MOSES the PATRIARCH

Moses was called by God at the young age of eighty – one is never too old to do God’s will! While in the wilderness God appeared to Moses as a burning bush. At other times, God who is a pure Spirit, takes the form of a cloud or wind. Why choose a fire? A fire has two qualities: heat = charity; light = truth. Note that this fire doesn’t consume the bush. A non-consuming fire is symbolic of how God’s grace within our souls does not deplete our nature but enhances it. His Presence transforms the soul as did the fire.

It was also on this occasion that God revealed His holy name: I AM WHO AM. It can be rendered in English as Jehovah or Yahweh. It means in philosophical terms that God’s essence is His existence. We creatures, on the other hand, receive our existence from God, as a free gift. God is the divine Giver who is outside of time and remains all powerful.

The only thing that can diminish God’s grace within is sin. Sin is always an offense against God. We sin when we transgress God’s law in thought, word or deed. Sin wounds the soul & weakens our love for God and others. Sometimes on our journey toward the heavenly promised land we stumble and fall into sin. But God is always ready to lift us up and to restore us to grace-filled fellowship with him. He does this through the Sacrament of Penance (which is also known as Confession or Reconciliation). Jesus gave his apostles power and authority to reconcile us to the Father. They received Jesus’ own power to forgive sins when he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22–23). St. Paul notes that “all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation… we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us” (2 Cor. 5:18–20).

 

BIRD HUMOUR

Two birds were sitting on a tree near the near the airport, when a jet plane went past with flames and smoke emitting from the rear exhaust. One bird said: 'That bird was in a real hurry!" The other replied: “You’d be in a hurry too, if your tail was on fire!” 

Fr. Peter Murphy – Parish Priest

Fr. Chris Heffernan – Assistant Priest

Fr. Brendan Lee –  in residence

 

Phone (02) 6025 1784     Email holyspirit@westnet.com.au

Address 550 Prune Street, Lavington         PO Box 220 Lavington NSW 264