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Saturday 1 October 2022

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Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Greetings to you all!

All three readings today speak a lot about “faith” and how it works in our lives. The first reading taken from the book of Habakkuk defines Faith “as trusting in God and living with fidelity to the Covenant”.

Habakkuk was a minor prophet. He lived during the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. He encouraged his fellow Jews to retain their Faith during this disaster. The first two chapters of the book of Habakkuk are in the form of a dialogue between the prophet and God. The prophet repeatedly complains, and the Lord answers each time. 

Around 600 BC, God’s people had been unfaithful, and, as a deserved punishment for their sins, they were invaded by Babylon. What distressed the prophet was that Judah’s punishment came at the hands of brutal pagans who were overly aggressive. It looked as if bad were being punished by worse. 

To Habakkuk, it seemed that the Lord God was strengthening the arm of injustice instead of punishing the excesses of His people’s enemy. He saw this as unworthy of God’s holiness and justice. Hence, the prophet cried out to God, “How long, Lord, am I to cry for help while you will not listen?  I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’–Yet you do not save.”   But God told His prophet to trust in Him, to persevere and to be patient, because He was aware of both the goodness of the good people and the evil they fought against.  

The reading concludes with the positive answer from God: “The just man, because of faith, shall live” [Hb 2:4; Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38].  This means that the righteous, or just one, is steadfast in faithfulness, even in the midst of violence and destruction, and this faithfulness assures life. Faith here is not simply assent to a series of doctrines, but includes trust, with a steadfast expectation of release in the face of suffering and delay. 

The just man lives because he keeps his relationship with God.  The word “Faith” (Emunah) used here refers to a living Faith, a Faith expressed in actions, a Faith with works (James. 2:17, 26).  Therefore, it can only be concluded that faith without works is indeed dead. “Faith is composed of belief and love as well as of trust and confidence amid trials and tribulations” (The Jerome Biblical Commentary, page 297, # 39, 4b).

In the gospel we see Jesus used the parables of the mustard seed and the good servant to help them understand the need for strong Faith. “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you. By saying this Jesus wanted to emphasize thelimitless possibilities of faith and that too, with a faith the size of a mustard seed.

When we are facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, we are called to turn our eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith. 

If we have faith like that of a mustard seed every problem of evil: suffering, misery, frustrations, fear, oppression, and injustice can be overcome. 

With faith, we may not be able to literally move mountains, but we will have power to overcome obstacles, to do great things for the glory of God and the world.

When Jesus compares the faith to the tiny seed, it only means that the power of a seed does not depend on its size, but on the life hidden within itself. 

So let us turn to trust in God and develop a deep bond with Christ so that we can overcome all our afflictions in our life, with the strong faith we have. 

Fr. John Sebastian OMI
Rector & Parish Priest

The weekend eBulletin

Click here to download the eBulletin for the 27th 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.

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.

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).

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 24th 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 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 56%.

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

Thursday 13 October: IONA Graduation Mass.

Sunday 16 October: SPPS Family Mass.

Monday 17 October to Thursday 20 October: Aquinas Retreats.

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.