GOD SNEAKS IN ON FIREWORKS
Dear Parishioners,
They estimate that 1.5 million people gathered around the Harbour and CBD to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks. Another 1 million Australians watched on TV while 1.5 billion watched around the world.
So many human eyes watched the fireworks with its theme of “Shine” and the central symbol on the Harbour Bridge being the ’eye’. And maybe most of these eyes and the organising committee didn't realise that the symbol of the eye in Church architecture is actually one of the symbols we use for God the Father. So it seems that the lesson
from this is that with all these human eyes watching the fireworks, they didn't realise that God our Heavenly Father was watching over each and every one of them.
This symbol of the eye which represents the Heavenly Father’s ever-watchful gaze over us and giving us His grace makes real what we celebrate in the Sunday of the Finding of Our Lord in the Temple and the Feast of the Epiphany.
In the finding of Our Lord in the Temple, Jesus said to His parents, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” For Jesus, being in the Temple, His Father’s house, means He chose to be under the watchful gaze of His Father to begin to do His will and work.
In the Feast of the Glorious Epiphany, at the Baptism of Jesus, Jesus is again under the eye of His Heavenly Father as we hear that the Heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended and the voice of the Father was heard saying: 
“You are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
For us as Baptised children of God, like Jesus, we are called to place ourselves in our daily lives, under the loving and watchful eye of our Heavenly Father as Jesus did and to trust that He says to us “You are my beloved.”
Our Church roof architecture is also symbolic of the watchful eye and loving gaze of our Heavenly Father, that can inspire us when we are visiting the Church to pray or when we are participating in the Holy Eucharist.
Monsignor Shora Maree
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BEST CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS & A GIFT FROM YOUR PARISH FAMILY
Dear Parishioners, at our 9:30am and 7pm Masses preparing for Christmas we have reflected on how Jesus has come to free us from the life patterns and attitudes that lead us to darkness and emptiness.
These life patterns and attitudes we call the 7 Capital Sins. They are the road blocks that hinder our faith journey with God. They are: Pride, Anger, Jealousy, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust. With His grace, Jesus gives us the ability to replace these 7 self-centred attitudes with the 7 selfless virtues.
These 7 Virtues include: Humility, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Persistence, Temperance, Charity and Chastity. We can remember them, reflect on them and apply them to our daily living if we connect them and with the central figures of the Christmas Nativity. Jesus, the Son of God, born in a poor manger shows us the first virtue, Humility. Mary is an example of Gratitude through the Magnificat prayer.
Joseph is a symbol of Chastity and Purity with Christ as the centre of his life. The shepherd is symbolic of persistence in getting up in the middle of the night to go to Bethlehem. The three kings reflect the virtues of Charity (Giving), Temperance and Forgiveness—each with their different gifts. We can ask our children to write out the words, discuss them and get them to place them on the Christmas tree or around the nativity.
Christmas gift from your Parish Family
In following the example of the three kings, I ask each family to accept a Christmas gift from our Parish Family, a Catholic songs CD for the young children & for the youth and adults a CD on “the true meaning of Christmas” by Bishop Fulton Sheen.
I really encourage the youth and parents to take an hour over this feast and holiday time to listen to the CD and reflect on and share with each other and to pass the CD on to others who aren't regular Church attendees.
Monsignor Shora Maree
PRINCE OF PEACE FOR THE WORLD
The Prince of Peace is Born for the World.
He has no gown, no crown, no sword.
The blind will see,
He will calm the sea,
And walk with me on my little road.
So for Him I will sing… hey, hey
The Prince of Peace is Born for the World.
This was the jingle for the Carols capturing our theme for Christmas Jesus, Prince of Peace for the world. We pray this Christmas the World will open to the only one who can its lasting peace and the Church will continue to take the Lead in the world under God’s call through Pope Francis
Also to all those who sent Birthday well-wishes by facebook and by phone and sms…thank you and I am rather overwhelmed by the large number of messages and literally have not been able to keep up and reply to them all and have nearly developed a blister on my finger typing out so many return messages.
Even though I have had a ‘normal’ working day in the Parish your messages with God’s Grace have made it a wonderful day.
This big number of messages started from Our Carols by Candlelight last night, part of our Community Celebration of the most wonderful Birth of our Saviour into our World, and raced into Facebook.
While I celebrate my 52nd Birthday today, over this last year 361 Children celebrated their first birthday and their Birth into our Parish family through the Sacrament of Baptism.
So that these 361 new bornsand baptised with their families our current and future generations will have a Faithfilled Maronite Community in which to experience the Love and Truth of God revealed by our Loving Saviour
I ask you to continue to pray for me and all the Priests and to join more deeply in the Mission of Christ in your Parish by being involved and participating with joy.
While not easy much of the time, I can say It is always a Blessing to be able to serve Our Lord in our growing Parish Family.
My Prayer, Love and Thanks for all.
