BURLEIGH HEADS CATHOLIC PARISH BURLEIGH WATERS - MARY, MOTHER OF MERCY CHURCH, 3 Sunlight Dr, Burleigh Waters BURLEIGH HEADS - INFANT SAVIOUR CHURCH, 4 Park Av, Burleigh Heads PALM BEACH - OUR LADY OF THE WAY CHURCH - Eleventh Ave, Palm Beach MIAMI - CALVARY CHURCH - Redondo Av, Miami MUDGEERABA - ST. BENEDICT'S CHURCH - Wallaby Dr, Mudgeeraba SPRINGBROOK - ST TERESA'S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY PARISH OFFICE: Mon - Fri 9.00am - 5.00pm Feast of All Saints 3 Sunlight Dr, Burleigh Waters 1 November, 2020 [PO Box 73 Burleigh Heads] www.burleighheadscatholic.com.au Year A: Apoc 7:2-4,9-14; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12 Phone: 5576 6466 [also for After Hours] next week's Readings: Wis 6:12-16; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13 e-mail: [email protected] facebook: BurleighCatholicParish Revelation presents us with several PARISH PASTORAL TEAM: visions of the heavenly court. Fr Morgan Batt - Parish Priest Earlier (chapter 4) it gave a vision Fr Jacob Kalu - Parochial Vicar of God sitting on a throne, Parish Business & Finance Manager surrounded by 24 elders. They are Neil Segerdahl - [email protected] beholding the image of the slain Parish Sacramental Co-Ordinator - Angela Williams Parish Women's Advisory - Bev Tronc, Maree Wright Lamb of God, who has "power and Parish Advisory Council Chair - David Sewell wealth and wisdom and might and Parish Safeguarding Officer - Bren Milsom honour and glory and Parish Youth Minister - Darcy Rogers blessing" (5:12). Parish Weekly Diary.... In today’s reading a vast number of people have joined the audience, "From every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (v. 9). It is a white- Saturday 31 October robed throng holding palm branches. Their white robes are given them because 8.00am Mass - Burleigh Heads they were martyred. Their palm branches are celebratory, signs of a feast. They 4.15pm Reconciliation - Miami are innumerable and the language that identifies them is apocalyptic, "These are 5.00pm Mass - Miami the ones who survived the time of great distress." 5.15pm Reconciliation - Palm Beach That is how their robes were washed in the blood of the Lamb. They were 6.00pm Mass - Palm Beach martyred during the great persecutions for their faith in the Lamb of God. Now Sunday 1 November - All Saints 7.00am Mass - Burleigh Heads (50+ people) these "witnesses" (that’s what "martyrs" means) are saved from pain, hunger, 7.00am Mass - Palm Beach (50+ people) thirst and persecution. Are they the people Jesus describes in the Beatitudes 8.30am Mass - Mudgeeraba (75+ people) who, despite present afflictions for their faith in him, "will be comforted… will 8.30am Mass - Miami (75+ people) inherit the earth...will be satisfied, etc."? 10.00am Mass - Burleigh Waters Originally, All Saints Day celebrated those who had died as martyrs in (100+ people - live-streamed) persecutions. In the early church, and some churches today, "saints" was the 5.00pm Reconciliation - Burleigh Waters name for Christians (Cor. 1:2; 14:33). Today we remember, celebrate, and 5.30pm Mass - Burleigh Waters (100+ people) assure one another, "See what God can do among ordinary people! Just as they Monday 2 November - All Souls are saints, so shall we be." Correction – "So are we now! Praise God!" 9.00am Mass - Miami 7.00pm Mass - Columbarium - MMM If we are in church today (or, possibly live streaming) what will we see? Of (limited to 30 people - phone Parish Office to book) course, the Book of the Scriptures catches our attention during the first part of the Mass. After hearing God’s Word proclaimed and broken open we turn to the Tuesday 3 November altar and the bread and wine we will offer for consecration. But, as our eyes turn 7.30am Mass - Burleigh Waters (live-streamed) towards the altar, perhaps our gaze will fall on the images of the saints that Wednesday 4 November surround us in statutes, paintings and mosaics on the walls. St Charles Borromeo 8.00am Morning Prayer of Divine Office There they are, those Beatitude people described in today’s gospel: once poor in spirit, mourning, lowly, justice-seekers, persecuted, martyred for their faith, 5.30pm Mass - Palm Beach Thursday 5 November merciful, peacemakers – God’s children whose lives reflected the animating and 5.15pm Reconciliation - Mudgeeraba faith-sustaining presence of the Spirit. After such reminders of God’s great works in the lives of the saints, we have reason to give thanks. The presider will 5.30pm Mass - Mudgeeraba Friday 6 November introduce the Eucharistic Prayer, "Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God." And 10.00am Mass - Burleigh Waters we will respond, "It is right and just." True enough, but there is more to include in our thanks, more saints, not from the past. but those who are among us now. (100+ people - live-streamed) Saturday 7 November Who are they? How do their lives reflect the holiness of God? Thank you God for 8.00am Mass - Burleigh Heads their witness to your presence among us, doing what you have done through 5.00pm Mass - Miami your Son and his saints through the ages. 6.00pm Mass - Palm Beach Personally I’m a bit of a hagiographer – one who studies the saints. I love their Sunday 8 November story, their courage, and their mythology. The humanness of our church through 7.00am Mass - Burleigh Heads (50+ people) the ages captured in so many lives known and unknown – this is what the Book 7.00am Mass - Palm Beach (50+ people) of Revelation reminds us today: "After this I had a vision of a great multitude, 8.30am Mass - Mudgeeraba (75+ people) which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue." 8.30am Mass - Miami (75+ people) The feast of All Saints is a feast of the Holy Spirit. The second person of the 10.00am Mass - Burleigh Waters Trinity took flesh to save us. The third person, the Holy Spirit, is God acting (100+ people - live-streamed) 11.00am Portuguese speaking Mass - Miami among us, bringing God’s plan for us humans to fulfilment. The Spirit works in 5.00pm Reconciliation - Burleigh Waters many ways, but one sign of the Spirit’s presence is the creation of a community 5.30pm Mass - Burleigh Waters (100+ people) of life. The Spirit is God’s communication of grace, pouring continued next page ... the life of God into us limited humans, who often go astray, forming us into a people who are enabled to walk in God’s ways. As the visionary of the Book of Revelation tells us today: "After this I had a vision of a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue." The Spirit links all humans through the universal love of God. How do saints come about? Through the limitless work of the Spirit. Where and when does this happen? In every land and every age. Through the Spirit we are, even now, being united to God and connected to one another. I like the tradition in some churches and denominations that begins prayer by greeting the gathered community with, "Good morning saints!" And isn’t that what we celebrate today, the Spirit’s ongoing work of grace that forms us into a holy community, a community of saints? Pope John Paul II courageously asked the young people at World Youth Day 2000 – “Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium! Be contemplative, love prayer; be coherent with your faith and generous in the service of your brothers and sisters, be active members of the Church and builders of peace. To succeed in this demanding project of life, continue to listen to His Word, draw strength from the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance. The Lord wants you to be intrepid apostles of his Gospel and builders of a new humanity. In fact, how could you say you believe in God made man without taking a firm position against all that destroys the human person and the family? If you believe that Christ has revealed the Father’s love for every person, you cannot fail to strive to contribute to the building of a new world, founded on the power of love and forgiveness, on the struggle against injustice and all physical, moral and spiritual distress, on the orientation of politics, economy, culture and technology to the service of man and his integral development.” Artwork: https://grdiocese.org/all-saints-all-souls/ TEENAGER SAINTS SINCE 1900 Saint Carlo Acutis - Age 15 – (1991-2006) Devoted to the Eucharist, Bl. Carlo was diagnosed with leukaemia at a young age. He offered his suffering for Pope Benedict XVI and the Church and even built a website to document all of the Eucharistic miracles before he died. Blessed Laura Vicuña - Age 12 – (1891-1904) Weakened by physical abuse by her mother’s boss, Laura died of pulmonary tuberculosis. On her deathbed, she offered her life for her mother’s salvation: “Mama, I offer my life for you.” Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati - Age 24 – (1901-1925) Pier Giorgio did not let his young age stop him from continuously helping the poor. He contracted polio and died on July 4, 1925. Many mourners attended his funeral, most of whom Pier Giorgio’s parents did not know. Blessed Chiara Badano - Age 18 – (1971-1990) The young and popular Chiara suddenly had a rare form of bone cancer, osteogenic sarcoma. She refused morphine, instead wanting to offer up her sufferings for Jesus Christ. She maintained her joyful demeanour, keeping the other patients happy until her death.