Parish of Corio/LaraSt Francis Xavier Church, CorioSt Anthony of Padua Church, Lara

Archdiocese of Melbourne Australia

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Sunday 8th October, 2017 Life, Marriage and Family Sunday

Today’s Gospel is from St. Matthew 21:33-43 - Canadian theologian Bernard Lonergan had a major impact on philosophy and theology last century. Sometimes his language was so complex we had to buy a companion book to help us read the original work! Surprisingly, however, his most important insights were very simple and expressed in very simple language. One of them was that we regularly have ‘ah-ha’ moments, where we get an insight into God, the world or ourselves. These moments make sense of things we have previously only seen as problems.Matthew’s Gospel is filled with ‘ah-ha’ moments. Written for a generally Jewish audience it reflects on Jesus in light of the history of Israel, the Hebrew Scriptures and the expectations of the Messiah. Jesus was for Matthew’s community, and is for us, the ‘ah-ha’ in world history. By Matthew reflecting on his life, death and resurrection, things he had previously only wondered about now made sense.The phrase ‘the stone rejected by the builders” originally referred to Israel. In Psalm 118 and, more generally, in the Book of Psalms, the trials and defeats of Israel are seen to be tests of strength, love and endurance. Despite everything Israel has gone through, the people continue to sing of God’s fidelity to them and what marvels God has done before their eyes, making them into a more faith-filled people.Matthew, however, reflects on what happened to Jesus at the hands of the Chief Priests, Scribes and Romans. In a great ‘ah-ha’ moment he sees that it is Jesus, not Israel, who is the stone rejected by the builders which has now become the key building block of a new edifice.Doing exactly the same as Matthew does with this passage, we can apply it to our own lives as well. There are often facets of our personality or character of which we are ashamed or about which we despair. From gossip to greed, past hurts to anger, sexuality to broken relationships, we can often get discouraged at how un-together our Christian life is.Even though we have worked hard to overcome our worst traits, we often think nothing good will ever come of them. In such a context we need to hear today’s Gospel, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes.’The parts of our character we most despise could be the most marvellous moments of amazing grace. Nothing is irredeemable to God; nothing has gone too far or become too entrenched. In the Christian life there is no room for shame, only for repentance and starting over. Looking at things we have thought of as only being problems provides us with the greatest potential for ‘ah-ha’ moments, where the healing

and love of Christ enables us to turn our lives around, to demolish all the negative and defeatist self-talk in which we can indulge and rebuild ourselves with Christ, the master builder. Once we get into the habit of doing this, it’s amazing how many ‘ah-ha’ moments we have as our history ceases to be a problem to be overcome but turns into a challenge to be harnessed for the building up of the Kingdom of God on earth. © Richard Leonard SJ.

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 MISSION STATEMENT We, the Catholic people of Corio/Lara guided by the Spirit, participate in Christ’s Mission.

With our gifts we create a Parish that welcomes all people.

PARISH CALENDARTUESDAY

10th Oct

WEDNESDAY11th Oct

THURSDAY12th Oct

FRIDAY13th Oct

SATURDAY14th Oct

SUNDAY15th Oct

8.45am Rosary9am Mass, Corio10.15am Hume Crt Communion

9am Rosary9.15am Communion Service, Lara6.30pm Rosary, Novena, Corio

8.45am Rosary9am Communion Service Corio

9.15am Communion Service Lara

7pm Bingo7pm Adoration

8am Mass LaraRosary

Pilgrimage

2.30pm Bible Sharing Group GPS Corio7pm Mass

Corio.

9am Mass Lara

10am Rosary Corio10.30am Mass Corio

12.30pm Baptism Lara

ROSTERSTIME ANDDATE

READER/COMMENTATOR EUCHARIST MINISTERS

FLOWERS, ST FRANCIS CHURCH CLEANERS

14th Oct 2017 7pm Corio

B WatsonK McCarthyWelcomer- L Sagor

A Randall CORIO – A RandallLARA- K McGuane/ T LucasCLEANING- S & R Flood

15th Oct 2017 9am Lara

D GrayB LeeWelcomers- M Harris

R ShannahanG HynesG Foley

10.30am Corio J LendersS GrootveldWelcome- D Jiminez

T Van Der HoevenT Van Der Hoeven N Madonna

NEXT WEEKS READINGS- Is 25:6-10; Ps 22; Phil 4:12-14, 19-20; Mt 22:1-14Anniversaries: Salvatore Servello, Joe Ivancic, Navis Aranha, Benedict Balu, Joe Mary, Carmen Zammit.Sick: Nicholas Francis, Emily Gilson, Kirk Watson, Greg & Sally Brown, Jessica de Grandis, Andrea Franchina, Craig Marais, Mary Christensen, Cheril MoylanBaptism: Emma Rose Luco

Prayer Intention of Pope Francis for October 2017: Rights of workers and the unemployed. That all workers may receive respect and protection of their rights, and that the unemployed may receive the opportunity to contribute to the common good.

Vocation View: An employer would probably fire an employee who never does the job properly. God’s plan calls us to live our vocation daily in the best way we can.

Children’s Liturgy: The celebration of the Word for Children is held during Mass in Corio every Sunday. Lara Term 4: Oct 8, 15, 29, Nov 12, 19, Dec 3, 10, 17.

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.

Parish Office: The office will be reopened on Monday 9th October.

Fr Pius Kodakkathanath will commence as the parish priest of Corio/Lara parish on Wednesday October 11. Fr Pius is the currently the parish priest of St Peters in Hoppers Crossing. Warm welcome Fr Pius to our parish.

New Rosters for October to December are available in the Foyer.

Thank You: My heart is filled with praise and thanks to our God for having given me the opportunity to be your priest and for the treasured memories that I have been blessed with these last six years with you all. I am so glad to be here in this very vibrant, loving and caring parish community. You have all been generous with your talents to our parish. Moreover, I thank you for showing your love, care and concern for me and considering me as one of your dear family members. I thank God for giving me this huge tressure of knowing you all and experiencing God’s love through each one of you. Corio/Lara Parish will always have a treasured place in my heart. My prayer for you all and for myself is that, wherever the Lord takes us, may we continue this journey of faith and draw nearer to Christ each day. Thank you. Fr Manoj I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. Philippians 1:3-4

Child Safety Standards Training: 28th October 1pm – 4pm – for leaders of all children’s groups in the Parish. More details will follow closer to these dates.

St Anthony’s Fair: 29th October from 10am. We will be asking for help with the Plant Stall and the Silent Auction and Raffle ticket sales.

VOLUNTEER TUTORS NEEDED: A Volunteer homework club under the auspices of CatholicCare and Northern Bay College, is looking for volunteers to assist in Term 4. The time required is 1½ hours weekly on Mondays from 3.15-4.45pm at Northern Bay College, 3-25 Goldsworthy Rd Corio. If you can help phone Mathew Walton on 9926 5699 (Mathew.Walton@cam.org.au)

Time for Listening: Lessons from the Royal Commission. A Public Conversation with Francis Sullivan, CEO Truth, Justice & Healing Council. The conversation with Francis will provide the opportunity to:  - Better understand the crisis and the reality of what happened. Gain insight into the findings of the Royal Commission, and hear what this means for the Church and our parishes 7pm – 9pm Thursday 19 October 2017 Pioneer Room St Mary’s Parish, 150 Yarra Street, Geelong.  This event is free. For further information:  St Michael’s Parish Office 03 5278 1343.FAMILY/FOOD/FAITH - Enhancing the Aroma and Flavour of

Family Life: A booklet produced by the Life, Marriage and Family Office, will be available for free. This booklet is designed to encourage families to make time for shared meals and to offer some practical guidance that will help strengthen relationships - with each other, with neighbour and ultimately with God.

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

ROSARY PILGRIMAGE AND PUBLIC ROSARY  - You are cordially invited to join the Rosary Pilgrimage on Saturday 14th October, 2017 led by the Legion of Mary Geelong Curia. 8:00am Rosary and Mass St Anthony Church Lara. 9:00 am Rosary at St Francis Corio. 10:00 am Holy Family Church Bell Park. 11:00 am Public Rosary St Mary's Garden Geelong. For more info please contact John McCarthy 0409042393 or Adela  0409135589

FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK: 9th Oct - Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman: John Henry Newman, one of the great Christian intellectuals of the nineteenth century, was born in London in 1801. His spiritual quest having begun in adolescence, he later went on to study theology at Oxford University. Subsequently, he became an Anglican pastor, a fellow of Oriel College, and leader of the Oxford Movement which studied the Catholic roots of the faith in England. In 1842, while writing his "Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine", he began to mature his conversion to Catholicism. He was admitted into the Catholic Church in 1845 and ordained a Catholic priest in Rome on 1 June 1847. Following his ordination, and with the encouragement of Pope Pius IX, he founded the first Oratory of St. Philip Neri in England. In 1852 he was appointed rector of the Catholic University of Dublin, Ireland, a post he held until 1854. Pope Leo XIII made him a cardinal in 1879 and he died in 1890 at the Oratory of Edgbaston. The process for his beatification began in 1958. Newman's miraculous intercession in the cure of Dean Jack Sullivan, who suffered a serious complaint of the spinal column, was officially recognized and approved by Benedict XVI in July 2009.

St. John XXIII: 11th October - Today is the feast of St. John XXIII, pope from 1958-1963, best known for convening the Second Vatican Council. St. John XXIII was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli at Sotto il Monte, Italy, in the Diocese of Bergamo on 25 November 1881.  At the death of Pius XII he was elected Pope on 28 October 1958, taking the name John XXIII. His pontificate, which lasted less than five years, presented him to the entire world as an authentic image of the Good Shepherd. Meek and gentle, enterprising and courageous, simple and active, he carried out the Christian duties of the corporal and spiritual works of

mercy: visiting the imprisoned and the sick, welcoming those of every nation and faith, bestowing on all his exquisite fatherly care.  He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000. His feast is assigned to the day on which the first session of Vatican II opened in 1962. NOVENA to our Mother of Perpetual Help is on every Wednesday with a Rosary at 6.30pm followed by Novena of Mother of Perpetual Help at St Francis Xavier Church, Corio. Parish Care Group: Carers are there for you at both Corio and Lara. The Care Group was established to support members of the Parish who are experiencing grief, loneliness or difficult times. If you would like a carer to visit you please ring the Parish Office or Pam Fitzgerald in Corio area on 5275 2507 or Lou Schepers in Lara Ph 0413 802 623.BINGO: Is held in the Xavier Centre, Corio every Friday night starting at 7.30pm. There is a friendly atmosphere, great prizes, cool drinks and supper available for sale and free tea and coffee.

Fr Manoj Mathew Parish Priest Pauline Gilmore & Diane Saliba Secretaries Bill Geerts Chairperson, Parish Pastoral CouncilMaria Scala Principal, St Francis Xavier School, Corio Ph 52751974Natalie Heard Principal, St Anthony’s School, Lara Ph 52821415PARISH OFFICE 143 Bacchus Marsh Road, Corio 3214 VICTELEPHONE 5275 4120. email fxcorio@iinet.net.au Web: www.coriolaraparish.org.au OFFICE HOURS Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri - 9.00am - 4.00pm (1-1.30pm Lunch Break) Wednesday – Office ClosedWEEKEND MASS TIMES-Saturday- 7.00pm, St Francis Xavier, Corio. Sunday-9.00am - St Anthony’s Lara, 10.30am - St Francis Xavier, Corio.WEEKDAY MASS TIMES: Tuesday and Thursday-9am, St Francis Xavier, Corio, Wednesday,2nd &5th Friday 9am Anthony’s Lara. 1st &3rd Friday- 10am Hume Court Lara, 4th Friday- 11:30am St Anthony’s Lara. SATURDAY DEVOTION: Mass at 9:30am followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every 1st Saturday each month, St Francis Xavier Church, Corio.RECONCILIATION-1st Sat of each month 10-10.30am and 6.15-6.45pm St Francis Xavier Church, Corio, 1st Sunday of each month- 8.15-8.45am St Anthony’s Church, Lara

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