Parish Bulletin
PARISH NEWS
Comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable
As Jeremiah relates (Jer 38:4-10), prophets generally discover that challenging people, particularly powerful leaders, out of their comfort zone is thorny. Jesus’ teaching of his Father’s Kingdom was viciously rejected by the powerful and comfortable of his time too.Famously, in the twentieth century, Dom Helder Camara, known as “the archbishop of the poor” remarked, as those in church and civil authority became more and more hostile to his support of the oppressed in Brazil: “If I give alms to the poor, they call me a saint. If I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.” Similarly Archbishop Saint Oscar Romero of El Salvador, a prophetic sign of possibility to the poor, was such a threat to oppressive powers that they had him assassinated in his own cathedral while he said Mass. Our prophetic Pope, applauded for charitable action, is frequently disparaged (even by some Catholics) for his challenging prophesy.
Jesus’ message in today’s gospel (Luke 12:49-53) is that prophetic messengers demanding change to out-dated ways will always disrupt the comfortable. Just as Jesus’ prophecies were rejected by authorities and those resistant to change in his time, twenty one centuries later, adherence to Jesus challenging message creates fire and division in our society and in our church. As in Jesus’ time and in the time of the apostles, some are inclined to favour the complacent path, clinging to old ways and rules, even shunning Jesus’ core teaching of open hearted love.
“As the poet Charles Peguy warns us, “We must always tell what we see. Above all, and this is more difficult, we must always see what we see.” When we fail to recognise the injustices of society – to smell them and to bind them, to carry the lame and shelter the homeless, we will never bend our hearts to hear them and shout out their cries for all to hear. And change!”[Sister Joan Chittister p36]
Deacon Mark Kelly
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION UPDATE
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
2nd Rite of Reconciliation for preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation will be held on Wednesday, 31st August at 7pm in St Ita’s Church, Drouin and on Thursday 1st September at 7pm in St Joseph’s Church, Warragul. All candidates are required to go to Reconciliation before they receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on Friday, 9th September at 7pm in Marist-Sion College Hall. 165 Burke St, Warragul. Please arrive 15 minutes before the starting time so everyone is seated for a 7pm start.
We are very much looking forwarded to sharing this next special step in your child’s faith journey.
We ask our school communities to please keep these children and families in your prayers as they continue their faith journey together.
PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES
Sacrament Enquiries: Mrs Therese Meggetto
Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au
