-du-jour is to be, at any time, unavailable, unreachable, or non-communicative. But the rhythm of time as God designed it is meant to give us, regularly, weekly, some time off the wheel, some Sabbath-time when ordinary life, ordinary pressures, ordinary work, and ordinary expectations are bracketed and we give ourselves permission to stop, to shut things down, and to rest. Today, nowhere is this more appropriate and urgent than in regards to our use of phones, notebooks, and computers. They, more than anything else, constitute regular time, servile work, and the occupations and preoccupations from which the commandment to keep holy the Sabbath ask us to refrain. I know a woman who works for her church, as does her husband. Since they are both in ministry, they need to work on Sunday mornings and often into the afternoon as well. So they begin celebrating the Sabbath late afternoon on Sunday. Here is how she describes what they do: We start our celebration of the Sabbath at 4:00 PM on Sunday and we begin it symbolically by unplugging our computers, turning off our mobile phones, (continued on page 11 )