Advent 1 Sunday A - Stay Awake

Fr. Jude Botelho:

Dear Friend,
We spend much of our time waiting. We wait for a job, we wait for healing, we wait for the dawn, and we wait in queues for buses and trains. We wait for purchases we make, and we wait for surfing the internet. Sometimes waiting can be boring and frustrating, at other times waiting can be exciting and hopeful, especially when we know what we are waiting for. Have we waited for God? Are we ready to wait for Him? Are we prepared to wait for a long time until He comes? Have an eager and exciting weekend awaiting Him! - Fr. Jude

Cockroach - Our Reactions

Sunder Pichai-Cockroach Theory -Don’t miss to read

A beautiful speech by Sundar Pichai - an IIT-MIT Alumnus and Global Head Google Chrome:

The Broken Cutlery at the Store and Insurance

I was at the grocery store this morning and heard a loud crash and something shattering. Being nosy, I walked towards the sound and saw some people whispering and looking back to the end of the next aisle. When I walked down that aisle, I saw an older lady had hit a shelf containing dishes with her cart and many had fallen to the ground and broke. She was kneeling on the floor embarrassed, frantically picking up the shattered pieces, while her husband was peeling off the bar code from each broken dish saying “Now we will have to pay for all this!”

31st Sunday C - Zacchaeus

Nov 2: All Souls' Day

Testimony by Fr. Paddy: When I was young, the devotion to the Holy Souls was very popular. People offered Masses for the Holy Souls. On All Souls Day each Priest offered three Masses, people came in great numbers for the Masses and they visited the Church often during the day to gain indulgences by their prayers. Even today relatives have Mass offered for their loved ones on their anniversary, birthday, Christmas and Easter. Sadly, however, prayer for the Holy Souls is not as popular as in times past. If I were to ask what is the best thing you can do for a loved one who has died what would you say? A funeral to talk about them? A nice grave and headstone? A tree, plant or a beautiful flower? Have a wonderful reception?  Yes all those things are nice. But the best gift is prayer because that is the only thing that can help them on their journey to the Lord. I have put at the end of my will, “Please don’t spend time talking about me, spend time praying for me.” For it is a holy and wholesome thing to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sin. (Oct 30, 2009) (sacredheartparish@xtra.co.nz) 

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Stewardship Sunday

1: “The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness” (Ps 24: 1): On one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the world stands the Royal Exchange in London’s financial district. Carved across the top of the Royal Exchange are the words, “The Earth is the Lord’s.” This is, or should be, a constant reminder to those who are caught up in that financial world that they are merely stewards. How wonderful it would be if, over the Royal Exchange of my heart and yours, we could always see those words and remember that God is the owner; we are the stewards.

Mission Sunday - Oct 20

When Hudson Taylor was director of the China Inland Mission, he often interviewed candidates for the mission field. On one occasion, he met with a group of applicants to determine their motivations for service. "And why do you wish to go as a foreign missionary?" he asked one. "I want to go because Christ has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," was the reply. Another said, "I want to go because millions are perishing without Christ." Others gave different answers. Then Hudson Taylor said, "All of these motives, however good, will fail you in times of testings, trials, tribulations, and possible death. There is but one motive that will sustain you in trial and testing; namely, the love of Christ".
Source Unknown.