St Francis Xavier Church, Corio

Parish of Corio/Lara

St Francis Xavier Church, Corio

St Anthony of Padua Church, Lara

Archdiocese of Melbourne Australia

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

The Transfiguration

Sunday 6th August 2017

TheGospelis from St. Matthew 17:1-9. In the Hebrew Scriptures high mountains were seen as holy places; places where one could encounter God. Both Moses and Elijah had powerful encounters with God on the top of a mountain – it is appropriate that it is they who appear beside Jesus in the transfiguration account. It was on the summit of Mt Sinai that Moses received the Law from God’s own hand (Ex 19); it was on Mt Horeb that Elijah encountered God in the gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:9ff). When Jesus takes the three disciples to the top of the mountain, it should come as no surprise that they encounter the glorified divinity of Christ. In Christ, both the Law, represented by Moses, and the Prophets, represented by Elijah, is fulfilled. This fleeting moment of revelation to the disciples leaves them gasping and speechless. Peter wants to retain the memory of this glimpse of the glorified Christ by commemorating it with three tents but the gesture has a hollow ring when they have the Christ with them as a constant reminder. ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ It is the word of Jesus which will bring life and glorification. This glimpse of who Jesus really is should sustain them and yet the disciples still wonder what the mission and ministry of Jesus means. Thetrue nature of Jesus will only be revealed at his resurrection.

Sadly, the disciples don’t really get the point of what they see before them. Peter, caught up in the moment, wants to build tents on the spot to mark the moment and to continue to dwell in the moment. Jesus, however, leads them back down the mountain – back into the valley; back into the reality of life; back into the tragedy that he knows lies before them. No matter how powerful a religious experience may be, Jesus shows us that we always have to return to real life. It is not possible to remain on the ‘mountaintop’ as Peter would have liked to do; we have to take the experience back into the everyday of our lives.

Jesus’ transfiguration was a physical transformation that was able to be witnessed by his disciples. In our lives we have many transforming moments but they are rarely as physically obvious to others as Jesus’ transfiguration. Sometimes we fail to recognise a transformative event until well after the fact – sometimes years later. It might be nice if our clothes began to shine white whenever something significant and transformative was happening to us! It might help us to pay attention to the important and life-changing moments of our lives instead of letting them slip by!

Sometimes we experience powerful moments of connection with God or with other people. Sometimes this might be through a special experience of nature; a meaningful retreat experience; a powerful sense of being ‘in tune’ with another person; a reflective prayer experience; or some other significant experience. The temptation when we have these experiences is to wish that we could remain in the experience. The challenge, however, is to take that experience back into the everyday of our lives – changed by it without remaining in it. Greg Sunter

PARISH PRAYER We, the people of Corio/Lara Catholic Parish give thanks and praise to God the Father. By the power of the Holy Spirit, may we become more like Jesus: listening to the Word of God and celebrating the Eucharist; sharing each other’s lives and forgiving one another; respecting creation and taking responsibility for our world. Like St Francis Xavier, may we offer light to those in darkness, and warmly welcome all people. Like St Anthony of Padua, may we nourish the hungry with wise words and kind deeds. St Francis Xavier, pray for us. St Anthony of Padua, pray for us.

PARISH CALENDAR

MONDAY
7th Aug / TUESDAY UESDAY
8th Aug / WEDNESDAY
9th Aug / THURSDAY
10th Aug / FRIDAY
11th Aug / SATURDAY
12th Aug / SUNDAY
13th Aug
12.30pm Craft Group
7pm SVDP, Corio / 8.45am Rosary
9am Mass, Corio / 9.15am Mass, Lara
6.30pm Rosary, Novena, Corio
7.30pm PPC / 8.45am Rosary
9am Mass, Corio / 9.15am Mass, Lara
7pm Adoration
7pm Bingo / 3:30pm Prayer Group
7pm Mass Corio. / 9am Mass & 1st Eucharist Lara.
10.30am Mass
Corio

ROSTERS

TIME AND
DATE / READER/COMMENTATOR / EUCHARIST MINISTERS / FLOWERS, ST FRANCIS CHURCH CLEANERS
112th Aug 2017
7pm Corio / F Moloney
V Adamko
Welcomer- R & D Lowther / K McCarthy / CORIO – C Gray
LARA- V Brennan
CLEANING- F Geerts & E Bonifacio
13th Aug 2017
9am Lara / N Meade
D Gray
Welcomer-R & L Shannahan / B Lee
P Limsowtin
L Kulic
10.30am Corio / YOUTH MASS / T Groves
P Neri
F Geerts

NEXT WEEKS READINGS- 1 Kg 19:9,11-13; Ps 84:9-14; Rom 9:1-5; Mt 14:22-33

As a community we pray for:
Death Anniversaries: Denis Crompton, Angelina and Alphonso de Jesus
Sick: Leo de Grandis, Nicholas Francis, Emily Gilson, Kirk Watson, Greg & Sally Brown,
and Jessica de Grandis
Baptisms: Will Page, Theo Page, Elijah Reid
Prayer Intention of Pope Francis for August 2017: Evangelisation: That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.
Vocation View: If some people did not hoard the riches of this world, all people would have enough to eat and drink. Too many people starve to death every day. Who will speak loudly of justice today?
National Vocations Awareness Week 6 August: Today the Church in Melbourne prays for the Care and Respect at the End of Life. The Church and society need leaders to proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Life. Please pray for more priests and religious for Melbourne who can help us proclaim the Gospel of Life to the world.
Children’s Liturgy: The celebration of the Word for Children is held during Mass in Corio every Sunday
Lara in Term 3: Aug 6, Sep 3, 10,
Term 4:Oct 8, 15, 29, Nov 12,19, Dec 3, 10, 17.

CRAFT GROUP Monday, 7th August from 12noon. New crafts learnt every month. New ladies to the group always welcome.

SACRAMENT OF FIRST EUCHARIST: We welcome the Parish children, who attend our state schools, who are signing up for First Eucharist at the 10.30am Mass at St Francis Xavier, Corio.

EUTHANASIA & ASSISTED SUICIDE PETITION

Later this year our State Parliament will be voting on a bill to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide. The Catholic Church is responding by asking parishes to be involved in signing a petition to their local members of parliament. A petition has been prepared and will be available in the church porch after Mass today and next week. We urge you to please sign the petition. A blank petition form will be available if you wish to take one with you to obtain more signatures which must be returned to the Parish by Sunday 6th August. The signed petition will then be presented to the Member for Lara, the Hon, John Eren MLA, advising him of our concerns with the proposed legislation and that instead more funding be made available for palliative care services.

There are also copies of 2 individual letters available which you may wish to take, sign and send yourself. More information is available from www.cam.org.au/lifemarriagefamily and follow the “Promote Care – Oppose Euthanasia” link on the left.

A GALA FUNDRAISING EVENT – for the building of the new Catholic Church in Bannockburn, at Clyde Park, Midland Highway, Bannockburn, award winning wines, beer, soft drinks and fine food. Music by Heath Stenton. Auctions. 7-10pm 11th August. All proceeds from the evening going to the Building Fund. Dress-smart casual. Tickets $100 each. Bookings through trybooking.com www.trybooking/QTAE

The 13th National BBI–ACBC eConference Gospel Leadership in Times of Chaos: The Hope of Pope Francis will be held over the internet on 10 August 2017 – FREE Supported by the ACBC, BBI – The Australia Institute of Theological Education will host prominent and well respected, international and national speakers to reflect upon the unique leadership Pope Francis is offering communities around the world at a time of momentous socio-political change and uncertainty. Watch this conference live, online, for free. For more information, please visit http://www.bbi.catholic.edu.au/short-courses/eConference-2017

A prayer for care and respect at the end of life
Heavenly Father, We pray for all who are approaching death, that they be granted the grace to live in peace in this life and rest in peace in the next. Show us how to care for those at the end of life with loving patience. We pray for all doctors, nurses and care givers who answer the call to serve You in the sick and dying. May they be strengthened to continue to use their gifts in the service of life. We pray for our law and policy makers, may they always seek to serve the common good and respect the dignity of all, especially the most vulnerable. We pray for the freedom of all to act in accordance with their conscience. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen. Mary, Mother of all, pray for us!
MARY MACKILLOP PRAYER
Ever-generous God,
You inspired St Mary MacKillop
to live her life faithful
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope
and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence
and joining with St Mary MacKillop,
we ask that you grant our request
(name your request).
We ask that our faith and hope
be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit so that we too,
like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage,
trust and openness. /

Feast of St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop – 8th August Mary Helen MacKillop (15 January 1842 - 8 August 1909), also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on education for the poor, particularly in country areas. Since her death she has attracted much veneration in Australia and internationally. On 17 July 2008, Pope Benedict XVI prayed at her tomb during his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day 2008. On 19 December 2009, Pope Benedict XVI approved the Roman Catholic Church's recognition of a second miracle attributed to her intercession. She was canonised on 17 October 2010 during a public ceremony in St Peter's Square at the Vatican. She is the only Australian to be recognised by the Roman Catholic Church as a saint.

Feast of St. Clare of Assisi – 11th August was the first woman to practice the life of entire poverty as taught by St. Francis. Placed by him at the head of a few companions in the small convent of San Damiano, she governed her community for forty-two years thus founding at the gates of Assisi the Order of Poor Clares. Their Rule included austerities hitherto unknown in monasteries of women. They went barefoot, slept on the ground, kept perpetual abstinence and made poverty the basis of their lives. St. Clare died on August 11, 1253, and was canonized two years after her death.

NOVENA to our Mother of Perpetual Help is on every Wednesday with a Rosary at 6.30pm followed by Novena of Mother of Perpetual Help at St Francis Xavier Church, Corio.

Parish Care Group: Carers are there for you at both Corio and Lara. The Care Group was established to support members of the Parish who are experiencing grief, loneliness or difficult times. If you would like a carer to visit you please ring the Parish Office or Pam Fitzgerald in Corio area on 5275 2507 or Lou Schepers in Lara Ph 0413 802 623.

BINGO: Is held in the Xavier Centre, Corio every Friday night starting at 7.30pm. There is a friendly atmosphere, great prizes, cool drinks and supper available for sale and free tea and coffee.

Fr Manoj Mathew Parish Priest

Pauline Gilmore & Diane Saliba Secretaries

Bill Geerts Chairperson, Parish Pastoral Council

Maria Scala Principal, St Francis Xavier School, Corio Ph 52751974

Natalie Heard Principal, St Anthony’s School, Lara Ph 52821415

PARISH OFFICE 143 Bacchus Marsh Road, Corio 3214 VIC

TELEPHONE 5275 4120. email Web: www.coriolaraparish.org.au

OFFICE HOURS Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri - 9.00am - 4.00pm (1-1.30pm Lunch Break) Wednesday – Office Closed

WEEKEND MASS TIMES-Saturday- 7.00pm, St Francis Xavier, Corio. Sunday-9.00am - St Anthony’s Lara, 10.30am - St Francis Xavier, Corio.

WEEKDAY MASS TIMES: Tuesday and Thursday-9am, St Francis Xavier, Corio, Wednesday-9am Lara.1st &3rd Friday- 10am Hume Court Lara, 2nd &5th Friday- St Anthony’s Lara. 4th Friday- 11:30am St Anthony’s Lara.

SATURDAY DEVOTION: Mass at 9:30am followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every 1st Saturday each month, St Francis Xavier Church, Corio.