From the desert ancient communities come... please consider how you can help them. They face extinction.

Picture from The Catholic Sun

If you have been concerned about what you hear of the goings-on in Northern Iraq with regard to Christians and other minorities, here is your opportunity to do something constructive ....

Further reading:

Minorities in Iraq
Who are the Yazidis and why is ISIS hunting them?
GENOCIDE: Christians, religious minorities flee violent persecution in Iraq
No mass said in Mosul for the first time in 1600 years
Mosul

Step by Step - otherwise known as Child of My Love - by Frank J Exley

This poem was made to those present at the
'A Life of Prayer' event at St Paul's Bakery Hill 
by Sheila Upjohn 

First Sunday of Advent: 2008

From http://www.earthsong.org.au/

We are being called into a new place
and our creativity is being placed
at the service of Earth,
in a new millennium and a new moment.

There is an awakening of deep energy,
for embracing the interconnectedness of the whole life community
and finding the place of the human within this community.

Living within the Divine Mystery,
we celebrate the sacredness of all beings
and the integrity of all creation.

Drawing on the wisdoms of our past,
we are moving into new expressions
of our response to the creation:
'groaning in one great act of giving birth'.

We seek to learn new ways,
widening our horizons,
believing in a possible dream,
touching into our deepest experience
to give and to receive life.

~~~~

All Saints - The Anglican presence in Mitcham & Nunawading
Rev'd Dianne Sharrock, B. Theol
Forthcoming Christmas Services
Thursday 4 December
A service of lessons and carols for Advent
organised by the All Saints' Mothers Union
Christmas Eve 24 December
5pm - Family Service with Wombat Divine
11pm - Sung Eucharist with Carols
Christmas Day 25 December
9.30am - Sung Eucharist with Carols
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer of the Day - Advent 1

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came among us in great humility, that n the last day when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAKE ADVENT YOUR OWN IN YOUR OWN HOME THIS YEAR

Here are some household prayers with daily scripture readings for the weeks of advent

with many blessings from All Saints at Micham & Nunawading

Opening Prayer

Wait for the Lord; be strong and have courage and put your hope in the Lord.

Then then glory of the Lord will be revealed and all people will see it together.

Thanks be to God.

Readings

Choose a Scripture reading from the list given below)

Thanksgiving for Light

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We give you thanks and praise, God of all creation:

You gave us the sun that runs its course with joy, the moon and stars to brighten the sky at night.  

Brak through our clouds of doubt and fear.

Wake us up to your saving awesome works;

Teach us again that nothing is too wonderful for our God.

Make us heralds of your peace to all the earth, bearers of your light to those who are sad and afraid.

Grant us rest this night that we may sleep surrounded by your love.

We pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world.  Amen

Lighting of the Advent Wreath (if you don't have a wreath, perhaps you can light a candle)

By the tender mercy of our God, 

the dawn from on high will break upon us, 

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

(Luke 1:78-79)

Jesus said:  

"I am the light of the world."  

The nations will walk by this light 

and all people will see God's glory.  

(spoken as the candles are lit)

Responsive Prayer

Jesus, our Emmanuel, 

you promised to be with us in all times and places:

Come now and be our friend.

Come, Lord Jesus.

You came as a baby, born in a manger,

and the magi called you "King":

Come to rule the world with mercy and peace.

Come, Lord Jesus.

You walked through towns and villages,

Healing the sick and feeding the hungry:

Come and show us your way of love.

Come, Lord Jesus.

God sent you to save the earth and all its people; 

your love for us led you to the cross:

Come with joy, and open wide the door of life.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Closing Prayer

God of Light,

you have promised that you will feed us,

hold us tenderly and protect us:

Guide us through each day,

abnd lead us on the highway to your home.

Come to us when we are afraid and uncertain.

Bless us as we prepared to celebrate Christmas.

Gather us into a community of love,

ready to receive Jesus and 

to bring his healing and peace to the world.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Then say the Lord's Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name....Amen

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit

be with us.

O come, O come Emmanuel!

Advent Daily Scripture Readings

(the list of readings is a *.jpg file.  Please click to enlarge.)

Thoughts for troubles times - 12

Learn not the way of the nations,

nor be dismayed

at the signs of the heavens

because the nations

are dismayed at them,

for the customs of the people are false.

The Book of Jeremiah 10:1

Faith, Hope and Peace

A penny and God: a memory for life

Your correspondent, dear Reader, awoke early this morning thinking of the Penny Catechism. The Penny Catechism (so-called because it originally cost a penny and its price used to go up by one penny) is famous in the English speaking world as the little book which taught generations of Catholic children, in rote question and answer form, the rudiments of their faith. Miss Eagle was raised in the pre-Vatican II Australian Irish-Catholic tradition by the Sisters of Mercy, mostly Irish, in a parish staffed by Capuchin priests, mostly Italian-Americans. From a search of the net it appears that the Penny Catechism was not exactly the same everywhere. There were variations. Miss E is unable to find a text of the Australian version on the net - only reference to it.

Miss E often thinks on the first and second question in the Catechism:

1. Q. Who made you?
A. God made me.

2. Q. Why did God make you?

A. God made me to know Him, love Him and serve Him on this earth, and be happy with Him forever in Heaven.

The way children were taught their catechism in those days, some would call it indoctrination. Perhaps. But while there has been much to doubt, challenge, and reject about Catholicism itself, there has never, in Miss Eagle's mind and spirit, been any doubt about these two fundamental issues. She started school at four and half years of age and is seven weeks away from the old-age pension but these two simple questions with their only slightly less simple answers have guided her life. They are pole stars, a blessed assurance.

But it was not this portion of the Penny Catechism that came to mind when Miss E's eyelids sprung open this morning. It was this:

Why do we call that day good on which Jesus Christ died?

We call that day good on which Jesus Christ died because, by his death on the Cross, he did redeem the world.

If anyone thinks that Miss E's memory is not correct (remember this is the Australian version not the U.S. or English version), could you please advise your correction. If you have a copy of the Australian version of the Penny Catechism ( for U.S. versions see here), would you mind scanning it and sending a digital copy to Miss Eagle at the email address on the sidebar, please? It would be greatly appreciated.

Season of the Soul: Faith

Stained glass window: St Peter's Anglican Church, Glenelg, SA

FAITH

Lord, how could you so much appease
Your wrath for sin as, when man's sight was dim,
And could see little, to regard his ease,
And bring by Faith all things to him?

Hungry I was, and had no meat:
I did conceit a most delicious feast;
I had it straight, and did as truly eat,
As ever did a welcome guest.

There is rare outlandish root,
Which when I could not get, I thought it here:
That apprehension cur'd so well my foot,
That I can walk to heav'n well near.

I owed thousands and much more:
I did believe that I did nothing owe,
And liv'd accordingly; my creditor
Believes so too, and lets me go.

Faith makes me any thing, or all
That I believe is in the sacred story:
And where sin places me in Adam's fall,
Faith sets me higher in his glory.

If I go lower in the book,
What can be lower than the common manger?
Faith puts me there with him, who sweetly took
Our flesh and frailty, death and danger.

If bliss had lien in art or strength,
None but the wise or strong had gained it:
Where now by Faith all arms are of a length;
One size does all conditions fit.

A peasant may believe as much
As a great Clerk, and reach the highest stature.
Thus do you make proud knowledge bend & crouch,
While grace fills up uneven nature.

When creatures had no real light
Inherent in them, you did make the sun
Impute a luster, and allow them bright;
And in this show, what Christ has done.

That which before was darkened clean
With bushy groves, pricking the looker's eye,
Vanished away, when Faith did change the scene:
And then appeared a glorious sky.

What though my body run to dust?
Faith cleaves unto it, counting ev'ry grain
With an exact and most particular trust,
Reserving all for flesh again.

George Herbert

Faith: blind or certain?

In one of the Nazi death camps during the Second World War, a believer wrote on the wall:

I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining.

I believe in love, even when I feel it not.

I believe in God, even when He is silent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see.

This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand

that the universe was formed at God's command,

so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Paul's Letter to the Hebrews Chapter 11 verses 1-3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus said to him,

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears,

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark's Gospel Chaper 9 verses 23 and 24