Our Lady of the Rosary Parish - Blogs

The Transfiguration of the Lord

2/3/2020

This miracle is always the scripture reading for the Second Sunday of Lent each year. Seemingly the Liturgy wishes to give life to any depressive memories that might be left over from last week's temptation stories! This is a promise of glory.
This Gospel will remind us of other Gospel stories. Firstly "This is my Son, the Chosen One," relates easily to the words at the Baptism of the Lord. They also answer the evil one's triple question: "If you are the Son of God...?" There are other occasions when Peter and James and John are singled out. Notably we remember the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus' prayer and agony.
this miracle is a special manifestation of the divinity of Jesus. It is in the order of a special miracle, a special grace for three people. It is in the order of a private audience granted as a special favour to special individuals for reasons that we can only imagine, but we can ponder in deep meditation.
This miracle is different. It is not abut healing nor deliverance, about sickness nor health. There are no petitioners. There are no crowds. Peter and James and John are taken by Jesus and led by him to be alone. They are given a private audience and they see the glory of God shining on the face of Jesus. They witness echoes of God revealing himself as thunder and lightning and storm. They are linked with the great figures of the Old Testament like Moses and Elijah. They hear the voice of the Father anointing Jesus as Son, the Beloved - listen to him. No wonder they kept silent.
We know from the second letter of Peter that the apostles remembered this encounter all their lives. (2 Peter 1:18) "We beheld the splendour of God shining on the face of Jesus."
We all have religious experience of one kind or another. I believe this Gospel is meant to encourage us to remember and share our experience of the glory of God. It is a special grace given or a future need. It is one thing to be in awe of the glory, it is another to tackle the day to day effort of living. I believe Peter and James and John were given special graces to help them in future difficulties. We remember again the teaching of Jesus that his gifts are not prizes for our virtue, but presents from his love.

The Lenten Journey

28/2/2020

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
This is a very important phase in the journey of Jesus. The context is just after the baptism of the Lord in the Jordan by John the Baptist. Jesus was filled with the Spirit and he is now led by the Spirit. Where does the Spirit of God lead him? Into the desert.
I would like to stay on this point for a while. What does the word desert mean in the Scripture? The desert experience of the Chosen people was a very well-know salvation history story for Matthew's community. They knew the story of their liberation from Pharaoh in Egypt and the 40 years of the travels in the desert. Their desert experience was one of being led by God through the Red Sea, being protected from Pharaoh, being fed by the Lord with manna and water from the rock for 40 years. It was a time of learning to depend totally on God, a time of waiting for the promise of the land of milk and honey.
Matthew's community understands that the Spirit of God leads Jesus into a good place. The desert is a safe place. It is a testing place. It is a learning space. Jesus will learn to depend entirely on God. He will be tested. Prayer and the word of God from the Scriptures will strengthen him.
We are living in the desert. 40 years or days is symbolic of the time between our Baptism when we were set free from darkness and our arrival in the Promised Land. Now is the desert time. Now is the time of testing. Now is the time to learn how to depend on God for everything.
The desert is a good experience for the Christian. It is better than it was (darkness). It is not as good as it is going to be (eternal happiness). If we learn to put all our trust in God, we will be like Jesus.

The New Law of Jesus (2)

20/2/2020

It is important to answer three questions in the teaching of Jesus. When Jesus says: "You have heard that it was said to those of old," I need to ask who said that in olden times? The first question is: Who said, "Thou shalt not kill"? The answer is - God said that. The second question is: Who said "Thou shalt not commit adultery"? The answer is the same. God said that. The third question is: Who said: "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth"? The whole meaning of the passage is that God said that!! (cf Ex 21:14) When people were fighting and their resentment and wish for revenge was out of control, God tried to placate them by setting limits. If they poke you in the eye, do not go and blow up the village. Just an eye for an eye! Jesus is now making new rules. On the mountain of the Beatitudes, Jesus is claiming the authority of God.
This is important to illustrate that Jesus is proclaiming a New Law that does not destroy the old Law but fulfills it. The New Law is not about revenge and getting square. The New Law is about love. Jesus legislates for loving our enemies. All of the Commandments are in the Beatitudes, and very much more.
Let us look at the last verse. You must therefore be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. This is a big clue to the Sermon on the Mount. To be as perfect as the heavenly Father is surely an impossibility. To be poor in spirit, pure in heart, love the enemy are likewise impossible dreams for any of us. We will always be short of that. But the Law of the New Covenant is that we should aim for that. We are promised the Holy Spirit's help. We will be canonised for trying.
You can keep the Ten Commandments by will power on a good day! You can never live the Beatitudes without the grace of God!! You will live them fully in heaven.

The New Law of Jesus

20/2/2020

You can see from the headings today in your Missal, that today's scripture is taken form many verses of Chapter 5 in Matthew. The Gospel is summarising some of the Beatitudes. Jesus teaches on the mountain that: Blessed are the peacemakers and blessed are the pure in heart. The Gospel makes it clear today that there is a new Law. "You have heard how it was said to them of old... but I say to you."
Moses went up Mount Sinai and received from God the Ten Commandments. Jesus goes up the mountain of the beatitudes and give the New Law. What we heard said of old was the voice of Moses. What we hear today is the voice of Jesus. It is new. It is different. Jesus raises the bar in our effort to live holy lives. More is expected from disciples of Jesus!
Most of us do not commit murder. It is not so easy to control our anger and be a peacemaker. See the difference between the Old and the New! Jesus teaches ideals that we always seek but never fully reach. He teaches us to rely on the Holy Spirit.
Likewise, most of us do not commit adultery. Jesus commands purity of heart. We all know that adultery in our heart is a violation of the New Law of Jesus. Jesus demands higher standards. He is the new Moses. his teaching is for disciples, those who have gone up the hill to be taught by Jesus.

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

6/2/2020

An Introduction to Matthew's Gospel
This year we will be studying the readings from Matthew's Gospel. We remember that Matthew was a Jewish Tax collector. We know that his community was Jewish, since Matthew stayed close to the Holy Land to the north. Matthew draws heavily on the Gospel of Mark, but we will see that he constantly writes from a Jewish perspective.

Salt and Light
We resume the reading of the Gospel of Matthew at the Sermon on the Mount.
Immediately after the teaching of the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
We are familiar with the metaphor of light from the teaching of John that Jesus is the light of the world. And we will come back to that. The image of salt may be a little strange to us, especially if you are on a salt free diet! Salt was a very valuable asset in ancient times. It was a preservative. In the days before refrigeration, it was essential for preserving food. The soldiers in the Roman Army were paid in salt. We have the expression of a person being worth his salt. The Latin word for salt (sal) is the origin of our word salary!!! When Jesus says that you are the salt of the earth, he is saying that you, because of your commitment to him as a disciple, are one of the reasons why the world has not already rotted away. Each one of us helps to preserve the goodness and nourishment of this world. Loyal disciples of Jesus make the world a better place. Otherwise, when salt loses its savour, it is thrown out on the road in the snow season to help cars get traction, or in the old times, thrown underfoot to be trampled on.
Likewise, you are the light of the world. Let your light shine. Our behaviour should lead other people to Jesus. People should see our good works, not to praise us but to glorify the heavenly Father. If we are true witness to Jesus, we will keep the world a better place and lead others to Jesus. You are the reason why darkness does not rule the earth.

Joseph, Son of David

19/12/2019

Matthew is writing to the Jewish community. He is aiming to teach them that Jesus is royal family, the Son of David. The first words of his Gospel are: "Jesus, Son of David, Son of Abraham." His genealogy is the male line. He believes strongly in the virgin birth. So how can Jesus be a descendant of David?
"She will give birth to a Son and you must name him Jesus... " In the Hebrew tradition the father of the child is the one who names the child. Fatherhood is much more than being the one who propagates. The father is the one who takes public responsibility for the support and upbringing of the child and especially the religious upbringing. (Would that it still be so!) Joseph is the father of Jesus by adoption. The angel calls him to this vocation. He is a man of honour.
This is how Matthew gives great emphasis to his beliefs. He believes in the Virgin Birth and can prove it from the Old Testament. He believes that Jesus is the Son of David because he has been adopted by Joseph whom the angel calls the Son of David. He believes that Joseph is the husband of the Virgin Mary.
So much to pray about in Christmas week!!!! May Mary and Joseph and the child Jesus bless you abundantly!
Happy and Holy Christmas.

John the Baptist (2)

19/12/2019

Today we meet John the Baptist in his relationship with Jesus. He is in prison. We remember the circumstances. He has challenged Herod and he will suffer the consequences.
The Scripture says that John had heard what Jesus was doing. This obviously causes John some concerns. he sends a message to Jesus asking him about the truth of what he has heard. He is not at peace. What has John heard? He has heard that Jesus is healing on the Sabbath, he is dining with Tax Collectors, and he is letting women of ill repute touch him. The gossipers have been filling him in on all the news!!!!! Hence the question: "Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?"
The question can only mean that John is scandalised by the behaviour of Jesus. Jesus gives a clear answer. "Go back and tell John what you see and hear: the blind see again, and the deaf hear, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the Poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me."
I remember the old English translation of the verse. It was: "Blest is the man who is not scandalised by me." Jesus is saying to John and to all of us that we must understand that his ministry is not about political power. It is about healing and the poor. Jesus stated clearly to John and to us that we must listen to him and not to the gossip. If his ministry is a scandal to us we need to change our thinking. He will not change.
Clearly, John got the message. Now he is ready to die for his Master. Now he is not scandalised by Jesus' ministry of Good News. He has read all about it in the prophecies.
The birth of Jesus reminds us again of his mission to the humble and poor, the God Man is among us. We thank John the Baptist for announcing him and helping us focus on the meaning of Christmas.

John the Baptist

6/12/2019

Today we meet John the Baptist, whom Jesus describes as the greatest. John knew his role in salvation history. he knew when to start and he knew when to stop. He was the precursor, the one who prepared the way. he is the link between the Old and the New Testament. John was a very successful preacher. He lived frugally in the desert and proclaimed a message. "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." He preached a baptism of repentance. His message was "shape up or ship out." It was the Old Testament message of "turn around" or "change your ways." John baptised thousands in the Jordan. He was a most successful preacher. He was especially hard on the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees.
But John knew there had to be more to the message. He said one is coming after him, one so much greater than he. John knew there had to be more and he called this more the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John prepared the world for this. He pointed to Jesus. His beautiful words: "He must increase, I must decrease." He knew when to start his ministry and he knew when to hand over to the Lamb of God.
The word "baptise" means to oak or immerse or perhaps to dunk. The phrase in the scripture means that the Messiah, Jesus, will totally immerse or soak us in the Holy Spirit. We must repent, we must turn away from sin, but the rest of the spiritual journey is a grace of the Holy Spirit. John knew there was more. He was waiting for it. We join with him in this expectation.

1st Sunday of Advent

28/11/2019

Stay Awake
We begin the New Year of the Church. The Gospel this year (A) will usually be from the Gospel of Matthew.
The new year begins where the old one finished - the Coming of Christ at the end of time. The theme is to "Stay Awake." Advent is a time to prepare for the Coming of the Saviour, but clearly this event will be overshadowed from the beginning by the Cross. One cannot be celebrated without the other.
Again, the apocalyptic accounts in the Gospels talk in the present tense of events, present and future and past. There is a reference to the destruction of the Temple, to the End Times and to the present moment. They appear in a Code that is known to the Christian readers. (Called Apocalyptic writing.) The readers know already about suffering and persecution and the destruction of the Temple, but this destruction and death will lead to glory and eternal life.
Jesus remarks that what happened in Noah's day will happen again. One taken, one left. Ordinary events like eating and drinking and marrying suddenly have turned to disaster when the Flood came. It will be like that when the Son of Man comes. One will be taken; one will be left.
"Son of Man." This is a term that Jesus uses to describe himself. It is taken from the Book of Daniel. I mentioned in this article that the early Christians understood the code of Apocalyptic literature. They knew their Bible. The simple message is to stay awake, to be on guard, to be watchful and ready for the coming of the Lord. Tough times are coming but so is our Saviour.
"Therefore, you must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
The four Sundays of Advent put before us the message of the ancient Prophets in week one, John the Baptist in weeks two and three and Mary in week four. We are then ready for Christmas!

The Feast of Christ the King

19/11/2019

This is the last Sunday of the year. The year concludes with proclaiming Jesus as king of Heaven and Earth.
the Gospel of Luke today gives us the comments of three witnesses to the death of Jesus - the leaders, the soldiers and the "good " thief. Firstly, the leaders: "he saved others," they said, "let him save himself is he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." Then the soldiers: "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was the inscription: "This is the king of the Jews." And finally, the good thief: "Save yourself and us as well."
Surely three different concepts of Kingship. It is always amazing to me that there can be so much badness in the presence of such goodness. Jesus is on the Cross in his last agony and some people can be so unkind. Yet Jesus can still be offering salvation and forgiveness to those who are open to him. "Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise."
Jesus is Lord and King of the world and Lord of our lives. The Feast today reminds us of our obligations to our King. Jesus wants to be the Lord of our lives - everything. We renew our dedication and consecration to the King of our lives. And Jesus renews his promise: "I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise."

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.

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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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