Parish Bulletin
St Mary’s Parish Prayer
God our Father, as we thank you for the blessings, we ask you to bless this Parish of yours, so that
we may love you more.
Encircle our families with your loving care.
Help parents to be good examples to their
children and our youth to grow in strength as good Christians.
To the sick grant health, to the aged bring serenity and to those in sorrow, joy.
May we grow stronger in faith and may
our love for one another become deeper
in our daily living.
We make this through the intercession of our Mother Mary. Amen
Paris Office Hours
Tuesday 9.00am - 3.00pm Thursday 9.00am - 3.00pm
Weekend Mass Times
Saturday Vigil 6.30pm Sunday 10am
Reconciliation
Saturday 10.30am - 11am
Weekday Mass Times
Wednesday 22nd August - 6.00pm
Thursday 23rd August - 10.30am - Rodney Park, All Welcome.
On the Lighter Side
There is nothing permanent except change.
Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.
Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is
definitely optional.
If you think education is expensive, try
ignorance.
Experience is that marvellous thing that enables you to recognise a mistake when you make it again.
Words of Pope Francis
The gift of discernment has become all the more necessary today, since contemporary life offers immense possibilities for action and distraction, and the world presents all of them as valid and good. All of us, but especially the young, are immersed in a culture of zapping. We can navigate simultaneously on two or more screens and interact at the same time with two or three virtual scenarios. Without the wisdom of discernment, we can easily become prey to every passing trend. Pope Francis, Gaudete Et Exsultate (2018) para 167
Focus on the Readings
To our ears the words of today’s Gospel are very “eucharistic” and therefore familiar and quite acceptable to us. But for the listeners of the day, unfamiliar with the Eucharist and sacrament language it was quite puzzling, unacceptable and even repulsive. John notes that many stop following him at this point. The people complained and liked to argue. The intellectual argument was going nowhere, so Jesus simply reiterated his teaching more forcibly. Repetition was an effective teaching tool.
The passage today not only refers to the future eucharistic sharing but also to the other mysteries of faith: incarnation, death, resurrection and glorification of Christ and in turn of his believers. For they will draw life, eternal life from him. The physical nature of Christ serves to comprehend the divine nature offered to his believers in the post-resurrection era. We are invited to the feast of his resurrected body and blood.
The feast is anticipated in the first reading from the Book of Proverbs. The passage is a segment of a large text that forms a poem. Wisdom says: “Come and eat my bread and drink my wine I have prepared … and you will live forever!”
Plenary Council 2020
Plenary Council Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit of Pentecost.
Come, Holy Spirit of the great South Land.
O God, bless and unite all your people in Australia
and guide us on the pilgrim way of the Plenary Council.
Give us the grace to see your face in one another
and to recognise Jesus, our companion on the road.
Give us the courage to tell our stories
and to speak boldly of your truth.
Give us ears to listen humbly to each other
and a discerning heart to hear what you are saying.
Lead your Church into a hope-filled future,
that we may live the joy of the Gospel.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
bread for the journey from age to age.
Amen.
Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us.
St Mary MacKillop, pray for us.
Undera Church Closure Mass
An invitation is extended to all Parishioners and friends to attend the Mass and closure ceremony on SUNDAY 26th AUGUST at 1 PM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church Undera.
A gathering and afternoon tea will be served
after the Mass, at the Undera Hotel.
All Welcome!
Catholic Mothers of Young Children promo video
We wish to share with you a little promo video we put together about Catholic Mothers of Young Children Shepparton.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FFIpDI5x9Ew6Dk8K6634RzlIgmOP9xMg/view?usp=sharingF
Further enquiries to Katie Mills .
Catholic Mothers of Young Children Shepparton.
Assumption Mass Thank you
Congratulations and thank you to the children from Grades 3-6 for their participation, prayerfulness and beautiful singing shared with
Parishioners at the Feast of the
Assumption Mass. A special ‘thank you’ to Mrs Lee the St. Mary’s REC for all the work put in to make this such a special occasion.
Refugee & Migrant Sunday
SUNDAY 26th AUGUST is designated by our Bishops as a time to focus on the issues of migration and seeking refuge.
With people seeking asylum and refugee status a continuing topic in our news, and a cause of great division among Australians, and globally, this is a wonderful opportunity to spend time in prayer and reflection on the issue. Pope Francis provides plenty of food for thought in his Message for this day. Referring to “every person forced to leave their homeland” Francis says “our shared response may be articulated by four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate”.
These four verbs provide the theme for this year’s World Day of Migrants & Refugees: WELCOMING,
PROTECTING, PROMOTING & INTEGRATING
MIGRANTS & REFUGEES
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