Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Greetings to you all!
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is found only in the gospel of Luke. This parable of Jesus is the continuation from the parable of the unjust steward, in which the master appreciated the astuteness of his steward and finished the parable with a profound teaching, ‘You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’ But the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him” (Lk16:14). So, Jesus told them this parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which indeed is directed at them.
In this parable, the rich man who feasted everyday did not have a name, whereas the poor man, who was covered with sores, and longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table had a name: Lazarus. One may ask why Lazarus and not the rich man? We cannot say for certain; but Lazarus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name, Eleazar, which means, “God is my help.” And the name may well be to emphasize the truth that even if the poor righteous man has no other helper, God is his help. It is also interesting to note that this is the only one of Jesus’ parables where any of the characters is given a proper name.
William Barclay, in his book “The parables of Jesus” says that this parable makes it clear that a man will get what he wants but that he must pay the price for getting it. Abraham said to the rich man, “You chose to set your heart on worldly things; now you must pay the price. “On the other hand, Lazarus had set his hope and thought on God, as his very name shows; now he will have his reward. We can get anything in this world if we are ready to pay the price for it, but in the end, there are certain things which cost too much. George Macdonald tells of a village draper who grew rich by always keeping his thumb on the measure and giving his customers just a fraction too little. He says of him, “He took from his soul and put it in his sillier bag” He certainly grew rich, but it was at the expense of his soul. It is as if God said to us in this world, “You can have whatever you want,”‘ and our choice in itself led in the end to heaven or hell.”
So, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus sends out a clear message to all of us who follow Jesus. How do I deal with the blessings and the riches of my life? Do I invest it in temporary happiness, or do I invest it in lasting happiness? The choice is in each one’s hands. Amen.
Fr. John Sebastian OMI
Rector & Parish Priest
The weekend eBulletin
Click here to download the ebulletins for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.
Parish Morning Tea
Please join us on the First Sunday of every month after the 8am Mass for our Parish Morning Tea. The next morning tea will be on Sunday 9th October after the 8am Mass All Welcome.
Monthly Senior’s Morning Tea
Monthly Senior’s Morning Tea is a special parish initiative to bring our seniors together to share a cuppa and a chat. The Senior’s morning tea is held every third Monday of each month in the Parish Hall from 10am to 11am. The Next Senior’s Morning Tea will be held on Monday 17 October at 10am in the Presbytery Carport.
The Ursulines 70th Anniversary Celebrations
You are warmly invited to help us celebrate the gift of 70 years of Ursuline presence in Western Australia. Anniversary celebrations will commence at 6pm Mass on Saturday 22nd October 2022 and will be followed by a light supper together in the Parish Hall. Please let anyone associated with the Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart know about this special 70th celebration. All welcome. RSVP by 15th October for catering purposes – to Sr. Lynn (0403860639) or the Parish Office (93352268).
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults is a wonderful opportunity for those who seek to embrace the faith of the Catholic Church and a great avenue for those who wish to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ.
If you know anyone willing to take up this journey, please encourage them to come for the information evening on 19th October 2022 at 7pm, in the Parish Centre. For further information please contact the Parish Office, Mon to Fri 9am to 3pm on 9335 2268.
Triduum for the Blessing of the Fleet.
On Tuesday 18th to Thursday 20st October Fr. Giancarlo Iollo OMI will lead the Triduum Mass in Italian at 7.30pm to pray and to prepare ourselves to celebrate the Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday 23rd October.
Blessing of the Fleet: Mass and procession
Mass and procession for the Blessing of the Fleet will be held on Sunday 23 October at 9.30am, Monsignor Michael Keating, will lead the Italian Mass, for the Blessing of the Fleet.
The procession will start at 2pm, from the Basilica of St. Patrick and go to the fishing harbour through the streets of Fremantle, to bless the boats and pray for the safety of the fishermen and for a good harvest from the sea. It will be followed by Benediction at the Basilica. Please come along to celebrate this long-standing tradition of our Fremantle community.
Please note that evening Mass for this Sunday will be held at 6pm.
Parish Office Opening Hours Next Week
Please note the change in office hours for next week.
Monday 26th September: Closed
Tuesday 27th September: Open 9am to 3pm
Wednesday 28th September: Closed
Thursday 29th September: Open 9am to 3pm
Friday 30th September: Open 9am to 3pm
Parish Centre Toilets
Over the past few weeks, we have had some issues with the toilets and access to the toilet area. During the week if you wish to use the toilets and they are locked, please call into the parish office, and ask for them to be opened. On the Weekends the toilets will only be opened before Masses. Thank you.
Planned Giving
The Planned Giving Programme is an important part of the Parish and assists us to maintain all aspects of the Basilica, Presbytery and Parish Administration Centre. To keep the Parish viable, we must maintain a target of 95% and above each week. Last week giving was 48%.
Please consider joining the Planned Giving Programme. For more information contact the Parish Office. Thank you!
EFT First Collection Details
BSB: 086 006
A/c No: 56187 5405
Reference: 1st Collection and your name
First Collection supports the Priests.
EFT Second Collection Details
BSB: 066 107
A/c No: 0080 0216
Reference: 2nd Collection and your name
Second Collection supports the Parish.
Regarding Masks
Masks are not mandatory; however, masks are encouraged where physical distancing is not possible if you have cold & flu symptoms, or you wish to safeguard yourself from the COVID-19 virus.
Safeguarding of our children in the Parish
The Archdiocesan Safeguarding Project was started in 2016 by Archbishop Timothy Costello SDB with the aim of providing a safe and secure environment for all its members, leaders and especially children and vulnerable adults. The parish of St Patrick’s Basilica is committed to creating a safe parish. To read more please click here.
Upcoming Events
Sunday 25 September: Migrant and Refugee Sunday.
Monday 26 September: King’s Birthday Public Holiday.
Thursday 29 September: Fr Giancarlo Iollo OMI Anniversary of Ordination.
Thursday 13 October: IONA Graduation Mass.
Tuesday 18 October to Thursday 20 October: Blessing of the Fleet Triduum.
Friday 21 October: CBC Graduation Mass.
Saturday 22 October: Ursuline Sister’s 70th Anniversary.
Sunday 23 October: Blessing of the Fleet Mass, Procession and Benediction.