Proverbs 9:1-6

Wisdom has built herself a house,

she has erected her seven pillars,

she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine,

she has laid her table.

She has despatched her maidservants

and proclaimed from the city's heights:

'Who is ignorant? Let him step this way.'

To the fool she says,

'Come and eat my bread,

drink the wine I have prepared!

Leave your folly and you will live,

walk in the ways of perception.'

Psalm 33:2-3. 10-15

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

The humble shall hear and be glad. R.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.

They lack nothing, those who revere him.

Strong lions suffer want and go hungry

but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing. R.

Come, children, and hear me

that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.

Who is he who longs for life

and many days, to enjoy his prosperity? R.

Then keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit.

Turn aside from evil and do good;

seek and strive after peace. R.

Ephesians 5:15-20

Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent

and not like senseless people. This may be a wicked age, but

your lives should redeem it. And do not be thoughtless but

recognise what is the will of the Lord. Do not drug yourselves

with wine, this is simply dissipation; be filled with the Spirit.

Sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when you

are together, and go on singing and chanting to the Lord in

your hearts, so that always and everywhere you are giving

thanks to God who is our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

Acclamation:

Alleluia, alleluia!

All who eat my flesh and drink my blood

live in me and I in them, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowd:

'I am the living bread which has come down

from heaven.

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;

and the bread that I shall give

is my flesh, for the life of the world.'

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: 'How can this

man give us his flesh to eat?' they said. Jesus replied:

'I tell you most solemnly,

if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man

and drink his blood,

you will not have life in you.

Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my

blood

has eternal life,

and I shall raise him up on the last day.

For my flesh is real food

and my blood is real drink.

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood

lives in me

and I live in him.

As I, who am sent by the living Father,

The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and

copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday &

Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. The English translation of the

Psalm Responses, Alleluia and Gospel Verses, and Lenten Gospel Acclamations

from the Lectionary for Mass © 1997, 1981, 1968, International Committee on

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

—Mark Twain

Ingham

Sat 6.00pm Sun 8.30am Sun 7.00pm

Halifax Sun 7.00am

Canossa Sun 10.00am

Abergowrie Sun 10.00am

Mon 5.30pm St Patrick’s

Tues 5.30pm St Paul’s

Wed 8.45am St Peter’s 5.30pm St Patrick’s

Thurs 5.30pm St Patrick’s St Bernard, Abbot, Doctor

Fri 7.00am St Patrick’s St Pius X, Pope

During the week, I wrote to Fr Michael Igo to

thank him for his assistance during my

extended leave. It was wonderful, last week

end, to hear so many people comment

positively on his time with us. I am personally

very grateful for his availability and his

ministry.

I am very glad to be back home. Eight weeks

away is a very long time. It has been a real

struggle trying to get my sleep patterns right

again. I seem to wake up almost every hour

during the night. I’ve also been dreaming

very vividly about walking—perhaps my body

is craving the energy expenditure. Thankfully,

everything seems to have flowed very

smoothly in my absence. I am grateful to

Pauline and Chella for their very fine

administrative work. Fr Michael was amazed

at their efficiency and hard work.

When I took over as Parish Priest, a goodly

number of years ago, one of the practices I

inherited was that in November we would

not take any Mass offerings for

anniversaries. Each year, as I have

heard one or two people get

upset about this, I have thought

of changing it. So, from this year,

we will take anniversary Masses

for the weekends in November.

To be clear: we will only be

offering Masses in the parish for

All Souls intentions; we will not be

offering any weekday Masses for

anniversaries or any other

intentions; on Sundays, we

will pray for those whose

anniversaries occur at this

time in our Prayers of the Faithful, but the

Masses will not be offered here but will be

sent away to be offered elsewhere (as we do

with surplus Masses normally); we will not

be taking mass intentions for birthdays or

other intentions.

Somehow, we missed this year’s Novena for

Vocations—as did most of the diocese. So,

we will begin this week, praying for

Vocations at each of our Masses. Please feel

free to take home a vocations prayer card

and to join your private prayers to our public

prayers.

A few months ago, I asked Fr Cipriano to

make home visitations a priority in his

ministry and to visit one or two parishioners

each week. Before I went away, Pauline

began co-ordinating these visits. Because

home visitations have been very

rare over the past dozen years,

some people have been

surprised by the phone call.

I have decided that I should also

be engaged in home visitations.

So, if Pauline rings on behalf of

Cipriano or me, that is why. Of

course, you can always ring

Pauline and

book in a

Welcome to all visitors and new parishioners. Please make yourself known to us.

Rosary

9.30am Monday in St Patrick’s

Adoration of the blessed Sacrament

Tuesday 9am to 8.30pm in St Paul’s Chapel

Saturday 5.00pm or by appointment

Parish Priest: Fr Damian McGrath Associate Pastor: Fr Cipriano Mallari

Parish Secretary: Pauline Pennisi Assistant and RE Co-ordinator: Marcella Cantatore

Pastoral Care: Sr Nina Barra

Mail: PO Box 375, Ingham Q 4850 Phone: 4776 2600 Fax: 4776 5199

Web: www.inghamcatholic.com Email: parishoffice@inghamcatholic.com

Office Hours: 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday, 1pm to 3pm Monday to Thursday

please contact Rebecca Ryman on 4726 3201

or rryman@tsv.catholic.org.au

• First Holy Communion Ingham 22 & 23 August

• First Holy Communion Halifax Saturday 29 August

• First Holy Communion Canossa 30 August

Welcome to a new child of God:

Beth Terese Downes

baptised this Sunday at St Patrick’s

Catholics are known for not sitting in the front seats at liturgy. What difference does it make? It does make a difference. If

we are a celebrating family, if we try to extend hospitality to one another, if we are sensitive to those who come late, if we are trying to participate in an action that is truly ours, then we

will fill the front pews as we come in. This makes full, active participation in the Liturgy easier, because it puts us closer to the focus of the action. It is our action. The closer we are, the

more it feels like our action. It also leaves room for late-comers to take a seat without disturbing those already

present.

If you haven’t noticed over the last several weeks in the

upcoming events, next weekend we will be celebrating First

Communion at our Saturday 6.00pm & Sunday 8.30am Masses.

There are approximately forty children to receive this

sacrament, so, although you are invited to celebrate with these

families, you may not be able to sit in your usual seat.

All Cursillistas are invited to the next Ultreya to be held in

Mercy Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday 20 August.

Spring Afternoon Tea Sunday 13 September 2.00pm in Mercy

Hall. Tickets at $12 each will be available from the Parish Office

from Wednesday 26 August. Come welcome Spring and enjoy a

delicious afternoon tea.

If anyone would like to contribute a Cent Sale Prize, all will be

gratefully accepted. Please leave at Parish office as soon as

possible.

Ladies, there will be a meeting held 9.00am on Saturday 22

August in the kitchen area of Mercy Hall to finalise

arrangements for the Spring Afternoon Tea.

The Society require blankets and doonas in good condition for

the needy. If you have any of these that you do not need any

more, please leave them in the containers at the entrance to St

Patrick’s church or drop into the store.

MASS will be held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, 270 Stanley

Street, Townsville on Sunday 30 August 2015

commencing at 10am. People from all cultures around the

world are invited to attend and celebrate our unity. If you

would like further information or to be involved in the Mass,

G uiseppe Sarto was born into

a poor family in 1835. From

this humble begining he was

eventually elected pope in 1903. He

took as his motto, “To restore all

things in Christ”. Pius X was

remembered for many things

including advocating the frequent

reception of holy communion and

the admission to it of children from

the age of about seven; reform of

church music and encouraging the

use of Gregorian chant; the reform

of Canon Law; the reorganization

of the Roman curia; and the separation of church and state in

France. He also promoted Bible reading for all Catholics and

encouraged the use of clear and simple homilies. He found some

aspects of the Vatican’s wealth and ceremony distasteful. Before

his death in 1914, Pius X wrote in his will, “I was born poor, I have

lived poor, and I wish to die poor.”

“There will be a meeting of the Board immediately after the ser-

vice," announced the pastor.

After the close of the service, the Church Board gathered at

the back of the auditorium for the announced meeting. But there

was a stranger in their midst -- a visitor who had never attended

their church before.

"My friend," said the pastor, "Didn't you understand that this

is a meeting of the Board?"

"Yes," said the visitor, "and after today's sermon, I suppose

Please note that on the weekend of 29/30

August there will be no Sunday Mass at

7.00am. Your Parish Mass will be on Saturday

29 August at 6.00pm when the Sacrament of

First Holy

Communion will be celebrated.

Please Pray For: Frank Maloney (Charters Towers) (died this

week), Egidia Lamari, Cecil Kraft, Oreste Chinotti, Angela

Pedersoli, Maria Magoni, Peter Venturato, Katie Spina,

Orazio Girgenti, Ernesto Marbelli, Mike Milanovic, Angelo

Santito, (annivs at this time), Janice Day, John Lowth,

Salvatore & Graziella Spampinato, Santa Marano, Marianne

Ferrero, Domenico Catalano, Dec’d members Ventruato &

Valese families, Fr Mark Nugent, Vittorio & Maria Cantoni,

Makda Cerutti, Carlo Magoni, Giulio Magoni, Elliott Francis

Mathersen, Lina Lazzaroni, Sam Bonanno, Juven Accornero,

Peter Silvini, Lino Zampatti, Gakjo Zelenika, Sarah Leonardi,

Joe Valastro, Enrica Marbelli, Dec’d members Pallanza,

Maloney & Battistel families, Bruna Orsetto, Baldo Fanti,

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God,

Counters This Week:

R Blanco J Girgenti R Girgenti O Marino

Counters Next Week:

S Di Bartolo F Di Bartolo A La Rosa R Romano M Garutti

Children’s Liturgy—Saturday 22 August

NO CHILDREN’S LITURGY THIS WEEKEND

Altar Servers 22/23 August:

Sat 6.00pm: Hayden Di Bella & Caytlan Stephensen

Sun 8.30am: Jacob Minato & William Price

Sun 7.00pm: Luke Kinbacher

Organists 22/23 August:

Sat 6.00pm: Pam Harris

Sun 8.30am:Monica Vitale

Sun 7.00pm: Lynette Di Bella

Commentators 22/23 August:

Sat 6.00pm: First Communion

Sun 8.30am: First Communion

Sun 7.00pm: Adriana Di Bella

Readers 22/23 August:

Halifax: Mary Cavaliere & Arthur Bosworth

Canossa: C/1 Paul Spina 2/3 Rita Melara

Sat 6.00pm: First Communion

Sun 8.30am: First Communion

Sun 7.00pm: 1 Sarina Di Bella 2 Denise Barbi

3 Adriana Di Bella

Abergowrie: Michael & Maryann Barra

Special Ministers 22/23 August:

Halifax: John Tantalo & another

Canossa: Peter & Sylvia Poggio

Sat 6.00pm: Annette Biasi John Gollogly Jean Staples

Sun 8.30am: Carmel Fazio Rita Fontana Sam Spina

Sun 7.00pm: Barbara & Rosemary Di Prima Tony Giliberto

Real Presence

The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a central doctrine of the Catholic faith. It is regarded as a revealed truth

proved by both scripture and tradition. This week’s gospel, indeed the entire ‘Bread of Life’ discourse (Jn 6:26-72), is an essential passage of scripture that supports the teaching of

Christ present in the Eucharist. Along with scripture, the other proof of the doctrine is tradition. Since the first century, only a

brief time after the death of Jesus, Christians linked their celebration of Eucharist with the words of Jesus at the last supper – they celebrated Eucharist as a memorial of Jesus.

This gospel passage continues the ‘Bread of Life’ discourse that we have been following through the Gospel of John for a few weeks now. It overlaps with the reading from last week with Jesus announcing that his flesh is the ‘bread of life’. Not surprisingly, the Jewish audience is horrified by the idea of eating human flesh. Jesus drives his point home further with his audience by also referring to the drinking of blood. In Jewish tradition, even to touch blood made a person ritually unclean. Any meat that was to be eaten had to be drained of blood, according to kosher rules. The words used by Jesus in this passage are so confronting that

they cannot possibly be taken literally. It is a complete overstatement of the

image to try to make sure that a literal interpretation is impossible.

When the gospel writer has Jesus speaking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood he is drawing on a very old image of eating and drinking as representing ‘absorbing’; or ‘comprehending’; or ‘understanding’ the message of the speaker. In this ancient understanding, to ‘eat the flesh’ of Jesus is to take into yourself and accept everything that Jesus stands for; everything that Jesus teaches; everything that Jesus believes. It is an act of faith. When we received Christ in the Eucharist, is this the depth of

significance and purpose with which we take communion? Unmistakably, this passage points us to the Christian sacrament of Eucharist. The practice of sharing Eucharist as a memorial of Jesus was already well established in the Christian communities by the time this gospel was written and throughout this extended discourse on the ‘Bread of Life’ the author provides a direct link between the practice of Eucharist and the teachings of Jesus.