MERRYLANDS DRIVING SCHOOL

LEARN TO DRIVE SAFELY WITH A SENIOR DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

WITH 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SMALL LATE MODEL AUTO CAR

$50.00 PER HOUR

INSTRUCTOR: VICTOR OLENIK Phone: 9636 6357– Mob:0419 266 479

LESSONS AVAILABLE EVERY DAY Lic No: 11661106

* General Painting

* Wallpaper * All repairs: Timber, gyprock, render & tiles (prior to painting)

www.gebranpainting.com.au

0414 268 603

ST . MARGARET MARY ’S PARISH MERRYLANDS

PARISH INFORMATION

PARISH OFFICE: 1-5 Chetwynd Rd, MERRYLANDS NSW 2160 Postal Address: PO Box 757, Merrylands. Tuesday - Friday: 9am - 3.00pm

Phone: 9637 2526 9637 2014 Fax 9637 2442 Email: parish@stmm.org.au Website: stmm.org.au

PARISH GROUPS CO-ORDINATORS: Office Administrator/Secretary: Patricia Aviet

Finance Committee: Reuben Dias

Parish Council:

Chair: Fr Janusz Pawlicha, OSPPE

Secretary: Cheryl Fortini

Fundraising :

Samantha Tawil - 0424 755 311

Christyna Tawil

Catechists: Sonia Abi-Rached

Music : Kerry van der Linden

Sacraments: Christopher Barnes - 0415 663 966

Acolytes / RCIA : Peter Carroll

Readers: Gwen D’Silva

Youth groups: Teen S.W.A.T : Fr Peter James/ Rita Jacobson Pauline S.W.A.T: Fr Peter James

Legion of Mary: Merwyn D’Souza –0478 109 569

Playgroup: Maryanne – 0416 116 707

St Vincent de Paul: 1800 606 724

Bus to Berrima –Giovanna– ph 9682 1008

Our Parish is under the Pastoral Care of the Order of St Paul the First Hermit (known as the Pauline Fathers) who for more than 630 years are renowned

Custodians of the Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Jasna Gora, Poland.

Parish Priest Fr Janusz Pawlicha

Assistant Priest

Fr Peter James Strohmayer

Prayer: Holy Father-Pope Francis’ monthly intention:

JULY Priests and their Pastoral Ministry That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother Priests.

First Friday:

11am: Maltese Mass 7.00pm: Holy Mass, Stations of the Cross followed by Exposition

Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament: Thursdays-Eucharistic Adoration: 9.30 am-2.30pm 4th Sunday of the month: 1.00pm - 1.30pm– Divine Mercy Devotions 1st Friday of the month: approx. 8.30pm– midnight

Vespers– Sunday Evenings 5.15 pm - 5.45pm

RCIA sessions– Sunday mornings 9am Mass followed by Session 10 am –11am

Devotions:

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Tuesday: after morning Mass Wednesday: 6.30pm

Veneration of the Holy Face of Jesus:

Tuesday: 7.30pm - 8.30pm

Divine Mercy Devotions 4th Sunday of the month: 1.00pm - 3.00pm, 3.00pm - Holy Mass

Baptisms: 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month

Reconciliation: Tues - Fri 8.30 - 8.55am Sat - 9am - 9.30am and 4.30pm-5.30pm (or by appointment)

Marriages: By appointment only (6 months required)

Sick Calls: 9637 2526– option 3 or 0412 625 187 - any time

THIS WEEK: 22 July 2018 Counting: Group F Church Cleaning: D Altar & general cleaning– Nada & Volunteers

NEXT WEEK: 29 July 2018 Counting: Group G Church Cleaning: E Altar & general cleaning– Nada & volunteers

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 22 nd JULY 2018

WEEKEND MASSES: WEEKDAY MASSES:

Saturday: 6:00pm Vigil Monday: 9:15am

Sunday: 7:30am Tuesday: 9:00am & 7:00pm

9:00am Wednesday: 9:00am & 7:00pm

10:30am Thursday: 9:00am

6:00pm Friday: 9:00am & 7:00pm

Saturday: 8:30am

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON See, I have God for my help. The Lord sustains my soul. I will sacrifice to you with willing heart, and praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.

FIRST READING Jer 23:1-6

A reading from the prophet Jeremiah

‘Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be de-stroyed and scattered – it is the Lord who speaks! This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them. Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks! ‘See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David, who will reign as true king and be wise, practising honesty and integ-rity in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel dwell in confidence. And this is the name he will be called: The Lord-our-integrity.’

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

(R.) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. (R.)

2. He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff, with these you give me comfort. (R.)

3. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. (R.)

4. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever. (R.)

SECOND READING Eph 2:13-18

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians

In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God. In his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! My sheep listen to my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mk 6:30-34

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely

place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by them-

selves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and

he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shep-herd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Behold, I stand at the door and knock, says the Lord. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.

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, the Alleluia and Gospel Verses, and the Lenten Gospel Acclamations, and the Titles, Summar ies, and Conclusion of the Readings, from the Lectionary for Mass © 1997, 1981, 1968, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

MEDITATION:

What does the image of a shepherd tell us about God's care for us? Shep-herding was one of the oldest of callings in Israel, even before farming, since the Chosen People had travelled from place to place, living in tents, and driving their flocks from one pasture to another. Looking after sheep was no easy calling. It required great skill and courage. Herds were often quite large, thousands or even ten thousand of sheep. The flocks spent a good part of the year in the open country. Watching over them required a great deal of attention and care. Sheep who strayed from the flock had to be sought out and brought back by the shepherd. Since hyenas, jackals, wolves, and even bear were common and fed on sheep, the shepherds often had to do battle with these wild and dangerous beasts. A shepherd literally had to put his life on the line in de-fending his sheep. Shepherds took turns watching the sheep at night to ward off any attackers. The sheep and their shepherds continually lived together. Their life was so intimately bound together that individual sheep, even when mixed with other flocks, could recognize the voice of their own shepherd and would come immediately when called by name. Jesus told his disciples that he was the Good Shepherd who was willing to lay down his life for his sheep (Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4, John 10). When he saw the multitude of people in need of protection and care, he was moved to respond with compassionate concern. His love was a personal love for each and every person who came to him in need. Peter the apostle called Jesus the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1

Peter 2:25). Do you know the peace and security of a life freely submitted to Jesus, the Good Shepherd? In the person of the Lord Jesus we see the un-ceasing vigilance and patience of God's love. In our battle against sin and evil, Jesus is ever ready to give us help, strength, and refuge. Do you trust in his grace and help at all times?

"Lord Jesus, you guard and protect us from all evil. Help me to stand firm in your word and to trust in your help in all circumstances. May I always find rest and refuge in the shelter of your presence."

Exerts from dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org

NEXT WEEK’S READINGS 29th July 2018

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 Kg 4:42-44; Eph 4:1-6; Jn 6:1-15

Please remember to switch off your mobile phone

PARISH PRAYER

Father, pour out Your Spirit upon the people of this parish so that inspired by Your word, nourished at Your table and graced by Your empowering love, our lives may be devoted to the service of our brothers and sisters and the building up of Your Kingdom. May our parish community truly be, for this place and time, the Body of Christ Your Son, through whom we make this prayer. Amen

PRAYER REQUESTS

Sam, Charly & Samira Hasham

Cecil Rebeiro

Reshna Jordan

Tony Ralph

Joshua Dehan

Kartia Grace Russell

Michael Falzon

Peter Newman

Katrina Smith

Tony Ostojic

Lucita De Los Reyes

Hanna & Adam Kmita

Frank Grapa

Marie Smith

Ludivina Green

John & Victoria Pjetraj

Mario & Christian Pjetraj

Alice Said

Willie & Tereza Cutajar

Gabrielle Wehbe

Diamond Pacheco

Katarina Lana

Ann Stephenson

Shelly Barnes

Shirley Forno

Fiona Khoury

Annie Ingram

Teresa Saad

June Lewis

Anthony Hanna

George & Mary Spiteri

Christopher Oldham

Jack Pickering

Jocelyn Santos

Therese Taouil

Nour & baby Tannous

Hervé Nicolas

Therese Strohmayer

Therese Nicolas

Luca Jerkovic

Anna Batur

Fr Gabriel Taylor

Giovanna Prestipino

Andrew Tawil

Audrey & Sheila Aviet

Branko Soric

Dean Allen

Sonia Abi–Rached

Samir Bayssari

Adele Tulay

Simon Khoury

Joanna Essey

Adam Borcuik

PARISH MORNING TEA

This Sunday 22 July 2018 Following 10.30am MASS

Where: Pastoral Centre Hosted by: Divine Mercy Next week: Holy Shroud

ALL WELCOME

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM 2018

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAM

NO SESSIONS DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

RESUMES NEXT SUNDAY 29 JULY

All preparation sessions held on SUNDAYS after 10.30am Mass

Session 4: 29 July 2018 ( AFTER SCHOOL HOLIDAYS) Session 5: 5 August 2018 Session 6: 12 August 2018

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CELEBRATION: 19 AUGUST & 26 AUGUST 2018

10.30 MASSES

ne

Any queries, please contact Chris on Mondays 2-4pm at the Parish office–ph 96372526 OR 0415663966

PLANNED GIVING ENVELOPES

There are still a number of uncollected planned giving enve-lopes. If you have not collected your pack, please collect them from the Parish Office during opening hours.

Thank you

CONFESSIONS TIMES DURING FATHER JANUSZ’S ABSENCE

Father Janusz is on annual leave from our Parish until the beginning of August. During this time, our confession times are as follows:

CONFESSIONS: TUESDAY,WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY—8.30am SATURDAY– 4.30pm

NO CONFESSIONS:

MONDAYS,THURSDAYS or EVENINGS during weekdays

D.A.D.S MYTIME GROUP

Devoted And Dedicated Superheroes

NEXT Meeting TUESDAY 24 JULY 2018 at 7-9pm St Margaret Mary’s Pastoral Centre

D.A.D.S is a group aiming to connect fathers and other male carers of children with a disability, developmental delay, ASD or chronic illness to a support network of other fathers and carers, helping the whole family. This is a FREE Govern-ment service.

D.A.D.S MyTime meets on TUESDAYS on a fortnight-ly basis during school terms.

Term 3 Meeting Dates:

Tuesday 24th & 31st July

Tuesday 14th & 28th August

Tuesday 11th & 25 September

Tea and coffee will be provided.

For more information or if you would like to join this group, please contact 0438 878 355 or our Parish Office during opening hours (Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 3pm).

ST VINCENT DE PAUL- WINTER APPEAL

THANK YOU

The St Vincent de Paul Society would like to sincerely thank all who contributed to their winter appeal. If you were not able to contribute to the appeal, there is still an opportunity to donate via the envelopes located in the pews. Please place your envelope on any of the collections plates dur-ing the weekend.

HOLY HOUR OF ADORATION Sunday 29 July following 6pm Mass

All are invited to stay and pray during a special Holy hour of Adoration to be held on Sunday 29th July following 6pm Mass. The hour will be led by SMM’s youth as part of the cele-bration of the Year of the Youth.

ALL WELCOME

SCRIPTURE STUDY EVERY THURSDAY EVENING

RESUMES THIS WEEK 26 JULY 2018

Where: St Margaret Mary’s Pastoral Centre

Date: Every Thursday evening (Next session 26 July 2018)

Time: 7pm

For further queries, please contact Gwen on 9632 9097.

“Ignorance of the Bible is the Ignorance of God “ St Gerome

YOUTH GROUPS AT ST MARGARET MARY’S PARISH

Yr 7–12 - NEXT Meeting: 27 JULY 2018 6.30pm Rosary/Meeting in the Pastoral Centre following 7pm Mass

S.W.A.T– 18-35yrs– Sunday Evenings Following 6 pm Mass in the Pastoral Centre

New Members are always welcome

CHURCH SACRISTY BEFORE & AFTER MASS

Please be aware that the Sacristy is a busy place before and after Mass. It is a place for the ministers to prepare for Mass and for the Priest to ensure that instructions can be given re-garding the Liturgical celebration. If you need to see the Priest before and after Mass, the ap-propriate place is the external door to the Sacristy. This ensures that the Priest has time to pray and prepare for Mass and Ministers have space to prepare. This is part of the Diocesan regulations regarding Risk Manage-ment and Professional standards. These regulations are for the safety of all members of our Church Community and aim to avoid accidents.

Thank you for your consideration and cooperation