Parish of Corio/Lara

St Francis Xavier Church, Corio

St Anthony of Padua Church, Lara

Archdiocese of Melbourne Australia

34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Feast of Christ the King

Sunday 26th November, 2017

Today’sGospelis from St. Matthew 25:31-46 “Christ The King- Master of The Universe”

The metaphor of the Good Shepherd aptly characterises God’s concern and personal intervention in the shepherding of the flock. God fulfils this role primarily in two ways: by caring for the sheep, particularly the most vulnerable; and by separating the good from the bad, for even those under the care of the shepherd will be judged. There is no intermediary here; God is immediately involved, because those formerly responsible for the sheep failed to carry out their responsibilities. The simple reference ‘the day’, along with characterisation of that day as one of gloom and darkness, and the final depiction of separation, suggest the eschatological day of the Lord, the day of final judgment.

This responsorial psalm is one of the best-loved psalms of the entire psalter. It paints vivid pictures of carefree existence, peaceful rest, and abundant fruitfulness. Although ‘shepherd’ suggests a flock, here the focus is on the individual. In addition to this image, God is characterised as a host, one who supervises a banquet and within whose house the psalmist ultimately dwells. The guidance of the shepherd is more than provident; it is moral as well. The image of the shepherd securing nourishment for the flock leads into the metaphor of the host who prepares a lavish banquet for guests. It is clear that the psalmist has been under the loving guidance of the Lord. © Dianne Bergant CSS

In fact the Gospel today is far more interested in life before death. How we live now matters. In today’s Gospel we see Matthew understands of what lies at the heart of our Judeo-Christian tradition. The King in the story identifieshimselfwith the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and imprisoned. Responding to God necessarily involves our response to the needy in this world. Christianity is not simply a set of pious practices, dogmas or rituals; the spiritual person is necessarily ethical. It means making real choices here and now with an eye to the most vulnerable around us. Strangers to our shores have not been made welcome; the hungry and thirsty have not found nourishment; the sick and naked have been turned away; prisons have been renamed as detention centres. The Gospel of Jesus rebukes our lack of compassion, ‘in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ God is with us in the poor and the destitute of our world, ‘what you did to the least of these you did to me’. As we leave this year of Matthew and move into a new liturgical cycle and prepare again for the coming of the child, may we keep this Gospel image in mind so that we will truly recognise God-with-us in a naked child lying in an animal’s feed bin. God comes to us among the least of this world but will God find a welcome? © Mary Coloe

Who are the “masters of the universe”? Is it those who pull the levers of the global financial markets? Is it the heads of the state who commands vast military forces? Is it media moguls who control the flow of information? In 1925, Pope Pius XI decided it was time to throw down the gauntlet to the hostile powers of the world. He established the feast of Christ the King to let the world know where ultimate authority lay. Nearly a century later the religious and secular politics of the world has changed radically, yet we still dare to claim that love conquers all, and none have loved or ever will love like Jesus Christ. This is the power that reaches deep into our hearts and extends to the farthest reaches of the universe. This is the kingdom of Christ, as the Preface declares: an eternal and universe kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.

PARISH PRAYER We, the people of Corio/Lara Catholic Parish give thanks and praise to God the Father. By the power of the Holy Spirit, may we become more like Jesus: listening to the Word of God and celebrating the Eucharist; sharing each other’s lives and forgiving one another; respecting creation and taking responsibility for our world. Like St Francis Xavier, may we offer light to those in darkness, and warmly welcome all people. Like St Anthony of Padua, may we nourish the hungry with wise words and kind deeds. St Francis Xavier, pray for us. St Anthony of Padua, pray for us.

PARISH CALENDAR

MONDAY
27th Nov / TUESDAY UESDAY
28th Nov / WEDNESDAY
29th Nov / THURSDAY
30th Nov / FRIDAY
1st Dec / SATURDAY
2nd Dec / SUNDAY
3rd Dec
6:30pm, Men’s group, Corio. / 8.45am Rosary
9am Mass, Corio
7.30-9:30pm Deanery Meeting, St Marys / 9am Rosary 9.15am Mass, Lara.
6.30pm Rosary, Novena. / 9am Mass, Corio. / 9:15 Mass- Hume Ct
11:30-12:30, Healing Mass & Lunch, Lara
5:30-7:00pm Devotion to Sacred Heart
7:00-9:00pm Adoration, Corio / 9:30pm, Devotion to Immaculate Heart of Mary Mass, Corio.
7:00pm Mass, Corio. / St. Francis Xavier Feast Day
9am Mass Lara.
10:30 mass Corio.

ROSTERS

TIME AND
DATE / READER/COMMENTATOR / EUCHARIST MINISTERS / FLOWERS, ST FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH, CLEANERS
25th Nov 2017
7pm Corio / A Randall
J Van Galen
Welcomers- L Sagor
Hospitality- A & B Randall / D Rose / CORIO – C Gray
LARA- T McManus & D Whelan
CLEANING- S & N Grootveld
26th Nov 2017
9am Lara / FAMILY MASS
Hospitality – M Plozza &
R Douglas / S Jackson
A Pearson
M Cook
10.30am Corio / L Victoria
D Jiminez
Welcomer- V Bennett
Hospitality- F Geerts / M Neri
A Buaya
N Madonna

NEXT WEEKS READINGS- Ezek 34:11-12,15-17; Ps 22:1-3,5-6; 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28; Mt 25:31-46

Anniversaries: Ruth Leszyk
Sick: Nicholas Francis, Emily Gilson, Kirk Watson, Greg & Sally Brown, Jessica de Grandis, and Mary Christensen
Prayer Intention of Pope Francis for November 2017: To witness to the Gospel in Asia: That Christians in Asia, bearing witness to the Gospel in word and deed, may promote dialogue, peace and mutual understanding, especially with those of other religions.
Vocation View: Don’t just bury your talents. Dream your best dream about your life and then live it to the full. God calls you to live in happiness.
Children’s Liturgy: The celebration of the Word for Children is held during Mass in Corio every Sunday. Lara Term 4: Nov 19, Dec 3, 10, 17.

St. Anthonys Church Christmas Working Bee, Dec 9, 9.00-12.00. This is our final working Bee for 2017. Priority is to have the Church and grounds looking good forChristmas. We also need to clean the exterior of the Church windows. So if you feel that you should lend a hand you will be most welcome. Any queries call Frank on 0418340492. Thanks.

SACRISTAN AT ST ANTHONY’S LARA

After many years of dedicated service as one of the Sacristans at St Anthony’s Lara, Marie Titford is retiring at the end of November, due to health issues. Therefore we are urgently seeking a new person to fill that shared position as soon as possible. If you are interested please speak to Angela, Marie, or Fr Pius or let the Parish Office know. Marie and Angela would be happy to speak to anyone about what the ministry entails.

Fr Pius is available to do home visits – if you are unwell, or unable to leave home, or would like a house blessing, please contact Parish Office to make an appointment

St Vinnies are requesting long life milk, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal and tinned foods. Also cash donations to the Poor Box would be greatly appreciated!

2018 SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN ATTENDING STATE SCHOOLS- If you have children attending local state schools, or know of anyone who does, who are eligible for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Eucharist or Confirmation, please be advised that enrolments are now open. The children need to have been baptised and are in at least grade 3. Please call into the Parish office to enrol.

ST FRANCIS XAVIER OUTDOOR CINEMA FUNDRAISER

On November 25th from 8 – 10.30 pm there will be an outdoor cinema on the oval at St Francis Xavier, Corio to help raise funds to enable the youth of our Parish to attend Conference Adore 2018. Cost is Adults $8 & Family $15 (2 Adults & 2 Children) There will be finger food and light snacks available to purchase. Please bring a chair or rug to sit on and a warm jacket in case it gets cool. No alcohol will be allowed on the premises. Invite your family and friends to come and enjoy a fun night.

ADULT VOLUNTEERS CHRISTMAS DINNER – will be held this year on Saturday night the 9th Dec with Mass at 6pm followed by the Dinner at 7pm in the Xavier Centre, Corio. All Parish Volunteers are invited to attend and there is a clipboard in the Foyer to sign up for catering purposes.

A HEALING MASS will be held at St Anthony’s, Lara on Friday 1st December at 11.30am followed by lunch supplied by the families from St Anthony’s School. There will be a clipboard in the foyer at St Francis Xavier church for anyway needing transport to Lara. All welcome to come for an anointing.

Fr Pius will also conduct a Healing Mass at 10.15am at Hume Court on the same day for those unable to attend St Anthony’s.

LOURDES DAY MASS: ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL Saturday 2 December, 10.30am St Patrick’s Cathedral, 1 Cathedral Place, East Melbourne The blessing will be conducted with water from Lourdes, and each attendee will receive a gift bag of Lourdes water, rosary beads and reflection card. No booking is required. Refreshments (bottled water and biscuits) will be available after the Mass. All welcome.

COLUMBAN CALENDAR: Calendars for 2018 are on sale in the Piety Stalls. They are still only $9.00. Get in early before they all sell as they make a lovely Christmas gift.

MEN’S GROUP – This Monday evening from 6.30pm, in the Ron Lowe Room at Corio. An invitation is extended to any men in the parish who would like to attend and join in on the fellowship with other men of the parish. It’s a very relaxed evening of sharing food, drink and conversation. Please bring some food and drink to share.

THE YEAR OF YOUTH 2018 – Did you know that beginning next weekend we enter the Year of Youth 2018? This is an exciting opportunity in the life of the church to focus on young people. The Year of Youth invites the church into dialogue about the importance and life-giving presence of young people in the Church and society. It calls for dialogue and active engagement focused on the reconnection and renewal of a new generation of young people in the life of the Church. More to come ………………………

CatholicCare HIV/AIDS Ministry invites you to the World AIDS Day Vigil Mass to REMEMBER those who have died from AIDS, to CELEBRATE the great inroads in treatment of HIV and to HOPE for a cure. St Francis Church corner Elizabeth & Lonsdale Sts Melbourne at 5.30pm on Thursday November 30.

FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK:

The Feast of Christ The King – Sunday November 26th –

We have now come to the end of the liturgical year, the point that marks the transition from one period to another. Today we see that the kingdom of God is inclusive. Its embrace is as comprehensive as is the embrace of God. Criteria for membership are not based on obedience to the commandments or on conformity to ritual obligation, but on the bonds of love and concern. What we do for others, we do for Christ, because Christ is identified with those in need. We very seldom see the face of the glorified Christ in the faces of the needy; it is more often the face of the disfigured Christ that is turned to us. We see his fear and his shame, his brokenness and sense of loss. As difficult as it may be to look into such eyes, it is precisely the needy with whom Christ is identified. Having entered into the frailty of human nature, identified himself with the needy, and handed himself over to death, in the end Christ will have conquered all. It is a curious kingdom that he has won, a kingdom of the weak rather than the strong. He has turned the standards of the world upside down. He has shown that it does not take strength to ignore or to exploit the needy, but it does take strength to overcome our own selfishness in order to serve them. The kingdom that Christ hands over to God is a kingdom of love and care.

Dianne Bergant CSS

30th Novembe-St Andrew came from Capernaum and was a fisherman by trade. He was a disciple of John the Baptist before he and his brother, Simon Peter, were called to be the first apostles of Christ. In the Gospels he is mentioned for his part in the feeding of the 5000, as well as John’s Gospel account of the Greeks who wished to meet Jesus. There is uncertainty as to where he preached, where he died and was buried. Ancient writings suggest he went to Greece, and was eventually crucified on a saltire (X shaped) cross, from where he preached to the people for two days before dying. A medieval legend tells of his remains being taken to the coast of Scotland to a place now named St Andrews, which eventually led to him becoming the patron saint of Scotland.