Syro Malabar
Regular services : Every Thursday night - 6pm Mass at SFX First Sunday of month - 5pm Mass at SJE
Forth Sunday of Lent 14 March 2021
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER PARISH
Please Pray for
OUR SICK - Eden, Maureen Hepburn, Didi, Janice Mc Auliffee, Ralph, Peter Watson, Erin Sorenson, Neil Lewis, Sarah Flavill, Bryan O’Loghlin, Ross Monterosso, Harper, Francis, Pat Caspers, Ivor Phillips.
RECENTLY DECEASED - Willem Kaiser (Bill), Vivian Causing.
REMEMBRANCE - Romulo Binghay, Cyrill Taylor, Sebastian K. C, Eric and Mary DeNetto, Aloysius Fernandez and Mary Fernandez.
St. Francis Xavier’s Programme
Sunday Masses Vigil Mass: 6.00pm Saturday Evening Sunday: 8.30am, 10.30am, 5.30pm Weekday Masses Tuesday - Saturday 9.15 am; 1st + 3rd Mondays of the month Liturgy of Word and Communion Service Monday 9.15am; 2nd, 4th + 5th Mondays of the month Exposition of Blessed Sacrament and Adoration Wednesday after 9.15am Mass 1st Friday of month until 9.00pm Reconciliation Saturday 10am & 5.30pm Anointing of the Sick Mass 1st Thursday of month 9.15am Rosary Wednesday after 9.15am Mass; before Mass Tuesday & Saturday
Gospel - John 3:14-21
God sent his Son into the world that we might be saved through him.
Jesus said to Nicodemus: 'The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believed in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God's only Son. On these grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.'
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
The feast day of St Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, will be celebrated on Wed, 17 Mar at Mass. Please wear something "GREEN " on this special day.
ST. JOHN the EVANGELIST PARISH
20 Coral Street, Frankston East 3199
St. John’s Programme
Sunday Masses Vigil Mass: 7.00pm Saturday Evening Sunday: 8.30am, 10.00am Weekday Masses Tuesday - Saturday 9.00 am Liturgy of Word and Communion Service Monday 9.00am Exposition of Blessed Sacrament and Adoration Wednesday after 9.00am Mass 1st Friday of month until 9.00pm Reconciliation Saturday 9.30am & 6.15pm Anointing of the Sick Mass 1st Thursday of month 9.00am Rosary Before weekday Mass, (except Wednesday)
Parish Priest: Fr Chinua Okeke CSSp chinua.okeke@cam.org.au
Assistant Priest: Fr Jude Agorchukwu CSSp jude.agorchukwu@cam.org.au Deacon: Rev Kevin Pattison kevin.pattison@cam.org.au Email: frankston@cam.org.au Phone: 9783 3484 Web: www.frankstoncatholic.com.au Office Hours : 9.00am - 4.00pm Mon-Fri Secretaries: Christina & Hani
Safeguarding Children and Young People: Enquires /Complaints: 0426 211 572
Policies: https://www.frankstoncatholic.com.au/sfx/policies/
John Visentin
Carrie Rodda
Stephen Peart
Derek Bruitzman
3rd Sunday, 7 March Exposition of Blessed Sacrament
4th Sunday, 14 March Anointing of the Sick
5th Sunday, 21 March Outreach Sunday
Palm Sunday, 28 March Holy Week
LENT 2021 Sundays of Lent
4th Sunday, 14 March Anointing of the Sick
5th Sunday, 21 March Outreach Sunday
Palm Sunday, 28 March ========================================================================
Station of the Cross
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Lenten Retreat on Eucharist, The Word of God & The Passion of our Lord for Healing Led by Fr Gilbert Carlo SVD SJE : Mon, 22 - 24 Mar at 9.00-10.30am SFX: Mon, 22 - 24 Mar at 7.00-8.30pm (Please see Flyer for details) ===========================================================================
Please come and join us for reflection during Lent to grow as a Christian, guided by Pope Francis’ recent document “Fratelli Tutti on Franternity and Social Friendship” To register please call Kathy Lord 0417 649 037 =============================================================================
Palm/ Olive branches are needed for Palm Sunday. Please Call the Parish office 9783 3484 if you can help. =============================================================================
There will be Anointing of the Sick during each Mass this Sunday, 14 March 2021 =============================================================================
There will be a Working bee on Sat, 27 Mar after Mass to decorate the church looking pretty for Palm Sunday =============================================================================
Exposition, Adoration and Benediction shall take place following Mass on Wednesday.
The feast of St. Joseph will be celebrated on Fri, 19 March at Mass. Morning tea after Mass. Please bring a plate
St Francis Xavier
St John the Evangelist
Palm Sunday 28 March
(27 March)
10.30am 5.30pm
Holy Thursday - 1 April
7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper & Watch & Prayer until 12am
7.00pm
Good Friday - 2 April
9.15am SFX Station of the Cross SJE Station of the Cross
9.00am
Lord’s Passion 3.00pm
5.00am 8.30am
10.30am 5.30pm
10.00am
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
and Mass -
St Francis Xavier Friendship Club wish to announce that they will recommence after a year of Covid 19 Lockdown in the Xavier Centre as usual. The first meeting will be on Wed, 7 Apr at 10.30am. Happy to see all our members back. New members most welcome. Come on the day or contact Marie 9775 8737 or Mary 9783 8296
Homily – Fourth [Laetare] Sunday of Lent, Year B Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow…” Today is Laetare Sunday. It is unique because the Church exalts us to rejoice in the hope of our salvation.
The Fourth Sunday of Lent is called, Lætare (Rejoice), Sunday from the first words of the day’s liturgy, [the Introit]. Since this Sunday occurs in the middle of Lent, as Gaudete Sunday is celebrated midway through Advent, Lætare Sunday reminds us of the event we look forward to at the end of the Penitential Season. As on Gaudete Sunday, rose-colored vestments may replace violet, and flowers may grace the altar. In Lent, these outward signs symbolize the Church’s joy in anticipation of the Resurrection, a joy which cannot be contained even in this Penitential Season, though we still refrain from Alleluias and the singing of the Gloria until the magnificence of the Easter Vigil.
The central theme of today’s Readings is that our salvation is the free gift of a merciful God, given to us through Jesus, his Son. The Readings stress God’s mercy and compassion and remind us of the great love, kindness and grace extended to us in Christ.
As an act of love and gratitude to God who is “rich in mercy” and as an expression of our faith, we are invited to share Jesus’ sufferings by doing penance during Lent, so that we may inherit our eternal salvation and the glory of his Resurrection in Heaven. As we continue our Lenten observance for the fourth week, the Sacred Liturgy invites us to enter more deeply into the mystery of God’s grace, mercy, and salvation.
In the first Reading, taken from the Second Book of Chronicles, we learn the compassion and patience of God. God chose Cyrus the Great, a pagan conqueror, to become the instrument of his mercy and salvation for his chosen people exiled in Babylon.
In the second Reading, Paul tells us that God is so rich in mercy that he has granted us eternal salvation and eternal life as a free gift through Christ Jesus.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus the Son of God, has become the agent of God’s salvation, not just for one sinful nation but for the sinfulness of the whole world. Through Jn 3:16, the Gospel teaches us that God has expressed his love, mercy and compassion for us all by giving his only-begotten Son for our salvation.
Nicodemus, the wealthy Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, meets Jesus by night and begins a long religious discussion. Jesus explains to him that he must believe Jesus’ words because Jesus is the Son of God, and, by referring to the story of Moses and the bronze serpent, (Nm 21:1-9), further explains God’s plan of salvation. Just as God saved the victims of serpent bite from death through the bonze serpent, he is going to save mankind from its sins by permitting the crucifixion and death of his Son Jesus, because the love of God for mankind is that great.
Through the Readings and the Penitential Season we are in, the Church advises us that we need to love the cross, the symbol of God’s forgiving and merciful love. The crucifix – the symbol of the “lifted up” Jesus – holds a central place in our Churches because it is a forceful reminder not only of God’s love and mercy, but also of the price of our salvation. Hence, no Christian home should be without this symbol of God’s love.
The crucifix invites us to respond with more than compassion; it inspires us to remove the suffering of other people’s misery. It encourages us not only to feel deep sorrow for another’s suffering, but also to try our best to remove that suffering. Hence, let us love the cross, wear its image and carry our own daily cross with joy while helping others to carry their heavier crosses.
The Church reminds us that God’s love is unconditional, universal, forgiving, and merciful. Let us try, with his help, to make an earnest attempt to include these qualities as we share our love with others during Lent, for in them we love and serve him.
As Christians, we are meant to lead a life of repentance and on-going conversion, bringing us to a renewal of life with the help of the Holy Spirit living within us. The renewal of the Spirit comes when we work with him to be liberated from the bondage of evil habits by using the Divine strength we receive from him through prayer and frequenting the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist.
When we allow the Light of God’s forgiveness to shine in our lives, it brightens up every corner, forgives every sin, restores our relationship with God, and renews our lives. Whoever follows Jesus will not walk in darkness. We will experience the joy and peace of sins forgiven, of new attitudes and of new relationships with God, family and friends. Jesus’ Light of truth, justice, holiness, and charity shining in our lives is meant to bring blessing to others.
We are to let this Light of Christ shine through us into the lives of the people around us. The Light we give to others can dispel the darkness of their lives and bring them to a completely new outlook. Let us not underestimate what the Light of Christ can do through us. As Jesus said: “You are the light of the world…. your light must shine before people so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in Heaven” (Mt. 5:14, 16).
Finally, we are called to rejoice today because grace has been made available, and our salvation is close at hand, (Jas 5, 8). What we simply need to do is, believe and live the good life which God created for us to live from the beginning. Good life means living as faithful children of God. It means living for God day after day, and time after time. This is the only way our joy can be complete. Fr. Jude CSSp
Duty of care
The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne (CAM) holds the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a fundamental responsibility of the Church. This commitment is drawn from, and inherent to, the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, with love, justice and the dignity of each human person at the heart of the Gospel.
As part of that duty of care, all clergy, employees and volunteers are required to hold a current Working with Children’s Check (WWCC). For some roles, a Police Check is also required.
As we update our database of volunteers, we ask volunteers to ensure that they have listed the parish as one of the places where they act as a volunteer.
Here are some useful links:
Applying for a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and ensuring the parish is listed as one of the organisations at which you will be volunteering: https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/individuals/applicants/how-to-apply
This is the link for those who may have a card, but need to update WWCC details and in particular ‘link’ themselves to the parish: https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/individuals/current-cardholders/update-my-details
Please also note that if there are any teachers volunteering in the parish they will also need to link their Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) cards to the parish: https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/organisations/victorian-teacher-information
If volunteers have a new VIT or WWCC card, we ask that they also ensure that the parish office has a copy of that new card for our records.
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AN ABSENCE OF HUMAN DIGNITY ON THE BORDERS
37. Certain populist political regimes, as well as certain liberal economic approaches, maintain that an influx of migrants is to be prevented at all costs. Arguments are also made for the propriety of limiting aid to poor countries, so that they can hit rock bottom and find themselves forced to take austerity measures. One fails to realize that behind such statements, abstract and hard to support, great numbers of lives are at stake. Many migrants have fled from war, persecution and natural catastrophes. Others, rightly, “are seeking opportunities for themselves and their families. They dream of a better future and they want to create the conditions for achieving it”.
38. Sadly, some “are attracted by Western culture, sometimes with unrealistic expectations that expose them to grave disappointments. Unscrupulous traffickers, frequently linked to drug cartels or arms cartels, exploit the weakness of migrants, who too often experience violence, trafficking, psychological and physical abuse and untold sufferings on their journey”. Those who emigrate “experience separation from their place of origin, and often a cultural and religious uprooting as well. Fragmentation is also felt by the communities they leave behind, which lose their most vigorous and enterprising elements, and by families, especially when one or both of the parents migrates, leaving the children in the country of origin”. For this reason, “there is also a need to reaffirm the right not to emigrate, that is, to remain in one’s homeland”.
39. Then too, “in some host countries, migration causes fear and alarm, often fomented and exploited for political purposes. This can lead to a xenophobic mentality, as people close in on themselves, and it needs to be addressed decisively”. Migrants are not seen as entitled like others to participate in the life of society, and it is forgotten that they possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person. Hence they ought to be “agents in their own redemption”. No one will ever openly deny that they are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human. For Christians, this way of thinking and acting is unacceptable, since it sets certain political preferences above deep convictions of our faith: the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love.
40. “Migrations, more than ever before, will play a pivotal role in the future of our world”. At present, however, migration is affected by the “loss of that sense of responsibility for our brothers and sisters on which every civil society is based”. Europe, for example, seriously risks taking this path. Nonetheless, “aided by its great cultural and religious heritage, it has the means to defend the centrality of the human person and to find the right balance between its twofold moral responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens and to assure assistance and acceptance to migrants”.
41. I realize that some people are hesitant and fearful with regard to migrants. I consider this part of our natural instinct of self-defence. Yet it is also true that an individual and a people are only fruitful and productive if they are able to develop a creative openness to others. I ask everyone to move beyond those primal reactions because “there is a problem when doubts and fears condition our way of thinking and acting to the point of making us intolerant, closed and perhaps even – without realizing it – racist. In this way, fear deprives us of the desire and the ability to encounter the other” (Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti).