Welcome to

St Joan of Arc Parish Haberfield

Parish Priest: Fr Phillip Zadro

Presbytery Office: 97 Dalhousie St Haberfield NSW 2045

P: 02 9798 6657 E: admin@stjoanofarc.org.au W: www.stjoanofarc.org.au

Parish Secretary: Tuesday – Wednesday 9.30am—2.30pm

17th September, 2017

YEAR A 24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

A reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus Sirach 27:30 - 28:7 Resentment and anger, these are foul things, and both are found with the sinner. He who exacts vengeance will experience the vengeance of the Lord, who keeps strict account of sin. Forgive your neighbour the hurt he does you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven. If a man nurses anger against another, can he then demand compassion from the Lord? Showing no pity for a man like himself, can he then plead for his own sins? Mere creature of flesh, he cherishes resentment; who will forgive him his sins? Remember the last things, and stop hating, remember dissolution and death, and live by the commandments. Remember the commandments, and do not bear your neighbour ill-will; remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook the offence. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm 102:1-4. 9-12 R. The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger and rich in compassion. My soul, give thanks to the Lord, all my being, bless his holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings. R. It is he who forgives all your guilt, who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion. R. His wrath will come to an end; he will not be angry for ever. He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults. R. For as the heavens are high above the earth so strong is his love for those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our sins. R. A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 14:7-9 The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord. This explains why Christ both died and came to life, it was so that he might be Lord both of the

dead and of the living. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Gospel Acclamation John 13:34 Alleluia, alleluia! I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. Alleluia! A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 18:21-35 Peter went up to Jesus and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?' Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times. 'And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet. "Give me time," he said, "and I will pay the whole sum." And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. "Pay what you owe me," he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, "Give me time and I will pay you." But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. "You wicked servant," he said, "I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?" And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.' The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. © LabOra Worship Liturgy Brisbane 2017

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In Bujuni, a remote parish deep in the heart of Uganda, bringing life into the world is often fraught with danger. Many women take great risks to get to the nearest affordable maternity ward at St Luke Bujuni Health Centre. Despite the tireless work of Sister Mary Goretti and her small staff, the health centre does not have the capacity to deal with the influx of high-risk pregnancies amongst the many expectant mothers. Sadly, the potential consequences can be tragic. With your support through Catholic Mission, Sister Goretti is hoping to expand St Luke’s and provide essential services for women and children. Please give generously to support women and children’s health through Jesus’ life-giving mission today. Freecall: 1800 257 296 catholicmission.org.au/uganda

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy Child protection obligations at parishes apply to volunteers as well as employees, clergy and religious Brothers and Sisters. Safeguarding Children focuses on the prevention of abuse and harm to children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Everyone is responsible for the safety of children. Parishioners are asked to be proactive in reducing the risk to children and help bring a cultural change towards child protection. The policy contains a variety of protocols and procedures that work together to protect children and the vulnerable from harm and respond swiftly in circumstances in which children or the vulnerable are harmed or at risk of being harmed. Key responsibilities of all persons include: ● Being caring, respectful and compassionate towards children. ● Complying with all legal requirements relating to child protection. ● Reporting matters of concern relating to the safety, well-being and dignity of children to the appropriate person- (Parish Priest for St Joan of Arc Parish) including the NSW Police, where appropriate. ● Complying with the Archdiocese’s child protection policy, protocols and procedures. ● Volunteers signing and complying with the Code of conduct for working with children. The policy, protocols and procedures can be viewed on the Sydney Archdiocese’s website. A link is provided on our parish website- http://www.stjoanofarc.org.au For more information about safeguarding children, please contact Tony Mediati on 0413 481 039 or email admin@stjoanofarc.org.au

Our Appeal 16/17 September, 2017

Please welcome Roza Vukovich who will be our guest speaker from Catholic Mission at all masses this weekend.

https://secure.imisfriendraising.com.au/registrant/donate.aspx?eventid=14106&langpref=en-CA&Referrer=Adwords%20Headerhttps://www.catholicmission.org.au/

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In keeping with the Privacy Act names cannot be published in our Parish Bulletin

without the permission of the persons themselves or their next of kin. Please specify

on your Mass Envelope your intention to include the person’s name in this Bulletin

or contact the Parish Office on 9798 6657

ROSTER for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary time Scripture Readings for next week: First Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9

Second Reading: Philippians 1:20-24, 27

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16 Scripture Readers for next week:

Saturday Vigil: Anna Attard, Marist Sisters

Sunday 9.00am: Margaret Cassidy, Loredana Bianco

Sunday 6.00pm: Anna-Maria Stephens

Falesiu Barletta Ministers of Communion for next week:

Saturday Vigil: Anna Attard, Julie Garrard

Sunday 9.00am: Rhonda Albani, Cathy Carrozza

Sunday 6.00pm: Viv Fezzuoglio Children’s Liturgy for next week:

Sunday 9.00am Kate Svoboda

LORD, WE PRAY WELCOME HOME THOSE WHO HAVE DIED

Recently Deceased: James Tuite, Maria Care, Andra

Brooks, Ivan Fradel, Patricia Portelli, Nina Pavan,

Sebastiana Pettinato, Rocco Fedele, David Ricigliano, Fulvio

Mele, Sarina Tringali, Sr Patricia Shinners, Silvestro Tiano,

Concettina Cavallaro, Sarina Torrisi, Alim Lin, Gaetano

Caldarola Rest in Peace: Lucy The, Giuseppina Sophia, Mario

Callegari, Graziella Lo Giudice, William Edouard Clair,

Gaspare D’Onofrio, Antonio Digiantomaso, Assuntina Perri,

Domenico & Olimpia Spadaro, Maria Andreacchio, Tony

Attard, Antonio Cardillo, Pietro Banno, Immacolata

Angilletta, Bruno Brancatisano, Giuseppina Di Nallo, Rosa

Tindiglia, Lattari & Aversa families, John & Kathleen Huie,

Pietrina & Francesco Natoli, Carmel Natoli-Aiello, Maria

Pia Perez-Natoli, John & Moya Phillips, Mons Dino

Fragiacomo, Fr Frank Furfaro & All Souls in Purgatory. In your love and concern please pray for the following ill

members of our community: Rosa Santos, Monica

Christensen, Elisha Lau, Aitken Family, Liz Smith, Pat

Rankine, J Robilliard, Jerry Andre, Donna Neeley, Adeline

Ashing, Annelise Buda, Giovanni Luci, Stephan Ferenc,

Giancarlo Budda, Mario Bianco, Tony Sulfaro

The Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy

Communion for St Joan of Arc Parish young people:

Children attending St Joan of Arc School

First Reconciliation: 7pm Wednesday, 25th October, 2017

Children attending Schools other than St Joan of Arc School

First Communion: 10.30am Sunday, 26th November, 2017

(Preparation classes start Sundays 4 weeks before sacrament date -

Please contact Greg Hill, our Sacramental co-ordinator at

gregh200@yahoo.com.au for more information and to register)

We invite you to share in the Sacraments of:

EUCHARIST:

Saturday Vigil: ……………………………………..5.00pm

Italian Mass:……………………………...6.15pm

Sunday Mass: ..……………………….9.00am & 6.00pm

Tuesday (Preferred day and time for 1 month & 1 year of anniversary of death Masses - must be booked)…...7.30pm

Wednesday, Thursday ………………………………9.00am

Friday …………………………………………9.15am

RECONCILIATION

Saturday 4:30pm

BAPTISM

Celebrated on the SECOND and FOURTH Sunday of the

month at 11.00am MARRIAGE

Arrangements for a wedding must be made at least four months

in advance. Attendance at a Pre-Marriage Course is encouraged. ANOINTING OF THE SICK

We are pleased to administer the Sacrament of the Sick to those

in need. The Eucharist will also be brought to those who are ill

or housebound upon request. Please notify the Presbytery if

members of your family or other parishioners are in need of the

Eucharist. CHILDREN’S LITURGY

During 9am Mass Sundays during school term St Joan of Arc School

Principal: Bernard Carey

Office Phone 9798 9780 St Joan of Arc Villa

Manager: Gerry Renouf

Office Phone: 9799 8753

FEAST DAYS Wednesday 20th September Sts Andrew Kim Tae-gón

& Paul Chóng Ha-sang Thursday 21st September St Matthew Saturday 23rd September St Pius of Pietrelcina

COALITION for MARRIAGE (C4M)

The postal plebiscite on marriage begins on 12

September. There are consequences for changing the

law on marriage, including what it means for

education. In countries where the law has changed,

primary schools and high schools, including faith-

based schools, have been required to teach LGBTIQ

issues as part of their curriculum, with no opt-out for

parents. If you want to have a say in what your kids

and grandkids are taught, you need to make your

voice heard! It's ok to say no. More Info:

www.coalitionformarriage.com.au

Reflection

“Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?”

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” Yet how hard it is not to seek revenge, and instead to choose to forgive, when a person has wounded you deeply. Among extraordinary stories of forgiveness, Margaret and Barry Mizen’s ability to forgive the young man who killed their son stands out. Jimmy Mizen was killed the day after he turned sixteen in May 2008. He and his older brother Harry were waiting in a local bakery in South London when Jimmy stood up to another customer who barged past them. The nineteen-year-old was angry and threw a glass dish, which cut into Jimmy’s neck, fatally wounding him. Margaret Mizen says of that day: “The house was full of people and the table stacked with food people brought over. There was this immense outpouring of grief but with it came a huge outpouring of love too. As terrible as this tragedy was, we felt blessed to have so much love in our lives. Love and prayer is what kept us going. For me forgiveness is about not wanting revenge and not being angry. I’m not shouting from the rooftop ‘I forgive’ but by not wanting revenge I have an inner peace that a lot of people in our position don’t seem to have. Jimmy’s murder has done a lot of damage to this family and I can’t let it do any more.” Her husband Barry explained further: “For me, forgiveness means I don’t want to do to Jimmy’s killer what he did to Jimmy. And I thank God for that. I don’t want retribution. I don’t want revenge. In the end, if I want to live in a more peaceful, compassionate society then I have to be more peaceful and compassionate.” In today’s Gospel Peter asks Jesus about forgiveness. Jewish tradition limited forgiveness to three times, so Peter thought his willingness to forgive seven times would be regarded as generous. Peter’s question indicated that he still wanted to count how many times he should forgive. Jesus is, in effect, telling him not to count. Jesus stresses the importance of forgiveness, that a person cannot expect mercy from God if there has not been the same generosity of spirit demonstrated towards others. He uses the parable of the unmerciful servant to urge forgiveness and mercy. As we say so often in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus talks about forgiving seventy-seven times, but it is not the mathematics that matters. What Jesus describes is vast and cosmic, a forgiveness permeating all creation, making all things new. Refusal to forgive will make it impossible for us to understand and experience the generous forgiveness of God for us. The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote: “The sins of others are before our eyes, our own are behind our backs.” We all know we should forgive, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do so, especially when a person has wronged us in a terrible way. Withholding forgiveness can cause a toxic cloud to hang over our lives and prevent us from truly finding joy. Refusal to forgive can consume the heart and drain the energy. Forgiveness does not tolerate revenge. Learning to let go and forgive will heal our souls and help us to find happiness in this life. Experiencing God’s generous mercy transforms who we are and the way we see our lives. We can recognise the blessings given to us. We cannot heal ourselves by clinging to our wounds. And neither can we contribute to the repairing of the world without practising forgiveness. The practice of forgiveness can both soften our own hearts and transform the world community. We often hear about peace processes in various countries. In every case, each party must listen sympathetically to the stories of the other, overcome misunderstandings and exaggerations, recognise its own misdeeds and begin to forge common links. The spirit of forgiveness is essential for the preservation of human community, whether in the home, the neighbourhood, the nation or the world. The strongest motive is the realisation of our own great need of forgiveness and of the extremes to which God has gone in order to bring us the healing we need. C S Lewis said: “To be Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

The Living Word

MORNING TEA

Please join us Sunday

24th September, 2017

after 9am Mass in the Mother Teresa courtyard for a cuppa and a chat

with the Parish Community

The Social Committee

FR TED WESTER

Many of you may remember Fr Ted Wester who ministered at St

Joan of Arc Parish when the parish priest was away on annual

leave. He is now residing at St Joan of Arc Villa and would

welcome visitors.

We will welcome Fr Chris Riley, who will be celebrating the 5pm Vigil Mass 30th September , 2017 and 9am & 6pm Masses Sunday 1st October, 2017 here at St Joan of Arc.