Gospel Reflection 2019
 Baptism of the Lord Yr C
In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “ In light of the cross and resurrection, the Christian people realized what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon his shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan.” In Philippians 2:5-11, St. Paul describes the willingness to humble himself that the Son of God showed by taking on himself our human nature and its burden of sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Jesus’ gesture [of submitting to baptism] is a manifestation of self-emptying. The Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude to the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as ‘his beloved Son’ ” (no. 1224).

 Sunday 2C
The changing of water to wine is Jesus’ first public act in John, the inaugural “sign” of God’s presence in the world through him.

The “third day” language in verse 1, suggestive as it is of Jesus’ resurrection after three days, clues us into the symbolic nature of this particular miracle story. So does the wedding setting, as wedding and banquet imagery is used to symbolize the messianic era (Isaiah 54:4-8; 62:4-5; Matthew 22:1-14; Revelation 19:9). Present at the wedding are Jesus, his disciples, and Jesus’ mother, never called Mary in the Fourth Gospel (see 2:1, 3, 5, 12; 19:25). She is introduced first because of her prominent role in the story.

The need that arises is a lack of wine, which Mary reports to Jesus in verse 3. Without explicitly requesting that he do anything, her telling Jesus they have no wine implies that she wants him to do something and that she believes he can solve this problem. Jesus’ response to her in verse 4 sounds rude and harsh to us, but he is not being hostile to her.

Baptism of the Lord

Wedding at Cana

   [Updated Jan 9]

Welcome to Fr Martin
Our new Parish Priest is Father Martin Tanti, sdb having been a Salesian for over 25 years.
Fr Martin has been in the Lysterfield community since 2007. He has had numerous jobs over the years such as coordinator of the Salesian youth centre in Brunswick, worked in both primary and secondary schools, worked on camps and has just completed his stint as Director in the Don Bosco Retreat Centre.

Fr Martin grew up in Melbourne and has two older brothers. He enjoys going to the movies, gardening and being creative.
We hope his time with us at OLSC will be most enjoyable, fulfilling and rewarding for him. A very warm welcome to you, Fr Martin !!

Goodbye to Fr Peter  :-(

Goodbye to Fr Peter
We say goodbye to Father Peter during his final Mass at St Joseph's Church today (Sunday) at 10:00 am. This will be a combined Vietnamese and English Mass.
We will then have a big celebration in St Joseph's hall following Mass.
All are invited to share in his send-off and giving thanks for all that he has been for our parish. It has been a blessed seven years and he will be greatly missed. Please note that 10:30 am Mass at St John's has been cancelled today due to this celebration.

Anusit’s Ordination in Thailand
You will remember our Salesian friend Anusit who was ordained a Deacon late last year, after five years of study here. He returned to his home province just prior to Christmas and will be ordained as a Priest next Saturday, 19th January in Hua Hin, Thailand at 10 am. Please say a prayer for him on his priestly journey.

Opening up St John’s in 2019
To all those people who are not committed to work during the week, we need your help. We would like to open St John’s Church, in addition to Mass times.
If you are available to help, please let the Parish office (9481 7333) know, leaving your name, contact details and times when you could help out with this initiative or ring me direct on 0439 614 461 or speak with Jennifer. Thanks for your help.
John Andrews

Audio Divina Podcast
Audio Divina is a lectio-divina inspired Podcast that features high-quality, meticulously researched reflec-tions provided by our very own world-renowned biblical scholar Rev Professor Francis J Moloney SDB AM.
Audio Divina will help bring the sacred texts alive through a medium that is easily accessible to all ages in the modern world. The podcast offers a fantastic resource to those who are studying, or simply hunger for the gift that comes from listening and understanding the Word of God. They are available to listen to and download from https://salesians.org.au/info/audiodivina or from iTunes or Facebook.

January Weekday Masses
For this coming week (commencing 14th), OLSC will be celebrating weekday Masses as follows …
St John’s —Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9.15 am
St Joseph’s—Wednesdays 8.30am, Fridays 9am.
Luke’s gospel conveys a concern for all humankind, and a particular care for the poor. It also focuses on ministry to and by women. The seeking out and saving of the lost is another recurring motif, as seen in the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost (or prodigal) son.

Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke is interested in who Jesus is, and what he’s about. Luke’s Jesus is a charismatic figure. His humility is evident in his depiction as a poor wanderer, dependent on the hospitality of others. He is a gentle and compassionate saviour, but also strong and uncompromising towards those who collaborate to exploit others.

Warm Welcome to Fr Martin
A very warm welcome to our new incoming Parish Priest, Fr Martin Tanti.

Fr Martin arrives from Lysterfield where he was the Director of the Retreat Centre at Auxilium College, Lysterfield.
Fr Martin spent his study years at the Salesian Don Bosco House next door to the Presbytery in Clifton Hill.
So, one could say that he is not new to OLSC, just returning home.