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Blessed Sacrament Congregation Newsletter ministering at

St Francis’ Church

Melbourne

St Peter Julian’s Church

Sydney

May 2020 Volume 4

The Surprising Power of Gratitude by Tony McSweeney, SSS

“How are you coping?” is a question that reverberates

across every sector of society today.

Certainly, for one of us here at St Francis’ to celebrate a Sunday Eucharist before a camera in an empty church

is an unprecedented experience, even though we know

that many people will be participating virtually in their

homes. The invitation to offer a sign of peace and, es-

pecially, to receive the sacrament of the Body and

Blood of the Lord, is an especially stark reminder of how embodied the practice of our faith – a faith in the

Word made flesh – is meant to be!

How, then, can such an experience of the Eucharist

continue to be a vital and creative force in fashioning a

truly Christian response to the needs of this unusual

time?

Monash Professor Constant Mews reminds us of past

pandemics, especially, the Ebola-like plague of the third century, which ravished the Roman Empire, and

the fourteenth century Black Death which wiped out a

third of the population of Europe and Asia. He recalls

how Christians responded by admirable works of chari-ty, especially care for the sick and the needy, and by

developing strong currents of spirituality and mysti-

cism.

In the brief space available here let me highlight just

one, perhaps surprising, aspect of the inspirational po-

tential of the Eucharist that is important for all of us,

but especially for the more vulnerable – the elderly,

those who live alone or in difficult situations, the psy-chologically fragile…

Our Eucharist, called by Paul “the Lord’s Supper”, is grounded in Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. While

it was a farewell meal prior to the infliction of a brutal

act of injustice and a horrifically cruel death, we re-

enact it as a “Eucharist” – a prayer of thanksgiving and

praise to God!

At its heart is Jesus’ consent that transformed brutal

injustice into a supreme act of self-giving ratified by

God his Father in the resurrection, a breath-taking sign of the final victory of good over evil.

The spirituality of Jesus’ followers must therefore be

characterised by these two qualities of self-gift for the

good of others and habitual thankfulness.

But how can we ask people today to be thankful when

so many are deeply worried, not only about the risk of

infection for themselves or their loved ones, but also

about a loss of work and income, even of home, lodg-

ings and the like?

Paradoxically, it is precisely the practice of gratitude that can help us prevent negativity from taking over

and so diminishing our capacity to respond. For some years now psychologists and neurologists have been

studying the powerful impact that the daily expression

of gratitude can have on people’s overall health and

well-being. For the habitual practice of gratitude has

been shown to increase the production of neuro-

transmitters important for our general well-being. In a word, it re-wires our brain in significant ways!

Practice can take the form of daily jotting down rea-

sons for being thankful in a journal, perhaps shared

with someone close, or writing letters of appreciation (even if not sent) as well as of prayer and meditation,

not to forget little rituals like lighting a gratitude can-

dle.

Studies list some remarkable results after about three months, including the diminishment of toxic emotions,

increased self-esteem, greater trust and enhanced em-

pathy as well as lowered stress levels and better sleep.

In particular, there is an augmentation of mental

strength and resilience, qualities exemplified su-

premely in Jesus’ supreme

act of love and immensely

relevant for our living crea-tively and constructively

through this strange and

demanding time. So, let us

give thanks!

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@ St Francis’

During these times of physical distance, we invite you to

pray for a group of 16 people who after just beginning

their faith journey with us at St Francis, needed to stop

meeting. As they continue to seek God in their lives and

in our world, we pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen

and support them. And may their desire to become part

of our Catholic family continue to be nourished with our

prayerful support.

St Francis’ Church

326 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel: (03) 9663 2495 Fax: (03) 9663 2817

Email: stfrancis@blessedsacrament.com.au

Website: www.stfrancismelbourne.com

Broadcast of Liturgies

from St Francis’

Masses are being recorded and made available for viewing at

11.00am each Sunday. You can find links to these videos and an

Order of Service at www.stfrancismelbourne.com

Catholics at RMIT Facebook Group is a great source of uplifting content to help you

remain spiritually nourished and connected. Content is usually posted daily including

prayer and scriptural reflection from our own Fr Ant Nguyen SSS.

Thank you Fr Ant, Shinta, Adrienne & Alae for keeping an active presence online.

www.facebook.com/groups/catholicsatrmit

St Francis’ Pastoral Centre The Pastoral Centre phone is staffed from Monday to Friday. Calls come in from the

elderly who want to chat, people wanting to get information on Mass times

and with general inquiries on donation for masses etc.

Volunteers are looking forward to serving coffee and tea again.

All the volunteers are well.

Monday Prayer group - We meet at the same time through skype and continue with

prayer for the current situation around the world, and personal needs.

For more information please call the Pastoral Centre on 9663 2495.

Art at

St Francis’

For information about future

exhibitions please contact

Brigitte Remmen on

bwremmen@bigpond.net.au

A Message from Ben Ho, SSS

Easter Blessings to everyone.

What a journey we’ve had thus far! As we crossed over to this new decade on January 1, none of us would have thought that 2020 was going to be more challenging than before… for most of us. Perhaps all the jokes about having 20/20 vision this year is be-coming a reality. Each one of us is asked to rethink the way we live our lives – to look for more clarity into our lives. So, I pose this question to everyone – what “clutter” can we clear from our lives that fills the space between us and God, between us and others?

On Sunday May 3, the church celebrates Good Shep-herd Sunday. It is typically observed as a day when we pray for Vocations. By our baptism into Christ, we are all called to a vocation of evangelisation –

Evangelisation by our Way of Life. Like a good shep-herd herding flock, we need good and clear sight of the terrain before us otherwise we will lose our flock to all sorts of elements.

So, before we shepherd or evangelise to others, what can we do for ourselves to have a better and clearer sight? What “clutter” can we clear to allow us an hon-est vision of our relationship with God and of our-selves? Peace be with you all this Easter Season and beyond.