From the desk of Father Geoff

VIDEO HOMILIES
Visit my Youtube channel to view all my homilies and talks:  https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant2066

THIS SUNDAY:  Homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A):  https://youtu.be/h7DIpwq2y0k

Homily for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ:  https://youtu.be/pE0w0SmHeb8

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Trinity:  https://youtu.be/O1hOPNb9T18

ASH WEDNESDAY TO EASTER

ASH WEDNESDAY REFLECTION, CLICK HERE:  https://youtu.be/dk1j8qsJQO4

HOMILY FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, CLICK HERE:  https://youtu.be/iRoTz8Awjxc

HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT, CLICK HERE:  https://youtu.be/T9HvL1GfOME

HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, CLICK HERE:  https://youtu.be/Y3QiYSw4pRs

HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, CLICK HERE:  https://youtu.be/_1s08SmQvsU

HOMILY FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, CLICK HERE:  https://youtu.be/oeNjgQWNQUc

HOMILY FOR PALM (PASSION) SUNDAY:  https://youtu.be/wlzD2NNKn6g

HOMILY FOR HOLY THURSDAY: https://youtu.be/qk3KUFNE_eY

HOMILY FOR GOOD FRIDAY:  https://youtu.be/Tdcdh1sPkgM

EASTER TO PENTECOST

HOMILY FOR EASTER SUNDAY:  https://youtu.be/X_mWlgz693w

HOMILY FOR THE 2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER:  https://youtu.be/Gb7Sihjw18w

HOMILY FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER:  https://youtu.be/hdx_Ml-j1ZQ

HOMILY FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER:  https://youtu.be/XhTb53OP_OA

HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER:  https://youtu.be/6Sv5A1hH3Gg

HOMILY FOR THE 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER:  https://youtu.be/8-ag94dE6yo

HOMILY FOR THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD:  https://youtu.be/2xIz1ODRsFo

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF PENTECOST:  https://youtu.be/NumQZT781vQ

INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE

I’m currently working on a series of introductory talks on the Bible.  They are designed for people who are unfamiliar with the Bible, or for those who would like a refresher course.  

Talk 1 asks the basic question, “Why do we need a sacred text like the Bible?”  To watch Talk 1, click here:  http://bit.ly/1AwZDfM

Talk 2 looks at the importance of story.  Each of us has a story, and our story consists of all the people, places and events that make us the unique individual that we are.  To lose our story is to lose our identity.  To watch Talk 2, click here:  http://youtu.be/6Ze7OkLmgdA

The Christian Bible is made up of the Old and New Testaments.  Talk 3 takes a look at the Old Testament.  What’s in the Old Testament, and what kind of literature are we dealing with?  To watch Talk 3, click here:  http://youtu.be/_rnkohhp94k

Talks 4 and 5 look at the New Testament.  What’s in the New Testament, and who finally decided which books would be included in the New Testament?  To watch Talk 4, click here: http://youtu.be/Rg41oHGrOhM       To watch Talk 5, click here:  http://youtu.be/5kA0oXYmYA8

Talk 6 look at the historical background of the biblical story.  There is no text without context, so what is the historical context of the biblical story.  Click here to watch Talk 6:  http://youtu.be/Btt0P7axkNs

Talk 7 offers an overview of the four gospels.  What is a gospel and why were the gospels written?  What's in the gospels?  Click here to watch Talk 7:  https://youtu.be/hUKRCLiXgAU

NEW TESTAMENT WORDS

TALK 1:  I'm currently working on a series of talks that looks at key New Testament words as we find them in the Greek New Testament.  When we read the New Testament in English we are reading it in translation.  The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, the popular or common form of the Greek language spoken from around 300 BC until about 300 AD.  The Italians have a saying, Traduttore Traditore - the translator is a traitor.  There’s nothing sinister implied in that saying; it cleverly highlights the difficult task confronting any translator.  How do you express in English the full dynamism of a text written in another language, in this case the Koine Greek?  Each talk in this series will look at key New Testament word in the Greek New Testament and try to see how it was used and understood in its original first century context.  Click here to watch Talk 1:http://youtu.be/i5e9tuRiREI 

TALK 2:  The Greek Alphabet.  Since each talk in this series focuses on a key word from the Greek New Testament, it would be helpful to learn the Greek alphabet.  This talk offers a basic introduction to the Greek alphabet, as it would have been pronounced in koine Greek.  Click here to watch Talk 2:   http://youtu.be/mup7vQv4YLM

TALK 3:  New Testament Words:  Ἰησοῦς (Iesous-Jesus).   The name Ἰησοῦς (Iesous) is a Greek translation of the Hebrew name Yehoshua.  Our pronunciation, Jesus, comes to us from the Greek via the Latin, Iesus.  Click here to watch Talk 3:  http://youtu.be/c0XpsgcuJ9E

TALK 4:  New Testament Words:  Χριστός (Christos - Christ).  What does the word Christ mean, and what does it mean to call Jesus the Christ?  Click here to watch Talk 4:  http://youtu.be/ZccVrWlfhWU

TALK 5:  New Testament Words:  Ἀρχηγὸς (Archegos).  A title given to Jesus, but found only four times in the New Testament.  Click here to watch Talk 5:  http://youtu.be/9PZgedon6ik

TALK 6:  New Testament Words:  Tέκτων (tektōn).  In Mark’s gospel we learn that Jesus was a tektōn, a word that most bibles translate as carpenter.  What did it mean to be a tektōn in first century Palestine?  Click here to watch Talk 6:  http://youtu.be/YxFzvg9amks

TALK 7:  New Testament Words:  Mετάνοια (metanoia).  Metanoia is usually translated as “repentance”, but what does that mean?  Click here to watch Talk 7:  http://youtu.be/CbW47nvJ4bQ

TALK 8:  New Testament Words: Παράκλητος (paraklētos).  Jesus is called a Paraklētos as is the Holy Spirit.  We don’t have an exact equivalent in English, which is why some translations use the word Paraclete.  What does the word mean, and what is it saying about Jesus and the Holy Spirit?  Click here to watch Talk 8:  http://youtu.be/wmq_YaNjxu0

TALK 9:  New Testament Words: εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion).  Our English word Gospel is a translation of the Greek εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) which means “good news”.  Click here to watch Talk 9:  http://youtu.be/iU7VKCj7iZo

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

This talk is an introduction to Christian meditation.  Because we’re constantly thinking about one thing or another, our mind is often likened to a tree full of noisy, playful monkeys.  This form of meditation, using a prayer word or mantra, seeks to still the mind and rest in silence in the presence of God.   Click here if you’d like to learn more about Christian meditation:  http://bit.ly/1rEmC3I

WHO IS THE POPE?

When Pope Benedict resigned I prepared this talk about the election of a pope.  Who is the pope, how is he elected, and by whom?  If you’d like to learn more, click here:  http://bit.ly/1qKv83u

Walking the Camino from Leon to Santiago de Compostela

A number of parishioners joined me in 2014 to walk the Camino from Leon to Santiago de Compostela.  Click here to view a photographic meditation of our pilgrimage:  http://youtu.be/dgKS79tsH1Q 

A Photographic meditation on Gethsemani Abbey

In 2011 I made a two weeks' retreat at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, USA.  Gethsemani was the Cistercian abbey where Thomas Merton lived, and this year is the 100th anniversary of his birth.  Clink on the link to view my meditation on Gethsemani, including my visit to Thomas Merton's hermitage in the grounds of the monastery.  The background music comes from the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos.  Here's the link:  http://youtu.be/PyWeMwafPwA

From Atheist to Catholic

I’d like you to meet Jennifer Fulwiler.  Jennifer grew up an atheist and was received into the Catholic Church in 2007, along with her husband.  She tells the story of of her conversion in her book Something Other than God.  (You can buy it through Fishpond - $28.92, postage free).  Hear something of her story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ9vGKfZJCE (Note: the audio is a little soft).  Another link to a lecture in which she also tells her story can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Ab6l0q784   In these talks Jennifer talks about her personal journey from atheism to Christianity, and more specifically, to Catholicism.  You can also check out her website: http://jenniferfulwiler.com/

WORTH WATCHING!

Fr James Martin SJ has an interesting series on the saints entitled "Who cares about the saints?"  Each episode is a brief (about 10 minutes) overview of the life of a saint, such as St Francis of Assisi, or St Ignatius.  But Fr Martin also profiles the lives of other people who are not yet saints, such as Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day.  So, have a look:

Our Lady:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJgiK9PTtwg
St Joseph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm1rUs39XWY
Pope Saint John XXIII:  http://bit.ly/1tuFnsJ
St Francis of Assisi:  http://bit.ly/1lUMFqY
Dorothy Day:  http://bit.ly/1uk4HnR
Thomas Merton:  http://bit.ly/1iTR8Yw
Mother Teresa:  http://bit.ly/1uHZy7n
St Peter:  http://bit.ly/1wfCtdh
St Joan of Arc:  http://bit.ly/1qfZb5w
St Bernadette:  http://bit.ly/1tJjVnI
St Ignatius:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZLuk_X8u0

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

Anglican Scripture scholar and bishop, N.T. (Tom) Wright presents an excellent program on the resurrection of Jesus.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqc7--CaCpM

SPIRITUALITY AND THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF LIFE: ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL

A talk by Fr ronald Rolheiser OMI.  http://bit.ly/1tJjVUw

 

Latest News

A Call for new Children's Liturgy Room Leaders and Assistants

We are just about to put together a new roster for Children’s Liturgy and want to put out a call for anyone interested in joining this ministry as a leader or assistant. Commitment is once or twice a term at the 9:30am Sunday mass. As the leader there is a manual to follow and other resources provided.  If you’d like more information please contact the Children’s Liturgy Co-ordinator, Susanne Kruusamagi on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rosters for Senior Servers, Altar Servers, Lectors, Wardens and Greeters at St Michael’s

We have trialled an on-line roster system for our church rosters with the Parish Counters and will now introduce it for the next St Michael’s roster period for all of the rosters listed above. It is known as SignUp and the user only needs an invitation via email to participate. We aim to cut out the amount of email you receive from us as you will go straight to the roster and sign on instead of sending your availability via the Parish office. It also has a swap system if you need to change your rostered day.  The system can be accessed from your computer, mobile or tablet. You don’t need a password but do need to receive an invitation email from the Parish office to participate. Therefore, if you currently volunteer for any of the rosters listed above at St Michael’s and need to update your email address please contact Lisa in the Parish office as invitations will be emailed out next week. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . In the interim you may wish to have a look at www.SignUp.com

Pilgrimage to Rome - September 2017


One of our parishioners, Matthew Meagher, is currently studying for the priesthood in Rome.  He will be ordained to the diaconate on Thursday, September 28, 2017, in St Peter’s Basilica.  
Fr Geoffrey is organising a parish pilgrimage to Rome to coincide with Matthew’s ordination to diaconate.  The week-long pilgrimage commences in Rome on September 27 and includes seven nights’ accommodation at Domus Australia.  For more information, collect a pilgrimage pack from any of the entrances to the church.  Matthew is currently studying in Rome at the North American College, and the College has given us a link to their website for those interested in finding out more about the ordinations to the diaconate.  Go to:  https://www.pnac.org/diaconate-ordination/welcome  

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land October 9-24, 2017

Fr Geoffrey will lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Footsteps of Jesus, departing Australia on October 9.  Cost, including airfares, is $4990.   For more information, please take a brochure from the pamphlet rack.   The brochure lists the full itinerary. This pilgrimage is being organised by Harvest Journeys.  You can contact them on this till free number 1800 819 156.  Visit the website of Harvest Journeys:  http://www.harvestpilgrims.com/

 

Pope Francis' Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation

That’s a bit of a mouthful, but Pope Francis has just released this document, titled in Latin Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), on marriage and the family.  Amoris Laetitia gathers together the contributions of the two Synods on the family convoked by Pope Francis in 2014 and 2015, and draws on a long history of Church teaching.   Click here to read Pope Francis' Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family:  http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia.html

Social Justice Update - Teresa House Homeless Shelter

We now have over sixty people who have volunteered, which will guarantee the success of opening Teresa House on a Thursday night. Current numbers indicate that any volunteers will only need to commit to once every three months for either the dinner or the night shift, which is fantastic.  If you wish to find out more you can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as it is not too late to get involved. 

Archbishop's Pastoral Letter for the Consecrated Life

Copies of Archbishop Fisher’s pastoral letter for the Year of Consecrated Life are available in the foyer of the church.  Alternatively, you can watch the Archbishop deliver his message on Youtube.  Click here: https://youtu.be/O-yDId_Wsy4

Social Justice Statement

The Australian Catholic Bishops annual Social Justice Statement for 2015-16 is For Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas: Justice for refugees an asylum seekers. For those interested you can access the statement and information on actions we can take at http://www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/publications/social-justice-statements#SJS2015 

Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment

Pope Francis has just released an Encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’.  The name of this encyclical comes from its opening words, “Laudato si’ mi’ Signore” (Praise be to you, my Lord).  In the words of this beautiful canticle, St Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home (planet Earth) is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.  “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.”  Pope Francis makes the point that “this sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her.”  To read Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment (Laudato Si'), click here:  http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

ROSTERS FOR SENIOR SERVERS, LECTORS, ALTAR SERVERS AND WARDENS 

The latest rosters are now available for download.  Go to "Rosters" on the homepage.

SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS ABOUT THE PARISH FROM THE 2011 NATIONAL CENSUS 

The following information about parish demographics is taken from the 2011 national census.  The total number of people living in the parish is 31,512 (36,119 in 2006). 

The Catholic population of the parish is 9,320 (10,036 in 2006) - i.e. 29.6% of the parish is Catholic (up from 27.8% in 2006).  The percentage of Catholics nationwide is 25.29%. 

Other statistics relating to the parish: No religion: 24.79%;  Anglicans: 17.54%;  Orthodox Christians: 2.7%; Other Christians: 9.8%; Non-Christian religion: 8%; Religion not stated: 7.6%.

The median age of Catholics in this parish is 35 years.  There are 3,214 Catholic families in the parish, and 753 Catholics live alone.  Forty-three per cent of Catholics in the parish have a university degree (up from 38% in 2006), and 66% of Catholic students living in the parish attend a Catholic school (down from 70% in 2006). 

WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECKS 

All parishioners who have a parish ministry that involves working with children must obtain a Working with Children Check number.  At St Michael’s this means: Catechists, those helping with children’s liturgy, and senior servers.  People who do not have  a WWW check number will not be able to work with children.  Because you work on a volunteer basis, there is no charge.  Paid employees must pay an $80 fee.
Step 1:  This is an online process.  The website that you must go to is: www.newcheck.kids.nsw.gov.au 
Step 2:  Once you have accessed the website, click on “Start Here”.  You go to the “For individuals” section (not “For employers”), and click on “Apply”.  That will open up the online application form which will ask you for your personal details.  It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete the form.  The information you give on this form must match your “proof of identity” document (e.g. your driver’s licence).  In the section, “purpose for the check”, make sure you click “volunteer”.
Step 3:  You will receive an application receipt number, beginning with APP.
Step 4:  You must then go to a Motor Registry Office with your APP number and proof of identity (e.g. a NSW driver’s licence).
Step 5:  The parish must then verify that you have received a Working With Children Check Number.  Your check will be valid for five years.
If you have any questions, please contact the parish office.