23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Cyle I 8 September 2019

H ow do we respond to Jesus’ challenges in the Gospel? In his powerful reflection on evangelisation in the

modern world (Evangelii Nuntiandi), Pope Paul VI makes an insightful point: the Gospels are meant to

challenge our values, choices, and relationships.

The Church’s task in preaching the Gospel means, according to Paul VI, “affecting and, as it were, upsetting

through the power of the Gospel, humanity’s criteria of judgment, determining values, points of interest, lines

of thought, sources of inspiration and models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God and the plan of

salvation. (EN 19)

The demands of discipleship pose real questions: Do I place God first in my life - even above family and friends?

Do I willingly carry my daily crosses? Am I over-attached to material possessions? Being an admirer of Jesus is

easy; being a genuine disciple requires commitment, dedication and decision.

One valid, contemporary description of discipleship is to understand it as a “countercultural witness.” This

means following one’s Christian convictions - even against the tide of prevailing cultural patterns and values that

are contrary to the Gospel. Some brief examples help to illustrate this “countercultural” point.

A young man who is a new doctor or lawyer leaves his profession and enters the seminary to study for priest-

hood. A pregnant, unmarried lady refuses the convenient path of abortion, knowing it will radically change her

life. A brave man speaks out against corruption in government or business, even if it may cost him his job or

bring threats to his life. Family members lovingly care for a special needs child at great sacrifice to themselves.

A nun volunteers to leave a comfortable school to work with the indigenous peoples at home or abroad. A family

commits to a shared meal with some time for common prayer several times a week.

Both Church and society need the witness of people who are countercultural. Many world leaders followed the

humble nun Mother Teresa to her burial, but her countercultural witness, I believe, must have made them (and

us) decidedly uncomfortable.

Ask yourself: What sacrifices or changes in my life are needed so I can be a more genuine and compassionate

disciple of Jesus?

366 Days with the Lord Gil A Alinsangan SSP

Discipleship Costs

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Jesus’ Friend & Follower

T herese Martin grew up in a middle-class family in nineteenth-century France. She

was the baby of the family, made to feel special by her older sisters, who took a

major part in raising her after her mother’s death. Doted on by her father, she was

perhaps a rather “spoilt” child - family memoirs recall her throwing tantrums when

things didn’t go her way! Therese entered the Carmelite monastery at fifteen, following

in her older sisters’ footsteps, and died there aged twenty-four. A short life; and a life

shaped by her own struggles to grow from a young, privileged girl, through the hard

disciplines of Carmel, into an extraordinary maturity of holy living and dying. One of

her major struggles, recorded in her autobiography, concerned her vocation - what did

God want her to do? She longed for the special callings - to be a missionary, a martyr.

But, in the end, she recognised her call in something more ordinary and everyday - the

call to love. From that day she stopped thinking about herself and thought only of how

to love those around her better. And from that day, she asserts, she was always happy.

This calling to love described by St Therese may seem an odd contrast to those startling

words from the Gospel, which seem to speak not of love, but rather of a call to “hate”:

“If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brother,

sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple.” Jesus is not, of course,

requiring us all to go home and hate our families. The context makes this clear. But he

is, none the less, calling his disciples to something quite radical. This is a passage that

speaks of the great cost of discipleship, the cost of being and remaining close to Jesus,

of following him to the cross. For the Gospel is clear that this is what is required if we

are to share in the life of the resurrection, the life of God.

What is described here is a fundamental “giving up” of possessions and all the goods

of life that we cling to in order to make us feel safe and comfortable. All these things,

even when, like families, they are real goods in themselves, disciples are called to be

ready to leave if they stop us following Jesus. But this is a giving up in love, just as the

cross is God’s act of love. The difficult, costly thing is that this is loving in God’s way,

and not only in the ordinary ways that make life secure and happier for ourselves. It is

this love that our Old Testament reading today names as Wisdom - an understanding

only possible through God’s gift. It is this love that transcends the ordinary social

relations through God’s gift. It is this love that transcends the ordinary social relations

for Philemon and the slave Onesimus. In all this, we are meeting with God, whose

intentions will and truth lie beyond our fallen ways of knowing and loving.

All this means is that to be Jesus’ friend and follower, we are called to live lives of

loving others. This is costly: ultimately it costs our lives. Which is why we cannot

“love” our ambition, plans, investments, attachments and so forth, as if they were the

real things of living. What Jesus teaches, and what we see reflected in the lives of saints

like Therese, is a way of loving that calls us beyond these things, a sharing in the

Wisdom of God, who sees things differently from our world. This is one of the reasons

the Church encourages us to “give up” things - through fasting and almsgiving ,

through the dedicating of time to prayer and care of people in need. This costs us -

sometimes even in our relationships and home comforts. But, Jesus promises, it is in

this giving away of ourselves that we will draw close to him, and discover a new way

of living and loving, and a renewed world in his Spirit.

So much in our lives compels us to become preoccupied with our own skills, ideas and

ambitions. In such a culture we cling to what we possess, with a kind of love and a

kind of selfishness. Let us pray to be able to lift our eyes to look beyond ourselves and

learn to pay the cost of discipleship - a love beyond our own needs and wants.

365 Days with the Lord Fr Ruben C Areno SSP

Beauty, Truth, Goodness

The Fundamentals of Catholicism Wednesdays

10:30-11:30am and 7-8pm.

Refreshments provided.

Bring a friend!

Week 15 Winners have been drawn:

1st Prize $50 No 41

2nd Prize $25 No 4

Well done winners and good luck next

week everyone!

The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady

September is the month dedicated to

Our Lady’s Sorrows. Please find

brochures on the information tables.

The

Catholic

Weekly

Now on sale

on the

Church

tables.

$2 to the poor

box please.

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Bible Study

Join Fr Kevin for a short Bible Study of the next Sunday’s

Gospel. Tuesdays in the Muldoon Room

after 9am Mass. All welcome!

Children’s Liturgy

O ur Children’s Liturgy during Sunday 9.30am Mass is going well, with lots of kids

coming along to hear the Gospel at their level and have fun doing activities and

colouring in. We’d love to meet you too, so come along next time and make some new

friends. All children aged 3-12 are welcome. If you would like to help with Children’s

Liturgy contact Alicia Klein on 0412 677 964.

Domestic Violence Workshop

S ome statistics about domestic abuse in Australia: → 1 in 3 women experiences

physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. →Domestic and family violence is the

principle cause of homelessness for women and their children. →1 in 4 children are

exposed to domestic violence. No matter what age, no matter what gender, you can

help change this. This issue is for ALL of us. Come to the Domestic Abuse Workshop in

the Parish Centre Wednesday 18 September 9:30 am. Enq: Margaret Hagan 4399 3523.

Nursing Home Mass

Mass and Anointing will be celebrated at

Bupa Nursing Home Bateau Bay

on Monday 9 September

at 11am.

Adoration in September

Adoration is held on each Saturday

of September in the Prayer Room,

following 9am Mass and continuing through the day to Benediction

at 5:30pm.

Fr Shaju’s Silver Jubilee of Ordination

F r Shaju will celebrate his Silver Anniversary later this year. The Parish of Asquith

will celebrate this on Sunday 22 September. We thank God for his Ministry not

only over the past 25 years but particularly his time with us at The Entrance. Congrat-

ulations to him with a promise of our prayers. Well done good and faithful servant.

Parish Brunch

A ll parishioners are invited to Brunch after 9:30am Mass Sunday 15 September

in the Parish Centre. Bring a plate of finger food or slices, hot or cold, to share.

Tea, coffee and fruit juice provided. Gold coin donation at the door to assist in

expenses for future morning teas provided by our parish. Bookings not necessary -

“come as you are!” The Parish Centre will be open from 9am for you to drop off food.

Please Note Child Protection Sunday

This weekend, the Catholic Church in Australia marks Child Protection Sunday, on

which we pray for those who have been abused, their families and supporters. We

recognise the harm done by priests, religious and lay people in Church settings. We

recommit to practices that support survivors and make the Catholic Church and its

ministries the safest possible place for children and vulnerable adults. You can find out

more at: www.catholic.org.au/responseandprevention

Let’s Listen & Discern with the Plenary Council

All are invited to continue to participate in the journey towards the Council sessions in

2020 and 2021. The “Listening and Discernment” phase recently opened and a guide

has been developed to encourage groups to take part in communal discernment on the

National Themes for Discernment. Learn more: www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au

OLR Kids Club Celebrates Spring!

K ids Club will meet again on Saturday 21 September from 4-6pm in the Muldoon

Room. Come along for Fun, Friends, Food and Faith! For children 5-12 years (or

younger if accompanied by a parent/carer.) Please remember that all children need to

be signed in at the door. Then you can join in the Children’s Choir at 6pm Mass.

Serving the Sick in Hospital

Would you like to help serve the sick

in hospital? Contact the parish

office for details 4332 2216.

Serving the Catholic Community of The Entrance and extending the Kingdom of God

PARISH PRIEST & DEAN Fr Bill Stevens ASSISTANT PRIEST Fr Vincent Varghese VC

SACRAMENTAL COORDINATOR Br John Verhoeven FSP

Office Hours Monday-Friday 9.30-5.00pm Tel 4332 2216 Fax 4333 5344

Postal Address PO Box 189 THE ENTRANCE 2261 Street Address 239-243 The Entrance Rd THE ENTRANCE 2261

Email info@ourladyoftherosary.org.au Website www.ourladyoftherosary.org.au

PROPERTY MANAGER Michael de la Motte Tel 4334 7600 (BH)

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY PRIMARY SCHOOL Tel 4332 5594

ST PETER’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE Tel 4351 2344 Fax 4351 2965

THE ENTRANCE PARISH DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY

Mass & Devotions in Ordinary Time Sunday Masses Saturday Vigil 6:00pm Sunday 8:00am & 9:30am

Weekday Masses Monday - Thursday 9:00am Friday 11:45am Saturday 9:00am

Reconciliations Saturdays 9:30-10am & 5-5:30pm

Liturgy of the Hours Saturday 8:40am Rosary Monday-Thursday 8:35am Friday 11:20am Saturday 9:30am

Cenacle Wednesday 9:30am Christian Meditation Group Friday 10:30am-11:30am Muldoon Room. Come & join us!

The Gift Centre is now in the original Piety Stall in the Church foyer. You are still able to buy all the lovely gifts and devotional materials, in a more convenient setting. Drop by soon!

Opening Hours:

Saturdays before and after 6pm Mass Sundays before and after 8am & 9:30am Masses

& office hours by appointment 4332 2216

Keep Us In Your Prayers There is no gift more precious than prayer - Fr Benedict Groeschel

Recently Deceased: Pam Player, John Verhoeven Snr, Bill Rock, Liam Potts, Gregory Scott, Kath Byrnes, Michel Bouchet.

Funerals: The funeral of Pam Player will be held next Tuesday at 10am. The funeral of John Verhoeven Snr will be held next Wednesday at 10:30am. Please pray for Pam, John and their families.

Anniversaries: Frank Fallon (1st Anniversary), Robert & Emmanuel O’Sullivan, Nora O’Leary, Neville Newton, Margaret & Tony Jones.

Remembrances: Bruce Parry, Vincent & Dorothy Cribb, Maurice Cramsie, Charles Magri, Rachel Grout, Edwin & Maud Cyprian & the Holy Souls.

Families: Bouchet, Cole, Attard, Lloyd & Foley.

Sick: Monica Parry, Marie Lewis, Val Rayner, Nereda Blake, David Drinan, Delma Clarke, John Thornberry, Val Stone, Mary Maher, Brian & Valerie Staggs, Chris Morley, Nick Hurst, Patrick Hennessey, Anthony Morrell, Warren Beasley, Ann Minogue, Raymond & Tim Baker, Genevieve Shedden, Patty O’Leary, Antoinette Grech, Linda Read, Kelly Will and those suffering with cancer and long-term illnesses.

Sacramental Programme: We pray for the children and their families in the Confirmation Programme.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Wisdom 9:13-18 Philemon 9-10, 12-17 Luke 14:25-33 Entrance Antiphon: You are just, O Lord, and your judgment is right; treat your servant in accord with your merciful love.

Responsorial Psalm: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Let your face shine on your servant, and teach me your laws. Alleluia!

Communion Antiphon: Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God.

Our Lady of the Rosary

GIFT CENTRE

For all your devotional needs...

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