Third Sunday of Advent. Parish Christmas Morning Tea. & Cake Stall. After both the 8am and 10am Mass this weekend. Parish Christmas Cards

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1 10 th / 11 th December 2016 Vol. 35 No. 3 Parish Christmas Morning Tea The joy that is such a distinctive feature of the Advent season comes to the fore on this third Sunday. This is evident in the rose coloured vestments. It is certainly manifest in the word of God. Isaiah s joyous vision of a new creation is echoed in Jesus response to the disciples of John the Baptist the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor. The dream of a world in which all life human and creaturely can flourish without defect or diminishment has powerful appeal. It captures the imaginations and orients our energies. Equally it exposes our lesser desire for what they are full of false promise. At a time of the year when many people are frantically busy with end-of-year functions, Christmas parties, gift shopping, and preparing for Christmas dinners and summer holidays, the letter writer James calls for patience. We cannot hurry the harvest of God s realm; it is in God s good hands. & Cake Stall After both the 8am and 10am Mass this weekend. Last year your contributions from the sale of cakes were allotted to the Society of St Vincent De Paul Society s St George s Conference, in Kerala, India, which is a twin conference of our Woodlands conference. This year we propose to send collections from the sale of cakes to the Dominican missions in the Solomon Islands. It will be a very fitting way for our Parish to conclude the celebration of the 800 years Dominican Jubilee. Parish Christmas Cards As in previous years, we would like to have a Parish Christmas card delivered to every home in the Parish. To make this happen we need your help! Please take the bundle of cards relevant to your street and streets near you, and distribute them to your neighbours

2 A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else? Jesus answered, Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good news is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me. As the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear find clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepared your way before you. I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. Commentary on the Gospel Once more the gospel draws attention to the figure of John the Baptist. This time he is presented not so much in his own right as in relationship to Jesus. We see him, as it were, through the prism of Jesus words. There is a certain ambiguity in the gospels portrayal of the Baptist. This is brought home forcefully in the last verse: John is greater than all the children born of women but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. This is not easy to interpret. One factor influencing the gospel writers may have been that there were still followers of the Baptist who had not transferred their allegiance to Jesus. This situation could have led them to stress the secondary nature of John s role, he was the messenger, not the Messiah. Even though in this passage Jesus speaks at some length about his cousin, the real focus of the passage is on Jesus himself. His powerful ministries of healing and preaching are presented as the fulfillment of Isaiah s oracle. They are signs that a new age has been inaugurated in the person of Jesus. Vinnie s Christmas Hampers Thank you for returning your basket and for your generous support. Christmas Cards The St Vincent de Paul Society Christmas cards will be on sale after each Mass this weekend. Pack of 5 for $2.50 Pack of 8 for $4.00 Christmas Timetable Reconciliation: 17 th Dec: 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm 24 th Dec: 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm Mass: Christmas Eve: Christmas Carols: Family Mass: Christmas Carols: Vigil Mass: Christmas Day: 8:00 am & 10:00 am Choir Practice Choir practice for the Christmas Vigil Mass is at 7:30 pm on Tuesdays. 5:45 pm 6:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm Columban Art Calendar You can buy your 2017 Columban Calendar after the 8 am & 10 am Mass this weekend. Holiday Office Hours Please note that the office will be closed from Friday 24 th December to Tuesday 10 th January.

3 The Record Movie Review: Trolls offers movie magic for the whole family to enjoy 2017 Sacramental Program The Parish family based program covers the sacraments of Confirmation, First Eucharist and Reconciliation. The dates are: Parent Information & Registration (in the church): 15th March 2017 at 7.30 pm By Daniele Foti-Cuzzola Boasting stunning visuals, a toe-tapping soundtrack and the voices of some of Hollywood s A-list, including Pitch Perfect s Anna Kendrick and pop star Justin Timberlake, Trolls is a light-hearted movie that the whole family will enjoy. The film transports viewers to the colourful and delightful land of Troll Village, where trolls happily sing, dance and hug till their hearts are content. But on the eve of their biggest party to date, the trolls are invaded by the evil Bergens; a grotesque looking species, who believe their only way to ever experience happiness is by eating a troll. After her friends and family have been kidnapped, the optimistic Princess Poppy (Kendrick), teams up with the reluctant Branch (Timberlake) to save her kingdom, her friends and her family. From the opening scene, Trolls will captivate viewers of all ages. Nevertheless, the film is not without its sincere moments. The standout sequence is when Timberlake s Branch sings a cover of Cyndi Lauper s True Colours to reignite Poppy s optimistic spark. Timberlake s soulful crooning, combined with the animation makes it an utterly heartfelt moment that packs a heavy emotional punch. Trolls also features a number of renditions of other classic songs including hilarious covers of Lionel Richie s Hello and Simon & Garfunkel s The Sound of Silence. The film is a jukebox musical in lieu of Moulin Rouge! and Happy Feet, in that it uses pre-existing pop songs in the context of the story. Yet it also features several original songs, including the global smash Can t Stop The Feeling, which Timberlake wrote specifically for the film. The infectious tune and uplifting scene will have you tapping your feet and grinning from ear to ear. (To read the complete review go to Confirmation 10th June 6p.m. Mass or 11th June 10 a.m. Mass First Eucharist 9th September 6 p.m. Mass or 10th September 10 a.m. Mass Reconciliation 21st October 5 p.m. or 28th October 5 p.m. For further information contact Kaye Shervington on Kids Corner For full colour images & other news go to the Parish website:

4 \ Entrance Antiphon Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near. First reading: Isaiah 35;1-6, 10 (God himself will come and save us.) Responsorial Psalm: Lord, come and save us. Second Reading: James 5:7-10 (You also must be patient; do not lose heart, the Lord s coming will be soon.) Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he sent me to bring Good News to the poor. Alleluia! Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11 (Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?) Next Week Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24 Rosary Care Short Term Assistance (Brochure available on notice board) Phone: Doris or Catherine Prayers for the sick Barbara Antonetti, Aiden Blechynden, Justin Boylan, Gerard Callaghan, Kit Doran, Rebecca Fry, Megan Garner, Ron Harland, Barbara Hickey, Chiing Ing &Yanni, Barry Johnston, David Kenny, Evonne Le Broy, Ray Marinko, Joan Meade, Norm Macaulay, Fr Aquinas McComb OP, Fr. Bernie Maxwell OP, Kathleen O Reilly, Rebekah Rowe, Henry Porter, Sue Prosser, Alice Ralph, Ken Ryan, Anthony Samy, Anne Tan, Julie-Anne Taylor, Di Watts, Jenny Zorich To Be Remembered Mary Burns, Helen Borg, Bernard Clear, Dario Colotti, Irene Dorman, Les Furlong, Peter J Kenny, Michelle Lukey, Lira Moniz, Mons O Shea, Cecil H Pearce, Noreen Rigg, Tom Ryan, Ron Stewart, Caterina Tassone, May they rest in peace. ROSTERS: 10 th / 11 th December Fourth Sunday of Advent 17 th / 18 th December Readers: Acolytes: EMHCs: Power Point: Music: Tony Curry Miranda Hickey & Laraine Penberthy Anne-Laure Gunson-Bouillet & Terese Johnston Michael Gillooly Peter Gillett & John Mordini Pat Kirwan & Kevin Susai Teresa & Bern Willett, Tony Wong Cathy Bostock, Ann Bucat, Lina Vinci Pat Cullinane, John Hayes, Sr Imelda Doris Zambonetti Terry Lark Andy Sambuaga Lexi Wilkinson Julie Prior Maureen Byrne Tim Kelleher & Dorothy Johnston Marian Bishopp & Laurie Conroy Brian Gotts Michael Gillooly & Gordon Kendall Peter Gillett & John Mordini Teresa & Bern Willett, Tony Wong Ann Bucat, Elizabeth Re, Paul Slyth Pat Cullinane, Claudette De Silva, John Hayes, Nicole Drinkwater Doris Zambonetti Simon Wong Carmel Charlton Giuliano Vinci Julie Prior Counters: Frank McCabe, Terry Lark, Bob Stidwell Johnston Family & Judy Clear Altar Society: Children s Liturgy: Pilgrim Statue: Valerie Rosser, Pauline Kirwan, Lina Vinci (16 th December) Carlie Patricia & Frank Malone Marian Fergusson, Mary Slyth, Sonia Tanham (23 rd December) Carlie Rosemary & Mark Ledger

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