Gospel Reflection 2021

 Baptism of the Lord Yr B - Jan 10 

In today's Gospel we hear John the Baptist contrast his baptism of repentance with the baptism that Jesus will inaugurate. John the Baptist says that he has baptized with water, but that the one who is to come will baptize with the Holy Spirit. John's baptism was not yet a Christian baptism; it was a preparation for the Christian Baptism we celebrate today, and through which sins are forgiven and the gift of the Holy Spirit is received. In accepting John's baptism, Jesus, though sinless, united himself with all sinners.

Jesus' baptism was an event of great significance for Jesus and for the early Christian community. Mark and Luke report the story from Jesus' perspective; the voice from heaven is addressed to Jesus. In Matthew's Gospel, the voice from heaven speaks to all who are present. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism shows that something new is beginning through the baptism and ministry of Jesus.

The baptism of Jesus is considered an important manifestation of God in the person of Jesus, another epiphany. Jesus' baptism inaugurates his mission. Mark's Gospel moves quickly from the report of Jesus' baptism to Jesus' temptations in the desert to his ministry in Galilee after John's arrest. The end of the ministry of John the Baptist is the beginning of Jesus' ministry. In an analogous way, our Baptism inaugurates our mission as Christians.

 Sunday 2 Yr B - Jan 17 

Today’s reading from the Gospel according to John immediately follows John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus and his identification of Jesus as the Lamb of God. Having been baptized by John, Jesus begins to gather followers. The first followers sought out Jesus because of the testimony and witness of John the Baptist.

We are familiar with the title that John the Baptist uses for Jesus—the Lamb of God. We hear it weekly at the fraction rite during Mass. For those who heard John the Baptist, however, this title recalled key themes from the Old Testament. It alludes to the paschal lamb offered as a sacrifice when God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, the event that is commemorated by the Jewish Passover celebration. The designation also recalls the prophet Isaiah’s description of the suffering servant of Israel. In using this name for Jesus, John the Baptist predicts Jesus’ passion and death and the new interpretation of Passover that will begin with Jesus’ Last Supper.

Jesus asks Andrew and the other disciple, “What are you looking for?” This is a telling question, and one that we might often ask of ourselves.

[read all> loyolapress.com ]

Audio Gospel Reflections -  Fr Frank Moloney SDB

[Updated Jan 9]

Mass Times After Christmas (January)
St John’s: Tuesday at 9.15am Thursday at 9.15am
Sunday at 9 am (Italian), 11am and 5pm
St Joseph’s: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 9am
Saturday at 6:00pm Sunday at 9am (Vietnamese)
Good Shepherd: Sunday at 10am.

A message from Fr Martin ...
January 10  
Greetings to all…
I hope this newsletter finds you all well and 2021 has
started off on a good note. It has been a bit of a wet start to the
year, but on a positive note I am sure your gardens are
enjoying it.—I know I am enjoying the rain as I don’t need to
water the garden as much. This weekend we are celebrating
the Baptism of the Lord. Even though the secular world may
have taken down all the Christmas decorations, Christmas is
not quite over yet on the church’s calendar. This celebration
completes the season of Christmas. We begin Ordinary time in
the coming week. However, what is the significance of the
Lord’s Baptism?
The baptism of the Lord occurred in the river Jordan and
Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. One could ask why did
Jesus need to be baptised if he was the Son of God? Even John
questioned Jesus about being baptised. However, Jesus saw a
purpose in his baptism and asked John to leave things as they
were. By accepting being baptised by John the Baptist, Jesus is
showing his solidarity with all sinners. Even though he may be
without sin, he had the ability to show empathy. His baptism
also marks the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus was not
baptised in the Synagogue or some special place. He was
baptised in the same river Jordan as everybody else.
This could also be an example of Jesus’ humility and his
ministry to serve and not be served. Jesus is leading by example and receives blessings from God and the Holy Spirit.
The baptism of the Lord is depicted in stained glass at
the Cathedral of Immaculate Heart of Mary and St.
Teresa of Calcutta in Baruipur, West Bengal, India. (Dreamstime/Zatletic)
As we end our days of Christmas, let us continue to pray for
our state, country and world as the challenge of COVID-19
continues. This is something which won’t simply go away and
we can return to a normal life. Let us prayer for our safety, for
a vaccination, and to continue to keep ourselves and each
other safe. As always, if you are unwell, please remain home
and take care of yourselves. The need to wear a mask in the
church is required again when attending Mass.
Finally, I would like to announce that Fr Phil Gleeson and
Fr Bernie Graham, who are part of the Salesian community in
Clifton Hill, will be moving this year. Fr Bernie will be moving
to Tasmania and Fr Phil will be moving to Brunswick. We
thank them both for their assistance in our parish over the
years and we wish them the best of luck for the future. I
would also like to welcome back Fr Peter Rankin, who will be
the new leader for the Salesian community starting at the end
of this month.
Have a great week, Fr. Martin.

Ordinary Time: Experience of Journey ...
To many of us, the word “ordinary” suggests dull and boring
sameness. Nothing could be further from the truth in this
Season. The origin of the Latin tempus ordinarii is ordinal or
counted time. The numbering of the Sundays in Ordinary Time
is simply the way in which the Church organises its year.
Sundays are the distinguishing mark of the Christian
community. Every Sunday is a celebration of the Paschal
Mystery. Each Sunday of this Season acts as an echo of Easter Sunday. While each of the special Seasons of the year celebrates a particular aspect of the dying/rising of Christ, the Sundays in Ordinary Time celebrate the mystery of Christ in all its aspects.
Ordinary Time is the period in which God reveals to us the
face of Christ through the eyes of Matthew, Mark and Luke. In
the 33 (sometimes 34) Sundays of Ordinary Time, some of
which occur between Christmas and Lent (depending on the
date set for Easter) and the remainder after Pentecost, we get
on with the day-to-day faithful living of the Gospel.
The difference is that whereas the other Seasons of the
Liturgy are focussed on one major faith event, Ordinary Time
simply follows the Gospels. During this period, we hear a semicontinuous proclamation of the Scriptures over the 3-year
cycle. It’s as if the evangelists are our guides. Each year, one of
them will lead us deeper into the mystery of the mission of
Christ in the world. ...
In Year B [our current Church year] Mark shows us the
mystery of Christ as truly divine and truly human – Son of God
and Son of Man. Mark calls us into a response of faith by which
we radically choose to leave all to follow Christ and become
willing to share our conviction with others. …
Ordinary Time is an excellent time for us to get our liturgical
house in order. This is a time for listening, learning, and
building up the skills of good liturgical practice in our school
and parish communities. It’s actually a ‘growing time’ for our
people. Thus, the colour used in Ordinary Time is green – to
remind us that we are tending new growth as we develop and
equip [ourselves and] our community for its on-going mission.
https://www.bne.catholic.edu.au/formationandleadership/
prayer/Documents/Ordinary%20Time.pdf

No peace without a 'culture of care' ...
In his message for the Catholic Church’s World Day of Peace, Pope Francis appeals to the international community and
every individual to foster a ‘culture of care’ by advancing on the ‘path of fraternity, justice and peace
between individuals, communities, peoples and nations.’
‘There can be no peace without a culture of care,’ the Pope
stresses in his message for the 54th World Day of Peace, held on 1 January 2021 ...
The Holy Father calls for ‘a common, supportive and
inclusive commitment to protecting and promoting the dignity
and good of all, a willingness to show care and compassion, to
work for reconciliation and healing, and to advance mutual
respect and acceptance.’ In this task, Pope Francis offers the
principles of the Church’s social doctrine as a compass on the
path to peace….
‘A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace’ is the theme of the
Pope’s message, addressed to heads of state and government,
leaders of international organizations, spiritual leaders and
followers of the different religions, and to men and women of
goodwill.
Pope Francis begins his message noting how the ‘massive
Covid-19 health crisis’ has aggravated deeply interrelated crises
such as those of the climate, food, the economy and migration,
causing great sorrow and suffering to many. He makes it an
occasion to appeal to political leaders and the private sector to
spare no effort to ensure access to Covid-19 vaccines and to the
essential technologies needed to care for the sick, the poor and
those who are most vulnerable.
Alongside the pandemic, the Pope also notes a surge in
various forms of nationalism, racism and xenophobia, and wars
and conflicts that bring only death and destruction in their
wake. These and other events of 2020, he says, have
underscored the importance of caring for one another and for
creation in our efforts to build a more fraternal society. Hence,
‘A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace’ is a ‘way to combat the
culture of indifference, waste and confrontation so prevalent in
our time,’ he says.
To read the complete statement please see:
https://melbournecatholic.org/news/pope-world-day-of-peacemessage-no-peace-without-a-culture-of-care

A Message from Fr Martin
January 3
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all…
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a safe
and happy New Year It is amazing to think that we have
started the new year - 2021. Even though it may be a bit
daunting, it will be good to start a fresh year and to reflect on
the experiences of 2020. I am sure 2021 will be full of different
challenges, but I hope it is also full of great successes.
I would like to thank all those who were able to join
us for the Christmas celebrations at both St John’s and St
Joseph’s or online. It was great to come together and celebrate
the birth of Christ as a parish family. In the words of Arch
Peter Comensoli "At the heart of who we are is not all the
buildings, but the person of Jesus Christ, who enters into our
lives and who we then share with others.” Christ lives in each
one of us and we are the hands, the feet, and the voice of
Christ. To be a Christian is not easy and there are a great deal
of expectations from others. We all can only do our best as
followers of Christ. As parents, I am pretty sure you would tell
your sons and daughters to do their best in their studies or in
life. We are not perfect, but we have a lifetime to reach our
best. We may aim high, but that does not always mean we will
get there, and that is ok. We can only do our best and offer the
rest up to God.
On the 1st January we had morning mass at St
Joseph’s and St John’s to celebrate the new year and the
Solemnity of Mary – the Mother of God. It was great to see
parishioners come together and offer the day and the year
ahead to God. The first reading from Numbers spoke about
blessings and what to ask for. For us today, may the Lord Bless
us and keep us. May we be blessed with the face of the Lord
shining on us. May the Lord bless us with peace. The Gospel
told the story of the Shepherds coming to see the baby Jesus in
the manger. They were not rich or powerful people, but in
their simplicity of life they could see the joy in a baby being
born. Through the gift of Mary, God has entered into our world.
The beginning of a life long relationship with the Trinity – God
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All the blessings for 2021 for you and your wider
family and friends. As a church may we support each other in
the simplicity of life. Fr. Martin.