DEVOTIONAL PRAYER FOR AUGUST
CORONAVIRUS PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you travelled through towns and villages curing every disease and illness. At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love.
Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care. Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbours from helping one another. Heal us from our pride, which made us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.
Lord Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.
Be with families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace. Be with doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace. Be with leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.
Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Lord Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace. Lord Jesus Christ, heal us.
Entrance Antiphon
Turn your eyes, O God, our shield; and look on the face of your anointed one; one day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
1st Reading (Is 56:1,6-7)
A reading from the prophet Isaiah.
Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest. Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
O God, let all the nations praise you!
2nd Reading (Rom 11:13-15, 29-32)
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans.
Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice. Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom and healed all who were sick. Alleluia!
Gospel (Mt 15:21-28)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Communion Antiphon
With the Lord there is mercy; in him is plentiful redemption.
Next Week’s Readings
Is 22:19-23; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20
Feasts of the week
Thu, 20 Aug - St. Bernard
Fri, 21 Aug - St. Pius X
Sat, 22 Aug - Queenship of The Blessed Virgin Mary
PARISH NEWS
The Faith of the Canaanite Woman (Or A Foreigner’s Faith)
(A reflection by Dcn. Charles English)
Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon, part of which today is in Lebanon. This was foreign territory and the people were pagans. Now the Canaanites are presented in the Old Testament with great harshness. In the Book of Deuteronomy, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, were Gentiles (non-Jewish people) and were considered sinful, idolatrous and pagan people and were the traditional enemies of the Jewish people.
For Our Lord Jesus, this was a time of deliberate withdrawal. The end was coming near and He wished for some quiet time, so that He could teach and prepare His disciples.
Then suddenly out came a Canaanite woman and started shouting after Jesus: ‘Sir, Son of David take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil’. By calling Jesus ‘Son of David’ the Canaanite woman showed her great faith in God’s Covenant with Israel. Then Jesus tests her faith three times.
- Jesus does not answer her. Then the disciples plead with Jesus to do something for this woman, as she was still shouting after Jesus. Then Our Lord says to the Canaanite woman,
- ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’. Then the woman came up to Jesus, and kneeling at His feet said, ‘Lord, help me’.
- Jesus replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs’. However, the woman quickly retorted with such wit and nimbleness of mind, ‘Ah yes, Sir, but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table’.
Jesus must have been amazed at the woman’s reply. Then Our Lord praised her for her great faith in Him and said, ‘Woman you have great faith. Let your wish be granted’, and from that moment her daughter was well again.
This reminds us of another wonderful pagan who had great faith, the Roman Centurion and Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant from a distance.
We also bring to mind the great faith of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, who left her water-jar behind and ran into the village proclaiming, ‘I have found the Christ’.
What a beautiful image it brings to our minds of this Canaanite woman, the Gentile, non-Jewish pagan, kneeling at the feet of Jesus pleading with Him to heal her daughter.
In this Gospel passage today, Jesus tells us that He came firstly to restore the kingdom of Israel, but His ultimate mission was for the reconciliation of the whole world. Our Lord Jesus suffered and died for everyone.
In the Mass we join all peoples in doing Jesus homage. In our prayers we too kneel at Jesus’ feet and plead with Him as we bring our petitions.
As Isaiah foretold, ‘we come to His holy mountain, the Heavenly Jerusalem to offer sacrifice at His altar’.
Together with the Canaanite woman, we take our place at the Master’s table to be fed as His children (the Holy Eucharist).
This Gospel passage today foreshadows the going out of the Gospel to the whole world. It shows the beginning of the end of all the barriers.
In this difficult and anxious time as we kneel at the feet of Jesus, may this Canaanite woman’s prayer be ours too:
‘Sir, Son of David take pity on me!’
LIVE STREAMING OF DAILY MASS FROM OUR CHURCH
Our church is live streaming daily Mass through our Facebook Page link
https://m.facebook.com/stpetershoppers/
Masses are Monday to Friday 8:30am, Saturday 9:00am and Sunday 10:30am.
ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot, at this moment, receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
LECTORS FOR DAILY & WEEKEND MASSES
Fr Vincent would like to invite Lectors who can join in on Zoom to read at Daily and Weekend Masses. If you would like to participate, please send an email to the parish office at stpeters@westnet.com.au or hopperscrossing@cam.org.au and let us know the days you are available to read.
UPDATED PARISH GUIDELINES
Our church is now closed as per Government regulations. Please note that the Sunday Obligation will not apply during this time of suspension.
To keep yourself updated with Parish news, visit the
Parish website at http://stpeterapostlemission.org.au
Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/stpetershoppers/
Weekly Bulletin – kindly send your email address to stpeters@westnet.com.au to have a copy of our bulletin emailed to you every Friday.
PARISH OFFICE
The Parish Office is closed, however staff will be working from home on Tuesday/Thursday/Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. You can still contact us on the office phone 9749 4300 or send in your enquiries/prayer requests by email to stpeters@westnet.com.au or hopperscrossing@cam.org.au
THANKSGIVING CONTRIBUTIONS
- As the Parish Office is closed during the lockdown, we ask that parishioners who have envelopes please hold on to them for now. They can be brought to the Parish Office when the lockdown is over.
- Thanksgiving donations can be made directly to our Church Bank Account. Details as follows:
Account Name: St Peter Apostle Parish Church Account
BSB: 083-347 Account No: 637286747
Please use your Thanksgiving Envelope Number and your name for reference purposes (eg.TG123 - Tom Smith) - Parishioners can also make payments online if you wish to do so, either by going to the link Online Thanksgiving Payments CDF Pay OR by going to the link on our website (under the Support your Parish tab) Please add your Thanksgiving Envelope number if you have one. You also have the option to choose which collection you would like the offering to go to, i.e. first collection (Parish) or second collection (Presbytery).
YOUTH MASS – SUNDAY 23 AUGUST 6:00PM ON ZOOM
St Peter’s Young Adults are hosting a virtual youth mass on Zoom on Sunday 23rd August at 6:00pm celebrated by Fr Vincent. All are welcome to join, please invite any youth and young adults as there will be a special blessing! Enquiries call Sharon D’Silva 0430 099 654. The zoom room will open at 5:45pm and mass will begin at 6:00pm sharp. Below are the zoom meeting details :
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89665606328?pwd=b2IvNXZwSFhhOGRUV3Q0SGJsM1pjZz09
Meeting ID: 896 6560 6328 Passcode: 375079
MORNING TEA/CHAT WITH PARISHIONERS
Fr. Vincent is inviting parishioners to join him via Zoom on Saturday 15 August at 9:45am for a morning tea/chat for about 30 to 40 minutes. This is a forum to have a chat or ask questions and in general to just catch up with Fr. Vincent and other parishioners. The ZOOM Room will open at 9:45am so that any connection issues can be resolved prior to starting the chat at 10:00am. Meeting ID: 9590 572 9639.
HSI SCHOOL OF DISCIPLESHIP
HSI School of Discipleship continues this Sunday (16 August 2020) and every Sunday from 7:00pm. The session consists of prayer, song, video talk, discussion, sharing and blessing. This week the session is on SHARING YOUR GIFTS & TALENTS. Meeting ID 843 9084 5271. No password required. Newcomers welcome. Enquiries Connie Skinner 0422165133
RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a program for anyone interested in becoming a Catholic and receiving the Sacraments. The meetings will be held on Wednesdays at 7:00pm on Zoom, starting Wednesday, 26th August. Meeting ID 937 5345 2162. Passcode: 624286. After the lockdown, meetings will be held in the Theatrette at St. Peter Apostle Mission Parish. If you or anyone you know is interested, you are welcome to join. The invitation is also extended to any Catholics who may want to come and help Catechists by sharing their knowledge and faith to motivate the Candidates. Please contact Francis Thomas at francispthomas@hotmail.com or 0401 787 372 or Evelyn Stowers on 0499 416 158.
ST PETER'S CHARISMATIC PRAYER COMMUNITY -KNK
Saturdays at 3:00pm – Divine Mercy & Praise & Worship
Sundays at 7:00pm – Rosary & Praise & Worship
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7414862105?pwd=NlVwaXUyS3hVSlFzZ0pNOG1MT29Ldz09
Meeting ID: 741 486 2105 Password: 023368
BIBLE STUDY MINISTRY
Every week on a Monday from 7:00pm to 8:00pm.
Focus on Gospel of John, Chapter 11.
Meeting ID: 9689427525 Password: 2Vp4ef
CARITAS AUSTRALIA – AID TO BEIRUT
Due to the recent explosion in Beirut which killed over 100 people and wounded thousands, the wider Caritas network is working to deliver to the people, Food and Water, Hygiene kits including masks and soap, Material for shelter repairs and the clean-up of debris, Medication and other health service. To assist, with this disaster, donations can be given through the following link
https://www.caritas.org.au/learn/emergency-response/middle-east-emergency-appeal or by calling 1800 024 413.
RECENTLY DECEASED
We pray for Aldrin Crasto, Fr Michael Wheeler PE, KV Chacko Kannamplackal, Beverley Jacobs, Reno Sammut, and all who have died due to COVID-19, all those who lost their lives in the Beirut explosion and all who have passed away recently.
DEATH ANNIVERSARIES
We pray for Margaret & Patricia Hartshorn, Patrick Fernando, Nicolas Gori, Lolita Lopez, Kenneth, Betty & Douglas Lazaro, Paul Pham, Anna Nguyen, Anthony Dinh, Anna Nguyen, Catharine Dinh, Gabriel Dinh, Annakutty Joseph, Guy Jean Baptist, Ken Skinner, Anthony Cooray, Joseph Falzon and all whose anniversaries occur at this time.
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
We pray for Daphne White, Adrian Tully, Bill Fairney, Gary Spotswood, Sean Donaldson, Kath Meddings, Irene Jones, Thais Long, Jean Cameron, Gordon Newman, Denis Webber, Monique Hoaster, Wilfredo Villareal, Rolando Navarro, Avis Fernandes, Francis Goonting, Anne Deluca, Hellen Bonnici, Filippo Sciglitano, Anthony Hanford, James Barwick, Gerry Akein, Carmelina Costanzo, Bryan Dalton, Pat Borcich, Antony, Alki Christopoulos, Charlotte Mary, Frank Forbes, Baby Lucy Rodriguerz, Carmela Saragoza, Baillie Millar, Teresita Grisancich, Wilma Pimenta, Kathy Smith, Paul Burton, Martina Serrao, Pam Bibby, Honerine Rosario, Hilda D’souza and all who are ill in our Parish.