July 2016 - Getting together

How bazaar! Every two years the St Anthony’s community gets together to hold a bazaar.  The bazaar does two things.
First and most importantly it is a community event.  The teams from different stalls get to know each other and take satisfaction from working together and achieving a great result.  The entire day it is an opportunity for not only the parish and parish school but also the wider community to get together and enjoy what’s on offer and each other’s company.
Second it is a fund raiser.  TP Serepisos, coordinator of the coming bazaar, say’s “I love how the Bazaar gets us together.  The funds we raise will go towards further strengthening our community.  The shape of the proposal is still being worked on, so watch this space”.
TP led the 2015 Bazaar and despite a nasty southerly, the event brought the community together and raised useful development funds.  “The next bazaar is on Saturday 18 February next year and it’s going to be a beautiful day” she adds.
Chair of the Holy Trinity parish finance committee Nick Crang is a keen advocate of bazaars.  “What better way to raise funds than doing something that brings all age groups together.  At the last bazaar I worked with the food stalls and couldn’t believe how quickly the food sold out, and all the joy and delight of young and old”. 
 
Much of the event organisation and logistics starts early so on the day everyone can relax and enjoy the event.  TP explains that “we’ve been surveying everyone to see what they would like to get involved in.  From people’s responses we will put the teams together.  At this stage we are thinking that the teams will include: crafts, cakes, preserves, books, white elephant, food, auctions, raffles, toys, clothing and entertainment.  There is always room for new ideas.”
The theme for the 2017 bazaar is LOVE.  What better theme to confirm what we are all about and to start a torrid of crazy ideas on how we might publicise the event and decorate on the day.
St Anthony’s school principal Jennifer Ioannou suggests we “keep watching this space and start thinking ‘love is in the air’!!”.  If you would like to donate items or sponsor events contact TP by emailing [email protected]. 

Culture wars
by Lucy Gijsbers

In many of the culture war battles of today lives are literally at stake, and abortion is surely one of the most hotly debated ethical issues. As Christians we often forget that the abortion debate is not simply an argument. Recall the words of St Peter "...in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" [1 Peter 3:15].

Really, abortion is probably the simplest social issue to debate, even with atheists, because the case against abortion is one of human rights. Everyone understands injustice.

Life begins at conception; you can check out anything from the Encyclopedia Britannica [15th ed. pg 968], Life Before Birth [2nd ed. pg 31] and there are enough books on Embryology to sink a proverbial battleship with quotes. Surely then, any consistent philosophy of human rights must have those rights beginning when the human being

begins, not at some arbitrarily selected time afterwards.

The first priority of any government is to protect the most vulnerable, those that cannot speak in their own defense, and to enforce human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has something to say about the right to life. We know then when a human life starts and we certainly know that an unborn child grows in to a human, not a fish, bird or cat.

Often we worry that since we're Christians speaking about pro-life we'll be ignored in our secular and multicultural society. But really in a multicultural society with so many differing views on everything, it seems ever more important for the government to ensure that everyone is protected and given a chance. To experience life, fall in love, grow in faith and pay taxes, just like the rest of us.


JOIN THE movement
Prolife is a movement of young people committed to building a culture of life in New Zealand. They have groups based on university campuses throughout New Zealand and also run a number of other activities focused on building the movement and challenging the status quo on abortion in New Zealand.
Take a look at www.prolife.org.nz

Parenting course
by Lisa Halliwell

When I was asked if I’d mind leading the Parenting Course I thought it would be a good way to give back.  The bonus was that I also got a lot from the course myself.
The course is made up of five evenings.  Each evening is based around watching two videos and discussing them.  The course covers:

• Building a strong family centred on love
• Meeting your children’s needs
• Setting effective boundaries
• Teaching health relationships
• Passing on the values you hold to be important

 
When we got together earlier this term in one of the classrooms at St Anthony’s School I’m not sure any of us knew exactly what to expect.  Helped by some great dessert courtesy of Hazel Kingston, Robyn Monastra and Deirdra von Lanthen, we couldn’t possibly go wrong.
The material covers the five languages of love and goes on to talk about how we empower our kids so that through their early experiences, including failure, they grow into confident adults. 
I highly recommend the course to all parents.  Parenting is the most important job we will ever do.  Kids don’t come with an instruction manual.  By doing this course there is the opportunity to reflect on the things that are going well and the things that we want to build on.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel by Alaister Straka

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is, quite obviously, patroness of the Carmelite Order. Mt. Carmel rises 1742 feet above sea level on the Mediterranean coast of Israel overlooking the modern-day city of Haifa, not far from where Christ grew up. The holiness of this mountain has endured to the present day, and it is revered as a holy mountain by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The word “Carmel” in Hebrew means, “Garden, a beautiful hill, a choice orchard, a high cultivated ground”. Carmel (Karmel, Greek) more precisely means “Garden of God” (from Karmel, is derived kerem – garden; and ‘el – the Divine name, meaning “the vineyard or garden of God”). Its beauty is remarked on quite a few times in the Bible, have a read of Song 7:5, Is 35:2 and Jer 50:19.

It was to Mt. Carmel that Elijah went to pray (1 Kings 18:42) and here that he gathered the people of Israel that the Lord might free them from idolatry:
“Now ... gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Ba’al and the four hundred prophets of Ashe’rah ... So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel, and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel ... Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and the said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God” (1 Kings 18:19 ff).

Although the Carmelites have long claimed that their order extends back to Elijah, officially the order was approved by Pope Honorius III in 1226. Not long after, according to the traditions of the Carmelite order, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Carmelite St Simon Stock on July 16 1251 (now the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel). The order was enduring difficulties and St Simon prayed fervently to Our Lady for help, “Flower of Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Mother of the Son of God. Amiable Mother, ever Virgin, give to thy children of Carmel the privilege of thy protection, star of the Sea.” At this prayer, Our Lady appeared to him, holding the Brown Scapular in her hands, saying to him, “This will be the sign of the privilege that I have obtained for thee and for the children of Carmel; whoever dies clothed with this habit will be preserved from the eternal flames.” The specific practices associated with the Brown Scapular are:
 1) to wear the Scapular after enrollment by a priest (following a specific form);
2) Observe chastity according to one’s state in life; and
3) Recite the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or five decades of the Rosary daily.

Prayer challenge This month's prayer challenge was proposed by www.voiceofthefamily.com and ties in nicely with the practices associated with the Brown Scapular, namely, the daily Rosary. In Iucunda Semper Expectatione Pope Leo XIII urged that given “the disastrous condition of the Church and of Society” and “the extreme necessity for signal aid from God” it is “manifest” that “aid should be sought through the intercession of His Mother, and by the express means of the Rosary, which Christians have ever found to be of marvelous avail."

We therefore invite and challenge you to pray the Holy Rosary with us for the following intentions, whether monthly, weekly or (best of all) daily.

For the Pope: that he faithfully hand on the “deposit of the faith”.
For cardinals: that they courageously fulfill their responsibilities as advisers of the pope, give heroic witness to the Catholic faith and follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in the next conclave.

For bishops, and for the priests, deacons and those of other orders, who assist them in their ministry: that they may courageously teach the Catholic faith in all its integrity, offer true worship to Almighty God, and govern the Church according to God’s holy will.

For persecuted Catholics: that all who suffer persecution for the Catholic faith may, through the mercy of God, be delivered from all those who assail them.

For the family: that all families throughout the world, especially their most vulnerable members, may be protected from all assaults, spiritual or temporal.

​______________________________________REST IN PEACE Anne Clunies-Ross past away recently.  Starting in Blenhiem, her mother died when she was young.  Attending St Mary’s College she became a Catholic.  Health issues prevented her from joining a religious order.  She was a most generous member of our parish family and was sacristan at St Patrick’s Church for eight years.  May she rest in peace.