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Follow Jesus on the Road to Emmaus

On the Road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35 Our Lady of Lourdes

Children’s Corner Third Sunday of Easter 26 April 2020

Our Lady of Lourdes

Ever immaculate Virgin, Mother

of mercy,

health of the sick, refuge of sinners,

comfort of the afflicted,

you know my needs,

my troubles, my sufferings;

cast on me a look of pity.

By appearing in the grotto of Lourdes, you were

pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, from

which you dispense your favours, and already many

sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities,

both spiritual and physical.

I come, therefore, with the most

unbounded confidence to implore your maternal in-

tercession.

Obtain most loving mother,

my requests, through Jesus Christ your

Son our Lord.

Amen.

••All are welcome to join us for Our Lady of Lourdes Seven Hills, Sydney, NSW, Australia Facebook Live-stream Weekend Masses celebrated by Fr. Henry Huu Duc Tran on Saturdays

6PM (Vigil), Sundays: 8AM, 9:30AM and 5PM (Vietnamese) AEDT (UTC +11): https://

www.facebook.com/OLOL7Hills/•• masses will be streamed is the 'Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Community

Seven Hills NSW' People do not necessarily need a Facebook account as it will be appear publicly.

Let us Pray for the Sick Leonila Ahillon, David Barrow, John Bourke, Barrie Chamberlain, Gabriel Chung, Myrna G Cruz, Maureen Daley, Paul Daniel, John Doraisamy, Andrew Fedrigo, Anthony Janicska, Wendy & Klaus, Lawrence Family, Mark McGilligan, Maria V, Blago Milicevic, Laurel Morris, Patricia Oreo, Lekisha Grace Panlilio, Roger & Kimberley Payoe, Debra Price, Susanth Sennayake, Bernie Sivapatham, Rose Stambouliah, Josette Sultana, Denis Symon, Sue Tipaldo.

If you would like to add to our Sick List or know of any Parishioner that is unwell please contact Father Henry or the Parish Office on 9622 2920. We can also arrange for Holy Communion or a visit if required.

Let us Pray for the Deceased

Recently Deceased: Maureen Thelma Carter, James Daly, Ruth Marsden, Victorio Sing, Jim Vella, Sunimal Wijeratne.

Anniversaries: Alfred Borg, Aurora Caro, Cini Family, VA Francis, Martina Galea, Zoltan Gartner, Josephine Gomez, Oswald Herbert, Mangion family, Anton Motha, Paula Mula, Lakshman Perera, Rosary Silva, Maria Trinh, Anthony Vassallo.

Remembrance: Roy, Mary & Des Barney, Elsie, Jean & Karl Garrick, Sharon & John Lawrence, Pauline Meilak, Lourda Motha, Stephen & Louis Mula, Mary & Muscat Family, Roseline Ratnam, Rev Fr Ambrose Ryan, Amalia & Dominga Usman., Amalia & Dominga Usman, Jose Reyes.

Parish Priest: Fr Henry Huu Duc Tran Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 9am - 3.00pm Pastoral Care of the Sick: Bathista Emmanuel 0405833655 Telephone: 9622 2920 Parish Office Team: Mrs Erika Hien, Alison Issanchon Parish Website: www.olol7hills.org.au Kim Dang, Sarah Lenthall Parish School: Our Lady of Lourdes 8869 6800 Parish Office Email: secretary@olol7hills.com.au Principal: Ms Keiran Byrnes Sacrament Co-Ordinator: Mrs Artelle Lenthall Parish Church: 7 Grantham Rd, Seven Hills 2147

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I love You

above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramen-tally,

come at least into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite

myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

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FIRST READING A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-23

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him:

I saw the Lord before me always, for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me. So my heart was glad and my tongue cried out with joy: my body, too, will rest in the hope that you will not abandon my soul to Hades nor allow your holy one to experience corruption. You have made known the way of life to me, you will fill me with gladness through your presence.

‘Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a proph-et, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experi-ence corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.’

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Ps 15:1-2. 5. 7-11. R. v.11

(R.) Lord, you will show us the path of life. Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God. O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup is you yourself who are my prize.’ (R.) I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. (R.)

SECOND READING A reading from the first letter of St Peter 1:17-21

If you are acknowledging as your Father one who has no favourites and judges everyone according to what he has done, you must be scrupulously careful as long as you are living away from your home. Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who though known since before the world was made, has been re-vealed only in our time, the end of ages, for your sake. Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for that very reason—so that you would have faith and hope in God.

GOSPEL A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 24:13-35

Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast. Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’ Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself. When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’ They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their com-panions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay. (R.) You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever. (R.)

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KEEP UP TO DATE By visiting our parish web-site with news , the bulletin, prayers and much more - a great way to stay up to date with what’s on

In our parish Visit www.olol7hills.org.au

Pope Francis’ Prayer to Mary during the

coronavirus pandemic

O Mary,

you always shine on our path

as a sign of salvation and of hope.

We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,

who at the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your

faith firm.

You, Salvation of all People,

know what we need,

and we are sure you will provide

so that, as in Cana of Galilee,

we may return to joy and to feasting

after this time of trial.

Help us, Mother of Divine Love,

to conform to the will of the Father

and to do as we are told by Jesus,

who has taken upon himself our sufferings

and carried our sorrows

to lead us, through the cross,

to the joy of the resurrection.

Amen.

Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother

of God. Do not disdain the entreaties of we who are in

trial, but deliver us from every danger, O glorious and

blessed Virgin.

Please continue to fill up your Project Compassion Box, for this is a tangible way to help us show our care for the rejected of the world.

OUR PARISH ‘TIP AND GO’ SYSTEM It has been a normal and popular practice in various parishes in our Parramatta Diocese and other ones in the country to have the TIP & GO system in place, known under different names in different churches. Anyway, whatever it is called, it mainly means to upgrade the way we make donations to the parish far easier, especially for those, who haven’t yet joined our Enveloped Program. We are thinking of installing the system with a five dollars limit at two different locations in the church: One at the main en-trance, and the other at the side door to carpark. If you have a good suggestion for naming our system, please give our Parish Office a ring, and we are looking forward to hear from you.

Pope at Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday: Let us rise with Thomas By Sr Bernadette M. Reis, fsp “Last Sunday we celebrated the Lord’s resurrection; today we witness the resurrection of his disciple”. This was Pope Francis’s opening line of his homily for Divine Mercy Sun-day. He celebrated the liturgy at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Saxony, about 200 metres from St Peter’s Square. Once again, due to Covid-19 security measures, the Mass was celebrated without the presence of the faithful. The disciple’s resurrection One week after Jesus rises from the dead, the disciples are still “fearful, cringing behind ‘locked doors’”, Pope Francis continued. Jesus’s response to their fear is “Peace be with you!” Starting over Jesus “starts all over”, Pope Francis explained The “resurrection of his disciple begins”: with “faithful, pa-tient mercy”. In this way, we learn that God does not get tired of lifting us up when we fall. God is like a father who allows us to take tentative steps and picks us up every time we fall. “The hand”, the Pope said, “that always puts us back on our feet is mercy”. God knows we will continue to fall. But He will always pick us up because “He wants us to look to Him” rather than at our failings, the Pope said. Thomas resurrects All of the disciples had abandoned Jesus. They all felt guilty. Rather than “giving them a long sermon”, Jesus shows them His wounds. Once Thomas, who had not been there the first time, touches those wounds, “he overtook the other disciples. He believed not only in the resurrection,” but in God’s bound-less love as well. When Thomas’s “wounded humanity enters into” Jesus’s wounds, he rises from the dead, Pope Francis stated. Fragile crystals Thomas helps us understand how precious we are to the Lord in our vulnerability, like beautiful, fragile, but precious crystals. If we are like that crystal, Jesus’s “light of mercy will shine in us and through us in the world”. This light will help us wait for other people, as Jesus waited for Thomas, so no one is “left behind” as the entire world recovers from the Covid-19 crisis. Crisis worse than Covid-19 "Selfish indifference is a worse crisis than the pandemic, the Pope warned. It is “spread by the thought that life is better if it is better for me”. He begged us to learn from the first Christian community. Because they had “received mercy and lived with mer-cy,” they pooled all their resources together, and distributed it to those in need. “This is not some ideology”, the Pope clarified. “It is Christi-anity”. Our future Pope Francis concluded his homily urging us to welcome the current crisis as an “opportunity to prepare for our col-lective future”. The recovery effort needs to embrace everyone, he said. Otherwise, “there will be no future for anyone.” The “simple and disarming love of Jesus” revived Thomas’s heart May we too accept Jesus’s mercy and show that mercy to the most vulnerable, Pope Francis said. That is what saves and builds the world.

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MONEY MATTERS Envelopes $1090.00 Loose $ 50.00 TOTAL $1140.00

WEEKLY TARGET: $ 3500.00

Planned Giving Program On behalf of the Parish Community, I would like to thank you so much for your ongoing support, which has been very vital to keep our Parish going strong. Current projects being including the Hall Kitchen renovation, Parish Meeting Room painting.

As there are no mass to give envelope collections, all members of our parish are invited to join a Direct Debit program.

Please add a reference of “Donation”. Banking details are be-low:

DIRECT DEPOSIT: BSB: 067 950; Account Number 000552; Account Name: Seven Hills Catholic Church.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

FROM POPE FRANCIS Chapter 7 Youth Ministry—a pastoral care that is synodal (continued) Areas needing to be developed Many young people have come to appreciate silence and closeness to God. Groups that gather to adore the Blessed Sacrament or to pray with the word of God have also increased. We should never underestimate the ability of young people to be open to contemplative prayer. We need only find the right ways and means to help them embark on this precious experience. When it comes to worship and prayer, “in many settings, young Catholics are asking for prayer opportunities and sacramental celebrations capable of speaking to their daily lives through a fresh, authentic and joyful liturgy”.[ It is important to make the most of the great moments of the liturgical year, particularly Holy Week, Pentecost and Christmas. But other festive occasions can provide a welcome break in their routine and help them experience the joy of faith. Christian service represents a unique opportunity for growth and openness to God’s gifts of faith and charity. Many young people are attracted by the possibility of helping others, especially children and the poor. Often this service is the first step to a discovery or rediscovery of life in Christ and the Church. Many young people grow weary of our programmes of doctrinal and spiritual formation, and at times demand a chance to be active participants in activities that benefit others. Nor can we overlook the importance of the arts, like theatre, painting, and others. “Music is particularly important, representing as it does a real environment in which the young are constantly immersed, as well as a culture and a language capable of arousing emotion and shaping identity. The language of music also represents a pastoral resource with a particular bearing on the liturgy and its renewal”. Singing can be a great incentive to young people as they make their way through life. As Saint Augustine says: “Sing, but continue on your journey. Do not grow lazy, but sing to make the way more enjoyable. Sing, but keep going… If you make progress, you will continue your journey, but be sure that your progress is in virtue, true faith and right living. Sing then, and keep walking”. “Equally significant is the emphasis that young people place on sports; the Church should not underestimate the potential of sports for education and formation, but instead maintain a strong presence there. The world of sport needs to be helped to overcome some of its problematic aspects, such as the idolization of champions, subservience to commercial interests and the ideology of success at any cost”. At the heart of the experience of sport is “joy: the joy of exercising, of being together, of being alive and rejoicing in the gifts the Creator gives us each day”. Some Fathers of the Church used the example of the training of athletes to encourage the young to develop their strength and to overcome idleness and boredom. Saint Basil the Great, writing to young people, used the effort demanded by athletics to illustrate the value of self-sacrifice as a means of growth in virtue: “These men endure sufferings beyond number, they use many means to build their strength, they sweat constantly as they train... in a word, they so discipline themselves that their whole life prior to the contest is but a preparation for it... How then can we, who have been promised rewards so wondrous in number and in splendour that no tongue can recount them, even think of winning them if we do nothing other than spend our lives in leisure and make but half-hearted efforts?” [Pope Francis, apostolic exhortation, CHRISTUS VIVIT — to the young people and the entire people of God]

Financial Support of our Parish: As you would be aware with the closing down of our Church-es, the financial support of our parish is now very different. The parish is receiving very limited income at this time. We are very appreciative of those who continue to drop in enve-lopes each week and also those who are taking advantage of online contributions. As we continue to receive our expenses each week, it is important, that, if it is at all possible, parish-ioners continue to offer their financial support to our parish family. As you will see on our webpage this can be done elec-tronically. . Please call Erika or Alison in the Parish Office 9622 2920 for assistance.

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PARISH NEWS…

FROM FR. HENRY DUC Television has been an essential item in every household in our country and it is unimaginable today to think of a family without a tele set in this land, even some families can afford to have a TV, a desktop or a laptop in every single room of the house. It, however, is a different story back in my native country, and especially in my village, because not everyone could afford to have a TV, even the big and bulky old models, those which seem to be extinct here. Last week, my sister told me an interesting story about parishioners from my village, dressing up

the best they could for Sunday Mass these days. Taken back for what she said about dressing up nicely for Mass, I couldn’t help to query, ‘but I heard that all Church services have been suspended back home, too.’ And my sister then explained to me, ‘yes, all Masses in the church have been ceased, but our neighbours have still dressed up on Sundays. They gathered in the largest house in the neighbourhood where there was a large TV available, and followed the online Mass celebrated by the local bishop.’ Just like our Parish community here, they, I guess, have been eager to spiritually participate in the Eucharist, the Mass, the form of worship, initially known in the Early Church as the breaking of bread, something which appears regularly in various New Testa-ment accounts dealing with Jesus’ Resurrection and the Early Church, especially in the Gospel story for this third Sunday of Easter today. According to Luke’s report, Cleopas and another unknown disciples, outside the Apostolic circle, both were mak-ing the trip to Emmaus, a village, which was about 7 miles or more than 11 kms away from the city of Jerusalem. The Risen Christ then joined them for the walk, and encouraged them to go through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection again by making a query about their ongoing conversation. Despite the clue he provided to help them understand his Passion story in the light of the Scriptures, they both remained completely ignorant, till the dinner time, the moment he agreed to share with them at the end of their day long journey. What happened then was extraordinary, as their unknown companion suddenly repeated something their be-loved Master used to do so many times during his ministerial life, such as the times when he performed the mira-cles to multiply the fish and loaves nourishing thousands of hungry follower, or the time when he celebrated his last meal with them. His chain of actions such as: taking up the bread, saying the blessing, breaking the bread and giving it to them were distinctive trademarks of Jesus, who, according to their own account, was sentenced to death, crucified, and reported as being alive again by the women in their group. This very unique act had triggered their memo-ries, and became the Eureka moment for them, since it made them realise that this stranger, in fact, was Jesus himself. As soon as their eyes became opened to recognise who he really was, the Resurrected Christ simply ‘vanished from their sight,’ and despite the veil of the dark night, they both got up and left the inn immediately. They were rushed to come back to Jerusalem to share the hot news with the Apostles, whose highlight, of course, was the breaking of bread as we heard in the Gospel this Sunday. As we celebrate our Sunday Mass today, let us remember the humble beginning of the heart of our worship, starting from Jesus’ very simple act of breaking the bread, then taken up by our Early Christian sisters and brothers to commemorate his teaching, Death and Resurrection, and gradually developed into a well - structured form of worship known to us today as the Holy Mass or Eucharist. Let us give praise and thanks to Jesus for giv-ing us such a wonderful gift to offer our prayer, and be connected to him and all people who have gone before us. What a unique and precious gift! Have a grace-filled Sunday Mass and a lovely week. Fr. Henry

THANK YOU to all for your prayers and well wishes as Fr. Henry celebrated his Silver Jubilee of Priesthood during the week.