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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