Our bulletin is sponsored by the Diocesan Investment Fund (DIF) currently paying 2.15% at call. Local Agent: Roberts, First National Real Estate, 10 Bowra Street, Nambucca Heads

WEEKEND’S READINGS—5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER —YEAR A

Next Week’ Readings: 6th Sunday of Easter, Yr A Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21

First Reading Acts 6:1-7

About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own wid-ows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this du-ty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Phil-ip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:1-2. 4-5. 18-19

(R.) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

1. Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;

for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,

with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs. (R.)

2. For the word of the Lord is faithful

and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

and fills the earth with his love. (R.)

3. The Lord looks on those who revere him,

on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death,

to keep them alive in famine. (R.)

Second Reading 1 Pt 2:4-9

The Lord is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house. As scripture says: See how I lay in Zion a precious cornerstone that I have chosen and the man who rests his trust on it will not be disap-pointed. That means that for you who are believers, it is precious; but for unbelievers, the stone rejected by the builders has proved to be the keystone, a stone to stumble over, a rock to bring men down. They stumble over it because they do not believe in the word; it was the fate in store for them.

FOLLOWING THE MISSAL Preface of Easter V, Eucharistic Prayer III

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a con-secrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Gospel Acclamation Jn 14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord;

no one comes to the Father, except through me.

Alleluia!

Gospel Jn 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am now going to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’ Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me? ‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason. ‘I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.’

Catholic Parish of the Nambucca Valley Corpus Christi, Bowraville St Patrick’s, Macksville Our Lady Star of the Sea, Nambucca Heads Christ the King, Taylor’s Arm

Administrator: Fr Shelwin Fernandez

Parish Secretary: Mrs Angela Argent

Parish Office: Postal Address: PO Box 38, Macksville 2447 Street Address: 78 Wallace Street, Macksville Telephone: 6568 1107 Fax: 6568 3671 Email: nvparish@lismore.catholic.org.au Urgent Matters: 0481 277 532

Office Hours Monday & Tuesday 8.30am to 2.30 pm Thursday 8.30am to 3.30 pm Nambucca Presbytery:

Telephone: 6568 6642 Parish Schools:

St Patrick’s Primary School—Macksville 32 Macksville Heights Drive, Macksville Ph: 02 6568 1397

St Mary’s Primary School —Bowraville Carbin Street, Bowraville Ph: 02 65647369

5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER —YEAR A 14TH MAY 2017

Welcome everyone! Especially to the new members of our parish and to our visitors from near and far.

PASTORAL REMINDERS

1. Make sure you park and lock your car properly, and valuables securely kept as couple of cars were appallingly broken into last Sunday while the owners were in the Church attending Mass. Luckily they were able to find the culprit and retrieved their belongings.

2. If you still have Caritas' Project Compassion envelopes or boxes, kindly return them now so we can forward them to the main office. New / more donations are also accepted.

3. Bishop's Flood Appeal is still going. You can donate either online or through the parish. Envelopes are still available at the back of the Church.

4. Thank you for responding to the Appeal for the educa-tion of our future priests last weekend. If you wish, you can still donate using the envelope at the back of the Church.

Regards, Fr Shelwin

Finding our way In today’s gospel reading Jesus explains to his disciples the meaning of his earthly departure; that is his death, resurrection and return to the Father.

Jesus begins with words of consolation, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

The disciples had reason to be troubled. They had been told of Jesus’s approaching death, a death that would also be a departure from them. The disciples would have shared the Jewish expectation that God who had created the world, would intervene “on the last day” to renew the world and vindicate his people.

When Jesus says, “Have faith in God,” he is appealing to this faith in God who is acting on their behalf. Although the disciples would have believed in God’s intervention, they would not have anticipated that this would be enacted through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus tells them that his departure is a saving act for them; his is not aban-doning them. Rather, he is going to prepare a place for them; he promises to come back and take them with him.

No doubt the believers who heard this gospel would have found consolation in these words. However, they still hesitated to believe. Thomas, whom we know as “doubting Thomas” is the spokesperson for those who struggle with faith. He pleads, “Master, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

Jesus answers, “I am the way.” He then appeals to his intimate relationship with the Father.” The God whom the Jewish people believed would come to renew the world, is active in the person of Jesus. “The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.”

We hear Jesus’ promise as addressed to us also: he goes to prepare a place for us. However, if we are honest with our-selves we may well admit that we at times also struggle to believe. We have read of the testimonies of the first witness-es who recount the apparitions of the risen Christ. But for us ‘moderns’ perhaps the most convincing proof that Jesus is risen and is still with us are the “works” of God.

These works were manifest in the astounding energy shown by the members of the early Church. As we heard in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles: “The word of God continued to spread and the number of disciples in Jerusa-lem increased greatly.” They were also active, as we read elsewhere in the Acts in healing the sick and feeding the hungry.

This powerful witness to the power of the risen Christ is still manifest in the social engagement of Christians today on behalf of justice for the poor and the environment. Jesus says: “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.” They can do these greater works because the power of the risen Lord is active in them. - Brian Johnstone CSsR © Redemptorists 2017

Parish Diary

Tuesday 16TH MAY

5:00 pm Reconciliation, Macksville

5:30 pm Mass, Macksville

Wednesday 17TH MAY

9:00 am Rosary, Bowraville

9:30 am Mass, Bowraville

Thursday 18TH MAY

9:30 am Mass & Benediction, Macksville

Friday 19TH MAY

9:00 am Mass & Benediction Nambucca Heads

Saturday 20TH MAY

5:30 pm Reconciliation, Nambucca 6:00 pm Mass, Nambucca Heads

Sunday 21ST MAY

8:00 am Mass, Macksville, 9:30 am Mass, Bowraville

NO MASSES IN THE PARISH

ON WEEKDAYS DUE TO CLERGY ANNUAL RETREAT. FOR

EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL SAWTELL PARISH AT 6658 3544

SAINT OF THE WEEK— ST BERNARDINE of SIENA (20 May) Most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution. Bernardine, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took on the needs of the world.

He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the pagan-ism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, fol-lowing St. Francis of Assisi’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”

Compared with Saint Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, mi-raculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.

When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown of Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague, but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt whose parents had died when he was a child, and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.

At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in soli-tude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always travelled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in

FUTURE DATES:

MAY

23rd - Anointing Mass, Autumn Lodge, 10:45AM

25th - Special Mass for our Deceased Children , Macksville, 9:30AM

27th - YOUTH MASS, Nambucca Heads, 6PM

30th - Anointing Mass, Macksville, 5:30pm

another town.

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek–in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions: for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines. The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine’s holi-ness, orthodoxy, and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.

General of the Friars of the Strict Observance, a branch of the Franciscan Order, Bernardine strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.

Nambucca Women of Purpose Please come and share Morning Tea with other

Women of Purpose WHEN: Saturday 20th May

TIME: 9.00 am WHERE: Uniting Church Hall,

Estuary Lane, Nambucca Heads Guest Speaker:

MICHELLE WALKER Cost: $5.00 RSVP: Wed 17th May

Parish Office 6568 9029 or Yvonne 6568 6325

25th MAY 2017—Mass for Deceased Children

A Mass for Deceased Children" will be celebrated at St. Patrick's Church at 9.30am.

Asking God's consolation as we remember our children who have sadly died due to natural causes, accidents or suicide and for the sad loss of babies due to miscarriage, stillbirth and abortion.

During a quiet time after the homily please feel welcome to place a photo, card, flowers or light a candle for your loved ones on a table which will be set up in front of the altar. Your friends, relatives and neighbours are most welcome to attend. We will enjoy morning tea together after Mass.

For enquiries, call Fran at 65682225.

WE PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY...

Lord we ask healing for those who are sick. We thank you for those who have recovered. We pray for all who have died and those whose anniversaries occur at this time.

** Mass intention envelopes are located at the back of the church **

SICK: Lorraine Cook, John Brown, Peter Murphy, Jen-nifer Harget, Donna Haysman, Marie Dalton, Bill Steller, Rino Costa, Frances Yorke, Al McCabe, Steven Carroll, Peter Henry, Pat Argue

ANNIVERSARY: Bishop John Carroll, Bishop Patrick Farrelly, Paul Clough, Fr. Edward Crowley, Fr. John Carroll, Bruce Baker, Ivan McLeod, Leila Walsh, Dot Clarke, Max Mulvihill, Jack Mulvihill, Molly Forrester, Sam Pirrottina, Maria Metz, Jack Unterrheiner

RECENTLY DECEASED: Michael Homeming, Trevor Laverty, Daphne Wilson, Raymond Rogers, Maria Junge, Toni Mesnik, Fr Bill Mills, Joan Roseworn, Bonnie Dawson, Leo Grant

SPECIAL INTENTION: Late Fr. Edward Crowley (90th Birthday)

If you wish us to visit any family members who are in hospital or infirm, please notify the office.

A special Birthday wish goes to Rex Lawrence! The whole parish community is wishing you a Happy 80th Birthday!!!

Ministry Roster—20th & 21st of May 2017

Nambucca Heads 6:00 PM

Macksville 8:00 AM

Bowraville

9:30 AM

Commentator J Ryan B Wall B Wells

Reader J Summerville J Hallam M Dalsanto

Extra-ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

B Hawkes, F Wesley, M Tait H Murphy, P Wolf, P Moroney J O’Reilly

Procession of Gifts Children’s Liturgy B & J Costa T & A Argent

Greeters/Hospitality Betty/ Melina L Gurtman, B McBride

Altar Servers P & T Smith R Gleeson, E Costa, A Thompson

Sacristan C Hong U Goodwin

Counters Barlett Family

Church Caring Volunteer pls H Forrester/ Volunteer pls

Nambucca Heads’ Tickets on sale this week.

BAPTISM PREPARATION COURSE

All parents wanting their children baptised in the Nambucca Valley Parish are asked to attend a Baptismal Preparation evening. Next course is on Thursday, 25th May 2017, 7pm at Macksville Parish Office.

For bookings and further inquiries, please call the Parish office.

It takes someone brave to

be a Mother, someone

strong to raise a child and

someone Special to love

someone more than herself..

Thank you for all the heartfelt prayers and support. I’m on the road to recovery from my surgery — Gwenda Freeman