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This week's articles and resources below
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Dear Friend
We
are seven days into this Lenten journey and over 300 users have joined
our Slow Lent series–a journey through the Gospel readings from each
Sunday with a daily reflection point. Targeted at educators and
pastoral workers, it provides a few minutes each day to re-look at the
previous Sunday’s reading and live with it during the subsequent week.
You can sign up for the reflections here.
Pope Francis has recommendations for how we might engage in our
own spiritual renewal during Lent:
Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and have trust in God.
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.
A real smorgasbord to draw from–evolution takes work!
The daily readings continue to deliver new aspects to the love and hope
that God bears for us. The first reading from Isaiah 58: 9-14 last
Saturday is an invitation to action that states:
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, the clenched fist,
malicious talk, if you give bread to the hungry, and relief to the
oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness, and your night
will become like the noon.
Catholic Social
Services Biennial Conference
Years ago, John Foley, wrote an engaging piece “The Lord hears the cry
of the poor.” The third verse gives each of us hope in the face of our
own despair. View the video here.
Ev’ry spirit crushed, God will save;
will be ransom for their lives;
will be safe shelter for their fears,
and will hear the cry of the poor.
Tonight begins the three day national conference of Catholic Social
Services being held at the Catholic Leadership Centre in East Melbourne
themed “Hearing,
Healing, Hope.”
We will be covering the key addresses and bring you news of the
conference in the coming weeks. In the interim we pray for work in the
many ministries, Catholic Social Services and for those they serve.
You can access program details here–registrations are closed.
Please let us have any comments on our content to feedback@parishlife.com.au
Damien Nolan
Director
Jesuit Communications
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Reflection for Sunday
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The readings for this second Sunday in Lent invite
us to listen and to trust that God will lead us in ways that are
life-giving. Abraham learns that he can trust God with the life of
his precious son, even though what he is asked to do seems contrary
to all God’s previous promises. His obedience and faithfulness are
blessed by God.
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Feature: Build a just future from any age
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Ways to raise money for the Catholic Church aid's
agency Caritas this Lent are only limited by imagination. Young
Sydney couple Sabna and Rajeev Krishnan’s daughter was helping the
world’s poorest and most vulnerable while still in the womb. In
lieu of giving gifts, Sabna asked the guests at her baby shower to
donate to Caritas.
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Prayers of the people
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How fortunate we are to hear the story of the
transfiguration twice a year, on the 1st Sunday of Lent and on
August 6! An unfailing source of inspiration and insight, it
interweaves great Old Testament figures (Moses, Elijah, the
Suffering Servant) and themes (covenant, the Law, holiness, glory,
Tabernacles) with key episodes in the life of Jesus (his baptism,
agony in the garden, death and resurrection).
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Homilist notes
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Before taking up readings from the Gospel of Mark
for Year B, the Lectionary lingers for one more Sunday on the
introduction to Jesus’ public life. The First Reading and the
Gospel find a certain unity around the idea of “vocation”. The call
of the boy Samuel in the sanctuary, as told in the First Reading, 1
Sam 3:3-10, 19, foreshadows the later Christian sense of
“vocation”.
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Music: Suggestions for Sunday
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This week's music suggestion comes from Music
Ministry which provides parish music ministers (and others) with a
comprehensive list of music suitable for the feasts and seasons.
Click to see suggestions for sacred music for this Sunday.
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Slow Lent wk 2 – On the mountain with Jesus
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Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James
and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And
he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling
white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.
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