Our Lady of the Rosary Parish - Blogs

11th Sunday of Year B

10/6/2021

After many weeks we resume the Gospel of Mark. We pick up the Gospel at the Parables. Let us do some very quick revision about Parables. They are a very common form of teaching at the time of Jesus and they are not very technical. Firstly they take place in the open air where there are crowds. As a good teacher Jesus knew that teaching outdoors and to big crowds was not an easy task. Secondly, he tells stories and the moral of the story is in the punch line. The details are not important. They are attention grabbers.
"Jesus said to the crowds, this is what the kingdom of God is like." Two things. Note the word "crowd." Parables are open air events! Also, a comment on "the kingdom of God." The best equivalent for this word is "the Church."
This parable is the second parable of the Sower in Mark. We have seen in Matthew that the necessary thing for a Harvest is for someone to plant the seed. If we don't do that there is no harvest. "Night and day while we sleep, when we are awake, the seed is sprouting and growing." This happens of its own accord. It is a lovely thought to know that the growth is of "it's own accord." The Harvest is the Lord's. Our job is to plant the seed!!!!
The parable of the Mustard Seed is also in the other Gospels and we have dealt with it there. It is about small beginnings and great finishes. Do you remember that the mustard seed is the standard in Jewish law for the smallest measurable quantity? The passage concludes: "He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone." We began by saying Jesus taught crowds by telling stories, but he explained everything later to his disciples. There is the big difference between teaching big groups and teaching small groups. We meditate on the parable to ponder the meaning, but we are taught one to one by the Holy Spirit of the deeper meaning.

The Passover with the Disciples

1/6/2021

This is the story in Mark of the Feast of Passover, the old and the new. The Gospel begins: "On the first day of unleavened bread when the Passover Lamb was sacrificed."
Let us brush up on Bible history. Moses prescribed the feast of Passover. It was a celebration of the Exodus from Egypt. The lamb was killed and eaten in each house. The blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the doorpost. The covenant was proclaimed. The angel of death would Passover the chosen people. The old covenant was sealed in the blood of the lamb.
At the time of Jesus, the sacrifice took place in the Temple, not in the houses. On this day the lambs were slaughtered and sacrificed in the Temple. What took place in the Upper Room was not the Passover meal celebrating the Exodus, but a celebration of a New Covenant. there are so many likenesses but many differences. Jesus is the unblemished Lamb of God heralding a new Exodus. "This is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is to be poured out for many."
Today the Church gives us a special solemnity. This feast does not fit into the calendar in any chronological way. The events of the Gospel took place in Jerusalem on Holy Thursday. Today on that Feast day we remember so many events. We are trying to watch one hour with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we are conscious of the actions of Judas and also the trial before Pilate as well as the events in the upper room. Holy Mother Church gives us another opportunity this Sunday to reflect on the new covenant as a single issue. We talk of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion and the Mass. We reflect on the scripture and seek the meaning of the Gospel. We celebrate our Passover from slavery to grace, we celebrate the Lamb of God, spotless victim for our sins; we are washed in the Blood of the Lamb of God as a sacrificial offering to the Lord. All this is in the words, "This is my blood, the blood of the Covenant which will be poured out for many."
Today we honour the mystery of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Truly present, Jesus continually renews the covenant in the Mass and Communion that is our privilege each week.

The Great Commission

27/5/2021

Today and next Sunday are unusual Sundays in the cycle of fests of the Church. The feast of the Trinity and the Body and Blood of the Lord are inserted because of their importance rather than the timing of any event. Today is the Feast of the Trinity, the one true God, three in one.
Every Sunday is the Lord's Day. Today we especially celebrate the revelation of Jesus that our God is Three Persons in the one Nature, truly a mystery of our Religion. It is a mystery because our knowledge of it comes as a revelation of God. Indeed it is the principal mystery of our faith. We know it only because Jesus has told us.
Jesus often speaks of his Father. Jesus has been telling us about his Spirit. Today's Scripture tells us in Jesus' words that God is "Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
What is my image of God? How do I pray? To whom do I pray? The Father, Son or Holy Spirit? The Liturgy gives us a special Sunday to reflect on this principal mystery of our faith.
There are many images in the Scripture. Jesus tells us that he is the mediator between heaven and earth, that no one can come to the Father except through him. He is Saviour of the world. Jesus teaches us that his Spirit will lead us to him.
A quick look at the text: "Go therefore" is obviously connected with the preceding verse. We are commissioned to go because Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. The absolute authority of God is our source of authority for mission. Our commission is to make disciples, baptise and teach. I reflect often on this order. The first mission is to make disciples. We know from the Gospels that this means to bring people to Jesus who is the teacher, to lead them to a world of the Spirit. I reflect a lot on the Church of today that seems to baptise, then teach nd then hope for disciples. The words of Jesus urge us to seek commitment from believers who wish to belong to him and to lead them to him. We are called and we call others to fall in love with Jesus. The baptism can come later and the teaching can come much later. That is the human experience and is the model for the spiritual.
God is omnipotent and omniscient and all powerful. God is Father and Son and Holy Spirit. God is Love.
To evangelise, Church and catechise.

The Ascension of the Lord

13/5/2021

It is interesting today to study the five versions of the Ascension in the Scriptures.
The most widely know and the one that is the origin of our liturgical practice is from the Acts of the Apostles. Luke give us a detailed account of this event. It happens near Bethany on the Mount of Olives. It is witnessed by the Apostles and two men in white, a reference perhaps to Elijah and Elisha (2Kings 2) and Elisha's request for a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah. Jesus promises "you will receive power." He promises that he will come back.
The other accounts are so different. John's life of Jesus finishes with the Resurrection account of Thomas' unbelief. The coming of the Spirit and the sending out all happened at this time. "These things are written that you may believe."
Mark's Gospel finishes with the famous verse "these are the signs of believers." "And so the Lord Jesus was taken up into Heaven. There at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word with signs and wonders."
That brings us today to Luke's Gospel.
The Apostles are told to stay in the city until they are clothed with power from on high. They go to the outskirts of Bethany. Jesus blesses them and as he does so he withdrew from them and was carried up to Heaven.
Luke has more to write on another occasion. Scholars say that Luke intended only to write one document, but as it is getting long - remember they wrote on parchment - Luke decided to give a detailed account of the Ascension and Pentecost in another document. We saw this in the Acts of the Apostles.
The end of Jesus' life on earth is told in many ways. It is a story of Jesus returning to the Father, his promise to return and his command to go to the ends of the earth with his message.

6th Sunday of Easter

4/5/2021

This Sunday's Gospel follows on from last week. Jesus is talking intimately with his Apostles at the Last Supper. It is night. Jesus has washed their feet as an example to them. They hear him talk of betrayal. Jesus talks to them about love. "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love."
This phrase: "remain in my love" help me comprehend something of the mystery of unconditional love. Often I have been asked to explain how an infinite loving God of Mercy can also be a God of Justice, how a loving God can condemn to Hell. The phrase, "remain in my love" puts the emphasis on our own behaviour. God always respects our free will. We are not forced to do anything. Jesus loves us as the Father loves him. We have the choice. We can accept that love and remain in it. We can reject it. The choice is ours. God honours our choice in judgment. The Last Judgment will reflect our choices.
The test of remaining in the love of the Lord is keeping Jesus' commandments. "If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love."
The commandment of Jesus is to "love one another just as I have loved you." A simple illustration of how much the Lord has loved us is that he has laid down his life for his friends. a man can have no greater love than that!
Then there is the wonderful discussion on what is the nature of a friend. Jesus declares that fa friend is a person from whom you have no secrets. He or she knows the whole story. Jesus has made known to us everything that he has learned from the Father. There are no secrets. We are his friends.
The reading continues: "You did not choose me, no I chose you." Ask what you will and love one another.

5th Sunday of Easter

27/4/2021

I Am the Vine
The image of Israel being the vineyard of the Lord is common in the Hebrews Scriptures. It is in Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekial as well as often being used by Jesus in the New Testament. Here Jesus identifies himself as the 'true vine.' Clearly he is claiming to be God. In John we look for many levels so we may explore this.
Jesus begins by teaching us of his relationship with his Father. "I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser." The Father is the pruner. he cuts off unfruitful branches. he prunes back the fruitful branches so that they be more fruitful.
How does the Father do this? He does it by means of the word that Jesus has spoken to us.
Clearly a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. This is because "I am the vine and you are the branches."
Holiness is classically defined as union with God. Holiness means to bear fruit "for cut off from me you can do nothing."
There are so many layers in this passage. It mentions life, growth, fruitfulness, unity plus their opposites. Importance is given to the Word of God, dwelling in Jesus, the power of prayer and the glory of God.
I am the vine and you are the branches. This is one of the many images of Jesus that he has given us of himself. Compare that with the other "I Ams": living water, light of the world, bread of life, resurrection and the life, and the good shepherd. And "I Am" of course is God's name!

The Good Shepherd

22/4/2021

We are familiar with the Psalm "The Lord is my Shepherd". This Old Testament theme is at the heart of the teaching of Ezekiel 34:1-34. The shepherd looks after the food and shelter and water and safety from attack. Lovely OT themes that we know and love. They clearly refer to God.
Jesus introduces two new concepts. He lays down his life for his sheep. And he knows them and they know him. He communicates with them and they with him.
"I am the gate." Shepherds at night would secure their sheep together in a compound. One man is left on duty, the others have the night off. He actually sleeps across the entry to protect the sheep from wolves. He lays down his life! In this sense, Jesus is the Gate.
Jesus says "I am the good shepherd." From our knowledge of the OT Jesus is claiming to be God. "I know mine and mine know me."

Gaudete Sunday

11/12/2020

We are at the halfway make of the season of Advent. This Sunday is called "Gaudete" Sunday, meaning "Rejoice," after the theme of the First and Second Readings. The liturgical colour today is rose, a rare sight indeed in our liturgy. The liturgical sense is to capture the "spirit of joy that heralds the coming of Jesus.
In the year of Mark's Gospel we return to John the Baptist. But Mark is brief about the Baptist and all that he writes was considered last week. The liturgy today gives us two parts of the first chapter of John, the great prologue.
"A man came sent by God, his name was John." After John introduces the "word made flesh" eternal and consubstantial, John introduces us to the Baptist. "He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him." John, in his Gospel, speaks much about the Baptist. He is at great pains to show that John was not the light. John still had great numbers of followers at that time and a few even till today. John is questioned about his identity and proclaims: "I am, as Isaiah prophesied, a voice that cries in the wilderness: 'make a straight way for the Lord'."
This passage is shortened considerably. There are eleven verses missing! One section has John proclaiming that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

2nd Sunday of Advent

3/12/2020

Mark Introduces Jesus
We begin today our study of the Gospel of Mark. We start at chapter one, verse one. Mark is the first of the Gospels chronologically, and he introduces us to Jesus: "the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God." This phrase we will see again at the Baptism of Jesus and Tabor and Calvary. The climax in Mark's Gospel is the Centurion who proclaims "this is truly the Son of God."
John the Baptist is introduced to us by Mark. Mark quotes from Isaiah and Malachi. A messenger is to come to prepare the way. In the Gospel, the messenger is the Baptist, Jesus is the coming of God... "the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord."
The credentials of John are clearly established from the Old Testament. Mark now introduces John's teaching. John is a preacher. John's message is repentance, the very message that Jesus will take up and will be preached by his disciples. John and Jesus and his disciples are related in that they all preach repentance. The whole reference to John as the one who preaches to prepare for the coming of God is focused on Jesus when John points to the One who is stronger than he, who works out of the Spirit of God.
John lived in the wilderness. This is in contrast to his parents who lived in the hill country of Galilee. He left the soft life for the barren lands. He lived off the land. His penitential life was well known. Later the Pharisees were to challenge Jesus about this!!!
John is only the messenger. He always pointed to the One who is to come "who will baptise you with the Holy Spirit."

John the Baptist in the Scriptures
Called "the Baptist," this John was born when Zechariah and Elizabeth, his parents, were already old. Hid mother was a relative of Mary, Jesus' mother, making john a cousin of Jesus. Although descended from long lines of priests through both his mother and father, John the Baptist followed the role of the prophet, retreating into the desert (perhaps in response to the death of his aged parents), reflecting on the unfaithfulness of his people, and emerging to preach a compelling message of repentance. He probably had some associations with the Essene community; in any case John, like the Essenes, was ascetic and insisted upon self-immersion to signify cleansing from sin. His manner reminded everyone of the earlier prophets, and stirred the population deeply. Most startling, however, was his announcement that God's message was about to come, and that the hour of judgement was upon the people. Another was to follow him, John announced, who would bring in the new era. John was particularly harsh on the religious authorities for their failure to repent. Great crowds were baptised in the Jordan, among them Jesus. It was not until later, however, that John understood that Jesus was the promised deliverer. He continued his stern preaching until he was arrested by Herod Antipas for daring to denounce the scandalous royal marriage. John the Baptist was beheaded by Antipas, but his influence survived for years. Some of his followers joined Jesus; others continued to revere him. he was the last of the prophets and the forerunner of the Saviour, and, according to Jesus; the greatest man born to woman.

The Parable of the Talents

12/11/2020

Some explanations: The word "talent" is used by us to mean giftedness. At the time of the Gospels it meant a coin of considerable value. Our modern-day usage helps us to understand the parable. The parable is about the wise use of our gifts for the glory of God and how we will be blessed by God for furthering the kingdom with even more gifts.
The parable is not about wasting our talents or our gifts. In all cases it is a given that nothing is wasted. Each of the gifted servants has at least managed to preserve all of his money. Nothing is wasted. The parable is about investing a talent for the benefit of the giver i.e. God. There are rewards and there are punishments.
We are each given different gifts. One servant is given five, another two, another one. Different gifts are given to different people as God chooses. We know that to waste a gift would be to offend the giver. But here, the parable is teaching us "that to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough: but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
If you don't use it you will lose it!!!
The kingdom of God is like this! We remember that the kingdom of God in Matthew's parables means the Church. The punch line is about using gifts. The more we use them, the more God is glorified and the more we are given. If we keep them for ourselves and don't use them for the Body of Christ there will be no reward, indeed there will be a dreadful accounting.
This is the second last of the parables in Matthew for 2020. Next Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King and the great parable of Matthew 25 - the Last Judgement. Then it will be Advent and Mark's Gospel for 2021.

About Our Lady of the Rosary

Since its inception in 1947 the parish has grown and today boasts one of the most beautiful and prayerful Churches in our Diocese. Substantially designed by Fr Reg Reynolds, the parish church caters for the permanent Catholic population as well as the many visitors who holiday here.

Site designed by Lisa O'Sullivan

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Our Lady of the Rosary Parish
239-243 The Entrance Rd
THE ENTRANCE NSW 2261
T: +61-2-4332 2216
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