Ordinary Time (Year C) June – August 2019 Pope Francis: Through the Holy Spirit, God's word can tear down divisive walls General Audience May 29, 2019 by Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service When the Holy Spirit speaks to men and women through the word of those who evangelize, it ignites a power strong enough to break down the barriers that divide the human family, Pope Francis said. When human words are purified by the Holy Spirit, they can give life and create communion, the pope said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. "When the Spirit visits the human word, it becomes dynamic, like 'dynamite,' that is, it is capable of igniting hearts and breaking up patterns, resistances and walls of division, opening new paths and expanding the boundaries of the people of God," he said. Beginning a new series of talks on the Acts of the Apostles, the pope reflected on the first chapter in which Jesus commands his disciples "to wait for the gift my father promised." The gift of "baptism in the Holy Spirit" that was given to the disciples, the pope said, is the same gift that awaits all Christians and "allows us to enter into a personal communion with God and participate in his universal salvific will." The Holy Spirit, he added, is given to Christ's followers "free of charge" and, like the apostles who waited in the cenacle, Christians must wait for this gift to come "in its due time." "The Risen One invites his followers not to live anxiously in the present, but to make a covenant with time, to know how to wait for the unravelling of a sacred history that has not been interrupted but rather is advancing, to know how to wait for the 'steps' of God who is the Lord of time and space," the pope said. Encouraging the crowd gathered in the square, Francis invited them to pray with patience and perseverance, which overcomes "loneliness, temptation and suspicion" and opens their hearts to be in communion with God. "Let us also ask the Lord for patience in waiting for his steps, in not wanting to build his work on our own and instead remain docile by praying, invoking the Spirit and cultivating the art of ecclesial communion," the pope said. https://www.ncronline.org/news/quick-reads/francis-chronicles/pope-through-holy-spirit- gods-word-can-tear-down-divisive-walls Image: Pope2you.net In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds. HENRI NOUWEN Plenary Council 2020 By Sophy Morley The first stage of the Plenary 2020 Council has been completed with 222,000 people being involved in the Listening and Dialogue sessions across Australia. As well as responses from parishes, schools, agencies, councils, committees and various Catholic institutions, many people have made personal submissions via the Plenary Council website. Submissions have also come from special interest networks such as the National Liturgical Council and the Diocesan Liturgy representatives around the country. This weekend, on Pentecost Sunday, the National Plenary Council will launch the next stage of preparation: Listening and Discernment phase. The themes for national discernment will be announced and the topics which have emerged from all the submissions will be published. From our own Diocesan responses and the various liturgy networks with which I have been involved in discussion, various topics in the area of liturgy have arisen. I have listed them below in no particular order, bearing in mind that there are several facets that can be applied to each area. Most of the responses below were received from the 400 people who attended one of the four regional Listening and Dialogue Sessions with the Bishop in the Diocese of Sale in November 2018. I think that the areas needing attention and the concerns expressed below would find echoes in submissions from many other places across Australia. It will be interesting to see what emerges from the thousands of submissions to the Plenary Council and what will be announced on Pentecost Sunday. LITURGICAL FORMATION Overarching need across the board for more effective education in liturgical matters, for faith communities, to enable them to fully celebrate the liturgy and understand what it is that they are doing for clergy as ongoing professional development – particularly in homiletics and the ars celebrandi for seminarians, as part of a national structured liturgy formation in seminaries. LITURGICAL MUSIC MINISTRY Updated music at mass. To be open to new ideas especially music ministry. Embrace the youth through music ministry. Introduce some more uplifting modern music our youth can connect to. Music not valued enough, sacred and inclusion. Go back to the traditional hymns. Put more bible verses into song for kids to learn. Youth mass and music suitable for them. Different music not just hymns during mass. EUCHARIST AND THE SACRAMENTS That our Sunday liturgies more appealing to our youth. We need to get rid of the archaic language and complex rituals to allow them entry in the church. Vibrancy and liveliness through music and praise and worship like world youth days. Promote and facilitate full, conscious and active participation in mission of the church, as well as at mass. Encourage participation. Locally order the sacraments children baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. Liturgical changes and improvement, hymns, reverence. Better access of Latin mass. Simplify the bible readings for better understanding. Improvement in liturgical celebrations making them more lively Relevant language use for better understanding. Liturgy of the church and renewal. Families don’t see relevance of going to Mass. Improvement in the way we contact our services to attract the young people. Mass to be more vibrant. Appreciate the sacramental aspect of our Faith, Mass and Ritual. Concerned about church non-attendance. More participation in liturgy. Introduction of bible discussions. To have the Mass celebration more engaging: priests, parents, youth and community. Consider mass variation for development for faith. Youth or children servers and activities. Youth participation. Parish priests need to be stricter at mass. Show the parishioners to have respect and reverence at mass…no talking. How do we improve mass to encourage children/families to be involved? We have to pray to bring young people to come back to church. Connect with God I believe one day turning point will come spiritual, encourage youth and give them opportunity, group gathering with youth. Youth feel discomfort from church services. Affirm Eucharist- nourishment for the weak, needy, imperfect should not exclude from Eucharist. Reality of baptism for community commitment and faith. When in union with other churches so why can’t we all receive the Holy Communion? INCLUSIVE FAITH COMMUNITIES To be compassionate and tolerant to those divorced and finding way to include them in the sacraments of the church. That the church be more inclusive to those who are divorced. How to accept the divorced into the sacramental life of the church? We need to assess the treatment of divorced Catholics especially regarding the sacraments. How do we invite people when we are so exclusive with communion? There are so many divorced and remarried or married and divorced why not consider their being allowed to receive Holy Communion? Perhaps liturgical welcome back. Reception of communion should all be welcomed? Be inclusive of all especially gay community, divorced couples’ annulment process is very painful. To be welcoming especial to the divorced, same sex partners. To discover a way to accept and celebrate diversity. Reflections with orthodox rites. Youth ministry to be intensified. Listen to young people and how they see God and relevance of Church to them. Catholic kids need to find a place that allows them to be accepted and to lead. We need to accept and listen to the young people. Modernise, relevance and connect. To develop and encourage specifically Australian Christianity. Ask those who left the church why? Ask those who no longer come for Mass why? Ask the young why they are not interested? RECONCILIATION: THIRD RITE Third rite reconciliation to allow easy of access language using old world style. More general confessions. As very few people attend reconciliation rite one and rite two can we consider third rite again which was very popular? The third rite of reconciliation to be celebrated especially before Christmas and Easter. Allow reconciliation of the 3rd rite advent and lent at our gatherings. LITURGY PLANNER FOR ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C) MAY – AUGUST 2016 DAY SCRIPTURE HYMN SUGGESTIONS *based on Scripture of the day The Most Holy Prov 8:22-31 Wisdom was born Gathering Trinity (C) before the earth was made All Creatures of our God (CWB1&2/GA) All People that on Earth Do Dwell 16 June 2019 Rom 5:1-5 To God through Christ (AOV1/CWB1&2/GA/TIS) Church of God (CWB1&2/GA) John 16:12-15 Whatever the Father Come, Now Is The Time to Worship has is mine (ANG) Glory Be to God in Heaven (CWB1/GA) Ps 8: O Lord, our God, how How Shall I Call You? (AOV1) wonderful your name in all the Lord of Creation (CWB1&2/GA/TIS) earth! Praise God from whom All Blessings Flow (AOV1/CWB1&2/GA) COJ (C) 106 Praise With Joy (GA) CWB1 271 Sing Praise to Our Creator (CWB2) GA 19 This Day God Gives Me (CWB1&2/GA) LYP (C) 80 This Day Was Made (AOV1/ CWB2/GA) PYSC Today I Awake (GA) RPC 48 We Walk By Faith (CWB2/GA/G) STRP 98 Prep Gifts The following psalm collections Enemy of Apathy (AOV2/GA) are available online with single Father in Heaven (GA) reprints and audio recordings.