Restructure and Renovations for the Parish and Diocese
Dear Parishioners,
We are aware that His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay has been able to secure a Government Grant to Build a new and large Aged Care Facility for our elderly with hopefully 60 beds on the site of the former Hostel on Alfred Street adjoining the Church carpark. This project is expected to commence around July 2015 and going well into 2016.
To make way for this important Diocesan Aged Care Facility for our Community we need to provide a permanent Presbytery/Residence for the priests serving the par-ish. After consultation and planning, doc-uments have been submitted to Parra-matta Council and a DA obtained to con-struct an 11 Bedroom Presbytery on top of one half of the Community Centre as you can see from the Plans.
The cost of construction of the New Pres-bytery will be covered at least 50% by the Diocese/Chancery and the remainder by the Parish without the Parish borrowing any further, once details have been reviewed by the new Stewardship Committee and the Bishop and the Diocesan Finance Council and College of Consultors. The Diocese/Chancery will be covering at least 50% of the cost as the Bishop and Chancery Offices are being relocated to Level 2. The 50% cost of con-struction is to reimburse the Parish for this space. The Parish will cover the other half of the expected costs through some Parish funds that are currently held in reserve, budgeting and cutting costs, and its current ongoing fundraising events including Feast week and Parish Committee events.
Also you will notice that members of the previous and new Stewardship Committee are working on the construction of a new disabled toilet in the hall whose costs are covered by a State Government Grant as well as renovation of all the hall toilet amenities and renovation of the old hall Offices for a meeting room, covered by donations, to make up for the meeting area given to the Diocese for the Bishop and Chan-cery Offices.
His Excellency, with the good record of the Parishioners' in their commitment and generosity and our loan repayment and fundraising program set up by the previous Stewardship Committee, has been able to secure the Parish a reduced interest rate from the Catholic Development Fund and the Bank of Sydney for our 3 Parish loans currently totalling $7,190,000.
These renovation projects and Diocesan restructuring are all to help the Parish and Diocese serve all our Parishioners and wider Maronite Community well into the future.
We trust in God's Grace and your on-going support and participation in the parish and her mission. Should you have any queries or suggestions, you are most welcome to contact me through the Parish office 9689 2899 or email me:
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Monsignor Shora Maree
Deep Questions around a Fireplace
If we have ever sat around a fireplace it generally is a good atmosphere for feeling relaxed and getting to asked deep discussions and sharing. Simon Peter had two such fireplace experiences within two weeks.
The first was on the night before Jesus was crucified after he was arrested. Simon Peter followed Jesus and stayed outside in the courtyard of the High priest while Jesus was being interrogated and insulted. There Peter was asked, (twice while warming himself around a fire) by three different people, the deep question “you are not also one of this man’s disciples?” to which three times he replied “I am not.” Away from Jesus and the other disciples he fell under fear and his human weakness and betrayed Jesus. This was the Fireplace of denial and betrayal.
The second is in today’s Gospel where Simon Peter was sitting around the charcoal fire which the risen Jesus had prepared for him and the 6 other disciples to have breakfast with him. That crackling fire must have been making Simon uncomfortable as it would have been reminding him of the fireplace of his denial and betrayal of Jesus.
Then Jesus broke the silence after breakfast with the deepest question to Peter saying “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”.” In the Koine Greek, the language of the New Testament, there are different words that are translated “love.” Agape is the kind of love that is perfect and pure; selfless and active, and unconditional and ready to sacrifice for good of the other. There is also a lesser kind of love (phileo). It is described as “to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), that is, have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling).”
It is vital to keep these two Greek words in mind while noting their meaning and usage in this passage. Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love (phileo) you." [How could Peter say, unequivocally, I love (agape) you, after he had so miserably failed him?] He said to him, "Tend My lambs." (16) He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love (phileo) you." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." (17) He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love (phileo) me?" [Notice that the Lord changed the word from agape to phileo] Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love (phileo) me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; you know that I love (phileo) you." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. [Peter was “grieved” not because Jesus asked him a third time, but because Jesus lowered the standard.] We can only imagine the heartbreak Peter was feeling. Before fear and isolation enveloped Peter during the crucifixion he would have boldly said, “Lord, how could you ask such a thing? Of course I love (agape) you!” But his actions showed how miserably he failed to agape the Lord. He even denied friendship (phileo) with the Lord! Now he is truly “grieved” (lupeo) as he comes face-to-face with the Lord and what he has done.1
The rest of this passage shows the compassion for, and continued confidence in, Peter that the Lord Jesus had. He told Peter that he was going to die for the Lord. What a wonderful piece of prophecy! Jesus was telling Peter that he was going to have faith great enough to be the kind of man he thought himself to be when he said, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You" (Matt. 26:35). We can only imagine the joy and relief that he felt! This was now the Fire place of Love, Mercy and Restoration.
What does this mean for you and me and especially are couples who renewed their Marriage Vows? It means that, even though we may have failed the Lord miserably in the past, it is never too late to experience his mercy and love. This example with St Peter who was given such a central role in the Church is a powerful reminder to us to keep coming back to Him with trust and repentance no matter how uncomfortable.
1.Fr. Timothy Matkin, Diocese of Fort Worth
Monsignor Shora Maree
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Can You imagine the Peace he felt?
What Love, forgiveness, healing and peace the Good Thief would have experienced even when he heard Jesus say “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
What lead him to this Peace was what he was seeing in Jesus’ Suffering; an innocent man and his words of Love and forgiveness from the Cross “Father Forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” The other Criminal saw and heard the same but had a different response. The Good Criminal confessed his own sin and guilt and asked for forgiveness. He asked Jesus only to ‘remember him in his Kingdom’, and Jesus said I will not only remember you, “You will be with me in Paradise”. What Love, forgiveness and Peace he must have experienced from that moment on.
We could imagine that Thief would have offered every remaining suffering he was experiencing for Jesus and for all those he had hurt in his life. His suffering now would become his penance offered for others. What Peace and light, what Resurrection and new Life already flowing from the Cross of Jesus.
Let’s pray this Resurrection (Easter) Day and onwards the Peace that flowed from the Cross of Jesus, will flow through our Parish, our Families and each and every one of us.
A new volunteer this year said to me “until now I did not realise how many people put so much in to help with Holy Week”
We pray this Peace flows in a special way upon all our parish volunteers here at Our Lady and the Mass Centres for their time and efforts helping us experience a Sacred and Powerful Passion (Holy) Week, the Sisters, the Arabic and English Choirs, the Ladies & Florists who prepared the Altar for Hosanna (Palm) Sunday, Thursday of the Mysteries, Good Friday & Easter, the men for the Holy Thursday Altar of Repose & Tomb, the Eucharistic Ministers, our Sacristan, the Altar Servers, the Holy Thursday Apostles, volunteer Traffic Controllers, plate collectors, photographers, all the Ladies and men who provided nourishment and drinks for us after the Liturgies at the tables and the Bakery and all our wonderful teams of Committee members who serve Christ and His people in our Parish.
A Joyful and Peace-filled Easter to all.
AlMassih Quam المسيح قام !!
Monsignor Shora Maree
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