St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Kogarah

Sunday, July 3

20220703 14 Sunday Ordinary C

Heartbeats from your Parish Priest  Fr Eduardo

We are called and sent to bring the deep peace of the kingdom of God into the world. Peace is so beautiful but hard to achieve or lived by. It is the “order of tranquillity,” it is the work of justice and the effect of justice (CCC#2304). With all the troubles in the world especially now in Ukraine and Russia (and China, among others), and even in our country and the surrounds,  it is hard to find and cherish peace and rejoicing. But we can. Peace is not just the absence of war, but peace s more of the heartbeats of the heart.

Farewell for Fr Ruwan last Sunday at the 10am Mass followed by Fellowship in the Hall

We thank the Lord for the ministry of Fr Ruwan in our parish in the last 12 months. Fr Ruwan will be returning to Sri Lanka soon. His final Mass for us was last Sunday, 26 June. He has been our Part-time Assistant Priest while ministering to his own Sri Lankan Community all over NSW and beyond in Australia, while doing some doctoral studies at Western Sydney University. We wish him blessings in his future ministry.

NB: Without an Assistant Priest or ordained minister with me from now on I have to make adjustments, i.e. Mass schedules, Mass times, etc... The demands might be too big for me. Please pray for me, for discernment. Thank you.

Word of God for us this Sunday

We are called and sent to bring the deep peace of the kingdom of God into the world. The prophet Isaiah (1st Reading) proclaims a joyful time of peace that flows like a river from the healing, comforting love of God, which is compared to the intimate, tender bond between a mother and a baby. The same spirit of contented happiness is reflected in today’s Psalm of jubilation, where the whole earth cries out with joy to the Lord. The members of the Early Church community in Galatia are encouraged to be at peace with one another through Christ, who makes us a new creation in him. Christ is the source of all peace and unity in the world (2nd Reading).

In the Gospel, Jesus sends seventy-two of his followers ahead of him. He is confident that they will have all they need for their mission through all they have learnt from following his way. He instructs them to bring his peace and healing into the communities that they visit.

In a world that cries out more than ever for the peace of Christ, especially for the people of Ukraine, this is our calling today. Jesus stands among us and sends us before him, to declare his peace and to heal and encourage people in the knowledge that the Kingdom of God is very near. Let us pray that the whole Christian community will joyfully answer this call.

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time