AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - April 2003

Hold on to the death of Christ as your guarantee

Let us rejoice that Christ has been granted to us, and let us fear no enemies of Christ in this age. Just notice, after all, who it is that has been granted to us: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That's Christ, that's the only-begotten Son of God, that's the one who is coeternal with the one who begets him. All things were made through him. How can the things that were made through him not have been granted to us, when he himself has been granted to us, through whom all things were made? And to show you that it really is himself, The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.

Desire and long for the life of Christ that has been granted you; and until you get there, hold on to the death of Christ as your guarantee. He couldn't, after all, have given us a greater guarantee, when he promised he was going to live with us, than to die for us. "I have borne," he says, "your evils; will I not pay you back my good things?" He promised, he made out a promissory note, he gave us a pledge; and are you still hesitant about trusting him? He made the promise when he was walking around here among people; he made out the promissory note when he wrote the gospel. It is to his pledge that you say "Amen" every day. You have received his pledge, it is offered you every day. You really needn't despair, you that are living on the pledge. Sermon 334, 2

• Visiting Augustinian promotes a network of peace.
  Father John Paul Szura O.S.A. of Chicago spent two weeks in Australia recently (during March) to invite Augustinian involvement in education for peace.
  
  He is the education officer of the NGO (Non-Government Organisation) that the Augustinian General Curia established at the United Nations in New York seven years ago. With accredited NGO status, the Augustinians are registered as a "peoples' group" that can offer a two-way communication between official U.N. organisations and the people whom Augustinians serve in over forty countries throughout the world.
  
  Father John Paul suggests that the Security Council gains an excessive share of U.N. publicity at the expense of the great humanitarian work of UNESCO, UNICEF and the International Labour Organisation.
  
  The Augustinian NGO concentrates on the three broad areas of education, development and human rights.
  
  His first time in Australia, Fr John Paul has called this "a hello visit". He spoke in a number of Augustinian parishes and schools about the "Culture for Peace" program of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). This program is focused on 7,000 schools internationally, with forty-five of them being in Australia. These schools contribute to a web site that anyone can browse:
  http://www.unesco.org/education/asp/
  The Culture for Peace web site is: http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/uk/uk_sommaire.htm
  
  Father John Paul reached Australia after completing a similar mission to the Augustinians in the Philippines, and will visit the Augustinians in Japan on his way back to the United States. He now plans to maintain regular contact by email with contacts he has made in Australia and Asia. The Augustinian NGO in New York can be e-mailed at augngo@aol.com
  
  
  
• Above right: Fr John Paul Szura osa visiting Springfield College, Brisbane, Qld during his stay in Australia
  
  INTERNATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING - GUADARRAMA, SPAIN (near Madrid) 30TH JULY - 5 AUGUST 2003
  
  Augustinian youth gatherings are for people aged 18-28 who have a connection with the Order of St Augustine and who wish to explore their spiritualty in an encounter with people from across the world.
  
  They continue a tradition of encounter and prayer. In light of September 11 and the present troubles in our world the accent in 2003 is on justice in our time and the hope that common purposes, hearts set together on God, and the ministry of the members of our Church across the world might set a better hope for the future. These are themes dear to the hearts of all Augustinians.
  
  For further information please contact Fr Tony Banks osa.
  Email: skabanks@ozemail.com.au
  
  
• AUGUSTINIAN COMMUNITY, MAREEBA
  
  The Augustinians have a long and rich association with the Diocese of Cairns. It began with the arrival of Fr John Hutchinson O.S.A. and his two companions at Cooktown in 1884.
  
  Subsequently, the Augustinian presence extended to all the existing mainland parishes of the Diocese. Today, however, the Parishes of Mareeba and Dimbulah are the only parishes in the Diocese, which are still served by the Augustinians.
  
  With this background, St Thomas's Priory, Mareeba is now offering an opportunity for single men to experience a period of simple community life in the Augustinian tradition with time for prayer, parish work, recreation and personal pursuits.
  

For further information contact:

Robert Greenup O.S.A.
PO Box 308,
Mareeba, Queensland 4880
Phone: 07 4092 1077
Fax: 07 4092 3170
Email: stthomas@ledanet.com.au

• Mareeba Adult Catechumenate
  
  At this year's Easter Vigil Mass six adults will be fully initiated into the Catholic Church. We warmly welcome Tanya Barker, Rebecca Haynes, Vicki Henderson, Elizabeth James and Laurie Toppin to St Thomas's Parish in Mareeba and Eleanor Gatto to St Anthony's Parish in Dimbulah. These six have been journeying together for some months along with their sponsors and the RCIA Team. Please keep them in your prayers at this special time.

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2003
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html