3^rd Sunday in Lent (Year C)

LENT – A TIME FOR CHECKING OUR ATTITUDE TO GOD

It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. Familiarity can certainly breed presumptuousness – the tendency to take things for granted. The gospel this week warns us about being presumptuousness towards God – taking God for granted. Lent is a time when we are invited to revisit our attitude to God and ensure that we are humble enough to accept God as our Lord and guide.

The gospel begins with two stories unique to the gospel of Luke, in which Jesus challenges the widely held presumption among the leaders and people of Israel that tragedy was the effect of sin and God's wrath. Jesus makes it clear to his audience that the tragedies which befell the Galileans and the people crushed by the tower at Siloam did not happen because they were great sinners and had been cursed by God. Jesus did not offer an explanation as to why these tragedies happened. Rather, in the tradition of the prophets before him, he used these events to warn the people about the urgent need for repentance – that no one could be sure when their time on earth, and hence, their opportunity for repentance, would end. Moreover, just because things in a person's life were going well did not mean that he or she need not repent. The need for repentance was ongoing and universal.

In contrast to these two tragedies, the story about the fig tree is included in the gospels of Matthew and Mark as well as Luke. However, in Matthew and Mark, Jesus merely curses the tree as unfruitful. Only in Luke does Jesus give the fig tree another chance to bear fruit. Luke presents a God who, while demanding repentance, is also remarkably patient and merciful. This is not the hard God promoted by the religious leaders and the people. This is a God who “hangs in there” with sinners when common sense would suggest that they be abandoned. This is a God who yearns that people discover how much God loves them, how noble they can be and how much God yearns for their freedom from sin. [Fr Paul]

Parish Pastoral Plan (2009-2013) – Familiarisation Gathering

All parishioners are invited to a Familiarisation Gathering on Saturday 27th March 2010, in the Borromeo Hall.

The purpose of the Gathering is to familiarise those attending with the content of the Parish Pastoral Plan (2009-2013) and to discuss the best ways of animating the Plan in our community.

The day will begin with Morning tea at 9:30am to 10:00am, and then meeting together until 3:30pm, with a lunch break from 12:30 to 1:15pm. Morning tea and lunch will be supplied.

Last year, the Parish Pastoral Council focused on developing the Plan. In February 2009, Council members undertook a planning weekend at St Josephs’ Conference Centre, Baulkham Hills with Br Aengus Kavanagh FSP and Sr Leone Pallisier, OSU. At that meeting, members agreed on a process of consultation and review. With ongoing assistance from Br Aengus, the Council took this process forward, culminating in two Parish Assemblies in the Borromeo Hall on Sunday 16th August and Wednesday 19th August 2009. The Council Executive completed the final text of the Plan after these assemblies. The text was formally accepted and ritually blessed at all Sunday Masses on the 19th & 20th September 2009.

The Plan details our Parish mission for the next four years. Because it is the result of extensive consultation and prayer, it is a broadly representative, inclusive and inspired document. It ensures that the future of the parish need not be slave to the agenda of the Parish Priest or a favoured “clique”, but represents everyone who participated in the consultation process. It offers a concrete map for the future of our parish and a way for us to measure progress. It enables us to harness resources and prioritise energies efficiently and empathetically for the glory of God and the benefit of parishioners and others.

For these reasons, the Plan is a highly valuable and potent resource – but only if it is familiar to, and supported by, parishioners. A major challenge is to make the Plan better known and appreciated by members of our community. The obvious starting point for this process is the group of parishioners who exhibit leadership and commitment in our parish. You are part of this group. The Familiarisation Gathering will enable participants to know more about the content and implementation of the Plan. It is an important meeting. It would be wonderful if you could participate.

For planning and catering, please let the Parish Office know if you are attending, by Thursday 25th March 2010.

Thank you for your valued offer to assist our community in implementing the Plan.

Fr Paul Monkerud