ST. PAUL’S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY NIGHTCLIFF

Under the care of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

Cnr. Trower Rd & Francis Street, NIGHTCLIFF. NT 0810 PO Box 781 Nightcliff. NT 0814

Phone: 08 89852343/ 0408201408 stpaulsnightcliff@bigpond.com.

PARISH TEAM: Fr. Roy O’Neill MSC. Fr. Binesh Joseph CST 08 89851238 Sr. Rita Zuccher FdCC. 08 89853128

Mr. Anthony Hockey Principal 08 89851911. Mrs. Helen Smith. Chair of Pastoral Council

Let us rejoice for the new Pope FRANCIS I

Fifth Sunday in Lent Year C

Untie him. Let him go free

First Reading : Ezekiel 37:12-14. I will put my spirit in you that you may live

Psalm 26: With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption

Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11. The One who raised Christ from the dead will give life.

Alleluia Verse: Glory and praise to you , Lord Jesus Christ. I am the resurrection and the life, says

the Lord: whoever believes in me will not die for ever . Glory and praise to you ...

Gospel: John 9:1-41. Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died

Com. Verse: Everyone who lives and believes in me will not die for ever, says the Lord.

Prayers of the Faithful

Celebrant: God is always doing something new, mak-

ing a way in the desert, forming people to announce his

praise. May our prayer of petition bring that newness

of life and hope to all.

Leader: We thank God and pray for our new Pope

Francis: (Pause)

People: May the Spirit guide him in his ministry for the

good of the Church & of the whole world.

Celebrant: We pray to the Lord (Pause) All: Lord

hear our prayer.

Leader: We pray for this faith community:

People: May this Eucharist strengthen us in faith as it

empowers us to live the Gospel in daily life.. (Pause)

Celebrant: We pray to the Lord. All: Lord hear our

prayer.

Leader: We pray for catechumens and candidates pre-

paring for full communion with the Catholic Church.

(Pause)

People: May we be faithful companions on their jour-

ney. (Pause)

Celebrant: We pray to the Lord. All: Lord hear our

prayer.

Leader We pray for children and parents in the Rec-

onciliation program: (Pause)

People: May they be touched by the personal love and

compassion of our God.( Pause)

Celebrant: We pray to the Lord.

All: Lord hear our prayer. Celebrant: Lord, receive our

prayer and answer them in your mercy. We ask this

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Anniversary: 17th March - Please pray for John Lugg

Please Pray for those who are sick: Bridie Kuskey, Lor-

raine Scofield, Gerardo Del Regno, George Dunne, Trevor

Feehan.

Thought for the Day:

In Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection, we are shown

that the last word in human existence is not death but God's

victory over death. Divine love, manifested in its fullness in

Next Week: PALM SUNDAY. Isaiah 50:4-7. Philippians 2:6-11. Passion of Luke 23:1-49.

The Chrism Mass The Chrism Mass is an important event for

the whole diocese for, in it, the local Church shows its care

for those being initiated, those designated for the ordained

ministry and those who are sick. ALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO

TAKE PART. To manifest the communion of the priests with

their bishop in a leadership of service, the bishop concele-

brates with at least some priests from different parts of the

diocese. This is the context for the renewal of commitment

to priestly service by those who are ordained and by all who

share in the priesthood of the baptized. (Pascale Solemnita-

MASS TIMES: SATURDAY VIGIL. 6.00 pm SUNDAY 8.30 am AND 6.00 pm.

Syro-Malabar Rite 10.30 am the First Sunday of month. Children’s Mass 8.30 am last Sunday of month.

Monday 5.30 pm. (8.00 am Public Holidays) Tues–Friday. 6. 45am. Anointing Mass First Mondays 5.30 pm

Saturday: 8.00 am. SACRAMENTS: Reconciliation: Ask at least 15 minutes before any Mass

and immediately after Saturday Mass. Baptisms/ Marriage By appointment. Book well ahead

Living the Gospel: Untie them and let them go

Death seems to be a constant companion in life. Martha’s

‘Lord, if you had been here ‘ could be the cry of anyone whose

child is killed in an accident; a loved one is living with can-

cer, or friend brutally bashed and murdered. Martha's cry is

our cry: ‘Where were you when I needed you?’ We have a pow-

erful image here: God/Jesus stands outside the tomb and

weeps.

The First Reading gives us the vision of Ezekiel- the vision of

a valley of skeletal remains was for Ezekiel a parable of the

nation that was in exile in Babylon. This must have been the

darkest moment in the history of God’s chosen people. We

are assured that we are not alone in our darkest moments.

God stands with us at the grave and makes a promise of life

that mocks the evidence before us. God says NO!!!!!

This chapter of the Gospel of John comes midpoint in and is

the focus of the entire Gospel. Everything leads to it, and eve-

rything that follows is seen in light of Jesus' words: ‘I am the

resurrection and the life’. It is the heart of our belief. Nothing

is beyond God’s power - not sin, violence, injustice, disbelief,

evil and death itself.

The Gospel story and the dry bones story focuses on those

who struggle to live and believe whilst surrounded by death,

called to ‘Come out!’ from darkness into the light; from death

into life, from unfreedom into freedom. Fullness of life exists

when our lives are shaped by love: when our patience, ac-

ceptance and kindness go beyond our own kind to those who

are different. Like Jesus, we are sent to stand at the tombs

and call ing Untie them and let them go. Often we hold our-

selves and others captive by our fears and self-image and by

the way others define and name us. We imprison people by

our judgments, prejudices, fear and isolation. Jesus, through

the power of God, broke through the stone-blocked tomb and

called the dead man to life. We have the power to unbind one

another and free each other and love another into life. Soon

Jesus will give us the Easter message of freedom. 'If you bind

one another, they will be bound, if you free them, they will be free.'

PARISH NOTICES AND COMING EVENTS

Weekly Collections: 1st Collection: $ 924.00

2nd Collection: $1442.30 Direct Debit $105.00.

MARCH

STATIONS OF THE CROSS every Friday in Lent at 6.00 pm In Tetum on Tuesdays at 7.30 pm. In Malayalam on Friday at 7.00 pm. No Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

RACHEL’S VINEYARD: Healing Retreat for women/men following an abortion, however long ago. Contact Joan on 0447 108 670 or rachelsvineyarddarwin@hotmail.com

Sunday 17th March. Fifth Sunday in Lent. Third Scrutiny & Children’s Mass. Please bring a plate.

Monday 18th March St Patrick’s Day. Mass 5.30 pm.

Tuesday 19th March Feast of St Joseph. Mass 6.45 am.

Thursday 21st at 7pm Parish Lenten Reconciliation and First Reconciliation for children . Everybody is welcome.

OLSH Associates meeting at St Mary’s on Saturday 23rd

Sunday 24th March. PALM SUNDAY. Blessing of Palms and procession at 8.30 am Mass. Other Christian denomina-tions in Nightcliff will join us for this. Everybody is welcome

Singing practices today at 3.30pm with Geoff & Choir.

HOLY THURSDAY. 7.00 am Syro-Malabar Mass. 7.30 pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

GOOD FRIDAY 7.30 am Syro-Malabar Celebration of the Passion. 3.00 pm English Celebration of the Passion

HOLY SATURDAY: 7.30 pm EASTER VIGIL. 11.30 pm Syro-Malabar Mass of the Resurrection.

EASTER SUNDAY. Dawn Service on Foreshore 6.00 am. Easter morning Mass at 8.30 am. Italian Mass at 10.00 am, and Evening Mass at 6.00 pm.

P.S. Please put your name in one of the Easter Ceremonies on the clip-board on the table as you leave the Church.

Saturday 23rd March working bee and Church spring-cleaning. We need many volunteers. Please come along– many hands make work light.

Minister’s Roster

DATE MASS TIME USHER COMMENTATOR READER 1 READER 2

Childrens Lit

Word SPECIAL MINISTERS

17th Mar. '13 SAT 6:00 Y. Ellison Helen SmithAnne

O"ConnorMary Bartlett

Armida Monteith, Bob Sharp,

Peter Sheldon.

SUN 8:30A.M. Judy Breuer Brian Adamos Children ChildrenChildren's

Mass

Anne Davey, Sonya Fleming,

Tracy Flynn, Denis Franklin,

Fele Mann

SUN 6: P.M. Volunteer Betti Knott Thomas Tomy Shane FernandoPat McGregor, Pauline

Feehan, R. Valle

24th Mar. '13 SAT 6:00 Sharon Theresa David JonesArmida

MonteithBethany Johns

Felicity Sharp, Peter Liddle,

David Johns

PALM SUNDAYSUN 8:30A.M. Jacinta Kelly Joan Halvorson Joan Angeles Sojin SebastianDaly & Jacinta

Kelly

Estella Ega, B. Joseph

Chirackal, Bill Burford. Sojin

Sebastian. Gary Blackett,

Martha Swart

SUN 6: P.M. Pat Mc Gregor J Monteiro Ross OcampoPeter Liddle, J. Monteiro, Betti

Knott