Good to be back home!
Brothers and Sisters,
The past six weeks have given me the opportunity to spend some time with my family and friends in Lebanon as well as a bit of rest and relaxation after a very busy year. Every time I travel to Lebanon I am reminded of its beauty and my love for it grows stronger as the country of my birth, the country of my ancestry. Being away from Australia, has made me realize just how much I have grown in love with this blessed country and its people. After six weeks away from the parish, it is wonderful to be back home again. Home is where the heart is and I can confidently say that although my body was in Lebanon, my heart was definitely back here in Australia with my parish family.
The concept of family is so important in this day and age as its very foundations are being questioned in the society in which we live and the world. Society has lost the sight of and the ability to incorporate the virtues of the family into its life. Thankfully, the church still realizes this importance and as such is in the midst of a Synod on the family in which the Maronite Church is taking part in. We are very lucky to be represented not only by our Patriarch, but also by our Bishop, His Excellency Antoine-Charbel.
I have focused so much on the family this year in my homilies, in this Shepherd’s Corner and in everything that I do. I do not apologise for this! The family is the nucleus of society and if we want to live in a good society, then we need to nurture good families. It is the church’s responsibly, mine and yours, to ensure that this takes place. We must be vigilant and do everything in our power to protect the family of the “domestic church” and the wider parish family. In his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis on Wednesday said that: “in the family we learn of the bonds which unite us, of fidelity, sincerity, trust, cooperation and respect, even when difficulties abound.”
The family is a school in which we learn much more than any university or academy can teach us. While we look forward to the news that will come from the Synod, we must all continue to do all that is in our power to protect the family unit. Speaking of families, we welcome back our very own Chahine family (Chahine, Theresa and Sarah) who represented the Maronite Eparchy in the World Meeting of families in Philadelphia as you would have read about in last week's newsletter. We look forward to hearing about all their experiences in the coming days.
One way that you can do this is by attending the married couple’s retreat that will be held on 18 October. It is not too late to register. The sacrament of marriage is an ongoing sacrament. It is not completed on the day of your wedding. It requires sustenance and energy to keep the flame alive. It needs to be continually renewed in light of all the pressures that it endures. The married couple’s retreat will give you some time out to spiritually invigorate your marriage and consequently your family life. Please refer to the notices page for more details.
I look forward to seeing as many couples as possible on the day and I look forward to seeing you all around the parish.
The family that prays the Rosary together, stays together
Brothers and Sisters,
At the beginning of October we embark on the beautiful month of Holy Rosary. The Rosary is a powerful meditation prayer where, with Mary, we meditate on the Saving Events of the Father’s Plan in Jesus at its core. This prayerful meditation is able to transform our hearts and keep us away from evil so that we can become Jesus-like in everything that we do, think and say. Today more than ever, we are in need of the Rosary as a family prayer to help prevent the downfall of the family. The pressure of modern life has minimised family togetherness?
Pope Pius XII insisted in his own time: “If you pray the Rosary together, you will experience peace in your families; you will get on together.” We all know the famous saying: “The family that prays together, stays together.” Therefore the family that prays the Rosary together, stays together. As a parish family we pray the Rosary on a daily in Arabic and English. Let’s make an extra effort this month to pray the Rosary with your family whether at home or in the parish.
The role of the family and new pastoral approaches will be the focus of the Synod on the Family in Rome which starts today. His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay is one of two Maronite Bishops elected by the Maronite Synod of Bishops to accompany the Maronite Patriarch to represent the Maronite Church at the Synod. His Excellency asks that we keep the Synod, the Holy Father and all participants in our prayers at this time for the Success of the Synod and pray the following prayer (which will be prayed during Masses and in Schools throughout the Month of October):
Jesus, Mary & Joseph, In you we contemplate the splendour of true love, to you we turn with trust. Holy family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches. Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division. May all who have been hurt or scandalised find ready comfort and healing. Holy Family of Nazareth, may the Synod of Bishops make us more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family and its beauty in God’s plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayer. Amen.
On a parish note, my message regarding the “burnouts” outside our Church from last week’s Shepherd’s Corner has gained a great deal of support from parishioners and the community and I encourage all to continue to spread the word to family and friends.
Also I will be on Annual leave from this Sat 3 October in the USA and will be back on 30 October after spending time visiting relatives in our Maronite Parishes as well as for some of “R and R”.
Finally, a very warm welcome back to Father Tony Sarkis who arrives back this Thursday from a well-deserved leave in Lebanon. Keep all of us Priests in your prayer intentions during your Rosary.
Burnouts in the Kingdom?
During the Season of the Glorious Cross, the Epistle and Gospel passages that are read and reflected upon are eschatological in nature; that is they examine the final days and judgement. They focus greatly on the coming of Jesus and the Kingdom of God and give us a glimpse of what it would be like. Every time we come to celebrate the Eucharist (Mass) or one of the other Sacraments (Weddings, Baptisms etc) we also get a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is like, in fact we are actually partaking in it. This leads us to ask ourselves one big question: How should we behave and/or act as we approach this presence of God and His Kingdom?
For this reason I have been most saddened and disappointed to see what takes place in front of and within the Cathedral grounds as a bride and a groom are escorted to celebrate the Sacrament of their Marriage. Unfortunately, many people find great amusement and immature pleasure in doing these reckless burnouts and or loud “revving” of motors as they approach and enter the Cathedral grounds. Not only does this take away from the sanctity and reverence of the sacrament, but it is a bad reflection on us who live within a wider community. At a time when the bride and groom are preparing themselves for a new journey with each other and with God, this type of behaviour distracts them from the sacredness of the step that they about to take.
Further, this behaviour is illegal and dangerous behaviour that could lead to a major accident and injury or loss of life. It destroys the environment and our relationship with our neighbours. It is also most seriously a bad example for our children and youth attending Fersan and Teens or who are guests with their family attending the Wedding. Have a look at Alice St and see the ugly damage to the road. For all of the above reasons, this behaviour must stop.
The Wedding preparation sheet that is given to all couples strictly states: “ ABSOLUTELY NO “REVVING” AND “BURNOUTS” BY MOTOR BIKES OR ESCORT VEHICLES IN RESPECT FOR CHURCH AND NEIGHBOURS.” However, especially over the last month this has been totally disregarded and we receive complaints from parishioners and neighbours. This not only gives the wedding party a bad reputation but also our Maronite Church and our Lebanese Culture.
Is this how we should be behaving in the presence of God? Should we be doing burnouts in the Kingdom? Would anyone dare do a burnout at Calvary in the Holy Land in front of the Cross of Jesus our Saviour? Well some show this same disrespect when they do burnouts and revving in front of the holy site of our Church where we celebrate the Death and Resurrection of JESUS.
Sadly due to the above and flagrant disregard and because of safety issues, the parish has had no choice but to consult with the Police regarding measures to be taken including the installation of Video CAMERAS that will be accessible to the Police who will prosecute offenders.
I pray and request on behalf of the Bishop, Priests and all the Parish Community that those involved and with connections to drivers and owners will pass on the word to stop this behaviour. In this way we can focus on the true meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage rather than on all the disrespectful behaviour in cars or bikes that cloud the most wonderful and grace-filled celebrations of the presence of God and His Kingdom in the Birth of a new Christian Family.
