From Fr David

With the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism the Christmas Season comes to an end. We began the Christmas Season celebrating the birth of a child, wondering at the child that lives eternally within us. As we began the season celebrating new beginnings so we conclude the season. Jesus’ baptism represents for him a new beginning in his life.

This invites us to consider what new beginnings are being extended to us. How is God calling us, within our own circumstances, to move for-ward in our life? What the new possibilities into which we are being invited so that our own hearts might not lose their freshness no matter our age?

The new possibilities into which we are being invited do not need to come with great dramatic effect. They may be present in seeing the challenges that are there in our work or in our relationships in a new way. They may be present by no longer putting off something we know we should act on but have not had the courage to do so. They may be present in the way in which we enter into the unbidden events that we have to negotiated in the coming months at home or at work.

Whatever they might be, that these possibilities are indeed of the Spirit will be indicated by the recognition that our sense of who we are truly are has deepened as a result of our entry into them, and that our sense of inner freedom has increased.

As it was for Jesus, may it be for us. May our hearts never ceased to be birthed into new life by those possibilities which represent new begin-nings for us. Then every day will be as a new year to us.

New Beginnings

The beginning of the year is a time for thinking afresh. Even if our body is ageing, our thinking can be evergreen. God always thinks freshly, because God is young, and always in the present. We see from the gospels that Jesus lived totally in the present. He was open to the emerging moment. We may think that being new is something in the future, that the next year will be new, even the next day. But nothing can be new except the now. It’s exciting to be able to live like that. Prayer always invites us into newness of life. Prayer never lets the Spirit sit still except in the stillness of love. The new year invites us to create some-thing new each day – the newness of love, of joy, and often of endur-ance. To live for the day is to live always new. Prayer plunges us into the places of the Spirit where energy is available, like a flower reviving after a drought, a faulty computer finding its way again, or a patient receiving therapy. Prayer is the space where we entrust into God’s memory what hurts our memory. We allow God’s forgiving and healing grace to make all things new in us.

From “Sacred Space” The Prayer Book 2014. The Irish Jesuits. (Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame US. 2013),29. See www.sacredspace.ie)

We welcome this week Fr. Denis Allan from Hobart who will be staying with us for the next fortnight. Fr. Denis is a retired priest of the Archdio-cese of Hobart and a long family friend. Fr. Denis has agreed to come to assist me over the next couple of weeks while I have a series of en-gagements that will take me away from the parish. From Monday to Thursday I will be teaching at the Catholic Institute of Sydney from 9.30am to 3.30pm each day, and then on Friday 17 January I fly to Vi-etnam returning home on Thursday 23rd January. I will be in Vietnam to represent the Diocese of Broken Bay at Fr. Vincent Trung’s Mass of Thanksgiving in his family’s parish following his ordination last October.

Given that Fr. Denis cannot be with us until Monday evening and that my teaching commitment starts early on Monday morning please note there will be no Mass celebrated in the church on the morning of Monday 13th January. A Service of the Word with Com-

munion will be available for those who would like to participate.

Jackie Thornton, our Parish Secretary, returns from leave this Monday and so therefore the Parish Office will re-open on Monday morning.

We had the very special event last Friday of the 90th birthday of Athol Higgins! Many will recall that Athol won the best dressed man competi-tion at our Parish 65th anniversary celebrations last October! Our warm-est congratulations Athol on such a milestone birthday. We pray that the celebration will be blessed and that the Lord will continue to protect you on your graced journey of life. On February 12th Athol and his wife Nor-ma celebrate their 65th Wedding anniversary! What an extraordinary achievement .

Last week we farewelled from our community Michelle and Peter Pinto who are returning to England having being with us for the past year or so. Peter as part of our Wyspers Music Group of our Sunday evening Mass. We thank Peter and Michele for their contribution to the life of our community and wish them every blessing in the new chapter of their own journey.,

Our hearts go out to Brigid and Sam Wright, and to Toby, Hugo and Sophie their children. Brigid’s beautiful father, Max, was buried from St. Francis Xavier church, Lavender Bay, last Friday. We pray for his eter-nal peace and for Brigid and her family at this very sad time. We re-member also Elaine Wilson’s aunties Patty Hanniffey and Nancy Cop-inger, who both passed away recently in Ireland.

Lastly, you will note that we have made a few changes to our St. Martin de Porres chapel in order to make it a special place of prayer for those who are sick. Our Eucharistic Ministry to the Sick is en-trusted into the care of St. Martin who had a special affiliation with those who were sick. Please feel welcome to use this place of pray-er for those in need. We have established our wooden box for Spe-cial Intentions before the image of St. Martin and will continue to

use this during our Friday evening devotions.

Holy Name Parish Wahroonga Baptism of the Lord — 12 January 2014

Masses this Week

Monday 13 January No Mass at the church Weekday of Ordinary Time 1

Tuesday 14 January 9.15am Weekday of Ordinary Time 1

Wednesday 15 January 9.15am Weekday of Ordinary Time 1

Thursday 16 January 7.00am Weekday of Ordinary Time 1

Friday 17 January 9.15am and 7.00pm St Anthony, Abbot

Saturday 19 January 9.15am Weekday of Ordinary Time 1

Sunday 20 January 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

7pm Friday Evening Mass

and Benediction

Should you have a special intention that you would like to be in-cluded in the prayer of the Mass and Benediction you are most welcome to include the petition in the Special Intentions Box situ-ated in the Chapel of St. Martin de Porres, patron of our ministry to the sick. The petitions are given a special place during the Mass and Devotions.

Holy Name Catholic Parish PO Box 385 Wahroonga 2076 Ph: 9489 3221 Fax: 9489 7801

Administrator: Fr David Ranson

Parish Secretary: Mrs Jackie Thornton; Parish Finance Manager: Mr. Michael Wolfe; Sacramental Preparation Co-ordinator: Mrs. Sally Oong Parish Office: secretary@holynamewahroonga.com.au

Website: www.holynamewahroonga.com.au Please note the Parish office opens again on Monday 13 January.

Weekend Masses

Saturday: 5.00pm. Sunday: 9.15am and 5.30pm

Mass on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 9.15am

(Rosary after Mass on Tuesday; Morning Tea after Mass on Wed)

Mass on Thursday: 7am

Friday Mass, Rosary and Benediction: 7pm

Baptism

Every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 11.00am.

Please make an appointment through the Parish Office

Marriage

By appointment, at least six months in advance.

Sick Calls

Any time day or night. Please call 0408 350 885 out of office hours

Confessions

Saturday 4.30pm before 5.00 pm Mass

Sacrament of Anointing

Last Monday of the month at 10am in the church

1300 PRIEST (1300 774 378) 1300PRIEST will put you in contact with a local Catholic Priest in times of need or if there is illness or death in the family and you need a priest urgently.

The 1300PRIEST phone number is answered 24-hours, seven days a week. On weekdays from 9am –5pm the phone number is answered by staff in the Diocese of Broken Bay office. After Hours the phone is answered by Pastoral Care Practitioners who are also associated with the major hospitals in the Diocese.

Please pray for those who have died in the hope of resurrection and for those who are sick

RECENTLY DECEASED: Max McGuigan (Brigid Wright’s father), died 4 January), Patty Hanniffey and Nancy Copinger (aunties of Elaine Wilson, in Ireland). Celina Aye (Fr. Martin’s mother, died 17 December in Myanmar), Tony Coutinho (died 16 December), Lynda Willitts (died 4 December, mother of Kevin and Paul (deceased), Alvaro Maccioni (Alf’s father, died in London), John Lynch (brother in law of Jo Waldron, died in Melbourne 4 December), John McGuire, Carol Notter (died 29 November, former staff member of Brigidine), Gordon Donaldson, (Angela Bennett’s father, died in Tamworth), Anne La Hausse de La Lalouviere (sister in law of George Doherty—died in London on 20 October), Melba Cincotti (Trish Maiolo’s mother, died 23rd October). RECENT ANNIVERSARIES: Ron James (husband of Eileen James at UPA, anniversary on 13 January), Elisha Foti (1st anniversary), Maria Tso, Teresa Kok, Bettina Luca (4th anniversary) and Amedeo (Laurie) Luca (19th anniversary) - parents of Daniela McGrath, Aaron Iori (1st anniversary, 31 December), Mario Severino (8th anniversary, 26 December), Anne O’Donnell (Jane Geier’s Mum—3rd anniversary on 31 December), Maria Lombardo,(1st anniversary 16 December), Neil Sim (6 year anniversary, 15 December), Molly and Tim Kelleher, Marjoire Phillips, Maria Ruth Gomez (Lynette Sardinha’s mother, 6 month anniversary on 26 November), Peter Cabone (10th anniversary, 17 November). PRAYERS FOR THE SICK: Grace Candotti (Dan Candotti’s sister in law), Pam Gallagher, Pat Macmiilan, Carmen Forgie (friend of Marie Kellher), Michael McEwan, Roisin Brosnan, Pamela Braithwaite (sister in law of Frances Sim), Gisele Mouret (close friend of Sally Oong), Sudha Grover (mother of Gagan Khannah), Laurie Kirby (Robyn Gallagher’s father), Richard Papasoglu and Brett Matthews (both relatives of Saree Zaragoza), Ina Alsaker, Suherndra Nagalingam, Reginald Broderick, Muriel Monar and her sister Mavis Hughes, Mary Di Florio, Denise Waudby (Patrice Buzinska’s sister), Guy Walsh, Fr. William Mannion (Marie Kelleher’s cousin in Chicago), June Lynch (Jo Waldron’s sister in Melbourne), Maureen Mullins (friend of Jan Bonner), Pat Kitchen, Peter Anderson (Frank Waldron’s nephew); Sally Bonner (Steve Bonner’s sister); Patrick Harrison; Michael Walsh, Caoimhe Browne; Fred Burke; Murray Howe; George Dunne; Veronica Noonan; Mary Gallagher.