PNG ELECTIONS IN PROGRESS, STATEMENT BY BISHOP ROCHUS TATAMAI MSC

STATEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE NATIONAL ELECTIONS:

Background:

Like all Democratic States that exist the Independent State of Papua New Guinea on the 16th September 1975 at the enactment of its Constitution, and subsequent to its independence, entered into an invisible contract with its own people. The two (2) contracting parties to this invisible Contract are the Independent State of Papua New Guinea which is the legally circumscribed structure or government system and the Nation of Papua New Guinea which comprised of the people or indigenous citizens of Papua New Guinea.

This invisible contract is commonly referred to as “Social Contract” in which the ostensible contractual essence is the meeting of two minds (Consensus ad idem) where the willing people give their power to the State in exchange for the Common good from the State in the form of the Delivery of goods and service and Protection of lives and properties. This Social Contract between the Nation of Papua New Guinea and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea is often renewed every five years when citizens exercise their constitutional rights by going to the polls to choose from amongst themselves 111 people of their individual choice, to represent them and their common good. This individual preference is done through an election process.

With much anticipation the Nation of Papua New Guinea for the last five (5) years, since the last election, have waited on the Independent State of Papua New Guinea to deliver the much proclaimed of “a free, fair and safe election”, that moment has now arrived.

From what we have witnessed through the Media reports and eventful first-hand experiences over the last few days as the Nation of Papua New Guinea went to the polls, there has been an utterly disrespectful display of contempt against our humane citizenship. It is very embarrassing to the international community and a national disgraceful to us as a descent people, and a nation, more so, as an independent State, especially as a member State of the Commonwealth of Nations to which “Rule of Law” is the authoritative norm that sets the foundation of Democracy, and yet, to be experiencing such undisciplined and highly questionable circumstances that draw negative impressions that are generating conflicting reports as well as confusion and frustration amongst the general population as a whole.

While those amongst us entrusted the constitutional task to assist in the delivering of a free, fair and safe election are trying their very best to make it happen the way it is intended to be, yet at the same time truly frustrating to note that nearly in all districts and provinces at the 11th hour all polling booths have encountered overwhelming discrepancies in the following terms:

1. Numerous, if not most, eligible voter’s names are not on the common roll.
   It must be well noted that one among the number of priorities of the incumbent government was their national assurance to the citizens that they will ensure all the relevant and thorough preparations and appropriate procedures necessary for the successful delivery of the 2017 election were concurrent and guaranteed.

There was good budget commitments with so much money was spent by the Independent State of Papua New Guinea on a number of common roll updating exercises, and valuable resources such as time was exhausted to implement the exercise by the Local-Level and Provincial Governments to assist the Electoral Commission compile what was deemed the most updated and anticipated accurate Common Roll. This however, has obviously not been done and as a result the Electoral Commissioner has directed the use of the preliminary 2012 common roll which has been superseded by the current one but has proven unreliable. What happens now to those who are deceased in the meantime? How about those who had since entered their eligible age for voting at 18?

Those who are responsible must be dealt with according to law as it is their duty to ensure this election is fair by properly updating the common roll to give the opportunity to everyone to exercise their constitutional right by casting their votes. Turning citizens away at the polling booths because they have no name on the common roll is in itself an act of the abortion of natural course of justice and those responsible must be dealt with accordingly.

2. Financial and Logistics problem
   The lack of Logistics and funds to support the quest to deliver a free, fair and safe election is an exhibition of incompetency and lack of both management and administrative skills by those who are constitutionally charged with the duty to successfully deliver such an election. They were expected to competently prepare and plan to deliver the election with minimum logistical related problems with due respect to our typical geographical and lack of infra-structural challenges. The question goes begging as to how far were the levels and degrees of preparedness were those responsible people tasked with this constitutional duty were they really ready for such an important national political event as National General Elections happens only every five years.

Tasked with such constitutional duty and having prior acknowledgement and official ownership that there was shortage or scarcity of funds and related resources that will badly affect the successful delivery of a free fair and safe election one would have expected there be a realistic and manageable “PLAN B” to properly executed and accommodate any unforeseeable discrepancies to ensure that the election is carried out, with minimum disruptions, according to plan and on budget.

3. The overwhelming use of counterfeit or fake ballot papers.
   These are very worrying and disturbing reports and observations as far as National Security Intelligence System and our Sovereign credibility as a Nation is concerned. What wisdom and common decency behind the printing of ballot papers outside of our jurisdiction which may have prompted some people with evil intent or wrong interest to produce ballot papers of identical face. Such tendency and decision to print ballot papers for a constitutional election out and external of concerned jurisdiction is in itself an act that impeaches on our National Security Intelligence System and ridiculously undermines our Sovereignty. Such a decision with serious National implication would have been done with due care, pride and security consciousness.

One may ask a simple yet fundamental question whether such decision and action of printing ballot papers externally is NOT in itself an act of trading off our dear national pride. Even a mere physical appearance and presence of an only one counterfeit ballot paper is already overwhelming proof of incompetence and mal-conduct. Furthermore a ballot box filled with counterfeit ballot papers is simply a disaster, ridiculous, and saddening, and must be condemned in every strongest sense of the word.

4. The inconsistency in the supply of Ballot Papers.
   There have been also reported situations around the country where a number of polling booths have been either under-supplied with Ballot Papers or oversupplied. This again raises the issue of planning and management as to what has happened to the production of the ten (10) million ballot papers, or what is intended to happen, when we only have around four (4) million eligible voters. Why has there been no proper coordination over the allocation, distribution and supply of ballot papers. This is another fatal factor as to why people have not been able to demonstrate their democratic rights to cast their votes due to the non-availability or undersupply of ballot papers.
5. The Irregular and unprofessional conduct of Electoral Officials.
   Ø The stern refusal by the Electoral Commissioner to replace certain Electoral Officials at the request of the citizens for having had involvement in previous election related incidences, allegations and misconducts that had compromised their impartiality and credibility.
   Ø The boycotting of polling officials over non-payments of camping allowances which has disrupted the smooth flow of polling.
   Ø The convoying and transfer of Ballot boxes and Ballot papers without proper Police Escort and Scrutiny.
   Ø The discovery of counterfeit and fake ballot papers which has resulted in a number of disposals by burning.
   Ø The surprising and hasty decision to overturn or disrupt schedule election activities like polling even when the people are ready.
   Ø The non-payment of outstanding bills for service providers.
   Ø The entering into certain contracts by polling officials with candidates
   Ø The voluntary assumption of risk by electoral official by not utilizing the telegraphic or electronic money transfer but opting to carry around large sums of cash to pay polling officials at the various polling stations drawing on themselves suspicions and causing unnecessary delays on the election process.
   Ø The unnecessary deployment of additional soldiers to certain selected places around the country to intimidate voters in the cover of security.
   Ø Tampering with ballot box and ballot papers
   Ø Impersonating voters and underage voting
   Ø And lack of fit and proper security for voters and the voting areas

All these had now brought to public discussion and debate the constitutional impartiality which in most cases has triggered public scrutiny and criticism that the election process may have been rigged and the rule of law trampled on and justice is compromised and the web of Democracy has been hosed down.

Hence, the Electoral Commission is essentially an Office established by the Constitution for the purpose of ensuring that any election every five years must always be fair, free and safe. This justifies the existence of this office and necessary budget commitment. It takes an interval of five years to properly prepare and deliver a successful free, fair and safe election.

The ultimate test on the capability and competence of this office is put to public scrutiny only during an election process every five years or in any by-election. The electoral Commission is the only Constitutional Office that has five years’ term to prepare then deliver in the election.

Therefore, to deliver an election in such a disturbing manner as we’re now experiencing so far is nothing more than an omission and absence of a statutory duty of care to the citizens, and the arrogant and careless way of doing it is nothing less than disregarding the national interest of Papua New Guinea and treating the citizens with disrespect and contempt.

These are substantial grounds to render this election unconstitutional and we joined all concerned citizens as well as many other responsible and concerned leaders with the general public express our utter frustration and disbelieve that such irregularities, discrepancies, inconsistencies and confusions are allowed to enter and ruin this democratic and constitutional process of the National General Election 2017. The office of the Electoral Commission and office holder had thus far demonstrated the inability to properly manage the delivery of a much anticipated successful Free, Fair and Safe election to the Nation of Papua New Guinea thus has in itself qualified him to disqualify himself.

END:

____________________________
ROCHUS JOSEF TATAMAI MSC
BISHOP OF BEREINA DIOCESE
PRESIDENT OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE OF PNG & SI

PROTEST AND DEMONSTRATION BY SISTERS, INJUSTICE OF THE EXPULSION FROM PNG OF DOUG TENNENT.

At the time of the deportation of Doug Tennent who worked for the Church of New Britain, this site published some comment and the open letter of the Archbishop of Rabaul.

Bishop Rochus Tatamai MSC of Bereina writes:

We need more volumes and choruses to demand what is transparent administration of justice for all. PNGs must take responsibility for our destiny guided and inspired by common sense, motivated by equality and justice for all, deeply rooted in Gospel and Kingdom values and the noble Melanesian traditions and values. We strive for equal opportunity and the well-being and common good for everyone in every place at all times.

There were a number of photos of a protest by sisters which are worth seeing.

LITURGY NOTES FOR THE 13TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Thirteenth Sunday of the Year

July 2, 2017

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday

(liturgy notes below)

Suggested formula for recognition of indigenous people and their land.

We respectfully remember the first people that live in our own respective areas and in honouring the memory of the traditional custodians we acknowledge with sorrow the immeasurable suffering caused to them and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by European colonisation.

We recognise with shame that such suffering still endures to the present generation.

We pray today with faith and hope for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and ourselves that God’s mercy and justice will walk in our lives, our communities and in the heart of our nation.

(Adapted from an acknowledgement used by the Sisters of Mercy, Parramatta)

or

We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we stand.

We pay our respects to them and for their care of the land.

May we walk gently and respectfully upon the land.

or

I acknowledge the living culture of the …….. people,

the traditional custodians of the land we stand on,

and pay tribute to the unique role they play in the life of this region.

Readings

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16    

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 89:2-3,16-17,18-19

Second Reading: Romans 6:3-4,8-11

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:37-42

Penitential Rite

1. When we welcome those who speak in your name, we welcome you. Jesus, have mercy.
2. When we have quenched the thirst of a disciple of yours, we have given to you. Christ, have mercy.
3. When we receive the least of our brothers and sisters, we receive you. Jesus, have mercy.

Opening Prayer

God of kindness and care,

Jesus, your Son, welcomes us into your presence

and speaks works of hope and nourishment..

May we be disposed to welcome into our presence those,

known and unknown to us,

who ask for justice , love and integrity.

Prayer over the Gifts

God of kindness and care,
your Son Jesus invites us
to share his table and to be his guests.
May we learn from him
to be hospitable to people
with openness and generosity.

Deliver Us

Deliver us, God of kindness and care,,

from sin and all fear
to witness to your presence amongst people

and to commit ourselves to your work
of justice, integrity and truth.
Fill us with your courage
to stand up for the freedom
and human dignity of our brothers and sisters,
that we may not distort the image of your Son.
Help us to prepare with joy and hope
the full coming among us
of Jesus Christ, our Brother.
R/ For the kingdom...

Prayer for Peace [before Communion]

Christ Jesus,
as the grains of wheat once scattered
have been gathered to become one bread,
you bring us together in your Church and as one people.
Look not on our sins
but may all who eat your body
remain in peace and unity
with you and one another,
that the world may know
that you are the peace between us
and that you are  one with us for ever and ever.

Prayer after Communion

God of kindness and care,
through our sharing in the body and blood of Jesus,

help us to be to those around us
his helping hand,
his smile of welcome,
his voice of encouragement and pardon,
and the face of his love.

General Intercessions

Introduction: Let us pray to our God who welcomes us in Christ that we may always encounter other people as persons loved and cherished. Let us pray: listen to your people, O God.

• May we appreciate and value the culture and beliefs of the First Peoples of this land on this Sunday of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, and condemn any threats to their true place on this land and to their human rights, let us pray: Listen to your people, O God.
  
  
• May we, as a nation, increasingly value the social, spiritual and cultural contributions of all people who have come to this land and of the first inhabitants of this land, let us pray: Listen to your people, O God.
  
  
• May the leaders of nations give up the senseless race for arms and set aside their hunger for power in order to seek genuine and lasting peace, especially in Syria, Iran, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan,  let us pray: Listen to your people, O God.
  
  
• That the leaders of Churches and Governments in this country may be true guides in the way of justice and reconciliation so that God’s reign may be established, let us pray: Listen to your people, O God.
  
  

·         May those in authority be open to all without favouritism and make all people aware that they participate in responsibility for the whole People of God, let us pray: Listen to your people, O God.

·         May missionaries welcome the cultural and religious values of the people to whom they are sent and help them discover the Christi who has been present among them, let us pray: Listen to your people, O God.

·         May those who live on the edge of society, those who are homeless, addicted, those who are poor, sick and elderly, the misunderstood, those whose are strangers, may encounter understanding and welcome in people around them, let us pray: Listen to your people, O God.

·         May the Australian community not tolerate within it any form of abuse, injustice, prejudice or discrimination but be openhearted to all, let us pray: R/ Listen to your people, O God.

Concluding Prayer: Loving God, we believe you have heard our prayers. Help us to welcome one another and their differences, that you may welcome us and stay with us for ever. R/ Amen.

Dates

July 2 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday   Theme: Anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me

Resources for Sunday Celebration http://www.natsicc.org.au/assets/atsisunday_2017_web_ready_2.pdf

July 2-9 NAIDOC Week

Further Resources

 True religion affirms the world

and seeks to guide us

into ever deeper experience

 within the world. 

                                                        Alfred North Whitehead.

Ecumenical Prayer for Peace

Loving God,

you are the mother and father of all of us.

We thank you for your creation

and for creating us all in your image and likeness.

According to your will

all people are spiritual beings of infinite worth.

Before you,

every human being has equal rights and equal dignity.

Thank you for sharing our joys and sorrows

by sending Jesus to be our Brother.

We acknowledge that we have disfigured your creation

and failed to care for it.

There is so much pain in the world,

so many people are hurting because of selfishness and greed.

We all share responsibility for the wrongs of the past

and therefore we are all called to create a better future

We know that at times we can be victims,

open our eyes to see the ways in which we are victimizers.

Forgive us for every time we have treated another human being badly

because we saw their difference and were blind to our common humanity.

Open our eyes wide to see the pain of others,

open our ears to listen to the stories of people who have lost hope.

We want to follow your son Jesus,

who was moved by compassion and responded to suffering and injustice.

Set us alight with an undying passion to work for healing

and the peace which is the fruit of struggles for justice.

We know that it is only through listening to you

that we can live out your dream for all people.

Holy God let me not forget that you walk beside us

on the road to wholeness.

Help us to work with you to create a world

in which we live together as brothers and sisters.

Help us to acknowledge to You and one another

our own brokenness and need for healing.
Loving God,

let me too become a wounded healer and a sign of hope.

Amen

Fr. Michael Lapsley, SSM Cape Town, South Africa

Be joyful in hope,

 patient in affliction,

faithful in prayer.
Share with God's people

who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Romans 12

‘Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.’
Anne Lamott Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

‘It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's the help you receive when you have no bright ideas left, when you are empty and desperate and have discovered that your best thinking and most charming charm have failed you. Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are as startled and embarrassed and eventually grateful as you are to be there.’
Anne Lamott Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

‘...most of the time, all you have is the moment, and the imperfect love of the people around you.’
Anne Lamott Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

Gracious religion will be gentle, because creating a new world is delicate work. It will be humble, since our visions of this new world will often differ. It will be open, seeking common ground, even as it explores our diversity. Finally gracious religion will be compassionate, unwilling to leave anyone behind.                                               

Philip Gulley and James Mulholland If God is Love

‘In a global culture driven by excessive individualism, our tradition proclaims that the person is not only sacred but also social. The Catholic tradition teaches that human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community.’ 

US Bishops, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions

‘In the Sunday Eucharist, the believing heart opens wide to embrace all aspects of the church. But . . . far from trying to create a narrow 'gift' mentality, St. Paul calls rather for a demanding culture of sharing, to be lived not only among the members of the community itself but in society as a whole.’ 

Pope John Paul II

‘Beginning our discussion of the rights of the human person, we see that everyone has the right to life, to bodily integrity, and to the means which are suitable for the proper development of life; these are primarily food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, and finally the necessary social services. Therefore a human being also has the right to security in cases of sickness, inability to work, widowhood, old age, unemployment, or in any other case in which one is deprived of the means of subsistence through no fault of one's own.’                   

Pope John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 11

‘In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.’

Thich Nhat Hanh,Vietnamese monk, peace activist and writer.

Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.                                                                                     

James Bryce

A Prayer
Mother - Father God:

Help us to hear the word and put it into practice.
Let us hear again the challenge of the great prophets.
Let us do what is right and love with enthusiasm.

Sophia – Wisdom: Help us to hear the word and put it into practice.
Help us to discern the way of peace.
Help us to discern the way of right action.

God of heaven and earth: Help us to hear the word and put it into practice.
Let us hear again the stories of our ancestors in faith.
Let us create new stories today – stories of faith in action.

God of peace and justice: Help us to hear the word and put it into practice.
Help us to listen to the world and the cries of those in need.
Help us to respond in solidarity with all those in need.

Holy Spirit: Help us to hear the word and put it into practice.
Fill us with an enthusiasm and joy for what is right and good.
Fill us with virtue that we might do what is good for all.                           

Center of Concern

Some reflections on the readings…….

There are so many seemingly disparate themes that emerge from this week’s readings but what emerges as a common thread is that God’s care, presence and protection is always available to God’s people. Paul tells his hearers that followers of Christ are called to embrace the life that is found in ‘righteousness’. Jesus clarifies this by saying that that this is lived and expressed in receiving, welcoming, and providing hospitality for even the least. And, God’s hospitality for us, and ours for one another in God’s name, defines ‘righteousness’.

A major statement in the gospel today is: 'The person receiving (welcoming) you receives me and the one receiving me receives the one who sent me.'  For Matthew we all share the same commission. We have the capacity to heal and restore and the capacity to disrupt and provoke.  And, the ‘good news’ is disruptive.  Relationships are reordered and kinship and social orders that defined these relationships are defied. Globally, hospitality can seem to make little sense when  we consider how it can be exercised across borders or to whole nations. The readings offer some suggestions. There is the challenge of intervening on behalf of people in our community who are sacrificed on the altars of ignorance, legalism and fear-based religion. This might be suggested for those who use the reading from Genesis today and the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. But even in our faith circles, many people have permitted a rhetoric to get a lot of oxygen that denounces other faiths on the basis of a few extremists.  There is also the call to speak truth to those who would proclaim the status quo and nothing needs to change or can change. But our hospitality must extend to the poor and marginalised where they become part of the conversation. There is the simple hospitality of receiving – accepting, serving and including – all people. We can provide hospitality by refusing to engage in stereotyping, pre-judging and rejecting others in our actions and speech. Hospitality includes refusing to engage in attitudes of exceptionalism, of being above or better than others. We offer hospitality by always being willing to listen, understand and welcome the stranger.

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a late Sunday night program on the radio. A young 23 year old college graduate (Andrew Forsthoefel) was being interviewed about an incredible journey he had embarked on in 2011. By the end of the interview I had already bought the book on Kindle and began reading it.  He had set off with books by Walt Whitman, Rainer Maria Rilke and Kahlil Gibran in his backpack and an eagerness to listen by walking 4000 miles from his back door, along the railway track, across the USA. A sign was attached to his backpack: ‘Walking to listen’. His 11-month reflective journey across America contains many heartfelt encounters with strangers who in one way or another opened their homes to him. Some, of course, even threatened him.  His book is called Walking to Listen: 4,000 Miles Across America, One Story at a Time. He writes about the uncertainties, melodramas, ambiguities, and loneliness of youth while describing his trip, reaching out to strangers as he meets widowers, waitresses, ranchers, veterans, religious leaders, mystics, glass blowers, delusional walkers, firefighters, Navajo drummers, artists, new fathers, and families. They shared their rich and varied perspectives on life. In the hospitality of listening he offered he in turn received hospitality in terms of food, logging, and more importantly, a hospitality of the heart. Maybe, he discovered a deeper presence below the surface of suffering and in the poor in those he met, as well as discovering that deeper presence in himself. 

Matthew emphasises the prophet's reward.  Welcoming/supporting 'the prophet' warrants the same reward.  Then he refers to the 'little ones'.  Caring is also ministry. These three verses are set side by side: welcoming Christ, supporting ministry, and caring for one another. This passage echoes Jesus’ final speech in Matthew 25 in the last judgement [the sheep and goats]. Fundamentally, caring for people in need (and not just those in our community or family) stands on the same level as our response to Christ.  Your response to me is your response to God.  Here it finds a radical answer. Matthew 10 says that no one is excluded.  It is inclusive. We are all involved in God's life and world.

Paul's message seems tough and he always seems to blow any chance of drawing a big Hillsong-kind of crowd of ecstatic followers. His call is a wake-up call. ‘Are you not aware that we who were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death?’  Our baptism and its recommitment at Eucharist call us to something different: to die to the values of friends and family; spend one’s energies for what is right, even if unpopular; to stick my neck out to heal a strained family relationship; to stand up at a meeting and defend the rights of undocumented people or those without property; to be the first to say, ‘Of course I forgive you’. In a word, it is going again and again to the peripheries and finding there, as Pope Francis has often reminded us, that it is on the peripheries with reall face to face people that we find the heart or centre of our mission

Baptism must make a difference in our lives: dying with Christ and receiving 'new life' must involve eventually seeing our lives differently; of not measuring the success or failure of our lives by our more prosperous or comfortable neighbours but using Jesus' life as our yardstick; of not measuring our lives by how clever we can be or how many honours we receive on the Queen’s Birthday; that God has brought life out of death; seeing what is sacrificial for the good of others and serves the needs of the poor, opens us to receive a new life unobtainable on our own.  We discover a deeper presence below the surface of suffering and in the poor.  Where we draw a dead end, God breaks through offering life and a new beginning.  Baptism is not a once and for all dying.  We face many deaths daily: dying to our narrow vision or narrow-mindedness; broadening our tent pegs where many and diverse people are included in our lives; opening our hearts and minds to Jesus' way of seeing others.

Jesus was, and still is, talking about what happens when people take the gospel seriously as a way of life.  Martin Luther King Jr. used to say that the Peace of God is not the absence of conflict but the presence of justice. This is not just about where we stand on issues or where we sit but who we sit with.  Church people judge speaking out on justice and peace issues as ‘whinging’. Too often the churches could be seen to function as branches of the public service!!

Paul refers to the suffering and death that may come our way as a result of living out our Baptism on a daily basis.  There are those who will try to hold us back, to be reasonable, to be sensible, to be practical, to be relevant, to be politically savvy and wait.  There are always those who will say the time for justice is something to talk slowly and ‘tread carefully’.

All of us suffer to some extent. I cannot say that I have suffered that much. The little that has come my way might have seemed unbearable at the time, but on prayerful reflection nothing like the crimes committed against women by society, in the church and in family, against people of other ethnic groups and asylum seekers, against gay people who dared to be true to themselves in freedom.

Repentance is our church name for change, and love means always being willing to say, ‘I'm sorry.’   Discipleship means being willing to die to oneself, and changing our hearts and minds is always a little death.  Jesus saw that when a person's analysis of relationship changes, when the world is turned upside down, when the self opts for new birth to a new society,  there will be trouble with family and friends who have not taken the option.  Many will not be able to handle the shocking rejection of the old, the frightening embrace of the new.

Matthew continues to emphasize Jesus' love of the Reign of God over all else-including personal comfort and safety. Precisely because this way of being in the world (in solidarity with all, even at the cost of one's own life) cannot co-exist with the ‘normal’ way of doing business – whether that is literally a business or way of leadership or operating an organisation. This could be crucifiable language. Jesus profoundly challenges the established moral order.   The sacredness of God's will is above the most wide-ranging of social arrangements - and is likely to cause conflict as it challenges our most basic sense of human relationships.

We heard Jesus’ warning, ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace, but a sword.  I have come to set a son against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and one’s foes shall be those of their own household.  Whoever loves father (clan, tribe, family or nation, or denomination) or mother more than me is not worthy of me.’  This is not a call to sever the umbilical cord. This has nothing to do with quarrels over how late you may stay out at night, who gets to use the car or what movie to view on TV.  Faithfulness to Jesus creates a new family, new friendships, and a new solidarity.

The seemingly benign ‘option for the poor’ questions the basic way we negotiate and order the world. By choosing the sick and demon-possessed, Jesus has moved them from the ones most judged to that of judge.  Without any disclaimers, Jesus warns that the way in which one responds to his mediators will testify to the way one receives him. The ‘reward’ one receives is a kind of by-product of one's receptivity to those people and situations that represent the good news of Jesus. Hospitality was a matter of life and death.  It was one of the chief responsibilities of a caring and God-like people.  The stranger, the outsider and the traveler - anyone outside of his own territory - was to be regarded as a person in need of special care.  [Cf. Lev 19:33-34].  In political society today there seems to be the view that once people get scared, we need to keep them scared.  We keep hearing that Australia is on a list of targets for international terrorism.  This, and the fear of being ‘overrun’ by refugees, caused us some years ago to exclude 100's of Australian islands from our immigration exclusion zone. Hundreds of Australian islands were declared to be not part of Australia at all.

The spiral of fear is an old psychological trap. When fear hits us, our desire for security becomes more obsessive and our natural sense of freedom and justice wanes.  These fears are open to exploitation by politicians and sometimes churchmen [there are no women] who sniff the power they can have if they can reinforce those fears whilst appearing to allay them.  What better way to address those fears than by demonising certain groups of people: Middle Eastern people threaten our security; gay and lesbian people threaten family values; and the list goes on. But the message today, is to trust in God’s welcome to us. God’s love for us. And to embody that in our reaching out to those on the margins of society as well as those on the margins in our families and communities.  Death to sin is death to selfishness, is death to our inability to welcome others. 

LITURGY NOTES FOR THE 12th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Twelfth Sunday of the Year

June 25. 2017

Suggested formula for recognition of indigenous people and their land.

We respectfully remember the first people that live in our own respective areas and in honouring the memory of the traditional custodians we acknowledge with sorrow the immeasurable suffering caused to them and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by European colonisation.

We recognise with shame that such suffering still endures to the present generation.

We pray today with faith and hope for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and ourselves that God’s mercy and justice will walk in our lives, our communities and in the heart of our nation.

(Adapted from an acknowledgement used by the Sisters of Mercy, Parramatta)

or

We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we stand.

We pay our respects to them and for their care of the land.

May we walk gently and respectfully upon the land.

or

I acknowledge the living culture of the …….. people,

the traditional custodians of the land we stand on,

and pay tribute to the unique role they play in the life of this region.

Readings

First Reading:              Jeremiah 20:10-13

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35

Second Reading:         Romans 5:12-15

Gospel Reading:          Matthew 10:26-33

Penitential Rite

1.       Jesus, you ask us to proclaim you without fear: Jesus, have mercy.

2.      Jesus, you want us to trust you and God, for we are precious to you: Christ, have mercy.

3.       Jesus, you expect us to bear witness to you with boldness by our words and the way we live: Jesus, have mercy.

or

1.       Jesus, you counseled your disciples to speak and act boldly: Jesus,  have mercy.

2.      Jesus, you assured them of God’s love for them: Christ, have mercy.

3.       Jesus, you call us, too, to live our faith without fear: Jesus, have mercy.

Opening Prayer

Faithful God,

you give us your gracious love through Jesus.

May our lives bear witness

that Jesus walks by our side

and that we may be courageous

in proclaiming through words and action

our hope and trusting faith in you.

Prayer over the Gifts

Faithful God,

through the offering of bread and wine

Jesus shows us how to give ourselves.

May this offering reassure us

that love and justice can move this world,

and that you lead us to your future.

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Faithful God, from fear

so that we may declare ourselves for you in the presence of others

and to commit ourselves to your work of integrity and truth.

Fill us with courage

to stand up for the freedom

and human dignity of our brothers and sisters,

so that we may not distort the image of your Son.

Help us to prepare with joy and hope

the full coming among us

of Christ Jesus, our Saviour. R./ For the kingdom…..

Prayer after Communion

Faithful God,

your love frees us

from fear and gives us the courage

to confront life’s challenges

with loyalty and openness.

Help us to be free from competition

and distrust of one another

as we proclaim Christ’s presence amongst us.

Blessing

·         May we find courage in our lives for God loves us. .

·         May we be bold in our lives for Christ walks by our side.

·         May we reject fear in our lives for the Holy Spirit will give us courage.

May we go knowing that we are in God’s hands to face life and bear witness to God’s love with the blessing of our God, + Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

General Intercessions

Introduction: Let us pray with complete trust in God, that, free from all paralysing fears, we may have the courage to build God’s Reign. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For the Church: that its leaders may be courageous and bold in implementing renewal and dare to speak prophetically in the face of social injustices. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For peace among the nations and a greater appreciation of the diversity of gifts and cultures that each people bring to humanity. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For our country and our leaders: that they continue to promote justice and human dignity without fear and exception. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For those at risk for supporting believers in other faith traditions, especially Judaism and Islam. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For those dedicated to helping others overcome bullying or vilification for reasons of gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or religious beliefs. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For a world at peace and free from any kind of fear whether, personal, religious, political or economic.  Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For our country: that it might truly be a good neighbour to our brothers and sisters in the nations of the Pacific and Asia by promoting fair trade, respect for culture, and accepting our responsibility for the effects of our life style on global warming and climate change. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For our Government: that it continues to listen to those who seek to find new and more humane policies towards the people who come to this country seeking protection and asylum as refugees. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For people who are sick, poor, homeless and downtrodden: that they may find courage, hope and love. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For all of us present: that we may not be fearful of threats or ridicule, but live in trust of the God who carries us gently. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

·         For Christian communities: that we may not be divided by competition and distrust, but work together to build God’s Reign. Let us pray: In your great love answer us, O God.

Concluding Prayer: Faithful and ever present God, we ask you to hear our prayers. We thank you for Jesus who showed how to live boldly for other, to be patient with those who are afraid, and courageous before those who promote fear. May we remember that you are with us always, loving and protecting us.

Parish Notices:

June 22  Destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989

June 24  Birth of John the Baptist

June 26  UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Further Resources

The only thing worth globalising is dissent.

Arundhati Roy

At a time of rampant individualism, we stand for family and community. At a time of intense consumerism, we insist it is not what we have, but how we treat one another that counts. In an age that does not value permanence or hard work in relationships, we believe marriage is forever and children are a blessing, not a burden. At a time of growing isolation, we remind our nation of its responsibility to the broader world, to pursue peace, to welcome immigrants, to protect the lives of hurting children and refugees. At a time when the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, we insist the moral test of our society is how we treat and care for the weakest among us. In these challenging days, we believe that the Catholic community needs to be more than ever a source of clear moral vision and effective action. We are called to be the 'salt of the earth' and 'light of the world' in the words of the Scriptures (cf. Mt 5:13-16)

US Bishops, Communities of Salt and Light

Do not let a desire for wealth cause you to become so consumed by your work that you prevent happiness for yourself and your family.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savour to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking

The rush and pressure of modern life are a form of its innate violence. To allow myself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns. To surrender to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything . . . is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of the activist . . . destroys the fruitfulness of one's own work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.

Thomas Merton

My God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

And the fact that I think I am following your will

does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

And I know that if I do this,

you will lead me by the right road

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always

though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death,

I will not fear,

for you are ever with me

and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton

It is not wrong to want to live better; what is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed towards 'having' rather than 'being', and which wants to have more, not in order to be more but in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself. It is therefore necessary to create life-styles in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of common growth are the factors which determine consumer choices, savings and investments.

Pope John Paul II, Centesius Annus, 36

They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening.

George Orwell

Political language. . . is designed to make lies sound truthful

and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind

George Orwell

The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.

George Orwell

We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth... For my part, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst; and to provide for it.

Patrick Henry

He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man... The sum of all is, if we would most truly enjoy this gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people.

Samuel Adams

The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.

George Bernard Shaw

Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie, but rather mourn the apathetic, throng the coward and the meek who see the world's great anguish and its wrong, and dare not speak.

Ralph Chaplin

As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead trying to kill me. They do not feel any enmity against me as an individual, nor I against them. They are only doing their duty, as the saying goes. Most of them, I have no doubt, are kind-hearted law-abiding men who would never dream of committing murder in private life. On the other hand, if one of them succeeds in blowing me to pieces with a well-placed bomb, he will never sleep any worse for it. He is serving his country, which has the power to absolve him from evil.

George Orwell, London. UK. 1941

In a pagan world, the Gospel wears the appearance of a crime against organized society. It is significant that Christ himself was summoned before a court of justice; it was in court that he found occasion to declare himself and his programme officially, before properly constituted authority…… throughout the Church's history this public affirmation of rights is constantly made; it is clearest when a Christian has to appear before the officers of government.  Thus the early martyrs, brought to the bar of official justice, used this position to preach the gospel, vindicating Christ's claim to be the True King, and for this they suffered according to the law.

The same situation has been repeated all over the world, Christians being everywhere liable to arrest in the name of the law for the crime of Gospel…..

But the right of preaching the gospel is absolute, inalienable; whenever it is challenged by any political system, Christians are obliged to vindicate it, even at the cost of their lives. The issue is perfectly simple--Christian missionaries are on active service, they can tolerate no interference in the execution of their duty. Martyrdom is simply the limiting case of the situation. 

Jean Danielou, S.J., The Lord of History. Reflections on the Meaning of History. [Translated by Nigel Abercrombie.  London, Longmans Green, 1958.pp.288-289.]

Our faithfulness will depend on our willingness to go where there is brokenness, loneliness, and human need. If the church has a future it is a future with the poor in whatever form

Henri J.M. Nouwen, Sabbatical Journey

Reflections for 12^th Sunday of the Year

A woman, also a religious sister, who in the 1980’s cared for many people living with AIDS wrote about her father’s physical and psychological abused towards. In one line she defiantly said to herself: ‘There is one part of me you cannot touch’. Though maltreated she knew even as a young girl she had a value and dignity in God’s eyes. She knew there was ‘the more’ within her. Like many people who are or have been oppressed, they know they will not live as if defined by those who would control them (Rm. 6:3-4). This was powerfully and profoundly expressed in the recent (May 2017) Uluru Statement from the Heart by Australia’s First Nation people who having been counted for centuries, now want a voice. (Statement on the First Nations National Constitutional Convention. Uluru_Statement_From_The_Heart.PDF ). This same dignity and value is expressed by the young Afghan Peace Volunteers who despite the lack of peace in their own country will seek to help the people suffering in Yemen (Kathy Kelly, Feed the Hungry, Treat the Sick: A Crucial Training https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/16/feed-hungry-treat-sick-crucial-training.)

I believe that as we come to trust that our true identity is in Christ, we are enabled to be in solidarity with people who are victimised or in trouble. We will not allow others to define who we are or be defined by fear or dominated by it. We accept the identity that comes to us from God; that we belong to God; that we are of infinite value; and this identity is available to everyone else as well.

In Jeremiah we see a passionate person, with our status or power, but knew that God is on the side of the just and does not abandon the poor. But when he meets opposition his understanding of God leaves much to be desired in his brutal call for vengeance. His contemporaries did not want their well-being disturbed; they blame the victim; it’s their fault; they are inadequate. Jeremiah shows how God causes the truth to well up in us and demands to be heard even if we prefer to be comfortable and safe in our silence. Even when earlier he says, ‘I will not mention God, or speak any more in God’s name,’ something like a burning fire that has been shut up in his bones and a weariness that comes with holding it all in, causes him to be unable to remain quiet. It is like looking with compassion on people where one’s guts are split, and finding we have to speak our truth and claim our part in God’s promises. It was expressed in another passage where Jesus looked upon the crowd with compassion. What did he see? People ‘harassed and helpless.’ People ‘leaderless.’ People ‘dejected and despondent.’ As we look out, what do we see? All who benefit from the status quo – those in authority, clergy, the dominant race, the highly educated, the wealthy, etc. - know that prophets question their privilege, privilege which they generally believe they have earned. The privileged among us recognize prophetic words as a threat to our complacency and our comfort. We are called to ‘declare ourselves for God before others.’ We are to bring to the light what is in the dark. The ‘dark ‘is oppression, cover-ups, injustice, corruption, abuse, high-handedness. More than 10 years ago, a courageous and indefatigable bishop, Geoffrey Robinson, spoke out about the church’s role in the sexual abuse of children. He highlighted the lack of accountability of bishops for what they did or did not do. He was labeled at the time as being ‘in error’ by Australian and US bishops. Bishops in the USA told him - ‘don’t come’; ‘don’t speak here’? Or would Jesus be saying, bring into the light what has been in the dark, let there be healing and justice and reconciliation? Would Jesus not say if he is wrong, welcome him, talk with him and if he is right listen to him?  Professor Gillian Triggs, the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, says that he first argument was not with the politicians and bureaucrats, though there were many, was in her own home with her own husband who implied that her job was to support the government. Her response was, "I replied that not only could I speak out; my statute says I must speak out if particular acts are contrary to Australia's obligations under international law. And she suffered for that over the years. (http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/lauded-and-vilified-gillian-triggs-australian-human-rights-commission-president-20170616-gwsk3b.html)

We need prophetic voices that cut through fear, unaccountability, complacency and indifference. These voices are not just from and often are not from those in leadership but by ordinary people who say ‘no’ to abuse, violence, environmental degradation, inequality and inequity, cronyism and vilification. We must imagine our lives and the world differently. Let’s have more poetry rather than moralism, more stories, images, experiences rather than judgementalism - that offer a different view of the world. These can reach into places of resistance and embrace in our hearts. Fr. Johann-Baptist Metz, a German theologian, says that our task is ‘to keep alive the memory of the crucified Lord’. It is a dangerous memory of freedom. Being a disciple is to embody the one whose radical redefinition of who belongs and what matters denounces all previous sets of priorities. This is risky business. Because we are reminded that perfect love takes sides, and demands nothing less than our lives.

Experience shows that those who preach life over and against death will be attacked every step of the way. We need to be frank and clear. We cannot take refuge in the dark even though the Gospel could expose us to ridicule, suspicion and even persecution. Colleagues, friends and family might want us tone things down or not make waves as Gillian Triggs and Jeremiah found. We might get hate mail, annoying or threatening phone calls – always anonymous – but we must continue to advocate with respect and understanding. Jesus gave his best energies to implement God's reign. People are still called ‘bleeding hearts’ for standing with asylum seekers, ‘unpatriotic’ for opposing war, or ‘part of the latte set,’ when they oppose the detention of people seeking asylum in this country. Geoffrey Robinson was called a ‘troublesome priest’. No doubt these words were also used of the assassinated Oscar Romero, the murdered Archbishop Janani Luwun of Uganda by Idi Amin, the martyred Salvadoran Jesuits and their companions, the many indigenous peoples from Australia the Philippines and from Brazil to Bolivia struggled against dispossession by mining companies, and many other known and unknown people.  Despite persecution, the call is ‘do not be afraid’. God is with us. The words ‘do not be afraid’ need to be heard by the church over and over. The gospel uncovers what is opposed to God’s will to love: such as the disguised mistreatment of others, especially the poor and the defenseless.  It uncovers the lie of religious justifications that some people offer in the defense of their petty interests and privileges. Jesus warns us not to be intimidated and mocks attempts to bury the truth. He does not leave silence unchallenged. He will not have his followers bullied by silent pressures to shut up about the good news. Fear is beneath our dignity. Discipleship has its costs. When we come out of the silence and stand with Jesus on the side of full humanity and liberation, we may find that people who claim to be our family begin to act like enemies.

So what stand do we take before many injustices people experience today? What stand do we take at the verbiage of social lies that cover up injustice? We might walk into a wall: fear, opinions of friends, family security. We have a choice – silence, look away, or truly look, feel the compassion, and act.

Many say, ‘It’s not my problem!’ ‘I have enough of my own problems’. Famine and world hunger. Terrorist attacks in European cities now. In the Middle East Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen. Human rights abuses in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Human trafficking even in our country. Homelessness. Exclusion of people. It is not my problem – at least until it touches me or my family.

Justice in the bible transcends what people strictly deserve. It begins with acknowledging our dignity, the dignity of all others and expressed as fidelity to all - every sister and brother, especially those least preferred. There can be no strangers for us. No one in God’s image can be a stranger. We know Jesus’ ministry scandalised the authorities – and provoked opposition. He was not scandalised by prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners but embraced them. He refused to participate in, or condone, victimisation and scapegoating  by confronting a system that is based on violence and destruction. Our solidarity with those who are cruelly treated in any way brings to light injustice, brings to light what perpetrators want to ignore or keep hidden. Solidarity knows no limits. It begins in our homes, communities, churches and our streets. In sending the apostles to preach the coming of the reign in word and dead, he knows they meet resistance even life-threatening opposition. He says again, ‘do not be afraid’. As the woman whose father was abusive, the real danger comes, not from those who kill the body, but suffocate the human spirit.

Jesus asks a lot of us. We are called to reconsider our vocation as Christians who are baptised to share in Jesus’ prophetic ministry. Will we stop and ask ourselves if we are willing to step into those places where the ‘world’ contradicts the Gospel and say “It does not have to be this way” by loving our world enough to be part of making it a place as it was meant to be. Accepting the call to prophecy means that, like Jeremiah, we are accepting the role of speaking and acting as renegades for life. He tells us to buck the system big time. We are not to become players in the world's most popular game, where people become either victim or victimiser. Bucking the system also means recognising in the one who victimise, one who needs to be embraced, needs love and mercy, needs to included. It can sound impossible. Some might imagine it as unbearably weak but it really contains the strength of God. We refuse to be remade by the evil done to us. We reject the stifling identity a win-lose world might thrust upon us. We accept that our identity comes from God. Because we belong to God, and manifest God’s image and likeness, we are able to work so that others – the just and the unjust – may be free.

ARCHDIOCESE OF RABAUL AND THE DEPORTATION OF DOUG TENNENT

Doug Tennent, Administrator of the Archdiocese, a lay missionary for many deceades. has been deported to New Zealand.

Bishop Rochus Tatamai MSC wrtes:

We have a test case in our hands and as PNGs we cannot allow this rot to continue to tanish our decency and commitment for justice for all in our land and especially the particular plight of our rural communities and their well being.We'll stop at nothing until we get to the bottom of all these and see that justice and common sense prevail. May the mighty arm of the Lord who stands on the side of the poor be our strength and our guide as we stand up and call on the relevant authorities to come forward and let us talk this over on an open forum. There are many underlying questions and issues begging for convincing answers. We're all in this if we care about the rots that continue to rob our nation of its decency and integrity amongst the reputable and credible nations on the global stage.

Archbishop Francesco Panfilo SDB has issued this letter:

Dear Friends, Media and all who are with us in the Archdiocese of Rabaul. Please find below the full Letter of Archbishop Francesco Panfilo sdb concerning the deportation of Mr Doug Tennent.

10 June, 2017

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

On August 15, 2015 I issued Pastoral Letter 7 on how to respond in very practical ways to the Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis “Laudato Sì” on the “Care of our Common Home”.

I wrote: “Convinced as we are that ‘the earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters’ (EG 183), we need to ask ourselves: how can we as Church, in very practical ways, care for our common home and be a Church that is poor and for the poor? ... The Archdiocese of Rabaul is committed to the following:
1. Disposing of the land, especially of large plantations;
2. Starting a housing project for low income earners;
3. Helping achieve a broad consensus in the Sigite Mukus Palm Oil Project in West Pomio”.

We committed ourselves to these very challenging goals not only in response to the call of Pope Francis and in fidelity to the Social Teaching of the Church, but also because the Archdiocese could avail itself of the services of Mr. Douglas Tennent, a lay missionary from New Zealand and a former lecturer of law at the UPNG.

As mentioned, Mr. Tennent came to the Archdiocese as a lay missionary with an Entry Permit “Special Exemption/Religious Worker”. In the Archdiocese he serves as the Administrator.

The Archdiocese provides him with board and lodging and with an allowance. He is not paid an expatriate salary. Those who live at Vunapope know very well that he works 15 hours a day, seven days a week, trying to solve the many land issues that we still have.

On Friday, 9 June, in the afternoon two officers from the Office of the Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority came from Port Moresby to serve Mr. Tennent with the “Notice of Cancellation of Entry Permit” and “Direction as to Custody and Removal Order”.

He was told that he no longer held a valid entry permit or visa to remain in the country lawfully and that he had to leave the country immediately. The document presented to him stated: “Should you fail to comply with this instruction you are subject to be detained and removed involuntarily”.

There was no previous notice, no chance to appeal since the notice was served on Friday afternoon and he would have to leave on Sunday, 11 June.

What crime did Mr. Tennent commit? The document served to him says: “The cancellation of your entry permit by the Minister is due to the blatant abuse of the conditions of your Special Exemption/Religious Worker visa by engaging in sensitive landowner issues in East New Britain Province”.

As mentioned, Mr. Tennent is a lay missionary and is not paid an expatriate salary.

In regards to our commitments to “Disposing of the land, especially of large plantations” and of “Starting a housing project for low income earners”, Mr. Tennent is tasked to carry out the decisions of the Finance Council and of the Land Board of the Archdiocese. He does not act on his own.

As for the involvement of the Archdiocese in “Helping achieve a broad consensus in the Sigite Mukus Palm Oil Project in West Pomio”, Mr. Tennent provides legal advice to the Archbishop, who was asked by the people of West Pomio to speak up for them. This, the undersigned as done and is very grateful to Mr. Tennent for his advice and concrete help.

It should be very clear that in regard to land matters and in the advocacy for the people of West Pomio, the ultimate responsible is the Archbishop. Consequently, if anybody needs to be deported for what we are doing, then it is the Archbishop.

It is sad to realize that people who are hard working, dedicated and committed to serve the people of Papua New Guinea are treated in such a way.

Does this mean that the level of corruption reached by the Government is beyond remedy?

I would like to believe that there are still decent people in Government who are trying their best, just as we are trying our best to serve and care for those who do not have voice.

Let us pray that the upcoming National Elections may give us leaders who are committed to the achievement of a just and peaceful society.

+ Francesco Panfilo, SDB Archbishop of Rabaul

1. 
   Right Hon. P.M. Peter O’Neil
   Hon. Leo Dion, DPM
   Hon. Rimbink Pato, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration

LITURGY NOTES FOR CORPUS CHRISTI, FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

LAY MSC NEWSLETTER

May 2017

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved

   INDEX

     Page 1                            From the Director Fr Jim Littleton MSC

     Page 2                             Remembering Michael Phelan and Ron Lane

     Page 3                             Farewell from Treand – Bernadette Phillips

   Page 4                              A Tribute to Marie Menihinnitt – Fr Vince Carroll MSC

   Page 4-6                          Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Easter Vigil April 2017

   Page 6                              Some Good News – Fr John Mulrooney MSC Provincial

   Page 7                              Parish Leader’s Gathering September 2017

Page 8                              Reminders         

From the Director

Greetings to all of you in various parts of the country. I hope that Easter was a time of grace and blessing for you. In this newsletter I wish to share with you another reflection that has been prepared for Lay MSC by Fr Hans Kwakman in Issoudun. It is titled: May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.

            His love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus led Fr. Chevalier to honour the Sacred Heart

            in a variety of manifestations and to study them as well. In his book on the

Sacred Heart, he describes the heart of Jesus as the centre of God’s plan not only

in redemption, but also in creation: “Jesus Christ is the starting point, the centre

and the summit of the whole of creation… Everything is summed up in Jesus. And

in Jesus everything leads back to his Heart” (Sacre Coeur de Jesus, 1900, p.77).

Concerning the creation of human beings, Chevalier declares: “When God made

the heart of the first human being evidently his attention was fixed on the Heart of

his Son, which the Holy Spirit would have to form later from the blood of a Virgin”

(Sacre Coeur de Jesus, 1900, p. 139). Accordingly, his love for the Sacred Heart of

Jesus and its role in creation brought Chevalier also to highly esteem the place of human

beings in creation. In Chevalier’s vision all things are made not only for Jesus Christ,

but for us as well.” All things are made for us and put at our disposal’” Such nobility, however, brings about responsibility. On behalf of all creatures, “It is our task to sing the hymn of thanksgiving, to lend them our voice, our heart, our faculties in order to give

glory to God. Without us the universe would be mute, but with us everything in nature

turns to heaven, prays, adores.” (Retraite de huit jours selon la method de Saint Ignace,

Issoudun 1904, p. 22; Daily Readings March 2).

In Laudato Si, Pope Francis proclaims the same message: “When we can see God

reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures

and to worship him in union with them” (Laudato Si n 87). The Pope even broadens our vision by stating that, “a sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real

if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings” (Laudato Si n. 91).

So, the motto of the Chevalier Family, “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved”, expresses an invitation to practice a love without boundaries. We are invited

to love the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the centre of the universe, making the entire

universe into a sacred community of creatures. The life of our fellow human beings and

nature in its great variety of creatures as well, is sacred and deserves our respect and

admiration. Because, as Pope Fancis said: “as part of the universe, called into being by

one Father, all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form kind of universal family,

a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect” (Laudato Si n. 89).

Some of our older members have passed on to an eternal reward in recent months. They include Marie Menhinnitt, Michael Phelan, Ron Lane, and Van Trompf. They were all very committed members, loving in their relationships with others. Short obituaries occur elsewhere in this newsletter. May I also remind you of the Feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on May 27 and the Feast of the Sacred Heart on June 25. May they be times of grace for all of us.                                                                                      Jim Littleton MSC

Pg 1

Remembering Michael Phelan

John MICHAEL Phelan was born 3^rd August 1931 in County Carlow in Ireland. At age 18 he moved to England, and then migrated to Australia in 1950. This debonair Irishman, who loved to dance, had his heart stolen by a young “Scottish” maiden, Elizabeth McDonald. Yet Mickey had to wait four and a half years before they could wed.

As a young couple with a growing family, they settled in the suburb of Heathmont, near to the Croydon Monastery; this was the start of a long association with the MSCs. Mickey worked in hospitality, and was the source of hospitality to the MSC. The door was always open to those who needed a chat, a laugh (guaranteed with Mickey), a “tease”, a cup of tea or something stronger, and if Liz was around, a truly listening ear.

Michael’s working life was in accounting and club management in Melbourne, until he came to Toowoomba to work for the MSCs. In 1978 Michael, Liz and family moved to Toowoomba and settled right across the road from Dowlands College. Here with the children growing up, Michael became more involved not only with the MSC school life, but also more into the MSC ethos. While Liz worked as a teacher / counsellor, Mickey was busy working for the school at The Green Griffin, running a weekly fund raising Bingo, driving a school bus and running the school bookshop. He continued with his open door welcome and hospitality for all the MSCs.

2008 saw a radical change in Michael’s circumstances. He had a large stroke which left him with a left-sided paralysis. So began 8 years in which Liz became his career. After the initial adjustment, Mickey could get into the car / wheelchair etc, and go places and do the shopping outings with Liz. However ongoing smaller strokes caused Michael to become more dependent on assistance. He was no longer the “doer”, though his welcome and hospitality continued.

To talk about Michael, and not talk about Liz, is to tell only half the story. Liz “stole” Michael’s heart way back in 1956, but even in his older age, his heart belonged always to Liz. In the last few months of his life, it was always her name on his lips. and the deep spirituality of the heart and of love, enveloped them both. Michael was totally absorbed into that love on 11^th June 2016.                                           Meg Hicks

Remembering Ron Lane

Ron Lane grew up in Randwick parish and met his wife Faye through the Randwick CYO. Initially Ron worked as a motor mechanic, but later joined the Police Force. In this capacity he was required to give evidence in court, which led him to think of becoming a Barrister. After six years of study he was admitted to the Bar; until his retirement he worked in this profession both in private practice and in the Public Service.

Ron’s faith was central to his life. He regularly read and reflected on passages from the Bible. Both he and Faye had many friends among the MSC and they became Lay MSC in 1987. They were welcomed into the Cronulla group and later became its coordinator. Fay and Ron had a very loving relationship; Ron will be remembered by his friends for his goodness, decency and generosity

Ron died on April 4, 2017 at the age of 87, after a long battle with cancer. May he rest in peace.           Pg2

                  Farewell from Treand                                   

This is my last Lay Newsletter before I retire at end of July. I feel sad in some ways but happy and excited in another sense. It’s the next stage in my life. I am looking forward to more spare time to spend with my adult children, grandchildren and my elderly mother who turned 94 on 2^nd April. She is remarkably well for her age….she has a few mobility problems but mentally she is very sharp and still able to enjoy and participate in family celebrations and all activities at her Home at Kildare Maroubra Jct.

I expect in retirement my babysitting services will be in demand and I hope to be available “sometimes” for school pickups and school excursions!! With both parents having to work these days to meet financial commitments it is hard on young families trying to meet all demands. A grandparent can never substitute for a parent but sometimes it is the next best option…. and I get to spoil them!!! My grandparents played an important role in my childhood so I hope I am able to follow their example. I also plan to travel and I’m keen to explore some interests and hobbies.

It’s been a wonderful journey with the MSC over the past twelve and a half years and I’ve really felt part of the Chevalier family. It’s not like any other job, although my previous position with the De La Salle Brothers as Provincial Secretary for sixteen years was similar in so many ways. I was sad to leave them too but in 2005 they were relocating their Provincial Office to Bankstown and it was too far for me to travel. As a single mother of three I had to find another job and by chance Fr Paul Browne an msc working in Our Lady of the Rosary parish at Kensington at that time was visiting his neighbours the De La Salle Brothers. When I told him I was leaving he said that the Provincial Secretary at Treand House was also leaving!! He suggested I apply for the Provincial Secretarial job with the MSC at Coogee…… I took his advice and the rest is history!! I’ve been blessed with unexpected job opportunities that have come my way and I have enjoyed working with religious men, Brothers and Priests, for almost 30 years now. I hope the years ahead are filled with joy and satisfaction and good health. I live locally so I intend to maintain my friendship and connection with the MSC as I have done with the De La Salle Brothers.

Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday 14^th May. Bernadette Phillips

For the one who has lost a mother

For the mother who has lost a child

For the one who longs to be a mother

You are not forgotten this Mothers Day

You are in our prayers and we love you.

REMINDER :Any occasional Report/News from your Lay MSC Group is most welcome. This Lay newsletter is my last one but I’m sure whoever takes over my role here as Secretary at Provincial Office will appreciate & welcome your contributions to the quarterly Lay newsletter. Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Thank you to all those who have contributed over the past 12 ½ years during my time.

                                                                                                                                                       Pg 3

A Tribute to Marie Menhinnitt – Fr Vince Carroll MSC

The funeral for Marie Menhinnitt was held in Toowoomba on Wednesday 15^th Feb.  She was 81. Marie had a massive unexpected heart attack and died two days later. All the living family were with her and she was able to greet them. Marie and Bryan had seven children, but sadly two had pre-deceased them, one as an infant and one at age 50.

The funeral was held at St Anthony’s where they had been parishioners in their early family days. A large crowd was in attendance with people of several of Marie’s interest or work groups. A book club was there, members of the Toowoomba Pastoral Care Team, Lay MSC and Parish co-workers and friends. Fr Vince Carroll MSC, a good friend of Marie and her family was the celebrant.

We could sum up Maries life as “loving and serving God with her whole heart, soul, mind and strength.”  (Deut 6:4). Marie and Bryan shared their time and money (“their strength”) widely though their open hospitality, and their work for St Veronicas Children’s Overseas Aid Group for 60 years. They personally have sponsored many children and worked in the Op shop in various roles. That hospitality of spirit was likewise expressed round the home table or with a picnic basket. Throughout her life, Marie continued to improve her “mind”, gaining a Teachers certificate in Pre School Care, and later a Teaching Certificate for Secondary Education. Later again, she studied for a Diploma of Pastoral Care and worked in Pastoral Care for several years. In her later years she was a voracious reader.  Geography and history and outdoor activities gave her joy. She was totally proud of her Family History which she had well researched.

Her “heart and soul” was expressed in her dedication to family and friends. Marie and Bryan have a large extended family. In later years especially they called them together for weeklong family gatherings at Christmas and Easter. Marie was interested in everyone and showed that interest in casual meetings as well as long term friendships. Part of her curiosity led her to travel to England, India, South Africa, New Zealand, the Pacific and the USA. 

In recent years and months friends and family had noted forgetfulness in Marie, yet amid a considerable amount of pain and anxiety with unexplained ills, a certain “peace” had grown in Marie: Acceptance had grown. God was comforting her.  One can only assume that, having completed his work in Marie, God has now called her to his home, to stands joyfully in his presence.                                          

Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis
Easter Vigil, 15 April 2017

“After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” (Mt 28:1).  We can picture them as they went on their way…  They walked like people going to a cemetery, with uncertain and weary steps, like those who find it hard to believe that this is how it all ended.  We can picture their faces, pale and tearful.  And their question: can Love have truly died?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Pg 4

Unlike the disciples, the women are present – just as they had been present as the Master breathed his last on the cross, and then, with Joseph of Arimathea, as he was laid in the tomb.  Two women who did not run away, who remained steadfast, who faced life as it is and who knew the bitter taste of injustice.  We see them there, before the tomb, filled with grief but equally incapable of accepting that things must always end this way.

If we try to imagine this scene, we can see in the faces of those women any number of other faces: the faces of mothers and grandmothers, of children and young people who bear the grievous burden of injustice and brutality.  In their faces we can see reflected all those who, walking the streets of our cities, feel the pain of dire poverty, the sorrow born of exploitation and human trafficking.  We can also see the faces of those who are greeted with contempt because they are immigrants, deprived of country, house and family.  We see faces whose eyes bespeak loneliness and abandonment, because their hands are creased with wrinkles.  Their faces mirror the faces of women, mothers, who weep as they see the lives of their children crushed by massive corruption that strips them of their rights and shatters their dreams.  By daily acts of selfishness that crucify and then bury people’s hopes.  By paralyzing and barren bureaucracies that stand in the way of change.  In their grief, those two women reflect the faces of all those who, walking the streets of our cities, behold human dignity crucified.

The faces of those women mirror many other faces too, including perhaps yours and mine.  Like them, we can feel driven to keep walking and not resign ourselves to the fact that things have to end this way.  True, we carry within us a promise and the certainty of God’s faithfulness.  But our faces also bear the mark of wounds, of so many acts of infidelity, our own and those of others, of efforts made and battles lost. In our hearts, we know that things can be different but, almost without noticing it, we can grow accustomed to living with the tomb, living with frustration.  Worse, we can even convince ourselves that this is the law of life, and blunt our consciences with forms of escape that only serve to dampen the hope that God has entrusted to us.  So often we walk as those women did, poised between the desire of God and bleak resignation.  Not only does the Master die, but our hope dies with him.

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake” (Mt 28:2).  Unexpectedly, those women felt a powerful tremor, as something or someone made the earth shake beneath their feet.  Once again, someone came to tell them: “Do not be afraid”, but now adding: “He has been raised as he said!”  This is the message that, generation after generation, this Holy Night passes on to us: “Do not be afraid, brothers and sisters; he is risen as he said!”  Life, which death destroyed on the cross, now reawakens and pulsates anew (cf. ROMANO GUARDINI, The Lord, Chicago, 1954, p. 473).  The heartbeat of the Risen Lord is granted us as a gift, a present, a new horizon.  The beating heart of the Risen Lord is given to us, and we are asked to give it in turn as a transforming force, as the leaven of a new humanity.  In the resurrection, Christ rolled back the stone of the tomb, but he wants also to break down all the walls that keep us locked in our sterile pessimism, in our carefully constructed ivory towers that isolate us from life, in our compulsive need for security and in boundless ambition that can make us compromise the dignity of others.

When the High Priest and the religious leaders, in collusion with the Romans, believed that they could calculate everything, that the final word had been spoken and that it was up to them to apply it, God suddenly breaks in, upsets all the rules and offers new possibilities.  God once more comes to meet us, to create and consolidate a new age, the age of mercy.  This is the promise present from the beginning.  This is God’s surprise for his faithful people.  Rejoice!  Hidden within your life is a seed of resurrection, an offer of life ready to be awakened.

That is what this night calls us to proclaim: the heartbeat of the Risen Lord.  Christ is alive!  That is what quickened the pace of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.  That is what made them return in haste to

tell the news (Mt 28:8).  That is what made them lay aside their mournful gait and sad looks.  They returned to the city to meet up with the others.                                                                                  Pg 5

Now that, like the two women, we have visited the tomb, I ask you to go back with them to the city.  Let us all retrace our steps and change the look on our faces.  Let us go back with them to tell the news…  In all those places where the grave seems to have the final word, where death seems the only way out.  Let us go back to proclaim, to share, to reveal that it is true: the Lord is alive!  He is living and he wants to rise again in all those faces that have buried hope, buried dreams, buried dignity.  If we cannot let the Spirit lead us on this road, then we are not Christians.

Let us go, then.  Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by this new dawn and by the newness that Christ alone can give.  May we allow his tenderness and his love to guide our steps.  May we allow the beating of his heart to quicken our faintness of heart.

FR JOHN MULROONEY, PROVINCIAL

Some good news….

I recently sent a letter to all the parents of students in our MSC schools at the end of the ‘Catholic wrap-up’. There has been some lovely response from parents. Here is one of them:

“One group of victims we sadly seem to forget is the great majority of wonderful innocent priests, brothers and sisters who have given their whole lives to helping others and who are among the best people in our communities.

Where do we ever hear or see anything in the media praising and supporting those individuals who must have been suffering so bravely and often alone amongst us. Most of us lay people are too embarrassed to broach the subject and come out strongly saying we support those wonderful people. I often imagine them sitting alone trying to find the strength to continue. They must often feel embarrassed and stressed by what has been happening and perhaps find it hard to face the outside world.

I really support them and my faith is actually enhanced by their great courage. To be honest I think I am fortunate to have personally known so many great priests, brothers and sisters….. I think we lay people should have the courage to tell the priests, brothers and sisters we know, that they have our support.”

I know many of you feel this at times – so it’s heartening to hear these words which are spoken to us all.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Pg 6

Parish Leaders

Gathering

St Mary’s Towers, Douglas Park

Friday evening 15^th Sept 2017– Sunday afternoon 17^th Sept

Gathering time – 6.00 pm Friday

Departure – 1.00pm Sunday

‘ The parish is where the Church lives. Parishes are communities of faith, of action, and of hope. They are where the gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth. Parishes are the home of the Christian community; they are the heart of our Church’

National Conference of Catholic Bishops – USA

You are invited to a weekend of prayer and reflection, with a focus on Heart Spirituality as a way to transform our own lives

and the lives of others.

Contact: Alison McKenzie                                                                 Fred Stubenrauch

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                                              This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.            Pg 7        

REMINDER

The annual donation of $10 per address is much appreciated.

Please forward

TO: Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

Fr Jim Littleton msc

PO Box 84 DICKSON ACT 2602

If you have not already done so.

To save expense, receipts are not issued unless requested.

Fr Jim Littleton MSC

National Director, Lay MSC                                    Lay MSC Newsletter

Daramalan College                                                 The Editor

PO Box 84                                                               Treand House

DICKSON ACT 2602                                                 PO Box 252

1. (02) 6245 6358 F. (02) 6245 6397 COOGEE NSW 2034

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                     P. (02) 9665 8999

Website:www.misacor.org.au                               F. (02) 9664 2962  

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CHANGE OF POSTAL ADDRESS or EMAIL

Please send to : The Secretary

Treand House PO Box 252 COOGEE NSW 2034 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you have changed your address or email, or wish to amend your address please print your correct details below:

                Name:    ………………………………….…………………………………………

                Address:………………………………….………………………………………..

                Email: ………………………………………………………………………………

                                                                                                                                                            Pg 8

LAY MSC NEWSLETTER

February 2017

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus

be everywhere loved

INDEX

Page 1                  From the Director Fr Jim Littleton MSC

Page 2                   Diversity – Bernadette Phillips

Page 3                   Build Bridges of Understanding – Pope Francis

Page 4                   Shifting Values – Fr John Mulrooney msc Provincial

Page 4-5               Report from Lay & Professed Council – Fred Stubenrauch

Page 6                   Parish Leader’s Gathering September 2017

Page 7                   Reminders         

                                                     From the Director

Greetings to you all in this New Year of 2017. I hope to visit most groups during the course of the year. For your reflection on this occasion I include another commentary on Heart Spirituality from Hans Kwakman MSC in Issoudun entitled: “A Passion for Jesus and a Passion for his people.”

Central to the vision of both Pope Francis and Fr. Chevalier is their

Understanding of ‘mission’ or, the word often used by recent Popes,

‘evangelization’. Along with Fr. Chevalier, Pope Francis emphasizes

that all Christians are called to take part in Jesus’ mission in the world.

For both of them, ‘mission’ or ‘evangelization’ has to play a vital role

In the church and in the life of every Christian.

The Pope describes ‘mission’ as “at once a passion for Jesus and a passion

for his people” (Evangelii Gaudium m. 268). In section 8 of this course,

we already spoke about Fr. Chevalier’s great passion for Jesus Christ. In all

his writings, he presented Jesus Christ as the model of our life and mission in

church and society. He invites us to look attentively at Jesus in his public life,

so that we may follow him in his mission. What do we see? ‘We see his Heart

pour itself out on every short of misfortune, on every sort of misery, moral and

physical. All the kindness that Jesus sowed along his path, all the miracles he

worked are so many outpourings of ineffable goodness of his heart”

(Le Sacre Coeur 1900, p. 9). In the same book, Chevalier elaborates the

meaning of this “ineffable goodness” of Jesus by declaring: “Goodness is gratuitous love.”

Quoting Fr. Lacordaire OP, a famous preacher of his day, he states:

“He is good who loves for the sole happiness that he finds in loving”.

Pope Francis sees this as the purest motivation for evangelization. He writes:

“Only the person who feels happiness in seeking the good of others, in desiring

their happiness, can be a missionary. This openness of the heart is a source of joy, since “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). And the Pope

points to the many people who are “missionaries” just by the way they carry out

their daily commitments: “All around us we begin to see nurses with soul, teachers with soul, politicians with soul, people who have chosen deep down to be with others and for others” (Evangelii Gaudium n. 272-273). And, we may add that all around

us we also meet parents and children with soul priests, religious and all kind of workers with soul. These are the people, the Pope says, who live with “a heart attentive to others´ (Evangelii Gaudium n. 282). They are the people who “generously give’ of themselves (Evangelii Gaudium n.274). In chapter 5 of Evangelii Gaudium, the Pope calls them several times “Spirit-filled Evangelizers”.

Meantime the Lay and Professed MSC Council in continuing to respond to the desire of many people to receive more formation in a spirituality of the Heat. Fred Stubenrough has more details about this in another section of this Newsletter.

God’s blessings to all of you.                                                                                      Jim Littleton MSC   Pg 1

                                                Diversity                             

     Bernadette Phillips

Clouds in the sky have different shades

They glow in lights, either dim or fade!

Suddenly new ones come and cloak the air,

To renew our visions and make things fair!

Rainbows are born among the light and rain

To soothe the viewer’s eyes and remove all pain!

Life bathes in motion to plant the new seeds,

and waits for creatures with creative deeds!

This goes on and on since the ancient days,

and people just flock, like bright sun rays!

We know, colour or creed works as a dam

to promote any progress, or create a jam!

No one gains through the screeching halt,

cause faith is taken with a grain of salt!

But removal of notions may clear the way,

and build the bridge that will never sway!

So, let us all now blend our ethnic voice,

to kill any prejudice, or colour of choice!

Progress via Diversity; let it be the key –

around the globe, from heaven to sea!!!!

On a personal note I hope the year has started well for you. Just an update on my elderly mother Dot who turns 94 early April. Last year she had a few trips to hospital for treatment of her ulcerated lower leg and other minor issues. Poor circulation is her main problem and the doctors and nurses at POW Hospital did everything possible for her. She returned to her home for Christmas and joined in our family celebration. The plan was to return to hospital for a skin graft but unfortunately due to the condition of her ulcers it will not proceed….It would be a painful procedure with an outcome that may not be beneficial if the graft failed. So mum has accepted her limitations and is otherwise healthy, happy, alert and enjoying good care and company at Kildare at Maroubra Junction. For some months the shopping trips were on hold due to mum’s health & mobility issues but this week the laps of the local shopping centre resumed.   It was quite an effort for mum, as well as my sister, who accompanied her. Maree has the patience of a saint and mum has the determination and will to “soldier on”. Mum said she needed a lipstick and a few other important items from the shops!!! Life is for living no matter what age you.

Mum’s girlfriend Doreen will be 102 soon and she, like mum, enjoys good care and has a positive outlook. She is not a shopper preferring a wine and a cheese platter every afternoon at happy hour! For me life is full, with p/t work, babysitting & enjoying grandchildren, a busy social life and being there for mum. I plan to retire later in the year soon after the Provincial changeover.

Best wishes to all for a healthy and happy 2017. B x                                                                                                                         

Pg 2

Words from Pope Francis Feb 2017

BUILD BRIDGES OF UNDERSTANDING

Pope Francis repeated his appeal for people to build bridges of understanding, not walls as he marked a feast day of a Sudanese immigrant amid a global uproar over the Trump administration's attempts to impose a travel ban on seven mostly Muslim countries.

The pope didn't refer to President Donald Trump in his comments. But at the end of his audience, he noted that Wednesday marked both the church's day of reflection for young victims of human trafficking and coincidentally the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita.

She was a 19th-century Sudanese slave who, after migrating to Europe, became a nun. Sudan is one of the seven countries on the U.S. travel ban list.

"In the social and civil context as well, I appeal not to create walls but to build bridges," he said. "To not respond to evil with evil. To defeat evil with good, the offence with forgiveness. A Christian would never say 'you will pay for that.' Never.

"That is not a Christian gesture. An offence you overcome with forgiveness. To live in peace with everyone."

Francis made the reference during his weekly Wednesday catechism lesson, dedicated to the general Christian precepts of hope and forgiveness in forging peace.

Francis has frequently invoked the "bridge not walls" appeal in urging countries to welcome migrants, including when he returned from a visit last year to the U.S.-Mexico border. On that occasion, he was asked about Donald Trump's campaign pledge to build a border wall and said anyone who wants to build a wall is "not Christian."

The Vatican has in recent weeks come out strongly and directly to criticize the Trump immigration policy, with a senior official saying the Vatican was indeed concerned and the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, saying the recourse to walls and travel bans was against U.S. economic interests.

In his remarks Wednesday, Francis also appealed for prayers for members of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority, who face official and social discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, also known as Burma.

"These are good people, peaceful people," Francis said. "They're not Christians, but they're good, our brothers and sisters. And they have been suffering for years. They've been tortured and killed, simply because they are continuing their traditions, their Muslim faith. Let us pray for them," he said.

Most of the estimated 1 million Rohingya do not have citizenship and are regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even when their families have lived in Myanmar for generations. Communal violence in 2012 forced many to flee their homes, and more than 100,000 still live in squalid refugee camps.       

Pg 3

FR JOHN MULROONEY, PROVINCIAL

SHIFTING VALUES….(extract from Fr John’s recent Provincial Newsletter to all MSC)

I think we will have all noticed a real shift in values particularly in the western world during the last couple of years. There is a growing self- centeredness coupled with a ‘look after #1 first’ attitude. We see leaders touching in on people’s fears, pitting one group against another group; demonising those from other faiths and religions and even talk of “building walls”. One would think we had learnt a lot from the experience of the Berlin wall or the division of Vietnam in 1954 or the walls that have been built in Israel.

In Australia we have seen our overseas aid budget slashed to its bare bones. We are a wealthy country but seem to have lost some of the notion of looking after those less fortunate than ourselves. (Even the recent decision of the Australian Govt to cut the short wave radio reception to hundreds of thousands of people in the Pacific region who rely on it for disaster warnings and all kinds of related information – designed to save a few dollars!)

Of course there are leaders in the world who speak and act out of different values to those above - values of inclusion, justice, fairness, respect, welcome and love.

I hope we are able to take some time in reflection on what is happening in the light of the Gospel we live; in light of the heart of Jesus and all we find dwelling within him and ourselves and in light of the Gospel we preach by our words and lives every day.

Report from the Lay and Professed Council - Fred Stubenrauch

Chapter

Alison McKenzie and I presented to the Province Chapter a report about the gathering of lay people held in June last year.

The report was well received and the Chapter reaffirmed the commitment of professed MSC to the ongoing support and formation for lay people.

A small committee has met to plan what form this support should have and how it may be delivered. The Province has generously offered support for the gathering of this information.

We are planning to develop a survey that will go out to people in the various ministries. The results, we hope, will guide the development of appropriate resources. These may be in the way of on-line publications and/or face-to-face sessions.

                                                                                                                                                  Pg 4            

Two professionals well experienced in developing surveys will be assisting us. These two people are Janeen Lamb and Helga Neihart.

If you would like to be involved in completing a survey or just in providing your comments then please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

International Gathering

In July this year the next International gathering of lay MSC will be held in Brazil. There will be people from every MSC province in the world. The theme of the conference is “Our Mission: A spirituality without borders”. We (Alison McKenzie and I) have been asked to present a paper “Fr Chevalier’s Vision: a mission without borders”.

We haven’t finalised just what we will present and any contributions will be welcome!!!!

Nick Harnan

Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a retreat given by Nick Harnan MSC from the Irish Province. I think details of the retreat were sent to everyone last year. Nick worked for many years at Cor Novum in Issoudun. Nick’s presentation was very enlightening . He presented understanding of Spirituality of the Heart from a psychological view point. There were many highlights but one that struck me is that we all need to find a way to put aside our ‘ego’ selves to find our inner heart and allow it to guide our thoughts and actions.

In a recent note I sent to a few people I presented a puzzle. See if you can solve it! The award for most creative so far goes to Paul Compton but I won’t spoil it by giving you his answer.

The puzzle is what does TBOETHOG stand for?

Best wishes and every blessing to all.

                                                                                                                                                                                                     Pg 5

Parish Leaders Gathering

St Mary’s Towers, Douglas Park

Friday evening 15^th Sept 2017– Sunday afternoon 17^th Sept

Gathering time – 6.00 pm Friday

Departure – 1.00pm Sunday

‘ The parish is where the Church lives. Parishes are communities of faith, of action, and of hope. They are where the gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth. Parishes are the home of the Christian community; they are the heart of our Church’

National Conference of Catholic Bishops – USA

You are invited to a weekend of prayer and reflection, with a focus on Heart Spirituality as a way to transform our own lives

and the lives of others.

Contact: Alison McKenzie                                                                 Fred Stubenrauch

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                                              This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.             Pg 6

REMINDER

The annual donation of $10 per address is much appreciated.

Please forward

TO: Missionaries of the Sacred Heart

Fr Jim Littleton msc

PO Box 84 DICKSON ACT 2602

If you have not already done so.

To save expense, receipts are not issued unless requested.

Fr Jim Littleton MSC

National Director, Lay MSC                                    Lay MSC Newsletter

Daramalan College                                                 Bernadette Phillips, Editor

PO Box 84                                                               Treand House

DICKSON ACT 2602                                                 PO Box 252

1. (02) 6245 6358 F. (02) 6245 6397 COOGEE NSW 2034

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                     P. (02) 9665 8999

Website:www.misacor.org.au                               F. (02) 9664 2962  

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CHANGE OF POSTAL ADDRESS or EMAIL

Please send to Bernadette Phillips at

Treand House PO Box 252 COOGEE NSW 2034 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you have changed your address or email, or wish to amend your address please print your correct details below:

                Name:    ………………………………….…………………………………………

                Address:………………………………….………………………………………..

                Email: ………………………………………………………………………………

LAY MSC NEWSLETTER

November 2016

AS LONG AS YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THESE, THE LEAST OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOU DID IT TO ME.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus

be everywhere loved

INDEX

Page 1                  From the Director Fr Jim Littleton MSC

Page 2-3               Refugee and Migrants response from United Nations Meeting Sept 2016-“Year of Mercy”.  

Bernadette Phillips

Page 3-4              “Mother Teresa’s Canonisation” - Pope Francis

Page 4                   Provincial Chapter held Monday 26th Sept – Tues 4^th Oct 2016 - Fr John Mulrooney MSC, Provincial

Page 4-5               News from Vietnam – Fr Bob Irwin MC  

Page6                    Reminders

 LAY MSC NEWSLETTER, NOVEMBER 2016

     From the Director

Greetings to all Lay MSC as we come to the end of another year! For your reflection I am attaching a recent article written by Hans Kwakman MSC, which he called “The Motive of Evangelisation”. It reminds us that we are all called to be involved in making Jesus better known, to be missionary disciples.

Fr Chevalier was filled with concern about the fact that so many people did not know Jesus Christ and even did not know what they were missing. He wrote: “the Sacred heart of Jesus, the only source of light, truth and life, is not sufficiently known, is not sufficiently loved. Yet his love has saved the world…. And his loving kindness keeps it in being”. Talking about the Sacred Heart, Chevalier referred to the person of Jesus as appearing in the Gospels, loving with a human heart. He argued, when people get to know Jesus of the Gospels, their hearts and their lives will change. People will start to love him, and by loving him they will “combat egoism and indifference.” So in order to make known the “greatness” of Jesus Christ and “the treasures of mercy which his heart contains,” Chevalier intended to bring religious men and women, diocesan priests and lay people together in a society of the Sacred Heart.

In his sermons Chevalier loved to tell the Gospel stories revealing how Jesus cares for the sick and the poor. With excitement, he spoke about Jesus’ concern for a sinful woman caught in adultery; for Jairus, a synagogue official, whose daughter had died, and for the widow of Naim, on her way to bury her only son. He underlined how Jesus’ Heart, “from the cradle to the cross,” showed both “gentleness and strength”.

Also Pope Francis feels deeply concerned about the fact that so many people still do not know Jesus Christ. In “Evangelii Gaudium” he writes: “Evangelization is first and foremost about preaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him” (EG n. 15). He adds: “If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life” (EG n. 49). The Pope continues: “Proclaiming Christ means showing that to believe in and to follow him is something beautiful, capable of filling life with new splendour and profound joy, even in the midst of difficulties” (EG n. 167)

During 2016 I have had the pleasure of visiting most Lay MSC groups. We are all growing older, but

our faith is growing deeper. May I wish all of you the graces and blessings of Christmas.

Jim Littleton MSC

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                                            Bernadette Phillips                          

Refugees and Migrant Responsibilities

General Assembly of the United Nations

New York, September 2016

I wanted to share this summary with you. Let us hope that the plight of refugees and their rights and safety will become the responsibility of world leaders on a global scale. Working together and sharing the responsibility is a positive vision for the future.

Religious leaders, nations and the international community have a ‘grave responsibility’ to act against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, said the Vatican Secretary of State at the United Nations in New York recently.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin was at the UN as the keynote speaker at a side event to the United Nations Summit for Migrants and Refugees. World leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, met on the same day to discuss issues relating to large-scale movements of migrants and refugees around the world.

Preventing the spread of hatred and violence in religion’s name

Organised by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN, the side event was themed ‘Upholding the responsibility to protect: The role of religious leaders in preventing crimes of atrocity’, Cardinal Parolin said religious leaders too, have a responsibility to ‘help counter the spread of hatred and violence in the name of religion and to promote more inclusive and peaceful societies’.

‘Religious leaders have a twofold moral responsibility in carrying out their religious mission,’ Cardinal Parolin said. ‘First, they are called to highlight in all circumstances those principles and ethical values written in the human heart by God, known as the natural moral law. Second, their vocation is to carry out and inspire actions aimed at helping the building of societies based on respect for life and human dignity, charity, fraternity (which goes far beyond tolerance) and solidarity.’

The Cardinal called on national authorities to recognise and ensure religious freedom as a fundamental human right. ‘Confining religion only to the intimate sphere of the person risks the development of a culture of intolerance. It is important that the international community ensure a proper interpretation of the right to freedom of religion in international law,’ he said ‘Similarly it must reject restrictive interpretations that relegate religion to the private sphere of individuals, preventing a rightful role of religion in the public sphere.’

UN members sign agreement on commitments to migrants and refugees.

At the main summit, UN member states signed an agreement, ‘The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants’, which communicates the political will of individual countries and their leaders to share the responsibility of refugees and migrants on a global scale in order to save lives and protecting human rights.

William Lacy Swing, the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, in an address at the summit, pointed out the 'cruel irony that those fleeing terror and conflict are themselves being accused of terrorism and criminality,' due to widespread and growing anti-migrant sentiment and policies.

What are some of the commitments under the New York Declaration?

• Protect the human rights of all refugees and migrants, regardless of status. This includes the rights of women and girls and   promoting their full, equal and meaningful participation in finding solutions.
  • Ensure that all refugee and migrant children are receiving education within a few months of arrival.
  • Prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence. Pg 2
  • Support those countries rescuing, receiving and hosting large numbers of refugees and migrants.
  • Work towards ending the practice of detaining children for the purposes of determining their migration status.
  • Strongly condemn xenophobia against refugees and migrants and support a global campaign to counter it.

New York Declaration

It is hoped that each country will implement these commitments in the coming years. Refugees, migrants, those who assist them, and their host countries and communities will all benefit if these commitments are met.

• Implement a comprehensive refugee response, based on a new framework that sets out the responsibility of Member States, civil society partners and the UN system, whenever there is a large movement of refugees or a protracted refugee situation.
• Find new homes for all refugees identified by UNHCR as needing resettlement; and expand the opportunities for refugees to relocate to other countries through, for example, labour mobility or education schemes.
• Strengthen the global governance of migration by bringing the International Organization for Migration into the UN system. 

September 2016

Pope denounces 'sin of indifference' before Mother Teresa’s canonization.

Mother Teresa, revered for her work with the poor in India, has been proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis in a ceremony at the Vatican.

Francis criticises those who choose ‘not to see the many forms of poverty’ on eve of ceremony that will proclaim Mother Teresa a saint.

Pope Francis has denounced what he called the modern-day sin of indifference to hunger, exploitation and other suffering, while commending the example of Mother Teresa on the eve of a sainthood ceremony for the nun.

“Tomorrow, we’ll have the joy of seeing Mother Teresa proclaimed a saint,” Francis told thousands of lay volunteers in St Peter’s Square at a special gathering to stress the need for more mercy and caring in the world.

Mother Teresa to become saint amid criticism over miracles and missionaries .

Francis will lead a Sunday morning canonisation ceremony in the square which is expected to draw huge crowds of faithful and other admirers of Mother Teresa, who founded an order of nuns devoted to caring for the poor and destitute on the streets of Kolkata, India.

In his speech on Saturday to a crowd of volunteers that included some who helped rescue survivors of the 24 August earthquake in central Italy, Francis decried those who “turn the other way not to see the many forms of poverty that begs for mercy”.

Choosing “to not see hunger, disease, exploited persons, this is a grave sin. It’s also a modern sin, a sin of today,” he said.

Mother Teresa may deserve to be made a saint. But why now?

Francis hailed volunteers as “artisans of mercy”, whose hands, voices, closeness and caresses help people who suffer feel loved. While in the square, he patted Leo, the labrador that helped find a four-year-old child who had survived in a pile of quake rubble. The dog raised a paw, which Francis grasped.                                                                                 Pg 3

Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has been encouraging Catholic faithful and institutions to tend to the needs of marginalised people.

“The world needs concrete signs of solidarity, above all when faced with the temptation toward indifference,” Francis said.

In a shop in Kolkata which sells snacks and rosaries, Muslim shopkeeper Tanveer Ahmed recalled seeing Mother Teresa and other nuns take in a leprosy patient who lay bleeding in the street while others passed by, unmoved.

“We are fighting with each other. We are killing each other.

But, if you want to see love, please look at Mother Teresa,” Ahmed said.

He added: “I believe Mother is next to God.”

MSC Provincial Chapter held Monday 26^th September – Tues 4^th October 2016

                                                           at St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill NSW

                                                                              Who we are

                                                                    Who we want to be

                                                            (Our compassionate, empowering, courageous vision)

There has been a year of preparation for the Chapter……much discernment, reflection, community meetings and organization in the lead up to the Provincial Chapter. The first questions that were asked at the pre chapter meetings were around – issues/challenges/problems/things that need addressing now or in the immediate years ahead. Over this time it was hoped to first of all get a feel of the members of the Province, to get a sense of our “well-being”, a sense of our ‘being MSC’ and how comfortable we were with that; a sense of our own journey and the journey of our brothers since the last Chapter in 2010. Most members participated willingly and comfortably in this process which was about connecting with each other, to strengthen our mission. Of course there were some concerns about being able to fulfil present ministry commitments in the Province taking into account aging and mortality.

Many were happy to envision a future where they presently are, emphasizing the power of MSC presence…. wherever we are and in whatever we do. Many expressed a willingness to embrace change as we move forward.

The 8 days of the Chapter were a time of journeying together and seeking space and time for God to reveal himself and what his desire is for us as MSC, as a community and as individuals. What each MSC desires is of course intimately linked with God’s desire for us.

Fr John Mulrooney MSC

The Chapter concluded Tuesday 4^th October. Today in Fr John’s report to the Province he spoke about the Chapter and announced that Fr Chris McPhee was elected as the new Provincial. Congratulations to Fr Chris, he promises to be a fine leader in the coming years. Please keep him in your prayers. Overall the Chapter was a very good experience of unity and brotherhood and there was very positive feedback at the end of the Chapter when members were asked to evaluate their experience.

News from our Mission in Vietnam, November 2016 – Fr Bob Irwin MSC

Greetings again from Saigon,

It is Monday morning here and I know it is Monday because the local primary school head teacher talks at the children (and the whole neighborhood) on the very loud speaker (!) for about 45 minutes. She excelled herself today, went for 55 minutes. An hour later they were back again and she was at it again. I wonder what on earth they talk about? Anyway, the big news here at the moment is that the MSC postulants sit for their IELTS English exam this Saturday morning and afternoon. The examinations cover listening, reading, and writing followed by an oral exam on a one to one for the speaking test. A lot hinges on it for them for if they do OK then they can go on to the next stage of formation...off to the novitiate in the Philippines. If not good enough then they have to leave or they may repeat the whole postulancy year. So spare them a thought and prayer, please.                                                                  Pg 4

ON THE BUSES: No visit to Vietnam is complete unless you have some experiences on the public transport. Every trip is an experience. The weekend before last I had to go on a forty minute ride on the Saturday and Sunday as I was giving two days of recollection for our students who are preparing for final vows. The first bus was brand new! Everyone was sitting up very proud, instructions were in Vietnamese and English (and ignored). When paid, the conductor he wanted to know where I was going..so in my best Vietnamese I told him Phan Dang Luu street, which he announced to the passengers, and asking me more (I think) I told him at the corner of Lam Son...which was dutifully announced to the smiling passengers. The next day was a different story. Dirty old bus, as usual..a young girl gave me her seat immediately behind the driver from hell...one hand on the wheel, one holding the mobile phone, and no hands on the wheel when changing gears! Yesterday, I was back in that district for a one day of recollection for the postulants and aspirants on the theme of failure, success and perseverance. Meanwhile, Thoi was with some of the professed students on the theme of humility! Presumably (obviously) he is more suited to that topic than I am! Both bus drivers yesterday stayed on the horn the whole way! Must say I rather like the buses. It is my only chance to get back at those pesky motorcyclists who take over "my" footpath as the buses lurch from one side of the road to the other, scattering the bikes, like lemons, in all directions! Not very Christian, I know!.....but they don't hit them...how they miss is miraculous!

The students are all back from their trip to Oz. We had a debriefing recently and it was heart warming for me to hear their summaries of what they witnessed and experienced in their time in Australia. The three who stayed on after the Province Chapter for their few weeks experience of the country kept telling stories of the great kindness of the MSC and all the people they met on their journey there. They were very impressed by the ministries in the province in Oz and how they are carried out e.g. the men in the parishes treat the people as friends! The school staffs and students were also very friendly and they were very impressed by the various MSC spirituality symbols etc in the schools. They were a bit bemused by the Irwin lounge at Daramalan and gave me a bit of a serve!

It is always good to hear the opinion of people when they first meet up with you, especially when it is so positive. As I mentioned in my last letter it was wonderful to see how easily the young men from Vietnam were made at home in Oz...very much a part of the Province. Of course, they keep saying how good the Aussies were to them but it is obvious that their presence gave the oldies a good fillip. Same here too! With the youthfulness of the Vietnamese here you get to smile a lot. 40% of the population is aged between 10 and 24. When I get home to my community at CRC we will be celebrating a number of birthdays, the youngest of whom will turn 70!

So, soon will be back in Coogee. A bit too late for MSC schools end of year farewells etc but not too late for the delightful little St Brigid's school next door. Should be home by December 8 and, as usual, I will  spend some time in the Novitiate in the outskirts of Manila to visit our five Vietnamese novices there.

Take care down there. Enjoy the arrival of summer, if it is really on its way.

Take care and God bless.

Uncle Bob

Group of MSC Students, OLSH and MSC Sisters.

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Fr Jim Littleton MSC

National Director, Lay MSC                                    Lay MSC Newsletter

Daramalan College                                                 Bernadette Phillips, Editor

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