Editor’s

Update By tiffany chan  

Sundays 2.00pm: Bible Studies Sundays 3.45pm: Youth Mass Choir/Band Practice Sundays 5.30pm: Youth Mass Sunday 12th May 7pm: Acclaim meeting at Bishop Barry Room For all youth enquiries, please email: youth@chatswoodparish.org.au

  2 May Tiffany Adrian, Ryan, Chelle, Kenrick

Acclaim began May with a sad farewell to one of our members and dear friend Joseph, who will be returning to his family and work in India.

For many of us at Acclaim, the suddenness of Joseph’s absence during bible studies and choir practice and the uncertainty of when we will meet again is quite upsetting. That’s change. It can be sudden and uncertain, unwelcomed and shocking. But as we will see in this month’s YAC, change can, of course, also be positive. Acclaim, as you will hear from our longest youth member Ryan, has evolved over the past decade (yes, the OLD youth group is 10 years’ old!). We also hear from our newest member and Youth Pastoral Associate, Adrian, about his reflections on change and the role that God plays. In this issue we will also hear from Chelle and Kenrick about their personal stories of change.

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that God has a plan for all of us - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV). Farewell Joseph. We will miss you, but we are certain that God has great things planned for you.

What’s

on May

BY Adrian brannan

Change can be confronting, filling us with fear and dread, but as I have personally experienced recently it can also be the most rewarding and revealing action we ever take in our lives. The last two years has been a time of massive change in my life; stepping away from the corporate world and initially taking up a vocation in aged care and more recently my appointment in Holy Week as the pastoral associate for youth ministry in our great parish. I have learnt that we should meet opportunities to change head on as an invitation from God, a Vocare (from the Latin for call or to be called) to examine our situation and choose a path within we which we can be used as instruments of His Love and to Glorify His Name! Opportunities for change greeted with prayerful contemplation in places of quiet and solitude allows God to speak to our hearts, just as he did to our forebears in the quiet and solitude of the deserts of the Old and New Testaments. “Be the Change you wish to see in the world” is quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi; in fact he said something similar but not this catchy, pithy, bumper sticker style catchphrase. Nonetheless its

meaning and significance is real, if you prefer you can hear the same message in one of Michael Jackson’s song; “I am starting with the man in the mirror, I am asking him to change his ways”. If we truly act with empathy, compassion and love towards our neighbour, if they know we are Christian by our love, then we have started the journey and our actions and deeds will indeed be replicated and amplified by those we encounter along the way. It seems being adaptable is a hallmark of youth, at this time our lives are full of changes and we are resilient, we should value this quality as when we get even just a little bit older change can become massively confronting and unsettling. We shouldn’t ever fear change, there is no sense in fearing the inevitable, if we can accept opportunities for change as a challenge directed from God, then it can become a chance to follow His path closer and fulfill our own true vocations and when we do so with faith in our Lord we will be strengthened and fortified by the Holy Spirit!

For your further reflection: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Acclaim BY RYAN BALBOA

Everyday, we encounter little increments of change around us - a change in the weather, the time, the traffic lights across the road, or (ever so slowly) the word limits of our assignments.

Yet once in a while, we encounter days of meaningful change and celebration, usually marking an accomplishment, or the attainment of a goal (think graduations or birthdays for example).

As I looked around the 5:30 youth mass last week, I realised how much change we have undergone as a youth group, and how blessed we are to be where we are now. I still (vaguely) remember when I first got involved with the youth group as a year 8 student. What was then a group of 4 people, a keyboard and a sax has changed course, position and direction many times over 10 years, culminating into the Acclaim youth group in its present form, led by our new Pastoral Associate for Youth, Adrian Brannan.

On a personal level, I find that these changes have also influenced me as a person. Having had the privilege to be involved in programs such as Antioch and the WYD internship program, involvement in the church has enabled me to deepen my faith and connect to other like-minded people of diverse faiths and backgrounds – all this from a journey that originally started from playing the sax for one mass. I suppose that even the slightest changes, approached with an open mind, can make the biggest differences.

I look forward to the future of the Acclaim youth group - I have no doubt that - increment by increment - we will all be stronger in our faith, hopefully able to better inspire and contribute to our community - whatever our direction may be.

change: to give a different position, course, or direction to.

BY michelle yeong

Hi everyone, I'd like to introduce Elsan, who has been Acclaim's Youth Music leader since late 2012. I haven't had a chance to officially introduce him to all of you yet so here's what I have to say. Having known Elsan for the past 2 years, I find him to be a shy but friendly giant, someone who is sensitive, and has an enormously generous heart. He really is an awesome buddy to have both in and out of lectures where we have shared many hearty laughs until our tummies hurt. He’s a caring listener to anyone in need, as well as a sports fanatic (he loves his FIFA and the Swannies..hehe). A true gentleman, and lastly, a simply loyal and trustworthy friend. Elsan had been an active member in the Indonesian Masses prior to Acclaim. We have been working together for a number of months now as music leaders and it is truly an honour to be able to work with such a great leader and friend. His easy-going nature reminds me that it's

alright to relax and not be too stressed over the music at Mass, and we have both been very supportive of each other with regards to new songs we have each introduced in the Youth Masses over the past couple of months. I hope that I have done my part to help him grow into the best Youth Music leader he can be. I am thankful for the privilege of being his friend and mentor, and to be able to see him step up and take this role in leadership. It’s not always as simple or easy as it looks, having to stand in front of the choir and congregation, singing and waving our hands around (conducting!). I know there'll be many more months ahead of us as a leadership team and we both hope to continue to build on the Youth Masses at OLD. Elsan will be on an exchange to Japan soon and I'm sure Acclaim will miss him very much, and so will I. I'm sure he will have many adventures yet to embark upon, new friends and hopefully a new family to meet. I will miss my co-music leader buddy and we will all be waiting right here where you left us. :)

Why we need change BY kenrick lam

Hey guys! Klam from Acclaim here. Recently we've experienced some exciting change in the church with the changes in the Vatican, in the acclaim youth group with the welcoming of Adrian, our new youth minister, and in our own personal lives with 2K's recent release of Bioshock Infinite blowing our minds away. Now generally, I don't like adapting to change. I prefer stability and routine. When Windows got rid of the convenient and small start menu at the bottom left of my screen and replaced it with a full screen menu, I raged. I didn't even bother to think of the reasons why it would be better. My mind refused to adapt and therefore refused to use logical deductions to approve of a different start menu. But it is a fact that in today's society our environment is constantly changing. Current technology is so advanced that in this year alone you can video chat your husband or wife with just your eyes on Google's new glass, apply for a ticket to Mars via Netherlands on the Mars One and even witness Tony Stark unconsciously demolishing a billion dollars worth of infrastructure record fast with his forty-second suit of armour, Mark XLII. Everything is constantly being updated and personally I find it rather difficult to keep up to date with everything new. As things change, you change with them and eventually it gets to a point where you're living in a completely different world to the one you only so recently remembered. I remember not too long ago I read books while commuting to school. Now everyday I go through seven different apps just to stay in tune with the world instead. Adapting to change may be hard, possibly even unwanted sometimes. But it will always happen and as you look back you might just notice that its because of those changes Life never gets dull.

Michael Leunig (2009). Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/25/2608203.htm?site=local

Social ministry

Vinnies van

Have you been caught up in your own world recently, worrying about little things like assignment deadlines? Did you realise that there is someone out there in the streets of Sydney that have it much harder than us?

Here's a chance to step back for a second and experience some of the real hardships people in Sydney actually face. St Vincent de Paul's runs a social justice service called Vinnies Van, and it sends out a group of eager individuals ready to help feed the homeless in Sydney City once a month. Get to experience their lifestyle, listen to their stories and in return for helping them out, you'll receive something even more meaningful - gratitude and a new outlook on life. The training dates are currently postponed. More information will be provided at a later date. If you'd like to know more details or have questions, please don't hesitate to contact Rez on 0412 885 553 or email teresarose16@hotmail.com

Join the

Reader’s Ministry A great ministry to be a part of - the Reader's Ministry has a role of preaching the Good News to our parishioners, proclaiming and celebrating God's Word! As a reader, you have a great responsibility, but it is also very rewarding- you become more actively involved in the liturgy, as your understanding of the scripture deepens. You gain great confidence and public speaking skills and you get to meet the current team of readers who are all so wonderful and friendly. You are only committed to reading once a month (or more if you want to) at the Youth Mass, Sunday 5:30pm. So a special shout out especially to all the youth - high school and above, come and get involved! If you would like to become involved with us, or are interested to know more about reading please call/text Rez on 0412 885 553 or email her at teresarose16@hotmail.com