First Sunday of Advent
Yr B
30th November 2014
Weekly bulletin for the parish of St Agatha, Pennant Hills
OUR MASS
Mon-Fri:
6.30am, 9.30am
Saturday:
8am, 6pm (Vigil)
Sunday: 7.30am, 9am, 10.30am, 6.00pm
Redfield College
Sunday 8.30am
OUR SACRAMENTS
Reconciliation & Exposition: 8.30-9.30am Sat
Baptisms:
By appointment
Weddings:
By appointment
Anointing of The Sick: As requested
OUR PARISH TEAM
Fr Paul Durkin
Fr Harry Kennedy
Fr Joseph Choi
Mal Weber
Tomasz Kukielka
Tina Muscat
Debbie Doughty
Parish Priest
Assistant Priest
Assistant Priest
Parish Secretary
Youth Minister
Catechist & Sacramental
Co-ordinator
Book Keeper
OUR PLACE
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am – 3pm
Phone:
9484 1427
Fax:
9484 0053
Website:
www.stagatha.org.au
Parish School:
9484 7200
E-Mail addresses:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Callahan Centre: 20 Boundary Road
Pennant Hills NSW 2120
Postal Address:
PO Box 127
Pennant Hills NSW 1715
Parish School : Kevin Bauer, Principal
9484 7200
School Email: [email protected]
TODAY'S READINGS
Entrance Antiphon:
To you, my God, I lift my soul, I trust in you; let me never come to
shame. Do not let my enemies laugh at me. No one who waits for you
is ever put to shame.
First Reading: A Reading from the prophet Isaiah
63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
This passage has been described as “one of the jewels of the Bible”
(Jerome Biblical Commentary). The exiles had returned from Babylon
with high hopes enkindled by Isaiah’s prophecies, but then nothing
seemed to happen. Isaiah confesses his sins and the sins of his nation.
The prophet cries out and longs for God to intervene:
'You are our Father, our Redeemer ... Tear open the heavens and
come down … we are the clay, you are the potter, we are all the work
of your hand'.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 79: 2-3. 15-16. 18-19
Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Second Reading: St Paul to the Corinthians 1:3-9
This reading is the opening blessing and thanksgiving of 1 Corinthians.
St Paul thanks God for the variety of charismatic gifts that have been
manifested in the community, especially their speech and knowledge.
St Paul reminds the Corinthians that in spite of all their present
knowledge, they are still waiting for the final revealing of the Lord
Jesus Christ. They need to be sustained by him to the end.
Gospel Acclamation:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Lord, show us your mercy and love, and grant us your salvation.
Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 13:33-37
Today’s Gospel reading is the eschatological (end times) parable of the
doorkeeper. St Mark’s account applies this parable to the departure of
Christ at his ascension and identifies his return with the Parousia, his
final coming in glory. It thus becomes a parable of the post-Easter
church waiting for the return of Christ in glory. The parable concludes
with an exhortation: “keep awake, for you do not know when the
master of the house will come…”
Lighting of Advent Wreath Candle: Response Come Lord Jesus
CONVERSION
COMMUNITY
MISSION
St Agatha’s parish
Reflection:
Advent marks the start of the new liturgical year, Year B, which draws on St Mark’s Gospel. Advent means ‘coming’.
Advent is a preparation for Christmas and more importantly, looks to the Second Coming of Jesus:
“When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present the ancient expectancy of the
Messiah, for, by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviour's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for
His Second Coming.” (Catechism Catholic Church n.524)
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus wants to instil in his disciples a sense of urgency: we are to ‘keep awake’, not to ‘fall
asleep’, be vigilant, waiting in hope and expectation. All the texts of Advent are filled with longing and pleas and cries
to the Lord to come to us.
Advent is a time of waiting and expectation, marked by moderation, simplicity, silence and reflection. In the liturgy,
there is a noticeable change of tone to mark the change in church season. The Gloria, the great hymn of praise to Jesus
Christ, is first sung at the birth of the Saviour. It is not sung during Advent, but is sung with special emphasis again at
Christmas.
Please pray for our recently deceased:
How shall I prepare for the Coming of the Lord into my
Rev Can Doreen Collett (Mother of Jill
life during this Advent?
Howcroft), Colette MacKinnon, Benedick Leung,
“Behold I stand at the door and wait….” says the Lord to
Margaret King
each of us. Let’s support and encourage one another in
And for those whose anniversaries that occur
at this time:
Needra Doyle, Natividad Basso
Please pray for the sick in our community:
Juliet Bowron, Max O’Connor, John Swan,
Aida Chan, Rachel Luchetti
Service of Remembrance
For families whose children have died or are missing
Wednesday 3rd December 7.30pm
St Matthews Anglican Church
(cnr New Line & Castle Hill Rds West Pennant Hills)
Please collect a flyer from the church foyer
Appointment of third Bishop of Broken Bay:
Most Rev Dr Peter Comensoli DD, STL, MLitt, PhD,
until now Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of
Sydney, has been appointed the third Bishop of the
Diocese of Broken Bay. Bishop Peter will be installed
as Bishop of the Diocese of Broken Bay on 12
December, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
under whose loving protection, Bishop Peter has
placed his ministry. Fr Paul has written to Bishop
Peter to pass on the congratulations and best wishes
of the St Agatha’s parishioners and to assure him of
our prayerful support.
making Advent a time of preparation for the Coming of
the Lord.
Personal reflection on Advent (resource available in
foyer or on parish website)
Advent Wreath (see commentary and daily prayers on
parish website)
Morning Prayer
Night Prayer
Rosary or some other special prayer
Attend at least one Mass during the week
Read and reflect on the daily Mass readings
Be reconciled with a family member or friend
Contribute to someone who is in special need
Visit someone who is in need of special care
Send a card to someone who may be isolated,
alone or grieving
Reconciliation (note 5-5.45pm each Saturday in
Advent; Second rite: 7.30pm on 10th Dec)
Adoration
All are welcome to attend Adoration in the
Church from 10am – 10pm on Friday 5th
December
INVITATION TO THE INSTALLATION OF BISHOP PETER A COMENSOLI AS THE THIRD BISHOP OF BROKEN BAY
All parishioners are invited to the Installation of Bishop Peter Comensoli on Friday 12 December at 11am at Our Lady of the Rosary
Cathedral, Waitara. RSVPs are essential by Thursday 4 December. Please phone Mal in the parish office on 9484 1427, or email;
[email protected] For those of you not able to attend, note that the Installation will be streamed live www.dbb.org.au
On the following 2 weekends, Bishop Comensoli will be celebrating Mass around the Diocese. He is looking forward to meeting as
many parishioners as possible.
Sat 13 December – Vigil Mass, 5:30pm, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Normanhurst
Sun 14 December – 9:15am Mass, St John the Baptist, Woy Woy Peninsula
Sun 14 December – 6pm Mass, Hornsby Cathedral
Sat 20 December – Vigil Mass, Tuggerah Lakes Deanery (location tba)
Sun 21 December – 9:30am Mass, St Joseph’s, Narrabeen
Sun 21 December – 5:30pm Youth Mass, Our Lady of Dolours, Chatswood
St Agatha’s parish
Youth Happenings
D-GEN Yr9-11:– Friday 12th December Plenty of
fun, games, friendship and food, in the Callahan
Centre from 7-9pm.
D-GEN Yr9-11:– Friday 19th December 10am-1pm
St Vincent de Paul Appeals in December:
St Vincent de Paul cards and calendars are on sale in
the church foyer.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal:
All Masses on the weekend of 13th & 14th December
FRAGGIES Yr7+8: Friday 19th December 3-6pm
ANNUAL DIOCESAN MASS FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS AND THEIR FAMILIES HERE AT ST AGATHA’S
Welcome to visitors:
A special word of welcome to all visitors for the Mass
for people with special needs this week-end. We pray
that the Mass and lunch together is a time of great
blessing, celebration and support for us all.
See you in the Callahan Centre opposite the Church
3pm sign-on & sign off at 6pm.
YOUTH GROUPS: Bring yourself, a friend, your great
personality and $2.
New people are always welcome.
Enquiries: Tomek - 0405 393 872 or
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/stagathaYM
Parish Pastoral Worker (Incl. Seniors’ Ministry):
St Agatha’s Catholic Parish, Pennant Hills
Part time – 35hours a fortnight
The role of the Parish Pastoral Worker (incl. Seniors’
Ministry) is to offer vision, leadership and organisation
in the areas of pastoral care, community building, faith
enrichment and sacramental celebrations for seniors
and some others within the life of the parish.
The successful application would report to the Parish
Priest, work as part of a parish team and minister on
behalf of the parish within the broader community. The
position is available from 27 January, 2015.
STUDENTS & YOUNG ADULTS!
Check the noticeboard for events
happening around Sydney.
Looking to get more out of your summer? Why not come
along to the annual iWitness Conference!
As the year draws to close, hundreds of young Catholics
come to together for a weekend of fun, relaxation and
enrichment – all while soaking up by the sun by the
beautiful Collaroy beach! There’s talks, perpetual
adoration, a range of outdoor activities and a hundreds of
joyful, exuberant young adults. Be inspired. Be challenged.
Go to www.lifetothefull.com.au for more details and to
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register! Dec 11 – 14 !
SRE Ministry ( Catechists required)
Would you like to respond to the call of Jesus to build
His Church in an important ministry of sowing the seed
of faith to children in our state schools? I will be holding
a recruitment drive on the weekend of 17th/18th January
please call Tina on 94841427 if you are interested in
contributing to this ministry.
Church Library
We are currently preparing more books to be placed in
the Church library. Please return or renew any overdue
borrowed books.
Closing date: 10th December, 2014
To receive an Application package email Denise Scott
on [email protected]
For further enquiries please phone: Denis McNamara 02
9847 0232
Children’s Christmas Eve Masses – Wednesday 24th December
The Mass times are 5.00pm and 7.30pm. Both of these Masses will
have a nativity play which will involve a lot of children participating
in many varied roles, all costumes will be provided. In the Church
foyer there is a list of all the roles that need to be filled and also the
two Mass times participation sheet. Please fill in all the details on
the sheet All children participating will also need to attend the
rehearsals held in the Church on Tuesday, 23th December at
12.30pm for the 5.00pm Mass and 2.30pm for the 7.30pm Mass.
‘Give a Gift to Christ this Christmas’
If you would like to make up a hamper for a family, please take a tag showing the make-up of the family you wish to help.
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Please return the hamper on Sunday the 7 of December before the 10.30am Mass
Thank you for your generosity
Just a few helpful points for when you are making up the hamper:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mark the boxes clearly with the hamper number Eg. R7, C5, H17, V3
Use plastic rather than glass bottles. Although we can handle glass if necessary.
For ease of handling use 2 boxes rather than one large box. Don't forget to mark both boxes though.
Please DO NOT include any alcohol, red or green cordials or toy guns.
In some cases, hampers may take up to Christmas Day to be delivered, so perishables may not last. So please include
long life food where possible.
6. Include foods you would normally buy for your own family. Remember its always nice to have Christmas food at
Christmas, but it is also nice to be able to eat in January.
7. The Christmas food could include a small tinned ham, a Christmas cake and a Christmas pudding!
ENJOY MAKING UP THE HAMPERS & HAVE A HAPPY AND HOLY CHRISTMAS
St Agatha’s parish
This Week’s Parish Ministers: First Sunday of Advent 30th November 2014
Mass Times
6.00pm
7.30am
9.00am
Fr Paul
Fr Joseph
Fr Denis
10.30am
Redfield
College
6.00pm
8.30am
Fr Harry
Fr Harry
Readers
R Kennaugh
C Kennaugh
R De Souza
P Carneiro
C Johnstone
B Gristi
Fr Vince Casey &
Fr Paul
M Lynam
C Man Yan
Wardens
D Tucker
C McKenna
Vacant
J Minogue
L Tadrose
R Hyland
S Messina
J Gimenez
S Kennaugh
A Kennaugh
D Kennaugh
1. E Spencer
1A. V Frizza
2. R Miller
3. L Periera
4. R Panandam
5 T Plotel
S De Silva
L Nery
N Deitch
B Faehrmann
C Grace
J Grace
S Parsons
M Anderson
D Bower
M Zahra
K Adidharma
S Chan
Preparation
J & J Corbett
D Salvestro
Wiggins Family
Foertsch Family
Pereira Family
Music
BBE
Quiet
Peter & Juliet
Mark Berry
Quiet
Cathy Kennaugh
Lisa Rossi
Claire Gould
Chris Gould
Cecilia
Notohamiprodjo
Celebrant
Communion
Altar Servers
Childrens’
Liturgy
Welcomers
Money
Counters
30th November
& 7th December
Julia Bradley
Robert De Souza (c)
Beverley De Souza
Vivienne Lea
Gaynor Donnelly
Joselyn HordernSmith
Rosary Statue
1 Dec 8pm
(Monday)
Antanina & Ted
Hook
58 Chapman Ave
Beecroft
Ph: 9484 1438
Altar Society
7 December
V Logan
N Prakash
Amelia Pereira
Len Pereira
Julia Symons
Rashika Dias
This Week’s Parish Ministers: Second Sunday of Advent 7th December 2014
Mass Times
Celebrant
7.30am
9.00am
10.30am
6.00pm
8.30am
Fr Paul
Fr Paul
Fr Harry
Fr Dennis
Fr Harry
Fr Joseph
D Ferdinands
P Smith
A M Whenman
P Houchin
J Patchell
C Patchell
Ayesha
Saldanha
Anjeli Saldanha
Wardens
E Gracie
E Vassallo
J Marsden
S Santos
Youth
1 D Scott
1A. A Rangel
2. S Alexander
3. N Tomasovic
4. J Gimenez
C Alexander
5. J Pace
M Limbrey
L Nery
T Kukielka
M Del Gallego
D Anderson
A Raffel
Communion
A Wong
M Mockler
M Gregorio
Altar Servers
K Notohamiprodjo
J Notohamiprodjo
J Doowage
G Da Silva
M Wiggins
T Kukielka
N Pangilnan
C Pangilnan
Preparation
C Hayward
C Cameron
Monique Royle
M Lynam
Pacheco
Family
Ray & Ronnie
N
Mascarenhas
Group 4
Mark Berry
Placido Family
Joan McHugh
Rhonda Miller
Melina Moyes
Lauren Hislop
Margaret
Tibbitts
Money
Counters
30th November
& 7th December
Jane McGirr
6.00pm
A Messina
S Messina
Welcomers
Floral
Ministry for
December
Redfield
College
Readers
Music
Childrens’
Liturgy
A Hughes
Robert De Souza (c)
Beverley De Souza
Vivienne Lea
Gaynor Donnelly
Joselyn HordernSmith
Rosary Statue
1 Dec 8pm
(Monday)
Altar Society
7 December
A Hughes
Floral
Ministry for
December
Jane McGirr
55+ Group
Reminder for those who have paid for Christmas lunch
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Friday 12 Dec at the Marriott Nth Ryde 12noon sharp
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Some will travel by 11.18am train from Pennant Hills in the 5 carriage from front. Alight Macquarie Park station in
front of the lift, when you go through the ticket barrier turn right, cross Waterloo Rd walk 5 mins to Marriott. Those
travelling by car, turn left off Lane Cove Rd into Talavera Rd; go into driveway to boom gate.
Any enquiries – Kath 9871 5812