Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Greetings to you all!
This reflection is taken from Fr. Richard Rohr’s book “Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent.”
“Come, Lord Jesus,” the Advent mantra, means that all of Christian history has to live out of a kind of deliberate emptiness, a kind of chosen non-fulfilment. Perfect fullness is always to come, and we do not need to demand it now. This keeps the field of life wide open and especially open to grace and to a future created by God rather than ourselves. This is exactly what it means to be “awake,” as the Gospel urges us! We can also use other a word for Advent: aware, alive, attentive, alert, awake are all appropriate! Advent is, above all else, a call to full consciousness and a forewarning about the high price of consciousness.
When we demand satisfaction of one another, when we demand any completion to history on our terms, when we demand that our anxiety or any dissatisfaction be taken away, saying as it were, “Why weren’t you this for me? Why didn’t life do that for me?” we are refusing to say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” We are refusing to hold out for the full picture that is always given by God.
“Come, Lord Jesus” is a leap into the kind of freedom and surrender that is rightly called the virtue of hope. The theological virtue of hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without closure, without resolution, and still be content and even happy because our Satisfaction is now at another level, and our Source is beyond ourselves. We are able to trust that he will come again, just as Jesus has come into our past, into our private dilemmas and into our suffering world. Our Christian past then becomes our Christian prologue, and “Come, Lord Jesus” is not a cry of desperation but an assured shout of cosmic hope.
Kindly reflect during this time: What expectations and demands of life can you let go of so that you can be more prepared for the coming of Jesus?
A further opportunity for reflection is presented in the story of “Mary’s Dream”, which the late Father John Archbold OMI shared with us some years ago. Please click here to read it.
Fr. John Sebastian OMI
Rector & Parish Priest
The weekend eBulletin
Click here to download the eBulletin for the First Sunday of Advent Year A.
Parish Morning Tea
In December there will be two parish morning teas. The first being on Sunday 4th December and the last morning tea being the Christmas and end of year morning tea on Sunday 18 December. Both morning teas are held after the 8am Mass in the Presbytery Carport. 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. The Next Senior’s Morning Tea will be held on Monday 19December, 10am in the Parish Centre.
Christmas Biscuit Baking for Prison
We are urgently seeking more bakers to assist with baking biscuits for the women’s prison for Christmas. If you would like to assist, please leave your details with the parish office and we will send you the information sheet and delivery date of biscuits.
November Mass Offering Envelopes
November is the month when we remember our deceased family and friends by offering a Mass for them. Envelopes are on the pews and in the side foyers of the Church and the Parish Office. Envelopes can be placed on the collection plate or handed to the Parish Office.
Advent Retreat 2022
Advent can be a time of waiting with joyful excitement and intense anticipation, knowing that in a few short weeks two thousand years ago Jesus, the Word become a human being, will be born. Not as a prince to a royal family but to poor Jewish parents in a stable among domesticated animals.
This Advent journey is best experienced over the four weeks, however if you cannot attend all four weeks you are welcome to attend when you can. We will be using some of the meditation practices based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
John Auer will be the retreat leader who has been leading retreats nearly two decades, in Australia and in England. He is also a member of a CLC group using Ignatian prayer practices, meeting fortnightly in Claremont.
The retreat starts on Mondays 28th November and thereafter on 5th, 12th, and 19th December at 6pm at St. Patrick’s Basilica Fremantle Parish Centre. There is no charge.
To register your interest: call the parish office on 9335 2268 Mon to Fri 9am to 3pm or email parishoffice2@iinet.net.au.
Handel’s Messiah Concert
Handel’s great Christmas oratorio will be performed in Baroque style by the exclusive Perth Chamber Singers in the beautiful stone Basilica of St Patrick, Fremantle. Paul Wright will expertly lead the Perth Baroque Players, and esteemed choral specialist Margaret Pride will conduct the full ensemble with elegance and brilliance. Solos will be sung by members of the chamber choir who are young and upcoming professional vocalists, as was the custom during Handel’s time. This will be Perth’s first fully professional Christmas performance of Messiah. It promises to be a musically scintillating performance as well as a moving Christmas and spiritual experience.
DATE: Friday 23 December 2022 7:30 PM
TICKETS: $15-$89
BOOKINGS: www.trybooking.com/CCZQQ
ENQUIRIES: mcalyn@it.net.au
St John’s Advent Carol Service
Parishioners are invited to attend the St John’s Advent Carol Service on Sunday 27 November at 7pm at St John’s Anglican Church, Fremantle.
Christmas Carols by Candlelight in the Basilica
Come along and enjoy an evening of music and carols in the Basilica on Friday 16 December at 7.30pm with Andrew Brown (organist), Emma Oorschot (conductor) the Choir of St Elizabeth and the Basilica Cantors. Entry by donation. All Welcome.
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 52%.
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 27 November: First Sunday in Advent.
Monday 28 November: Parish Advent Program Begins; Fr John Archbold’s Funeral.
Thursday 1 December: St Patrick’s Community Support Centre 50th Anniversary.
Friday 2 December: CBC Final Mass in Basilica.
Saturday 3 December: Catechism Class First Communion.
Sunday 4 December: Parish Morning Tea.
Friday 9 December: SPPS Graduation Mass.
Friday 16 December: Carols by Candlelight in the Basilica.
Wednesday 21 December: 2nd Rite of Reconciliation.
Friday 23 December: Handel’s Messiah Concert in Basilica.