PARISH NEWS

Be Still for a Moment

Pentecost Sunday, this conclusion of the great Easter season, is a wonderful opportunity to take a deep breath and set our course. Easter is about celebration and reflection on the depth and breadth of God’s love for us. Those filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost day (John 20:19-23) burst from the upper room (Acts 2:1-11) preaching confidently and fearlessly to all people. This is celebrated as the birth of the Church. In an astonishingly brief few years those Spirit filled disciples made Christianity a major player around the Mediterranean and beyond. In those same few years though was revealed an issue which has plagued us since. Those zealously fired up with passion for Jesus message, but forgetting to consult the Spirit were very soon proclaiming their own words rather than Jesus’.

Australian theologian Fr Frank Moloney alerts us that, “without the nourishing yet critical presence of the Holy Spirit, the ”Word” of Jesus is soon forgotten, and we begin to settle for our own “words”……. abandoning the never-ending task of learning from the Spirit …. settling for established ways …. no longer admitting the uncomfortable “memory” of all that Jesus has said to us”. (Moloney, F. This is the Gospel of the Lord p110)

In stillness, openness and humility we must contemplate, reflect, pray, chill, before any preaching or teaching or missioning and indeed in our daily lives. Allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives is often confronting: upsetting our prejudices and biases, our programs, plans and policies. Forgetting or ignoring the Holy Spirit though dooms our activities, whatever good intentions we might have. Pentecost is time to be still, to wait on the Lord, realising that Jesus approaches me as he did the disciples, wishing me peace, conferring his gift of the Holy Spirit and empowering us to pass these gifts freely to others.

RCIA: RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS

An Information evening will be held on Wednesday 13^th July 7.30pm Marian Room (attached to St. Joseph’s Church Warragul; enter car park from Bowen Street) for those who want to find out more about the Catholic faith, what Catholics believe and why, expressing an interest in becoming a Catholic, or an Adult Catholic who has not received the sacraments of

First Communion or Confirmation.  If you know of someone that may be interested, please bring them along to this session.

For more information you can contact:

Fr. Peter Slater: 56231642

Fr. Confidence: 56231642

Joan Robertson Coordinator at St. Joseph’s Parish Office, Warragul: 56231642 Deacon Mark Kelly at Marist Sion College: 56235944 or 0427748646.

PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES

Sacrament Enquiries:  Mrs Therese Meggetto

Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au