14th December 2014

SEASONS Newsletter of the Catholic Parish of St. Thomas More, Mount Eliza

PCC=Parish Community Centre U=Undercroft

C=Church

MPR=School Multipurpose Room

SSR=School Staff Room

Diary

Wednesday

PPLT, 6pm, PCC Choir Practice, 8pm, C

Thursday Advent Reconciliation Ritual,

7.30pm, C

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Weekday Masses

Monday

Tuesday, Liturgy of the Word

with Holy Communion

Year 6 Graduation Mass

Wednesday, followed by Holy Hour

Thursday

Friday

No Mass

9.15 am

7.30 pm

9.15 am

No Mass

9.15 am

Sunday Masses

Saturday

6.00 pm

Sunday

8.00 am 10:00 am

Reconciliation

Saturday 5 - 5:30 pm

313 Canadian Bay Rd Mount Eliza Vic. 3930

Phone: 9787 7777 Fax: 9787 9734 Email: MountEliza@cam.org.au

Web: www.stm-mteliza.org

Pastoral Leadership Team

Fr. Laurie (Parish Priest) Lys Crowe (Pastoral Associate) Peter Whyte (School D Principal )

Anne-Marie Hyde (Chairperson) Narelle Mulcahy Sally Cooper John Bruitzman Margaret Carr

Maria Boelen Maree Taverna Jim Bourke

Where I’m From If you’re experiencing a bit of déjà vu in listening to this weekend’s Gospel, it’s

understandable. This passage from John’s Gospel circles us back around some of

the textual territory that we visited in the Gospel reading last week. John ap-

proaches his subject in a different fashion that Mark does, but once again we hear

the words about making a way in the wilderness. Yet where Mark borrows these

way-making words from Isaiah and editorially applies them to John the Baptist,

using his authority as a narrator to make clear that the Baptist is the one of whom

Isaiah was speaking, John takes an intriguing turn in his Gospel.

In John the evangelist’s version of the story, the priests and Levites approach the

baptizer, asking him, “Who are you? He begins by saying who he is not: “I am

not the Messiah.” They persist. “What then? Are you Elijah?” John emphasizes

he is not Elijah, nor is he the anticipated prophet. They ask him again, “Who are

you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us? What do you say about your-

self?” In his own voice, John responds, “I am the voice of one crying out in the

wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’, as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Where the other Gospel writers linked the Isaiah passage with the story of John as

an editorial comment, John the evangelist places Isaiah’s ancient words on the

baptizer’s own lips. His narrative choice imbues the baptizer with a deep clarity

about his role in the story of the Messiah. Though not the promised prophet for

whom the people had long waited, John the Baptist’s claiming of Isaiah’s words to

describe himself places him firmly in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets. He

knows he comes from Elizabeth and Zechariah, but with his answer he places him-

self in the lineage of those for whom the wilderness, both literal and metaphorical,

was their home, their place of formation as messengers of God. John’s response to

his questioners is not only a way of saying who he is, but also where – and from

whom – he has come from.

In our mobile society it’s sometimes hard to say where we’re from, hard to name

the roots that hold us, as more and more of us live at a distance from the places

(which may have been many) and people we grew up with…roots happen in a va-

riety of ways, sometimes but not always tied to one particular place. Our increas-

ing physical rootlessness is perhaps itself a kind of wilderness, akin to what John

the Baptist experienced – but the wilderness, as John knew, is a place to be from

too.

So where are you from? What are the places, the people, the experiences that

formed your path? What holds your roots? How does where you’re from help you

understand who you are? How does it enable you to make a way for the one who

comes in this and every season?

By Jan Richardson www.adventdoor.com

Important Information About Baptisms Please note that the next Baptism Information Evening will be on Tuesday, 3rd

February 2015.

PAGE 2

First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11

I exult for joy in the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

My soul rejoices in my God.

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

May you all be kept blameless, spirit, soul and body, for

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Acclamation:

Alleluia, alleluia! The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he

sent me to bring Good News to the poor. Alleluia!

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

There stands among you, unknown to you, the one who is

coming after me.

Next Week’s Readings:

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16

Romans 16:25-27

Luke 1:26-38

Those who have died recently

Shaun Sutton, Kitty Clarke

those whose anniversaries fall at this

time

Tom Shannon, Elsa Royal, Catherine Farrell, Carolyn

Royal, Fr. John Pierce, Henry Haines, Wayne Jackson,

William Green, Richard Shea, David Duff

the Sick

David Rees (Jean’s son), Lilia Screaton, Paul Seymour,

John Aras, Jose Luis Mendonza, Len Crowe, Ria Wil-

son, Barnard Nash, Alastair Lucas, Rev. John Leaver,

Janet Lindner, Fiona Lindner, Peter Camerino, Marcia

Fiume, Eileen Dalley, and all of the sick at the George

Vowell Centre & Ranelagh Gardens Nursing Home.

and the parishioners of St Thomas More Parish

Tequinomata, East Timor.

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT SEASONS

Financial Matters

We pray for...

Liturgy - Third Sunday Of Advent

Thanksgiving

Amount received last week ......................... $4870

Average November ....................................... $3014

Pledged per week ......................................... $3098

Presbytery

Amount received last week ......................... $1097 Thanks to all of you who give so generously to support our parish.

20th & 21st December Rosters

Mass Time Ministers of the Eucharist

6 pm Sat Barbara Hunt (Book)

Bill Hunt (Gifts)

Helen Steyn (Gifts)

8 am Sun Bob Ribbons (Book)

Barry Hansen (Gifts)

Marj Hansen (Gifts)

10 am Sun Jim Bourke (Book)

Betty Hooper (Gifts)

Gui Hone (Gifts)

Counters Don McKenzie

Richard Lindner

Yvonne Minton

Mass Time Lector Commentator

6 pm Sat

8 am Sun Kathleen Sheehy Irene Owsianka

10 am Sun Lois Bracken Craig Judkins

Morning Tea

This week Alicia & Michael Canning

warmly invite you to linger after

10am Mass for a cuppa and an oppor-

tunity to get to know some other

members of our parish community better.

Your hosts next week will be Joanne & Larry

McEvoy.

November Mass Offerings Masses will be celebrated during this week for the inten-

tions of Yolande & Anselm Gunesekara, Vitte Sliogeris,

O’Brien Family.

Christmas Mass Times

If you didn’t get the insert with all the Advent & Christmas Liturgy times and dates, please collect a copy from the

foyer.

Baptism Welcome We congratulate and welcome Zoe

Baker (Parents - Anthony & Emma),

Quintessa Brumale (Parents - Mau-

rice & Angelique) and Matilda Egan

(Parents - Timothy & Sandra) who will all be baptised

after the 10am Mass this weekend.

What’s Happening Here

PAGE 3

Special thanks to John Thompson who built and do-

nated our Christmas “stable”. Really well done and

much appreciated.

Advent Reconciliation Ritual Our Parish Advent Reconciliation Ritual will be on

this Thursday night – 18th December - at 7.30

pm. All are welcome to come along and take this

next opportunity to stop and reflect awhile in our

preparation to celebrate Christmas.

Christmas Eve 7pm Mass All children are invited to come dressed as one of the

Christmas Story characters to the Christmas Eve

Mass on the oval.

Christmas Bowl The Mount Eliza Inter-Church Council is making a

determined effort to address the fact of world pov-

erty by supporting the Christmas Bowl Appeal. This

initiative was launched at our ICC Advent Prayer last

week. You are invited to support this appeal over the

next few weeks by placing your offering in our bowl

which is in the Church porch.

On a practical level, our parish is rostered to collect

money at ‘The Strand’ outside Ritchies on Christmas

Eve (Wednesday 24th Dec.) between 9 a.m. and 5

p.m. We require at least 8 people to volunteer for a

two hour shift on that day. If you can help, please

leave your name and phone number on the sheet

provided. Thank you Fr. Laurie Pearson PP

Christmas Mass Rosters Please fill in your name on the sheet at the back of

the Church if you would like to volunteer for any of

the ministries at the Christmas Masses.

Children’s Liturgy Damien & Sarah Hyland will lead the chil-

dren in an exploration of this week’s Gos-

pel. Please encourage your children to join

them.

This is the last Children’s Liturgy for 2014.

It will begin again for 2015 after the school holidays.

The Welfare Officers for December are Brian &

Sally McAnallen on 5979 4808.

Contemplative Prayer Group “Let tiny drops of silence fall gently through

your day”.

Silent prayer in the Church each Wednes-

day from 8:45 am - 9:15 am followed by

Mass.

Holy Hour All parishioners are invited to Holy Hour

every Wednesday, directly after Mass. Some

may wish to stay for the full hour, others

may come for a few minutes or a short

time. Everyone is most welcome to spend a

little time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Immersion Visit to Timor L’Este An immersion visit of interested parishioners and

others to is planned to take place around 1st to 14th

June 2015 to Timor L’Este.

We will be staying with Fr Manuel Ximenes and the

Salesians in the Laga district.

During the immersion we will visit some of the

schools built/refurbished over the last 12 years in the

district of Laga.

There will be a dedication of two statues – of Christ

and St Thomas More – made by local sculptor Ian

Johnston, for St Thomas more Church Tequinomata,

and other celebrations.

We plan to visit orphans, various Salesian colleges

and hope to spend a few days in Dili as well.

Numbers able to be taken are very limited, mainly

because of accommodation limitations.

If you would like to explore this opportunity, email

Les Harper before 15th December for an information

sheet, lesharper@optusnet.com.au or call 9787 6784.

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT SEASONS

Choir Practice - Reminder Our next choir practice will be held on

Wednesday, 17th December at 8pm in the

Church.

First Reconciliation

2015 The Information Night for par-

ents of children in Year 3 or

older who would like to receive

the Sacrament of Reconciliation

next year, will be on Thursday

5th February 2015 at 7.30pm in the School Multi-

Purpose Room. Weekly evening classes will then be

held, leading up to the reception of the Sacrament of

Reconciliation on Wednesday 18th March.

For further information please contact Lys Crowe at

the Parish Office.

PAGE 4 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

A Message From Caritas Australia Currently the Federal government is threatening fur-

ther cuts to the Foreign Aid budget even though near-

ly $8 billion has been taken from the area of foreign

aid since September 2013. At just over 1% of the fed-

eral budget, aid is only a minor part of Government

spending but is a major contributor to community

development and economic growth in the developing

world. The budget cuts to foreign aid constituted 20%

of the savings in the May budget. Australia has played

a leading role in helping address global poverty, since

1990 we now have 700 million fewer people living in

extreme poverty. We need to keep building the mo-

mentum not reducing it. Please refer to the Caritas

Australia website and participate in our call to action.

www.caritas.org.au/act/Australian-aid/no-more-aid-

cuts

Typhoon Hagupit continues to affect the lives of mil-

lions of people in the Philippines. Only thirteen

months after Haiyan the country faces another disas-

ter and is calling for international aid and solidarity.

We remember our sisters and brothers in prayer as

they face another rebuilding of their lives and country.

Thanks in anticipation for your action on behalf of

world’s most vulnerable.

Margaret A. Fyfe csb

Diocesan Director Melbourne

Kimberley Catholic Volunteer Service

Wanted: Volunteer Workers The Diocese of Broome, WA, requires volunteers to

assist with the work of the local Church on Aboriginal

Missions. There are various important voluntary tasks:

administration, building maintenance, gardening, shop

staffing, cooking, cleaning etc. Placements are pre-

ferred for a period of 6 months plus.

For further details, and an application form,

please contact:

Volunteer Coordinator Anneliese Rohr: 08 9192 1060

Email: volunteers@broomediocese.org

Web: www.broomediocese.org

Mail: PO Box 76, BROOME WA 6725

Catholic Theological College 2015 Tour “An Experience of Catholic Culture”

When: 3rd September - 3rd October 2015

Ireland: Dublin, Glendalough, Kilkenny

Scotland: Iona, Edinburgh, MelroseAbbey

England: York, Lindisfarne, London, Norwich

Italy: Rome, Monte Cassino, Florence

Further information: www.ctc.edu.au/study-tours or

call Fr. Austin Cooper omi, or Sr. Frances Baker rsm

on 9412 3333.

What’s Happening Elsewhere