Parish of Our Lady of the Southern Cross

Image used with permission of artist Paul Newton

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	2019 Newsletter Nov 30-Dec 1 Dec 7-8
	Today's Mass Scripture Today's Morning Prayer This Week's Ordo 2020 Liturgical Calendar
	Mass Times, Events, Read Online, Mass on Demand, Prayer of the Day, Archbishop
	Melbourne Diocese Melbourne News Events Calendar 2019 Parishes Update Nov 27 + Dec 4
	Diocese Youth Site
	Salesian Missions 2019 Cagliero News- Dec Cagliero 11 - Dec Prayer Intention - Dec
December 2019 11 Combined Parish Carols at St John’s Church, 6pm 14 Carol singing at our local nursing homes—please join us 15 Advent 3, Farewell Mass to Fr Frank Moloney and Jason Corbett, St John's 10:30 16 “An Advent Prayer Experience” in St Johns Church, 7-8.30 pm 20 Reconciliation Liturgy at St Joseph’s 7pm 22 Advent 4 25 Christmas 26 St Stephen 27 John Apostle 28 Holy Innocents 29 Holy Family January 2020 1 Mary, Mother of God 5 Epiphany (A) 12 Baptism of the Lord (A) 19 Sun 2A 24 Francis de Sales 25 Conversion of Paul 28 Thomas Aquinas 31 John Bosco February 2020 2 Presentation of the Lord (A) 6 NZ Waitangi Day 9 Sun 5A 16 Sun 6A 22 Chair of St Peter 26 Ash Wednesday March 2020 1 Lent 1A Samoan Mass 12.30 4th Sundays


Fr Martin Tanti, SDB PP ... is normally available at St John’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 10am and 3pm. He is normally available at St Joseph’s on Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 4pm.
Children's Liturgy 10.30 Mass, 1st & 3rd Sundays, with Virginia & Jennifer Sacramental Program for Children Our Sacramental Program has recommenced for 2019, organised by Janice O’Rourke and Jenny Perry. We meet on Tuesdays between 4 and 5pm in the Parish Centre (behind the church, entry is from Hodgkinson Street). Enquiries: Jenny Perry on 9481 8282.
Support lifeline.org.au 13 11 14 BeyondBlue.org.au 1300 22 44 36 SANE Helpline 1800 18 SANE (7263) Vic Statewide Suicide helpline 1300 651 251 Mensline Australia 1300 789 978 Drug info. to your mobile phone 0439 TELL ME CrimeStoppers 1800 333 000 Suicide Helpline Victoria 1300 651 251 Where homeless people might go for help ... * Ozanam House in North Melbourne * Mary House of Welcome in Fitzroy * Jesuit Social Services in Richmond * Margaret Oats Van, corner of Smith and Stanley Streets (near Safeway) in Collingwood. For further information on where people can get free meals contact Joan in the office on 9481 7333.
Pope Francis says ... I see the sanctity of God’s people, this daily sanctity. Pope Francis’ vision of unity is based on our holiness. We may not consider ourselves holy, and perhaps our behaviour is lacking in holiness, but Pope Francis says that we are created in God’s image, and God is certainly holy. What we need to do is change our vision, to set aside our normal, sometimes cynical view of things, and begin to believe that all of us have been created to work together for the greater glory of God. If we begin to see everything we do as part of a holy mission instead of just the day-to-day routine, our entire worldview can change!

Parish of Our Lady of the Southern Cross
St John the Baptist, Clifton Hill - St Joseph's, Collingwood

Gospel Reflection 2019
Sunday - Advent 2 A

John marks the conversion of those who seek him out with a baptism of repentance. Other groups in this period are thought to have practiced ritual washings for similar purposes, and John's baptism may have been related to the practices of the Essenes, a Jewish sect of the first century. John's baptism can be understood as an anticipation of Christian baptism. In this passage, John himself alludes to the difference between his baptism and the one yet to come: “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).

In this reading, John makes very clear that his relationship to the Messiah yet to come (Jesus) is one of service and subservience: “. . . the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3:11). In the context of Matthew's Gospel, today's passage is followed by Jesus' baptism by John, an event that is attested to in all four of the Gospels and appears to have been the start of Jesus' public ministry.

John's preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John's message prepared the way for Jesus in the first century, we, too, are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. We respond to John's message by our repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives, as John did, the coming of the Lord. loyolapress.com

Dec 7-8 Gospel

Australian Catholic Youth Festival Song + Lyrics
Perth Dec 8-10, 2019

Sunday Cinema
Online Viewing
for this Week's Liturgy

Click for Archive

[Updated Dec 10]

Vocations
Congratulations to our Salesian Brothers who were ordained into the Diaconate last Saturday during St. Joseph's 6pm Mass. We are blessed to be in community with these fine young men, Michael, Dominic, Por and Daniel. Congratula-tions and God bless our Brothers in your ministry.

Advent mailing list
Join the Advent 2019 mailing list and receive these insightful daily reflections, designed to help you keep the ‘holy space’ of Advent. Sign up and view other Advent resources at http://www.cam.org.au/evangelisation/Liturgy/Advent

Reconciliation Liturgy
All are welcome to a Reconciliation Liturgy at St. Joseph’s Church on Friday, 20th December at 7:00pm. As we prepare for Christmas through our Advent journey, let us prune the garden of our spiritual selves, so that we may welcome God and be present to others with a lightened heart and mind.

A message from Fr Martin ...
What a weekend it was! On Saturday night at St Joseph's church we had the Ordination of four young men to the Diaconate with over 200 people present. It was a wonderful celebration and an example of service, community and worship. We also had the great pleasure of Archbishop Tim Costelloe's presence who ordained our four candidates. A heartfelt thanks to those from the parish who helped to make this celebration a success.

On Sunday, at St John the Baptist, we had the other great celebration of combined mass between both Churches. We began our Advent journey by lighting the first Advent candle, reminding us to wake and stay awake. During the mass we prayed for those young people who will be travelling to Perth for the Youth Festival in Perth. After the mass we had time to gather together for food, fun and fellowship. Once again, a BIG THANKS goes to those who helped with the Eucharistic celebration and the festivities which occurred after mass. During this Advent season I encourage us all to pray for each other, that our faith may grow and be nurtured during this special season. God bless. Fr Martin

Advent
This week's Gospel reading has John entreating people to repent and prepare the way for the one who is to come. "Prepare a Way for the Lord" John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. How do we prepare the way for Jesus in the lives of our young people ? Do we pray for them? Encourage and support them? Invite them to serve, and thank them? How can we be like John the Baptist to those people who do not know Jesus?
The second purple candle on the Advent wreath this week represents love.
As we celebrate Human Rights Day on 10 December let us treat our neighbours with a love and respect that result in concrete actions to care for our common home and each other. Michele Frankeni, Australian Catholics

Christmas for St Vinnies
At this time can we kindly ask for donations of Christmas Cakes, Puddings and Chocolates for Vinnies in Collingwood over the next couple of weeks. You are welcome to leave these donations in the back of the church. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Pastoral volunteers needed
Mercy Place Abbotsford is currently seeking one or two pastoral visitors to work with the Pastoral Carer at the home in support-ing the residents’ emotional and spiritual well-being. If you might be able to assist in this volunteer role, please contact Sr Caroline 9419 3933.

Christmas Carol Singing
Just 5 weeks ‘til Christmas! I‘m reaching out to see if anyone is interested in visiting a couple of the local nursing homes for Christmas carols. Those of us who went the last few years have found it very rewarding. We are looking to visit the nursing homes on Saturday December 14. Please let us know if you are interested, by email <collclift@hotmail.com> or 9481 7333. Thank you. Quyen

An Advent Prayer Experience
We are pleased to continue to host a five-week guided prayer retreat for Advent this year. Annmaree Sutton, along with Joyce Flint, will guide us through a contemplative prayer experience using St. Ignatius’s First Spiritual Exercises. This one evening a week prayer time will include journaling and spiritual conversation. This retreat starts and finishes on a Monday (18th Nov – 16th Dec) at St. John’s School Clifton Hill in the Aikenhead Wing. Times are from 6:45pm (for a 7pm start) to 8:30pm. This retreat is a free event, however, purchasing the RSE Retreat Book is recommended. RSVP with parish secretary at 9481 7333 or email annie54@icloud.com

Goodbye and thank you

Please join us on Sunday, December 15th at St. John's 10:30am Mass as we farewell our Assistant Parish Priest,
Fr Frank Moloney is leaving us to join Sunbury and our head altar server, Jason Corbett is returning to Tasmania for work commitments..
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye, and a lightened spirit of gratitude that we send them on their way.
We will gather for refreshments afterwards in Aikenhead Hall. All are welcome.

Pastoral volunteers needed
Mercy Place Abbotsford is currently seeking one or two pastoral visitors to work with the Pastoral Carer at the home in supporting the residents’ emotional and spiritual well-being. If you might be able to assist in this volunteer role, please contact Sr Caroline 9419 3933.