Hey Father Gary!

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Pope Benedict declared June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009, the Year of St. Paul. This year commemorates the 2000th anniversary of his birth. Pope Benedict XVI, when announcing this Jubilee Year, said: “This special year is an invitation to join with the Apostle of the Gentiles, who dedicated himself to the spreading of the good news to all peoples, and spent himself for the unity and harmony of all Christians.” The Holy Father continued: “From St. Paul we draw a very important lesson: what counts is to place Jesus Christ at the center of our lives, so that our identity is marked essentially by the encounter, by communion with Christ and with his Word.” The readings for this Mass (except the second reading from Corinthians) are not in the Breaking Bread books.

We can celebrate this year in very practical ways:

By reading one or all of Paul’s Letters.
By praying for each of the countries to which Paul travelled.
Pray for the unity of all Christian Churches.
Obtain the plenary indulgence: HYPERLINK "http://www.annopaolina.org" www.annopaolina.org.
Volunteer to be a Catechist with Faith Formation.
Participate in ecumenical activities e.g. the FAST organization.

Today also marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week.
We are blessed to have such a great school at Our Lady of Lourdes. The children are a credit to their families! We have a fine faculty and staff led by our Principal, Kathy Bogataj.

The theme for this week is “Catholic Schools Celebrate Service”. Every Catholic School has the missionary zeal of St. Paul. Our school is an educational beacon of Christ’s presence among us. It reaches out to the local community and beyond through its support of the Kimberly Home, St. Vincent de Paul, Read Pinellas, Migrant Workers, Operation Rice Bowl (Catholic Relief Services) and much, much more! Our young people are always willing to serve others in Christ’s name.

The list of events to mark this special week is printed in this bulletin. You are welcome to attend the Open House today (Sunday) after the 930 Mass and on Wednesday from 830 – 10am. Spread the word about our great school. If you want your child to receive a Catholic education we will do all we can to help you. If something is worthwhile there will always be an element of sacrifice. Just read St. Paul’s definition of love! The sacrifice for a Catholic education is worth every cent. If you need more information about our school please call: 733 3776.

Prayer to St. Paul

Glorious St. Paul, Most zealous Apostle, Martyr for the love of Christ, Give us a deep faith, A steadfast hope, A burning love for our Lord; So that we can proclaim with you, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Help us to become apostles, serving the Church with a pure heart, Witnesses to her truth and beauty amidst the darkness of our days. With you we praise God our Father: “To him be the glory, in the Church and in Christ, now and forever.” Amen

- Fr. Gary Dowsey

Today begins the week of prayer for Christian Unity. Jesus prayed for all his disciples to be one so that the world can believe. The division in the Christian Church does weaken our witness to the world. I am glad to report that in the last few months the ministers, pastors and priests who work in the Dunedin area have been coming together for prayer, fellowship and discussion. While we recognize our doctrinal and liturgical differences there is much that unites us: our faith in Christ Jesus, a deep love for Scripture and a passionate desire to serve others. We must do all we can to heal division. Christ came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father.

As a nation we remember on Monday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. He spurs us on to work for justice. In his speech ‘I have a Dream’ delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28th, 1963 he proclaimed: “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”

It is faith that sees us through the difficulties and challenges of life. In the midst of the challenges of the present time don’t lose faith, stay close to Christ.

On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, history will be made with the inauguration of the first African American President. I am sure this historic moment fulfills part of Martin Luther King’s dream. We pray for President Elect Barack Obama and his family. In the present economic climate, and with the various conflicts around the world, expectation is naturally high. We must remember he is only human! There is only one Savior! We pray that his Presidency will bring the family of nations together in peace and justice.

Thursday is a day of Prayer and Penance for Life. As Catholic Christians we are passionate about LIFE issues from the moment of conception until natural death. Next weekend you will be invited to take part in the postcard campaign to encourage our national legislators not to support the ‘Freedom of Choice Act’ if it comes before them. This act would put at risk all the widely supported laws that have supported women’s health, ensured informed consent, protected minors, ensured parental involvement, safeguarded rights of conscience, and respect the desire of most citizens not to support abortion with their tax dollars.

Next Sunday, January 25th, we celebrate the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. We are in the last few months of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul. His Scriptural Letters continue to change our lives and lead us into a deeper relationship with Christ. His conversion celebrates the amazing impact that Jesus can have on a person’s life. This is also evident in today’s gospel with the invitation of Jesus to Andrew to “Come and see”. After his encounter with Jesus, Andrew simply declares: “We have found the Messiah”. So have we!

- Fr. Gary Dowsey

The feast of the Baptism of Jesus concludes the Christmas festival. This feast celebrates the third revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. The first was to the shepherds by the angels, the second to the Magi, the Kings, and now he is revealed by the Father as His beloved Son: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”. On this day we give thanks for those who brought us to the waters of baptism, our parents, sponsors and godparents.

In his book, “Against An Infinite Horizon”, Father Ronald Rolheiser talks about the importance of blessings. He writes: “Several years ago, I preached a sermon on the baptism of Christ within which I remarked that the words that God speaks over Jesus at his baptism - ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’ – are words that God, daily speaks over us. Some hours later my doorbell rang and I was approached by a young man who had heard my sermon and who was both moved and distraught by it.

He had not been to church for some time but had gone on this particular Sunday because he had, just that week, pleaded guilty to a crime and was awaiting sentence. He was soon to go to prison. The sermon had struck a painful chord inside him because, first of all, he had trouble believing that God, or anyone else, loved him; yet he wanted to believe it. Secondly, and even more painful, he believed that nobody had ever been pleased or delighted with him: “Father, I know that in my whole life nobody has ever been pleased with me. I was never good enough! Nobody has ever taken delight in anything I’ve ever done!” This man had never been blessed. Small wonder he was about to go to prison.

To bless someone is to speak well of them. Thus, the ritual blessing that we are given at the end of the Eucharist could be paraphrased to sound like this: “As we leave this celebration, let us feel deeply and take with us the deep truth that we, the world, and our lives are good, very good. There is no need to live in guilt and depression. We are, despite our faults, very good and delightful to God. Let us, therefore, take delight in each other and in ourselves. We are, after all, extremely pleasing to God.”

Baptism is God’s affirmation of who we are. It celebrates our dignity and worth. Through the waters of baptism we are set free from original sin and blessed with the gift of eternal life. We are anointed with the oil of strength and the perfumed oil of Chrism, to fill this world with the fragrance, the presence of Christ. We receive a candle, symbolizing the flame of faith. We are called to share the light of faith and dispel the darkness of sin and injustice. Through baptism we become members of the Church, the family of God. Yes, God’s favor rests upon us!

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to support the upcoming events at the Conmy Center: ‘Songs for a New World’ (the music is stunning); Mark’s Gospel Live (experience the amazing power of God’s Word); Celtic Tenors (rising stars from Ireland). Buy your tickets at the Conmy Center or Parish Office.

Finally, we have a very exciting weekend planned for individuals, couples, young people and the whole family at the new Diocesan Retreat Center, Bethany House. This will take place from March 20th – 22nd 2009. Keep these dates free, more details to follow!

- Fr. Gary Dowsey

In November the Bishops issued this statement: “The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States look forward to working with President – elect Obama and the members of the new Congress for the common good of all. Because of the Church’s history and the scope of her ministries in this country, we want to continue our work for economic justice and opportunity for all; our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented; our provision of better education and adequate health care for all, especially for women and children; our desire to safeguard religious freedom and foster peace at home and abroad. The Church is intent on doing good and will continue to cooperate gladly with the government and all others working for these goods”.

The Bishops went on to state that the fundamental good is life itself, a gift of God and our parents and that a good state protects the lives of all. Life should be loved and protected from womb to tomb. There is concern that the new administration may seek to implement the Freedom of Choice Act. This is a radical piece of legislation that would create a “fundamental right” to abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy. For the first time, abortion would become an entitlement the government must fund and promote. A broad range of laws currently under Roe would be eliminated – informed consent laws, parental consent laws; laws promoting maternal health; abortion clinic regulations; government programs and facilities that support childbirth and other health care without subsidizing abortion; conscience protection laws; laws prohibiting a particular abortion procedure (e.g. partial birth abortion); laws requiring that abortions only be performed by a license physician; and so on. These policies may be threatened by legislative action or executive order.

Some feel that this legislation will not be introduced or voted on in the New Congress. While that’s always a possibility, there is just as great a possibility that the combination of the first hundred days of a new administration and the poor economy will create an environment in which “drastic measures” are less questioned during “drastic times”. Those who support the Freedom of Choice Act would like us to be anything but prepared. It is expected that the act will be introduced under a different name or accomplished in a series of smaller efforts. The Bishops will launch a postcard campaign the weekend of January 24 – 25, 2009. One postcard is to be sent to the US Representative and one for each of our two US Senators. Educational flyers will be available. I want to bring this information to you at the beginning of this New Year.

Let’s hope and pray that this legislation does not come to pass in any form. Let’s hope and pray that our own love and utmost respect for life from the moment of conception till natural death will grow stronger. As Catholic Christians we should not be anti abortion but pro death penalty. In all our beliefs we need to be consistent. Jesus has moved us beyond an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth! We don’t repay evil with evil. ‘Love Life’ is our motto, even when it hurts!

The Pope and Bishops will never tell us who to vote for. Before the last election we weighed up all the issues and made an informed decision which we surrounded in prayer. If we voted for the President Elect I am sure we did not do so because he is Pro Choice, which would be sinful. To be one with our God we have to be Pro Life. Please send the cards when you receive them. Live life to the full!

- Fr. Gary Dowsey