Dear Parishioners

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a part of Catholic faith and life. The core of this Sacrament is God’s love for us and his desire to heal us and set us free when we turn to him and seek his mercy. As a Sacrament of healing, Reconciliation brings many graces to the person receiving it.

The Catechism explains the relationship of the two sacraments:
“Anyone who desires to receive Christ in the Eucharistic Communion must be in a state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive Communion without having received absolution in the Sacrament of Penance.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1415). During Mass, when we ask for God’s forgiveness, our venial sins are forgiven. Mortal sins are more serious and need to be confessed to a priest beforehand. It is in this context that Reconciliations are to be heard before Mass.

Starting from August 22 the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be heard from 8.30am to 9.45am followed by Mass at 10.00am.

Every Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church where Catholics must attend Mass. In addition to those, The Feast of the Assumption (August 15) is a Holy Day of Obligation as well as Christmas Day (December 25) here in Australia. Since this year the Feast of Assumption is on Saturday there will be two masses in the morning for the Assumption obligation 7.30am and 9.30am. Evening mass will be for Sunday obligation.

Fr Confidence

THE L.A.M.P YOUTH EVENT

All young parishioners from Year 7 and above, please keep November 21 free!!! More details to follow. Archangel Youth will help at a ‘Youth Mass’ this Sunday at 10.30am followed by a BBQ to raise funds for our L.A.M.P event.

THE TRANSFIGURATION

Celebrated on August 6 is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. Thomas Aquinas considers the Transfiguration "the greatest miracle", in that it complemented baptism and showed the perfection of life in Heaven. The Transfiguration is one of the five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus, the others being Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension. In 2002, Pope John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries in the rosary, which include the Transfiguration.

"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him".

GOOD NEWS

Notices required by 10.00am, Thursday. Thank you.

MONTHLY PRAYER MINISTRY

Next Sunday from 10.00am until 10.30am Mass in the adoration area. Prayer is gentle, private and confidential. Just come, no booking needed, we would love to pray for you.

CONGRATULATIONS

It is with great joy that we would like to acknowledge that one of our parishioners, Rose Josephine Chong, was Professed into the Order of Secular Franciscans (ofs) over the weekend. It is a very special occasion as the Pope has declared this The Year of St Francis of Assisi, and the Franciscan order was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209. They are dedicated to the ideals of poverty, charity, and simplicity, living out the Gospel while serving the poor, the marginalized, and all of creation.

HEATING IN THE CHURCH

Has been repaired so hopefully it will keep us warm.

PLEASE DO NOTtouch the control or adjust the temperature. Thank you.

THE WELCOME GROUP MINISTRY

Helps create a warm, caring environment where parishioners and visitors feel seen, and connected within our parish community. Volunteers are needed at all Masses, especially the 6.00pm Sunday Mass. No special skills are required, just a willing heart and a desire to serve. If you are called to help others feel at home in our church community, please email Tina at associate@stmichaelsparish.org.au

SAFEGUARDING

Everyone employed or volunteering at St Michael’s has a responsibility to understand the important and significant role he or she plays to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of each person is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

Due to the length of the document, we advise you to read it on the Diocesan or St Michael’s websites. There is a separate Declaration form that will need to be signed and these will also be available in the foyer.

Thank you to all our volunteers that keep our church a great place to pray, grow, and belong. We are truly grateful for each one of you.

SAFETRAC TRAINING

Is a requirement of the Diocese for all volunteers. Please check you emails (spam as well) to see if you have received the link to complete the training. All those who have an outstanding training will be contacted shortly. Please contact the Parish Support Centre with any queries.

AUSTRALIAN CATHOLICS

Available in the foyer for collection.

CATHOLICCARE APPEAL

Will be taken up this weekend. CatholicCare is the Church’s mission in action - empowering communities and building strength and resilience, to enable everyone to reach their full potential and live life to the full. Your generosity will help provide caring and compassionate support for struggling individuals and families in our community.

READERS ROSTER AND PIETY STALL ROSTERS

Were emailed last week. Rosters are available in the foyer for those without an email address.

CHILDRENS’ LITURGY

Extra volunteers are urgently needed. Please consider whether you are able to help and contact the Parish Support Centre. Thank you.

POPE'S PRAYER INTENTION FOR AUGUST:

Let us pray that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community.

‘MAKE HASTE’ YOUTH EVENT

Jesus Youth is running a teens program "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Saturday August 8, 10.00am-4.30pm at Christ Our Holy Redeemer Parish, Oakleigh. $12 (Lunch included) Registrations are essential to assist with catering and event planning. Click here to View Form

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER

On Saturday August 15 at St Eugene's Retreat and Conference Centre in Newborough, based on The 5 Love Languages Enrichment Day for Couples international bestseller by Dr Gary Chapman. Cost: $60 per couple. Info & booking: trybooking.com/DMSUR or andrerasquinha@yahoo.com.au 0411 225 992

RCIA DIOCESAN DAY

Clergy, RCIA Coordinators, RCIA teams and parishioners are warmly invited to an upcoming workshop that aims to deepen your understanding of the RCIA journey. Presented by Dr Alice Youlden & Joan Robertson. At St Joseph's Church, Warragul on Saturday September 5 at 9.30am-2.00pm. See flyer.

MARY MACKILLOP - A SAINT OF OUR TIME:

Explore St Mary MacKillop’s legacy and learn how to draw inspiration from her life to make a difference today. Venue: Online Thursday, August 6 7.00pm-8.00pm. Registration: cdsale.org.au/events or 5614 5163 or newsonline@sale.catholic.org.au

MAGI PILGRIMAGES

Saints of Italy, October 2-16, Fr Franco Filipetto from St Mary's Parish, in Warrick, will be leading a pilgrimage to Milan, Padua, Florence, Assisi, San Giovanni Rotondo, and Rome, walking in the footsteps of the saints. All-inclusive price: $9,990 (20+ pilgrims).

Footsteps of St Paul, October 5-19, Fr Sebastian A.M from St Mary's Parish, Dandenong will be leading a pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey, visiting Athens, Corinth, Meteora, Thessaloniki, Philippi, Gallipoli, Ephesus, Istanbul and Cappadocia. All-inclusive price: $9,790 Enquiries: 03 8839 6615 | pilgrimage@magiholidays.com.au

REFLECTION - Greg Sunter

The response of today’s psalm is an excellent summary of the theme that runs throughout today’s readings: The hand of the Lord feeds us: he answers all our needs. The compassion of God is foremost in these readings – recognising need within the people and responding with an overflowing abundance. In the gospel, the abundant response of God is the miraculous feeding of more than five thousand people with twelve baskets full of leftovers. Jesus is moved with compassion for the people. Remember, he had tried to get away from the crowds to spend some private time mourning the death of John the Baptist. He was entitled to be frustrated and angry with them for intruding on his grief. Instead, when they tracked him down, he went ashore and healed them and taught them. When it came to the evening, he went one step further in his compassion and made sure that all were fed.

Scriptural context – Food for all
This miraculous feeding is the first of two such accounts in the gospel of Matthew. (It also appears twice in Mark and once in both Luke and John.) In this account, there are twelve baskets of leftovers. These baskets represent the twelve tribes of Israel. It is a metaphor for Jesus as the one who provides nourishment and satisfaction for the entire Jewish population. The imagery in the second story (Mt 15:32-39) emphasises that Jesus also feeds and satisfies the gentile people. Between them, the two accounts present Jesus as the one who provides spiritual food for all.

Living the Gospel – Grieving John
The passage begins with Jesus receiving the news that his cousin, John the Baptist’s death. In response, Jesus immediately withdraws to a lonely place where he can be alone with his disciples. His response to this terrible news is to take time out. He wants to go away to a quiet, lonely place to pray and grieve. He doesn’t just take the news in his stride and carry on regardless; he steps back from the busy-ness of life to mourn. It’s a lesson for us in times of stress and grief: the response Jesus models is to take time to grieve the loss.