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4th Sunday of Lent Year A Cyle II 22 March 2020
The Light of Faith
M asses & Liturgies have been suspended until further notice.
The Church will be open for PRIVATE prayer on Saturdays 9am to 11am
The Church will be closed on Sundays
Weekdays the Church will open as usual for PRIVATE prayer (no Mass)
Parish Office is open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm
Our Parish is cooperating with the National guidelines during this crisis period
Changes will be published on our email bulletin and website www.ourladyoftherosary.org.au - please
check for updates
The following have been included in the suspension: Adoration, Anointing of the Sick, Stations of the Cross,
The Light is On, Kid’s Club, Choirs, Children’s Liturgy, Church Bus, Meditation Group, Bible Café, Bible Study,
Men’s Group, Franciscans, Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals (private ceremonies only), Nursing Home visits,
Communion to the Sick (in the case of approaching death contact office or presbytery for a Priest).
J esus declared himself as “the light of the world” (Jn 8:12). Centuries before, the prophet Isaiah had presented
the Messiah as a great light for the nations (Is 60:1-3,19). The healing of the blind man in the gospel of today is
an instance of light coming into the world. The self-revelation of Jesus as light produces mixed reactions; while
the Jewish leaders refuse to believe, the man who was healed believes in Jesus and becomes a disciple. Hence the
most important message today is to welcome Jesus the light into our life lest we walk in darkness.
As the healing narrative progresses, Jesus disassociates suffering from sin. According to Jesus, sin is not the
cause of all suffering. Though Jesus was sinless, he suffered. In fact, suffering is an integral part of human life; it
is an opportunity for God to reveal his compassion for the believer who suffers, and for the believer it is an op-
portunity to turn to God for help in trust.
God’s Word Fr Devasia Joseph SSP
All Masses Suspended Until Further Notice
Page
2
Be Like Children of Light
T he Abbe Peyramale was parish priest of Lourdes in 1858 when the apparitions of
Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous began. A good and kindly man, Peyramale
could be formidable and stern as well. When the young girl, Soubirous, began to knock
on his door and tell him about a lady appearing in a grotto near the river, Peyramale,
very understandably, decided that a stern and formidable attitude on his part, would
not go amiss. If this young girl was playing tricks, or suffering from delusions, a sharp
dose of severity from the parish priest may well bring her to her senses. It was a
wise and sensible course of action. Bernadette, however, was unmoved by the harsh
reception at the priest’s door.
One day, knocking on his door, Bernadette brought the message that the lady wanted a
church to be built. The parish priest became very angry and upset at such a request.
How was he supposed to respond to this! Anxious at upsetting her priest, Bernadette,
nevertheless, persisted. “Father, I wasn’t asked to make you believe it, I was just asked
to tell you.” In the end Peyramale did believe it, and what moved him to faith, to
acceptance, was the persevering simplicity and honesty of Bernadette. He became
her champion and her defender. The light dawned for him through the honesty and
integrity of young Bernadette.
Bernadette’s witness is a vital part of the story of Lourdes, but in her own sober and
humble way, Bernadette was well aware of the importance of human freedom.
Nobody can be forced to believe. We should not try to make people believe. Our
response is a matter for ourselves. The task of the witness, of the messenger, is to give
the message. “I wasn’t asked to make you believe it, I was just asked to tell you.”
When Jesus cures the man born blind, he demonstrates that he has come from God, as
a light into the world, as a light to scatter the darkness. As a true messenger, he speaks
openly and clearly by his words, his deeds and his character. To the newly-cured
beggarman Jesus says, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Tell me who he is,” the
man replies, “so that I may believe.” Here is the vocation of the church in a simple
sentence. To tell the world about Jesus of Nazareth, the light of the world.
Yet Jesus knows that many people will not accept him, that many will actively oppose
him. As Saint John says, he came as a light, but many would not accept him, because
their deeds were dark.
The Pharisees, especially, opposed Jesus because, in seeing his popularity and his
preaching and healing powers, they saw, not a sign of goodness, but a threat to their
own position and influence. There is none so blind as they who will not see. They re-
fuse to see the goodness of Jesus. It would upset their scheme of things. They commit
themselves to the dark.
By contrast, the Christians of Ephesus are encouraged to commit themselves to the
light. Saint Paul, in his letter, is well aware of the darkness of this world - foul lan-
guage, promiscuity and all kinds of dissolute behaviour. He tells the Christians to
show up the folly of such behaviour, not by attacking it, but by the contrast of a good
life. If we live in the light, we will become light, he tells us.
We cannot make people be good, just as we cannot make people believe. But we can
“tell” of the goodness of life by living in goodness ourselves. People follow example,
and if the example reveals a happy person, people will want to follow.
When the early morning light creeps in at the window, it invites us to begin a new day.
Every morning we are called to live in the light, both physically and spiritually. Saint
Paul quotes to us from an early Christian hymn: “Wake up from your sleep, rise from
the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
The Living Word Redemptorist Publications
Congratulations
Tim & Daphne Parsons
on the occasion of your
66th Wedding Anniversary 13 March 2020!
Beauty Truth
Goodness
The
Catholic
Weekly
Now on sale
on the
Church
tables.
$2 to the poor
box please.
Shop Locally!
Please support the shops in the
Carnival Hall building in the
shopping centre. These shops
support our Parish.
Page
3
Bible Study
The Light of Faith
T he blind man receives sight; but more than that he receives the light of faith. The
Pharisees are in trouble. They investigate the miracle, interrogate all concerned.
They are at pains to disprove the miracle because it challenges them to accept Jesus as
their Messiah. Were they waiting at all for the promised Messiah? With all their exper-
tise in the Scriptures, elaborate rituals and intricate laws and traditions, they failed to
acknowledge the Messiah in their midst.
It is an occasion to not only see the stubborn pride of the Pharisees which prevented
them from seeing in the humble “Son of Man” the long-awaited Messiah, but also
made them incapable of seeing a miracle which was evident to everybody else in the
neighbourhood. The Pharisees have long since disappeared from history, but there are
thousands still among us who, blinded by the same pharisaical pride and prejudice,
refuse to see the truths of God’s revelation as made known to mankind in its fullness
by the incarnation and the teaching of Christ. May Jesus never let us falter in our faith
and through his grace become his chosen “children of light.”
God’s Word Fr Joseph Thena SSP & Fr Johnson Chacko SSP
Please Note
The Altar Society Needs Helpers
We need helpers for 30-45 minutes on a Friday morning monthly roster to clean the
Church. Please contact the parish office if you can help 4332 2216.
High School Interviews with Parish Priest
Appointments are being taken for High School enrolments 25 March to 30 April.
St Edward’s College Enrolments Now Open
Online applications for Year 7 2021 are at www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/enrolments
National Catholic Safeguarding Standards: Leadership, monitoring & improvement
The Parish regularly reviews and improves systems for keeping children safe. Key
Elements: Regularly reviews and improves practices, analyses concerns and complaints
to identify causes and potential system failures, reports findings of relevant reviews.
St Joseph’s Workshop Volunteers Needed
We are looking for volunteers 7am to 12noon one or more days per week, making
timber furniture for welfare and sale. Training given. Contact Bob Monday to Friday
on 4323 9013 to arrange a visit to the workshop at 18 Dignity Crescent West Gosford.
Men’s Discernment Retreat (Please check in case of postponement)
This retreat is designed to assist men ages 18-35 discern their vocation and who are
seriously thinking about the diocesan priesthood. 27-29 March Seminary of the Good
Shepherd 50-58 Abbotsford Road Homebush. For more information please contact the
Broken Bay Vocations Office on [email protected] Ph: 0418 522 449
RSVP by Wednesday 18 March.
Schoenstatt Family Groups Information Day (Please check in case of postponement)
Supporting your family's faith development together with other Catholic families.
Sunday 5 April 11am 230 Fairlight Road Mulgoa. Phone: Bernard: 0416 106 871.Email:
Spirituality in the Pub (Please check in case of postponement)
Second Tuesday 7 April 7.30pm-9pm The Grange Hotel Function Room Cnr Renwick
St & Pacific Hwy Wyoming. Bistro opens at 5-30pm. Enq: 4365 9197 or 0498 588 261.
Remember Project Compassion this Lent
Walking Aids We have 2 walking
frames, 2 travellators and 2 wheelchairs
available to anyone who has the need. Call the office on
4332 2216.
Please see the lost property cupboard
at the Ashton Avenue side door if you have lost any belongings. There
are two sets of drawers either side
of the cupboard.
Quote for
the Week
As you are united with Me in life, so will you be united at the
moment of death.
Serving the Catholic Community of The Entrance and extending the Kingdom of God
PARISH PRIEST & DEAN Fr William Stevens ASSISTANT PRIEST Fr Vincent Varghese VC DEACON Paul Simmons
SACRAMENTAL COORDINATOR Br John Verhoeven FSP
Office Hours Monday-Friday 9.30-5.00pm Tel 4332 2216 Fax 4333 5344
Postal Address PO Box 189 THE ENTRANCE 2261 Street Address 239-243 The Entrance Rd THE ENTRANCE 2261
Email [email protected] Website www.ourladyoftherosary.org.au
PROPERTY MANAGER Michael de la Motte Tel 4334 7600 (BH)
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY PRIMARY SCHOOL Tel 4332 5594
ST PETER’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE Tel 4351 2344 Fax 4351 2965
THE ENTRANCE PARISH DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY
Mass & Devotions See website for updated postponements Sunday Masses Saturday Vigil 6:00pm Sunday 8:00am & 9:30am
Weekday Masses Monday - Thursday 9:00am Friday 11:45am Saturday 9:00am
Reconciliations Sat- urdays 9:30-10am & 5-5:30pm & 7-8pm during ‘The Light is On’ Fridays
Liturgy of the Hours Satur- day 8:40am Rosary Monday-Thursday 8:35am Friday 11:20am Saturday 9:30am
Please Note: Gift Centre Closure
The Gift Centre will not be open on the weekends as there will be no Masses. We apologise for this temporary inconvenience. It will be open during the week as required, by personal request. Please call the parish office to make a time.
4332 2216
Keep Us In Your Prayers There is no gift more precious than prayer - Fr Benedict Groeschel
4th Sunday of Lent Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 Entrance Antiphon: Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.
Responsorial Psalm: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Gospel Acclamation: Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!
Communion Antiphon: The Lord anointed my eyes: I went, I washed, I saw and I believed in God.
Our Lady of the Rosary
GIFT CENTRE
For all your devotional needs...
Pearly Gates
Revisited
Recently Deceased: Greg Cooper, Thomas Bruni, Cath Galloway.
Anniversaries: Nora O’Sullivan, Joe Bond, Denis Brennan, Grace Gosper.
Remembrances: Vincent & Dorothy Cribb, Maurice Cramsie, Jill O’Sullivan, Ron Mahoney, Patti Howard & all the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Families: Curtis, Parsons.
Sick: Amanda Priestley, Matthew Robinson, Andrew Kelly, Peter O’Grady, Martin Gosper, Linda Read, Antoinette Grech, Margaret Pizzuto, Pat & Diane McCudden, Tanya Doorn, David Drinan, Valda Kelso, Maria De Sousa, Steve Crowe, Ann Minogue, Kaye Cincotta, Agnes Burke, Marie Lewis, Val Rayner, Delma Clarke, Chris Morley, Anthony Morrell, Raymond & Tim Baker, Kelly Will and those suffering with long-term illnesses.
Welcome Newly Baptised: James & William Ballaam.