My Dear Parishioner,

This week we saw some lifting of restrictions and so we feel hopeful that we will be able to open our churches soon, although we have not had any news about this as yet. When we do open, I don’t know if we will all have to be vaccinated in order to attend Mass. This is something to think about. Have you been vaccinated yet? I urge you to book your vaccination if you have not done so already.

I read a lovely quote from Pope Francis recently “Never lose hope, continue to believe always in spite of everything. Hope opens new horizons, making us capable of dreaming what is not even imaginable.” We hope for a united Parish Worshiping Community returning to celebrating together.

This Sunday is Migrant and Refuge Sunday. Many of us would know what it feels like to have left behind our homeland, family and friends to make Australia our home. This would probably have been our own choice, but it was still a difficult decision. I wonder what it would be like for many people fleeing a war-torn country and feeling so desperate they would be prepared to settle anywhere else in the world, just to feel safe. Let us think about all these people who have come to our country under difficult circumstances and let us try to be inclusive and welcoming to all, no matter their race or creed.

We think about Safeguarding for the last week of September, it is up to all of us to ensure that children and vulnerable adults feel safe in our Parishes and wider community. How can we be proactive in this? How do you think we help our young people to feel that their voices are heard?

Fr. Shiju and I were attending a Retreat on Zoom from last Monday to Thursday from India. It was a retreat for the Priests. There were 160 Priests and three bishops. We know all of them personally. It was a rich experience to see our friends on Zoom.

October is the month of the Rosary; Pope Francis has asked us to pray this Prayer in unity with him for the whole world and the pandemic. Our Parish will begin saying the Rosary on Friday 1^st October and we will be doing this via Zoom. Please look on the website for the links to this.

As I mentioned last week many of our parishioners are in need of prayers. There are a number of people recovering from surgery, chemotherapy, and physio. Some are in hospitals and rehab. Let us remember all the sick members of our parish in our prayers. Please contact Fr Shiju or myself if you need any pastoral care.

God Bless you all,

Fr Satheesh

SEASON OF CREATION

Twice in today’s Gospel Jesus refers to the everlasting fire of hell. Better to lose a hand or an eye than endure that, he says, making some dramatic points about sin and sacrifice.

At this moment in human history Jesus’ choice of imagery and his message about dramatic action are especially pertinent. As Pope Francis declares in his encyclical Laudato Si’, climate change is an imminent threat to our world. For Christians, this raises two issues directly relevant to this passage from Mark.

On the one hand, we have a duty to protect ourselves and each other from catastrophe by checking our own sinful behaviours and habits. We should seriously consider what we can do to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels through personal usage, investment options, and political choices. We cannot dodge responsibility on this issue. Our faith demands action.

On the other hand, we also have a duty to find common cause with everyone else who shares this concern. Pope Francis encourages us to work with people of other religions ‘for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity’. When it comes to protecting our common home, ‘Anyone who is not against us is for us. (Nick Brodie)

(Season CREATION by Nick Brodi)