Elizabeth of the Trinity: A Saint for Our Time

We must be mindful of how God is in us,.. then life is never banal. Even in ordinary tasks, because you do not live for these things, you will go beyond them.

Elizabeth helped her friends discover the mysterious and transforming ways God discloses about himself even when surrounded by distress. As she explained, “Everything is a sacrament that gives us God.”

Young Elizabeth had a fiery temper. In a special way, her parent’s faith helped her gain a degree of self-mastery. At her first Communion, witnesses testified to a profound change after Mass. The mystery of Christ’s presence drew her to prayer.

In St. Elizabeth’s own words, she was no longer hungry because “God has fed me.” As a teenager, she identified with Teresa of Avila’s descriptions of the prayer of union. She was also among the first to read an early version of Therese of Lisieux’s Story of a Soul. After reading this work, she resolved to be a Carmelite nun.

In her final days, (Died age 26 on Nov.9, 1906), Addison’s disease had emaciated Elizabeth, rendering her unable to eat or drink except for a few drops of water. Yet, she remained devoted to Christ crucified and was completely focused on others. She was convinced that her mission would be to help souls get out of their self-occupation and enter into deep silence, to encounter the Lord in a transformative way.

Elizabeth regarded the Trinity as the furnace of an excessive love. When her prayer evokes “My God, My Three.” The Trinity is, for her, an interpersonal and dynamic mystery: the Father beholding the Son in the fire of the Holy Spirit. She insisted that, in silent stillness before God, the loving gaze of the Father shines within our hearts until God contemplates the likeness of his Son in the soul. Through the creative action of the Holy Spirit, the more the soul accepts the Father’s gaze of love, the more it is transformed into the likeness of the Word made flesh.

Tradition calls this loving awareness and silent surrender to the gaze of the Father mental prayer or contemplation. Through this prayer, we gain access to our true home, the dwelling place of love for which we are created - and this is not in some future moment, but already in the present moment of time, which Elizabeth calls “eternity begun and still in progress.”

Such prayer glorifies the Father and even extends the saving work of Christ in the world. She called this “the praise of Glory” and understood this to be her great vocation. The Church affirms that the “Mystic of Dijon” can also help us become “the Praise of Glory,” a sign of hope for others even in the midst of social rancor.

Anthony Lilles - St. John’s Seminary, California.

October 2016: prayer and fasting for marriage and families

Today and throughout this week we pray for the national discussion on marriage.

Holy Heavenly Father, grant that all Australians may show mutual respect for one another as we prepare for a national people’s vote. Guide the hearts and minds of all who vote so that our nation may uphold your plan for marriage and families.

~ Parish Program ~

Mass Times

Sunday: - Vigil (Saturday) 6pm

Sunday: - 9:30am & 5:30pm

Monday - 8am Mass

Tuesday - 10am, Mass of Mercy, 2nd Tues of month Anointing of the sick Wednesday - 8am

Thursday- 7pm, Mass & Family Novena

Friday - 8am

Saturday - 8am - 1st Sat of Month

Blessed Virgin Mary Mass

Sacraments and Devotions

Adoration - Fr i 8:30am to 10:30am

Precious Blood - 10am

Rosaries - Thurs 6:30pm and Sun 9am

Reconciliation - Thursday after Novena Sat after 8am Mass & 5:30 to 5:50pm

Sun 9 to 9.20am & 5.00 to 5:20pm

Baptism and Marriage - By appointment

Legion of Mary Praesidia Mon 9:30am - Mystical Rose

Wed 8:30am - Mary Immaculate

Parish Priest: Fr John Fowles Pastoral Associate: Br Denis Devcich | Acolyte: Denis Golden

Phone: 02 6043 2222 | thurgoonacatholicpar ish@hotmail.com

Fax: 02 6043 2224 | PO Box 110, Lavington 2641 | www.thurgoonacatholicpar ish.com

Immaculate Heart Immaculate Heart Immaculate Heart Immaculate Heart of Mary Parishof Mary Parishof Mary Parishof Mary Parish

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Show me your faith apart from your works and I by my works will show you my faith. James 2:18

20 Hartigan St, Thurgoona 2640

~ Parish Notices ~

Families Coming Together

A Mass will be held at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in our parish gardens at 6pm Saturday 29th October to conclude the month of the Holy Rosary. This special occasion will be followed with a Paella dinner prepared by Kieran Williams for $2 per plate or BYO. Hot & cold drinks will be available. Please come and enjoy this occasion with your families. RSVP in the church foyer. This will assist in Paella preparation. Look forward to seeing you all there.

Youth Group: October 29th at 3pm, the afternoon star ts with an activity, followed by a movie, outdoor mass and finishing with a Paella dinner. RSPV if you are coming at 3pm, Contact: Tania 0417 662 214.

First Communion & Reconciliation: We welcome parents to present their children for preparation in our Sacramental programme Wed Oct 26th at 4:15pm. For further enquiry please contact Lyn Byrnes 60432232.

SRE Child Protection Training 2016: This Catechists tr aining session will be held at 9:30am to 12:30pm in the Marian Centre, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, on Monday 31st October 2016. For any further information please Contact: Mrs Lyn Byrnes 60432232.

23 October 2016 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

First Reading Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14, 16-19

The Lord is a judge who is no respecter of personages. He shows no respect of personages to the detriment of a poor man, he listens to the plea of the injured party. He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication, nor the widow’s as she pours out her story. The man who with his whole heart serves God will be accepted, his petitions will carry to the clouds. The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds, until it arrives he is inconsolable, And the Lord will not be slow, nor will he be dilatory on their behalf.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 33:2-3,17-19,23

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Second Reading 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing. The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel Acclamation 2 Cor 5:19

Alleluia, alleluia! God was in Christ, to reconcile the world to himself; and the Good News of reconciliation he has entrusted to us. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 18:9-14

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

Communion Antiphon Cf. Ps 19:6 We will ring out our joy at your saving help and exult in the name of our God.

Feasts of the week: Fri: Saints Simon And Jude, Apostles.

Lord hear our prayers for the:

Sick: Kerry Bryant. Departed: Bill Whyte and Sam Trethowan. Anniversaries: William Fowles and Holy Souls.

****************************************************** Readers & Cleaners Roster - 29/30 October

Readers: Sat: 6.00 pm - Luke Burton Sun: 9.30 am - Jorgette Hudson

Cleaning: Group 3 - Grace Jodko

Financial Report: Please make cheques payable to “Thurgoona Catholic Parish” or Direct Debit: BSB 012-708: Ac No. 3546 39223. Please include name on transfer. First Collection: $282.05, Envelope: $110.00 + Direct Debit: $320.00, Loose: $135.95

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Pope Francis: The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes ‘tells us that the little we have, if we entrust it to the hands of Jesus and we share it with faith, becomes a superabundant wealth.’ While donating money to charity might make us feel good, seeing real poverty in the flesh is a challenge we have to face, rather than trying to avoid it.

Poverty in the abstract doesn’t challenge us; it makes us think, lament — but when you see poverty in the flesh of a man, woman or child, yes, this challenges us. To see our brothers and sisters in this state, questions the attitude of running away from the needy and not drawing near to them.

“Faith without works is dead.” When faith is dead, it is “incapable of doing works of charity.” There is always someone who needs our help, our words and our commitment; we cannot delegate this job to someone else. (NCR)

No Favorites: Scott Hahn

Jesus draws a blunt picture in today's Gospel. The Pharisee's prayer, instead of praising God for His mighty works, he congratulates himself for his own deeds.

The tax collector stands at a distance, too ashamed even to raise his eyes to God. He prays with a humble and contrite heart. He knows that before God no one is righteous, no one has cause to boast.

God "knows no favorites; God cannot be bribed. We cannot curry favor with Him or impress Him—even with our good deeds or our faithful observance of religious duties such as tithing and fasting. If we try to exalt ourselves before the Lord, as the Pharisee does, we will be brought low.

This should be a warning to us—not to take pride in our piety, not to slip into the self-righteousness of thinking that we're better than others, that we're "not like the rest of sinful humanity."

If we clothe ourselves with humility — recognize that all of us are sinners in need of His mercy — we will be exalted. The prayer of the lowly, the humble, pierces the clouds. Paul testifies to this, he tells us that the Lord redeems the lives of His humble servants. We too must serve Him willingly. And He will hear us in our distress, deliver us from evil, and bring us safely to His heavenly kingdom.