Living the Mass in your daily life
Today in our Maronite Church we here the familiar Gospel passage about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Luke’s Gospel tells us the story of the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32) were on the road to Emmaus, two of Jesus’s disciples encounter the Risen Lord along the road. Although they could not recognize him to begin with, after they here the scriptures proclaimed to them and participate in the breaking of the bread – their eyes are opened to finally recognize Jesus. The disciples remarked to each other: “were not out hearts burning when he spoke to us about the scriptures” and when they returned to Jerusalem, they told the story to the other disciples, and how Jesus had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. This combination of hearing the Word of God from the Scriptures and partaking in the Eucharistic celebrations is the most central way in which Jesus makes himself known to the Church today, the celebration of the Mass. Like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus walks with us and makes himself completely known to us through the Mass. However, the question remains, how do we respond after sharing in this beautiful mystery. The disciples on the Emmaus road, immediately got up and went back to Jerusalem to be with the other followers of Christ and lived their lives inspired and guided by the communion and transformation they experienced from hearing the word of God and receiving the Word of God in the Eucharist. For us today, we must make strong efforts to share and live our lives inspired by the love and communion found in the Mass. If we see the Eucharist as a big vitamin pill for our own private spiritual health, or go to Mass locked in our own little world, then we misunderstand it. Receiving the Eucharist is not just a private act of faith but a public sign of Commitment to our relationship with Jesus AND with one another as Christ’s body. Some practical things we can do to live in this spirit: Comfort those in need, pray for the people who we know are in need and also try to care for their physical needs, show our appreciation for the tireless work of our priests and other volunteers who work so selflessly in our parish. In the Mass, we are called to receive love to then share that love with everyone we encounter.
A big thank you to our Fersan leaders and all who helped and attended the Fersan Fete last Sunday, the day was a success. We also held a Retreat day for all the leaders of our parish, we pray God’s continual blessing on all those who selflessly serve. This week our Pastoral Council met on Wednesday night to discuss and plan many upcoming events including the visit of His Eminence Leonardo Cardinal Sandri – Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches. The 11am Mass on the 7th of May will be celebrated by Bishop Antoine Charbel Tarabay and presided by Cardinal Sandri to mark this important visit. On the 13th of May there will be a procession from our Parish to St Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta to mark the 100 year anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions. The morning will begin at 9am with prayers here at Our Lady and conclude with Mass at St Patrick’s. Finally, our Annual Parish Gala Fund Raiser Dinner will take place on the 26th of May at the Clarence House in Belmore. To book please contact the Parish office. Wishing you a blessed week inspired by the love of God, given to us in his Word and in the Most Holy Eucharist.
