Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Greetings to you all!
Second Sunday of Lent: Year C
Lent is a time given to us by the church to go into the depths of our faith journey. Every day each one faces different challenges in his or her life but what sustains us at the end is our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” (Lk 17:6). We should never underestimate one’s faith in Christ Jesus because it can do marvelous thing to make one’s life so great.
God made a pact with Abram (who later became Abraham) that his descendants would be as stars of the sky. As you know when God made this pact with Abram, he was well advanced in age and his wife Sarah too, yet he believed in the promise of God. This promise of God was ratified with a solemn pact, as was then the custom, God pledging his word with his life.
As you would know from your knowledge of scripture, when Abram was asked to leave his familiar shore he obeyed God without asking for any clarification. But I do not think it would be the same if you and I encountered a similar situation. I am sure we may ask for more information and clarity about the plan that is given to us, but it was not so in the life of Abram. In fact, Abram had a very limited knowledge of God. He had a vague idea that he was God of the whole world for he could dispose of any part of it as he wished and that he was interested in the welfare of all people for he was using Abram as the means through which he would bless all nations. Yet Abram believed God’s promise and continued to believe it even when its fulfilment was postponed for years.
So, Abram is a wonderful role model for all of us even after 2000 years, who truly trusted in the Lord’s promise even when its result was not near at hand. Today we all live in a world of immediacy, as a result we lose our patience when our needs are not granted by God.
Lent is a time to be patient with God and oneself. No one achieves a great result in a day or so, but it involves a great amount of patience and trust in God and oneself. So, these days of our Lenten journey prepare us to deepen our faith in God and trust in God. That whatever I trust in God, is going to happen in my life. Amen
The weekend’s bulletin
Click here to download the ebulletins for the Second Sunday in Lent Year C
Project Compassion for 2021
A Special Collection for Project Compassion will be taken up at all Masses during this weekend of 12th and 13th of March 2022.
Donation boxes and weekly offering envelopes for Project Compassion are also still available from the foyers of the Church this weekend. Please donate generously to bring a great change in the lives of those who are in need.
St Patrick’s Day Celebration – Thursday March 17
Please join us on this important day as we celebrate the Feast of our Patron Saint. After the concelebrated Mass at midday in the Basilica there will be a light lunch in the Presbytery Carport. All are welcome to be part of this community occasion and bring along a plate to share.
Stations of the Cross in Lent
During the Lenten season it is a great tradition in the life of the Church to make the Stations of the Cross, and thus unite ourselves with Christ by meditating on His Passion, Death and Resurrection.
So, in our Basilica, on every Friday during Lent we will make the stations of the Cross at 12.30pm. Please join us and make every effort to make this Lent a joyful preparation to celebrate the joy of Easter.
Parish Lenten Retreat 2022
“It was because of love that the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.”
You are invited as part of your Lenten preparation to come together for a series of one-hour prayerful evenings (we will be using some of the meditation exercises from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola as our guide for the journey) where we will journey with Jesus Christ through his life to his death and resurrection.
The first series of talks began on Monday 14 March, and are continuing every Monday for five weeks (21,28 March, 4 & 11 April) in the Parish Centre at 6pm.
To register your interest please contact the Parish Office on 9335 2268, Mon to Fri 9am to 3pm or via email parishoffice@oblates.com.au.
The journey is best experienced over the five weeks, however if you cannot attend all five weeks you are still welcome to be part of the journey.
Interim Music Co-ordinator
I wish to advise that Alessandro Pittorino, Interim Music Co Ordinator and Organist to the Basilica has resigned from his position. I can ensure that we have organists and cantors in place to ensure that the music continues in the Basilica for all Masses. It has been a difficult time and I hope that you can all keep me in your prayers.
Prayer of Consecration for Ukraine
We turn to you, Lord Jesus Christ, Word of God made flesh for us, and we entrust the people of Ukraine to you who once said to your disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). Hear the cry of your people; change the hearts of those who have unleashed such suffering on the innocent; strengthen the resolve of those who are working to bring the conflict to an end; be close to those who have been driven from their homes and from their homeland; heal the wounds of mind and heart inflicted on the children; comfort the frightened and the lost; strengthen the faith of those who are bereaved; give eternal rest and joy to those who have died.
In your own agony on the cross you entrusted your mother to the beloved disciple, and entrusted him and all disciples to your mother’s care (Jn 19:26). It was through Mary’s faith that you, the Word made flesh, came to dwell among us. That same faith strengthened Mary as she stood at the foot of the cross. We pray that your suffering people in Ukraine may know and experience that Mary stands with them, too, in this time of their great distress. You have given Mary to us as the Mother of the Church and the Help of Christians. With great confidence in the power of her prayer, in accordance with the tradition of your Church, and in communion with our bishop and all the Holy People of God, we consecrate and entrust the people of Ukraine to Mary and ask that our prayers might be joined with hers as we come before you now in hope and in trusting faith. Hear our prayers, O Lord, and raise up champions of peace, of justice and of healing, so that the weapons of war may be silenced and the people of Ukraine may know the peace that only you can give.
Mary, Mother of the Church, Help of Christians,
Mother of the Ukrainian people, pray for us.
Children’s Liturgy
During the school terms, Children’s Liturgy will be celebrated at 5pm Mass on Sunday. If you have your children attending the Mass with you kindly send them to the Children’s chapel, (located on the left-hand side of your entrance to the Church) where the Children’s Liturgy coordinators will guide your children in the liturgy. Thanks for your co-operation.
Safeguarding of our children in the Parish
The Archdiocesan Safeguarding Project was started in 2016 by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe 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.
The Planned Giving Programme
The planned giving programme is an important part of the Parish as it allows 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’s giving was 35%.
Please consider joining the Planned Giving Programme. If you are not already a member, for more information contact the Parish Office. Thank you!
God bless!
Fr John Sebastian
Rector and Parish Priest