Saint Mary’s Catholic Church Mount Evelyn Second Sunday of Advent 6 December 2020 readings Raise Your Voices The Parish of St Mary’s Entrance Antiphon Next Week Parish Priest REV. MICHEL G CORRIVEAU O people of Sion, behold, Is 61:1-2, 10-11 the Lord will come to save the nations, Parish Secretary 1 Thess 5:16-24 and the Lord will make the glory of his voice Janine Meades Lk 1: 46-50, 53-54, R Isa 61:10 heard Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 in the joy of your heart. Parish Office Hours Thursday 9:00am-4:00pm in a nutshell Psalm Response Prepare a way for the Lord. Engulfed Weekly Schedule by many chores in the lead-up to (R.) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us Sunday Mass Christmas, we can fail to hear a voice your salvation. Saturday—5:00pm that cries in the wilderness: prepare Sunday—10:30am & 5:00pm a way for the Lord. Let us resolve to I will hear what the Lord God has to say, include some time to pray, to reflect a voice that speaks of peace, Weekday Mass & Rosary on the Gospel stories of Jesus’ birth, peace for his people. Tuesday—9:00am and seek reconciliation with God and His help is near for those who fear him Thursday—9:00am others, in our Christmas and his glory will dwell in our land. (R.) Friday—9:00am preparations. Except 2nd Fridays of the month Mercy and faithfulness have met; Mass at 11:30am justice and peace have embraced. Rosary prayed before morning Mass Faithfulness shall spring from the earth We pray for and justice look down from heaven. (R.) Reconciliation all who are sick or suffering and Saturday—11:30am-12:30pm those parishioners unable to be The Lord will make us prosper Friday—8:00am-8:45am among us this weekend, especially, and our earth shall yield its fruit. Except 2nd Fridays of the month Diane Wright, Kaye Law, Fay Grant Justice shall march before him and Bernie Read. Exposition and peace shall follow his steps. (R.) For those who have died recently Friday at 8:00am and those whose anniversary occurs. Except 2nd Fridays of the month Gospel Acclamation Weddings Alleluia, alleluia! Please contact the office Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his of special note paths: Baptisms Vinnies are selling their Christmas all people shall see the salvation of God. Please see Father after Mass Alleluia! cards and calendars for 2021. Parish Primary School More information inside Communion Antiphon Principal: Angela Glennie Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights, and behold the joy which comes to you from Website: God. smmountevelyn.catholic.edu.au 58 Clegg Rd, Mount Evelyn VIC 3796 Tel: (03) 9736 2850 Website: stmarysmtevelyn.org.au Email: [email protected] MINISTRIES Parish Notices Lectors Social Distancing Sat 8:30pm Although there are no formal arrangements in place regarding seating, Sun 10:30am please use your common sense and maintain the correct social Sun 5:00pm distance. Extraordinary Ministers Christmas Cards & 2021 Calendars Saint Vincent de Paul Piety Stall is now selling the 2021 Columban Art Sat 8:30pm Calendar which includes beautiful artwork, liturgical information and Sun 10:30am feast days at $9.00 each. We also have a stock of Christmas Cards in packs of 8 at $4.80 or Sun 5:00pm packs of 5 for $3.00 each. Lectors Giving Tree St Vincent de Paul Society will not be having a giving tree this year due Sat 6:30pm to corona virus. While we will still be assisting people in need with Sun 10:30am food hampers, instead of presents we will be giving gift vouchers so Sun 5:00pm they can get what they need, as many have found this year very unpredictable. You are invited to make a donation of a gift voucher or Extraordinary Ministers make a cash donation by placing it in an envelope and placing in the box in the foyer by 20th December. Sat 6:30pm Sun 10:30am Stewardship Corner “Prepare the way of the Lord…” - Mark 1:3 We are all called to live a holy life. We are all called to invite others to Sun 5:00pm live holy lives. Living a stewardship lifestyle, being grateful and generous with our gifts, puts us on the path to holiness and is an example for others to be holy, too. We are responsible not only for our own lives, but for the lives of others as well. Counters Thanksgiving/Stewardship Do you need a Helping Hand? Through the Stewardship Program, parishioners are asked to pledge a Ring the St Vinnies Call Centre 1800 305 330 weekly/monthly amount to the upkeep of the parish. This allows the Monday - Friday 10am to 3pm, St Mary’s Confer- parish to pay utility bills, insurance premiums and the Archdiocese ence 0427 874 374 or John Bird 0407 848 192 levy, purchase church supplies and hire a secretary. This amount is given as the “Thanksgiving Offering” and placed in the appropriate Bulletin notices: envelope or given as a direct debit. [email protected] The ‘Presbytery Offering’ along with any loose cash collected For positions vacant within the Diocese visit: contributes to the support of the Parish Priest. A percentage of the http://www.cam.org.au/Jobs.aspx Presbytery collection is also required to be sent quarterly to the Archdiocese. As we approach the next round of Thanksgiving envelopes you may like to formalise your giving and become part of the Stewardship Program. Please contact the office for further information on how this can be done. Child Safety is everyone’s responsi- The Eucharist bility. Our Parish is committed to “I encourage Christians regularly to visit Christ present in the Blessed the care, wellbeing and protection Sacrament of the altar, for we are all called to abide in the presence of of children, and vulnerable people God, thanks to him who is with us until the end of time.” (Pope St. in our community. Paul VI) Adoration, Friday mornings 8:00am except second Friday of the month. Yarra Junction, Thursday nights at 6:00pm except first Thursday (Warburton). Confessions available during Adoration. Melbourne Overseas Missions Annual Appeal - 12th & Readings Reflection 13th December 2020 Thank you for your support which has, over the years, made it possible to fund many projects for disadvantaged Straighten the Path people in Papua New Guinea, Peru, West Africa, Pakistan, Palestine and the many Islands in the Pacific. Some Our God is coming. The time of exile— the long $200,000 has been provided in clean water, health, separation of humankind from God due to sin—is about education and improved living stands to people who would to end. This is the good news proclaimed in today’s not otherwise have had this opportunity over the last year. This is especially in the areas of MOM activity, where the liturgy. effect of the pandemic has been devastating. Please visit https://mom.org.au for more information or to donate Isaiah in today’s First Reading promises Israel’s future release and return from captivity and exile. But as Son of God: The Daily Gospel Year B-1—Free e-book today’s Gospel shows, Israel’s historic deliverance was The new Liturgical Year begins on the First Sunday of meant to herald an even greater saving act by God—the Advent. This e-book may be downloaded free of charge to coming of Jesus to set Israel and all nations free from any computer/ tablet/ phone. It offers the Gospel for every day of the coming Liturgical Year B-1 (Sundays Year bondage to sin, to gather them up and carry them back B, weekdays Year 1), followed by a reflection of some 750 to God. words on each daily Gospel. The e-book may be passed on for downloading to friends or acquaintances as desired. It God sent an angel before Israel to lead them in their carries the Imprimatur of Archbishop Anthony Fisher of exodus towards the promised land (see Exodus 23:20). Sydney, given when he was Bishop of Parramatta. It can And He promised to send a messenger of the covenant, be accessed at the following URL address: www.catholic- Elijah, to purify the people and turn their hearts to the thoughts.info/ebook/ Father before the day of the Lord (see Malachi 3:1, 23– Changes to the Collects in the Roman Missal 24). Cardinal Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, wrote a John the Baptist quotes these, as well as Isaiah’s letter saying that the inclusion of the word “one” before prophecy, to show that all of Israel’s history looks God is problematic. The inclusion of the word “one” forward to the revelation of Jesus. In Jesus, God has before God, Cardinal Sarah wrote: filled in the valley that divided sinful humanity from … can serve to undermine the statement of the Son’s Himself. He has reached down from heaven and made unique identity within the Trinity which the Latin formulas His glory to dwell on earth, as we sing in today’s Psalm. so strongly convey and, on the other hand, it can also be interpreted as saying that Jesus Christ is “one God”. Either He has done all this not for humanity in the abstract but or both of these interpretations is injurious to the faith of for each of us. The long history of salvation has led us to the Church.