"NOT AGAINST US" AND " FOR US"

IMAGE OF OUR LORD FROM THE HAGIA SOPHIA IN CONSTANTINOPLE
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY WISDOM

The Gospel of to-day's Mass is amongst the shortest we encounter in the three year cycle : Mark 9: 38-40. It concludes with Jesus saying to Saint John : "....Anyone who is not against us is for us". This is said in the context of the disciples trying to stop a non-disciple driving out devils in the Lord's Name, and Jesus telling them that they must not stop him.

This passage has, in recent years, led some homilists to proceed from this  
statement to say that it means that Catholics should be more open to the good works done by other Christian "communities"But is this a proper analysis of the passage?

Who?

" Anyone who is not against us...." clearly Jesus is excluding people who would oppose His teachings when He uses the words " against us", from acting in His Name.

As Catholics, we are blessed with the fullness of Christ's Truth entrusted to His Church to teach and to safeguard. This fact is not a matter of despised " Triumphalism", nor is it evidence of some defect in our stance. No, it is just a fact that we are bound to acknowledge and act upon accordingly.It is as much a responsibility as anything else.

But Christians in " other communities" - what are they about? Without exception they are holders of views which contradict and thus oppose Christ's teachings. If they are Anglicans, they reject the Petrine Ministry Christ Himself established, the Priesthood He established, the Magisterium He established, parts of the sacred Scripture He has provided to us and any one or more  of a smorgasbord of varying positions contrary to the Truth that they might choose to hold. If they are Lutherans, much the same is true. If they are followers of one of the 40,000 other Protestant 
" communities" they hold even more, and more radically opposed beliefs.

It is obvious that every Protestant is fundamentally opposed to some of Christ's Truth, and is therefore " against us".

The pursuit of " niceness" and " inclusion" in the modern World leads some to take a very superficial view of Sacred Scripture, even in some cases a very selective view. But this does no one any good, and it is a very false "Charity" Nor is it true to Jesus Christ, in either His words or His actions.

Getting it right

Rather than seeking to re-interpret what Jesus said, in order to accommodate the spirit of the Age, we should be exercising authentic Charity. The learned Bishop Lucius Ogorji of Umuahia in Nigeria recently reminded the congregation of Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Brisbane, that the prime example of Charity is Evangelisation - taking Christ's Truth out to those who do not believe or know it. Of course that is more difficult and demanding than mere " niceness". But it IS being faithful to Jesus Christ.

This not to say that we should disregard the good works  done by some who oppose the fullness of Truth. But we simply need to appreciate precisely what Jesus said and regard these otherwise good folk as needing conversion to Christ's Church . For after all, in their other proceedings they are daily leading people away from Christ's Truth and from His Church and the unity He desired for His followers.

Let us never forget who we are, and Who we serve - and must serve according to His Will.

WHY DID JESUS DO IT ? AND WHAT ABOUT......GOD?

JESUS -THE TRANSFIGURATION

Many people devote a great deal of energy asking why God allows this or that to happen. But, generally speaking, people are inclined to take things that God has done for granted. They don't ask questions , or perhaps , even try think it through for themselves.

To a large extent that is appropriate.It is not for us to second guess God. But, if we forget known reasons for God's actions, it can lead to serious problems.

CHRIST'S CHURCH

Consider the foundation by Jesus Christ of His Church .It is with us still
 ( just as He promised) , and, like it or loathe it the World sees it as a normal part of life. But why did Jesus establish His Church? And what are His intentions for it? And what are the implications for us?

It is hardly a secret, for in the Sacred Scriptures we hear Jesus Christ  - God made Man - give the Great Commission to His Apostles ( Matt. 28 : 16-20) :

"All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Earlier (Matt. 16: 18) Jesus had said to Peter : 

"....And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church , and the powers of death shall not prevail against it." 

SAINT PETER AND THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
STATUE OUTSIDE SAINT PETER'S BASILICA

Nothing to give us cause to question there. Nothing there but clarity and precision .Christ's Church is to be found in relation to Saint Peter and his legitimate successors. And its role is to take Jesus' teachings to the ends of the Earth and until the end of time to everyone. Further, Jesus guarantees to stay with this Church and to preserve it against the machinations of Satan whom Jesus had elsewhere identified as the " Father of Lies"( John 8: 44).

IMPLICATIONS FOR US

So it seems simple - for those who believe that Jesus Christ is God, they - we - have only to co-operate with His Church and thus do His Will.

And yet.....is that what is happening?

Plainly there are cases where it is not. Since the Protestant Deformation of Christ's Church , nearly 500 years ago , an ever fragmenting series of man- made organisations has developed each with some particular idea fundamentally opposed to Christ's Will, whatever they might claim.

But , in the last 40 years or so, another wrinkle on this dissent from Christ's Will has developed.

This development has attached itself like a type of parasitical invader to some within the Church.It is the secular concept that " we are all equal, we are all entitled to believe whatever we choose, and that therefore one religion is as good as another - and that applies to non-Christian religions too".These ideas are taught in Catholic Schools and Universities as well. Not only taught but enforced by practical means in marking assignments and grading overall performance of students - even seminarians.

The effort is made to defend the practical implementation of these ideas by saying that we don't want to offend non-Christians in our classes. And these ideas are even advanced in "Catholic" institutions, and, by Priest Lecturers among others,

WHAT !!!

God Most High breaks into Time, out of Eternity, and condescends to become incarnate out of love for mankind. He then establishes His Church - His "project for the salvation of mankind" as the great Dom Prosper Gueranger called it and now, 2,000 years later,some of its institutions and even His Priest Lecturers teach that His Church is just one of a range of possibilities of equal value! Really?

What can we say of these institutions and of these Priest Lecturers?

PRIEST PRESIDENT OF NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY PREPARE HONORS FOR
ABORTION ADVOCATE OBAMA - HAVING COVERED UP PLAQUES AND OTHER ITEMS
HONORING THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS AT THE BEHEST OF THE OBAMA OFFICE

They have lost the Faith! 

There is One God. He is Triune, personal, perfect and unequivocal. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became Man, He established ONE Church, taught ONE Gospel,and guaranteed to preserve that Church and therefore those Truths against the Father of Lies until the end of time.

Now, tell me, how are we to regard institutions, and ideas opposite to what God has given and taught? Which are worthy of support? Whose sensitivities will we privilege against teaching God's Truth?  Who do you propose?

But how did we get stuck in this mess, in which such questions need even be put? Where did it all begin? The so - called Enlightenment( 17th and 18th Centuries) which is the remote parent of these ideas , can itself be traced back to the Protestant Deformation which sought to throw off the yolk of Christ's Church , to be "free" of God's teaching and His established earthly authority. To be sure, all of this was done in the name of alleged "truths" but the Father of Lies can quote Scripture for his own purposes, and even alter it for his own purposes when he has Martin Luther working for him.And he can succeed even more thoroughly when he has a sex-obsessed, syphyllitic King like Henry VIII of England to do his work. A King who was so obsessed with getting his own way that he could rationalise anything to achieve that end.

Having cast off the " burden" of Christ's Truth and His Church, anything was possible. And so, in the 17th Century the triumph of " Reason" became the fashion, the obsession of the intellectual society of the time.
Many of the new "truths" espoused in time were displaced by newer " truths" or shown empirically to be false and in time, the idea of " truth" came to be brought into question. After all, if there is " absolute truth" it would be so limiting! One might have to begin to amend one's thoughts on related subjects, or even have to amend one's way of acting and living. And before one knew it, one might be back in the embrace of the Truth and its consequences.

NO LONGER CATHOLIC AT ALL 

So Truth having been disposed of, it follows as night after day, that every opinion is as good as the other, and every one has to be " equal". It does not matter that these propositions are patently absurd.They are cast in concrete - they are politically correct and unquestionable. Everyone is equal, every race is equal, every culture is equal, every religion is equal.

And so here we are : these " Catholic" institutions have lost the Faith and taken on the culture of academic post Christian society, and the Priest lecturers have sold out  - truly lost the Faith and are following another 
"Faith" altogether. 

BUT WHAT ABOUT........GOD?


But those of us who believe Jesus Christ is God.....what are we to do?

THE GREAT SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

For it is plainly obvious that nearly 50 years after the Council most young Catholics in the pews have not been taught their Faith and their teachers too had not been taught their Faith . There are , thank God brilliant exceptions to that rule. But the fact is that it is more difficult now to teach the Truth to people who do not even " know what they do not know". That is to say that in many areas, they are not even aware that there is something to be known. So they proceed in blissful ignorance, accepting the status quo they have discovered.

We have no choice...we are bound to do as the Master wished and to work constantly toward that end.The immediate need is to make the faithful aware of how things really are, and how they ought to be. 

Let us take a break at this point and reflect on the situation before returning with some further thoughts.

NO NEW BISHOPS FOR SCOTLAND - UNTIL.......

INTERIOR SAINT MARY'S CATHEDRAL EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

With his customary colourful flourishes, the presenter of the American Church Militant T.V. " Vortex" programme is reporting that the Holy See has decided that the three Sees now vacant in Scotland, and two more soon to become vacant - five Sees out of the Scottish eight, will remain vacant pending the investigation of claims of a homosexual network among some senior clergy in that country.

This comes immediately after the announcement that retired Cardinal Keith O'Brien, disgraced former Archbishop of St. Andrews & Edinburgh, has been directed by the Holy See to leave Scotland and retire to a place of prayer and penitential retreat and reflection. This action followed the reported complaint by the Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia, to the Holy See that the continuing presence of the Cardinal in retirement was a major embarrassment and distraction for the proper functioning of the Church in Scotland.

Obviously the Holy See is determined to ensure that  new appointees are free of any taint whatsoever, and no doubt they will be strictly monitored to ensure that any network such as that reported is destroyed and its members removed from office.

Meanwhile, in Australia, save for the Maronites, nothing has changed since our posts of 7th May and 18th April,2013. &th May related to Cardinal Ouellet's visit to Sydney only yesterday - so not too much could flow from that. But there are signs of anxiety developing in at least one potential candidate for a Mitre. The stress of the long wait is evidently not only bad for the Church in the Dioceses concerned and for the reform of the Australian Catholic Bishop's Conference bur wearing on those spoken of as potential candidates. Perhaps the latter need to take heed of the comment by both Pope Benedict XVI and even more heavily by Pope Francis on the need to bring an end to careerist attitudes. 

Pastoral concern, moral probity, a devout life and doctrinal integrity are the gold of the episcopate , mere ambition is but dross.

A BOUQUET OF MOTHERS

SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2013

A BOUQUET OF MOTHERS

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2012

A BOUQUET OF MOTHERS

My Dad's Mum - Eleanor Margaret "Mag"Dixon - taken 1911

My dear wife Robyn,with our  three children : Marianne, Justine and Matthew at Mount Wilson - Autumn  1980 (?)

My dear Mum Elsie Georgina Beckmann (R) and her Mum Louisa Beckmann (Standing) with Grandad Edward Beckmann and sisters Charlotte (L) and Ernestine "Kate" (centre) in 1910 - 1911

Our daughter Justine with 2 mths premature son Daniel (born 1st June, 2009) now a charmer & picture of robust  good health



Here I am surrounded by a pictorial  bouquet of Mothers !( I think "bouquet"is a suitable collective noun for a group of Mothers!) Each one of them I have had the privilege and joy to share my life with, and each one has been a remarkable example of love and kindness in action, even in the gravest difficulty. The pictures are in no particular order. Obviously the first Mother I knew was my very own dear Mum,who led a life of self- sacrifice , love and loyalty in the most adverse circumstances.Her love was generous and kind, never in the least demanding. She was the ideal example of her Father's philosophy that love and respect go hand in hand :: if you have not got love you will show no respect, if you show no respect, you have no love. Grandad hit the nail on the head, and my dear Mum had absorbed the lesson and lived it out.


 Next I got to know my Grandma Dixon who lived on the next block one street behind us. Hers was also a tough life coping with a difficult husband and who gave herself to helping many human strays in the family orbit. She was very loving in her treatment of me and in early primary school days I used to walk home via Grandma's place, where she would always be seated on the verandah - waiting for me with a One Shilling piece( with its Merino Sheep Head image on it) clutched in her hand which she gave to me for treats. I can still recall its warmth from her hand, to-day.


My Mum's Mother, Grandma Beckmann, was a very special lady too. She was more self - confident and outgoing within the family group than my Mum or Grandma Dixon and her love was open-hearted and generous, her hugs big and strong. She was totally devoted to her husband "Ted"Edward Beckmann and in the family circle she would refer to him as "Daddy"( they had 9 children!). When I knew him his health was failing, and though she would firmly proclaim that "Daddy and I are going to live on into the (Biblical) Millenium ", looking back ,I can see her anxiety that he was slipping away. She was a wonderful example of love and affection and that ,constant and reliable.She had had a tough life with never a lot of money around , and when some windfall occurred an adverse development would sweep it away. She suffered a lot for marrying a  "German" especially in World War I as did the older girls, reproached for being "Germans".I recall her unconditional love of me ,and those strong, generous hugs to-day.And, as she lay close to death in Hospital  , I can recall her calling out "Mummy" - my Grandmother, at the end of her life - calling out for Her Mother!


Then we come to the full colour Mums. My dear wife Robyn and those three beautiful children, what fun we had that day in the bracing air and rich autumn tones of Mount Wilson! What fun we have had over all the years - and how much of that is due to Robyn , loving loyal, devoted wife and Mother. I guess we have had more good times than all the predecessor Mothers and their families combined and yet we have had a ton of tough times, but Robyn has been a constant source of love and loyalty through thick and thin, and even thinner!No - one could ask for abetter Wife or ,the children, a better Mother.


The latest Mother in the family blood line is our dear daughter Justine, Mother to Emily, Christopher and Daniel. Words nearly fail me ( nearly! I always have a few left!) As parents we could not be prouder of this thoroughly modern Mother. She is an exemplary model of love and devotion in effective action , handling even the strain of tiny Daniel's birth when this tiny literal handful of life seemed to us too fragile , she brought him to the fullness of healthy life with dedication and love, without skipping a beat in the care of Emily and Christopher and husband Paul.And like her paternal Grandmother she is a stalwart strength for her parents.


So Mothers of mine, I salute you and honour you , but most of all, I love you unfailingly.

HOPEFUL SIGNAL FROM MOSCOW

PATRIARCH KIRILL OF MOSCOW

A recent Russian TV interview give by the Patriarch of Moscow has been reported in the French Website " Liturgia" :

"The Patriarch also mentioned in this context, the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church

We are ready to dialogue and cooperation and we hope that the new Pope is also open. The time difference and our wavering in our analysis of important problems of society must end. This process began under Pope Benedict XVI, and we very much hope that this positive trend will grow and improve. Time Benedict relations between the two Churches have improved considerably. We are open to dialogue and collaboration."

(This translation comes via GOOGLE TRANSLATE and is imperfect. I believe that the highlighted words are better translated " The time of our divergence..."   and " In the time of Benedict..." Let us pray that this hopeful sign of a willingness to maintain the momentum already achieved will be fully developed.)

A PERSONAL NOTE - TWENTY ONE TO-DAY - BUT NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT

JOHN JOSEPH DIXON (L of Photo) around 1911
WITH HIS MOTHER, ALBERT (R)
AND BABY BROTHER BILL WHOM DAD GREATLY ADMIRED

To-day ,Saturday 11th May, 2013 is the Twenty First Anniversary of my Father's death just three weeks short of his 85th Birthday. He survived the death of my Mother by almost 21 years .

Sent to work at age 11 years in a metal foundry, he had a pretty tough life.

HERE, IN 1927 DAD LOOKS LIKE THE TYPICAL YOUNG BANKER OR CIVIL SERVANT
WHICH HE WAS NOT, HE ALWAYS WORKED IN BLUE COLLAR OCCUPATIONS

His life experience together with his local social network, made him a lifelong Labor Party voter. He persevered in this even after he said he was convinced that the Labor Party was riddled with Communists whom he despised - he just could not bring himself to desert the "working class party". And in fact he did see the world and the nation in those Victorian era Class terms.

My Dad was born a Catholic and educated in a Convent School, but for long periods did not practise his religion. Yet when his "kind eyes"won the heart of Miss Elsie Georgina Beckmann a petite and beautiful,modest girl from a devout Evangelical Protestant family , he required that they be properly married in the Catholic Church. Miss Beckmann was instructed in the Faith and duly became a Catholic, and they were married in 1927.

To-day's cynicism might suggest that he was being hypocritical. But in those days people were honest about doing wrong  - he knew it was wrong not to practise his religion, but he also knew that there are absolutes of such importance that you don't abuse them : he would not betray his Religion, even if he did not practise it - that Truth was bound to him for life.

When I was born, Dad was 32 years old ,he was never unkind to me, but not outgoing or physically demonstrative of his love. ( The Poet James Macauley writes powerfully of his own Father's inability to physically express any affection.) He worked on the construction of the great Garden Island Graving Dock, for the Navy. This was a protected employment category, which stopped him being sent on labour battalions to Darwin when he received the call-up. He could not be in the regular forces because of faulty eyesight resulting from an accident at the Foundry when he was about 13 yrs old.

As I grew up, all my interests were largely alien to my Dad except Politics, and even then we were on opposite sides of the fence!Only after many years did  I hear that Dad was very proud of my progress in Banking  and in other areas and used to regale his regular drinking mates at the hotel in Lidcombe with my latest efforts. We almost never got to talk at any length on  any subject , conversation being limited to brief exchanges of statements never pressed too far lest the heavy crunch of disagreement should wreck things.

Dad worked hard all through his life, and for most of my life after the War, he worked in the hot dirty atmosphere of Potts Hill Water Pumping Station , which he rode to and from on a bicycle in light and dark ( for he was a shift worker) and in summer heat and driving rain.It was about a twenty minutes bike ride each way.

In my twenties and thirties , I could of course, perceive all my Father's faults with clinical efficiency, whilst making every allowance for any tendency  to deficiency on my part. As the years went by my Dad evolved, particularly after he came to see the devastating effect on my Mum's fragile mental health following a Hysterectomy. He came to see in time how cruel was the effect of stubborn,sullen silences - sometimes lasting 3 days - over some exaggerated "offence"on someone so vulnerable. He was transformed.

He also returned to the practise of the Faith which was very pleasing to see and took great delight in his three grandchildren, Marianne, Justine and Matthew and never ceased urging me to look after my wife!

But still he could not freely and easily communicate either emotions or ideas.Whether or not this disability stemmed from the treatment he received from his brutish and drunkard Father, I cannot say for sure, but if I were a betting man......

Dad's later years were plagued by troubles with his heart - suffering from an "enlarged heart"which caused recurring build-ups of fluid around the heart, these required repeated hospitalisation to relieve them but there could be no cure.

In fact he had just successfully completed one such routine and was about to be released when he suffered a heart attack and died. The Catholic Chaplain to the Auburn Hospital where Dad died was quickly on the spot to minister to  his poor body and pray for his soul. His name was Father Stephen Swift and I was most impressed by the card he left endorsed with all that needed to be done to ensure a proper Catholic burial - for he knew nothing of the family.

We were living in Brisbane at the time and I received a call from my Brother Pat telling me of Dad's death and saying that the Hospital  wanted to perform an autopsy. I was on the first plane down next morning and went straight to see the Doctor in Charge -  a young Asian gent. He was prompt to offer condolences and almost as prompt to proffer a form authorising an autopsy for signature. When I objected that they clearly knew the cause of death, and that  this was unnecessary, the form quickly disappeared into the pocket of his white coat. I informed him that after the long periods of my Dad's health problems, I did not want his body used for training purposes. This is a matter which I believe the Hospital handled very badly to say the least.

1947 WITH MY DAD IN PITT STREET SYDNEY

So John Joseph "Jack"Dixon I love you dearly and hope we have the opportunity to understand each other far better in Paradise.My prayers for the repose of your soul and of Mum's are daily made, because time is irrelevant in eternity.

TONY DIXON

FRASSATI - PART II - STAND BACK - THE HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK IN BRISBANE

 HERE
 AT THE CELEBRATION OF FATHER GREG JORDAN S.J.'s
50 YEARS OF PRIESTHOOD, WE SEE FROM BOTTOM RIGHR : FATHER GREG, FATHER MARK WITHOOS  (VISITING FROM ROME) BISHOP GEOFFREY JARRETT OF LISMORE

MORE FRASSATI WORKS

FRASSATI does not confine itself to its own works exclusively , but readily and keenly supports other firmly authentic Catholic activities.

Frassati for Schools

FRASSATI has given THEOLOGY OF THE BODY talks to over 1,000 students during 2012.

Vocations Retreat

FRASSATI organised in 2011 a Vocations Retreat at The Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Sydney in 2011.

Australian Catholic Students Association Conference 2012/2013

FRASSATI is actively involved in supporting this major annual gathering of Catholic University Students , this year in Brisbane.

Catholic Resource Outreach

FRASSATI has regularly been distributing FREE through the activities it organises, authentic Catholic material : books, CDs and booklets to Catholic young people. The products of the American Lighthouse Catholic Media  and the Sydney based Parousia Media  have featured largely in this work, including materials featuring inspiring talks by Catholic Apologists and Speakers including Matthew Kelly, Scott Hahn, the Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Fr. Robert Barron and Patrick Madrid.

Milites Mariae ( " Soldiers of Mary")

Milites Mariae is a monthly gathering of the young men of FRASSATI.It begins with Mass and includes a formation or catechesis session, followed by food and fellowship. It is a chance for these young men to deepen their Catholic Faith, strengthen their relationship with Jesus, and be part of an active brotherhood.

As well, FRASSATI AUSTRALIA hosts a range of events specifically for young men. Throughout the year, there are weekend retreats, talks and presentations, FRASSATI dinners and social events. There is even a regular pilgrimage to Turin and Rome.

Milites Mariae is a great way to be part of an active Catholic brotherhood and be involved in the mission of the Church as well as learn about the Faith and celebrate the Sacraments.

You might well ask at this stage : " Who are these fellows?" Here are the members of the Leadership Team :

SUMMARY

These are seemingly ordinary Australian young men. In one sense they are very ordinary, in their good humour, friendship, jobs and all. But there is a common difference in each of them that makes them very extraordinary : they are truly inspired in their Catholic Faith.

They are dedicated to action and not mere sentiment or simple piety. The Holy Spirit is patently at work in their apostolate. And God is " giving the increase" to its efforts.


                 

It has been a long time since the Archdiocese of Brisbane saw anything approaching the dynamic Faith filled activism of FRASSATI AUSTRALIA - perhaps in the immediate pre-Conciliar period and the pre-World War II period.

With the encouragement of the Archbishop - Mark Coleridge, FRASSATI AUSTRALIA is going about inspiring the young men of Brisbane in the living out of their Catholic Faith and it is wonderful to see.

May their efforts continue to prosper and to flourish for the good of the Church and the greater glory of God.


                 

FRASSATI ? STAND BACK - HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK

FRASSATI MINISTRIES  - EVANGELISATION THROUGH THE LITURGY

FRASSATI AUSTRALIA - FRASSATI MINISTRIES

The Holy Spirit is vigorously at work in the Archdiocese of Brisbane with the willing co-operation of the new Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge.

A remarkable example of that work is to be found in the surprising development of a lay initiative now flourishing using the titles " Frassati Australia" and " Frassati Ministries". And the laity involved are all young males. Everything about its success seems counter-intuitive to modern society.

Before we launch into a detailed examination of its operation, let us look at how it came into existence. The story slightly pre - dates the arrival of Archbishop Coleridge ( 11 th May, 2012). In 2011 , in the dying days of Archbishop John Bathersby's episcopate, several young men who each had experience of the famed NET Teams, banded together to share a house whilst going about their normal working lives. They were each committed Catholics and saw benefit in praying in common, studying and reflecting upon Sacred Scripture in common, and in getting together in apostolic work in their free time. Soon their activity attracted the attention of other young men. In due course a second house was set up , and a third and finally a fourth which brings us up to date.

Very early in the piece they recognised that they were developing a particular form of religious apostolate and desired to adopt an appropriate Patron for that activity. They chose Blessed Pier Georgio Frassati ( 1901 - 1925) the remarkable young Italian , son of a wealthy family, whose life was devoted to the love of Christ and His Blessed Mother and who had an exceptional devotion to the Blessed Eucharist. He was very keen on many forms of sport, led an active social life and was particularly handsome .His vibrant and attractive personality drew many young people to him, and he was known for his love of practical jokes and his diverse sporting activities from hiking to horse riding, mountain climbing and skiing.

BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI

To paraphrase the FRASSATI  literature , those living in FRASSATI houses seek to achieve " the true peace that only Faith in Jesus Christ can give us in common brotherhood". Each house forms the closest community in the FRASSATI structure, and is regarded as the surest means to help build lifelong spiritual habits and devotions within each of the men. To achieve this end, each member of a FRASSATI house undertakes to:

. Be faithful to Sunday Mass and to attend at least one daily Mass per 
  week.
. Approach the Sacrament of Penance at least Monthly
. Seek times of personal prayer daily e.g. the Holy Rosary or the Divine                   
  Office.
. Seek times of common prayer such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the          
  Holy Souls.
. Engage regularly in spiritual reading and spiritual direction.
. Perform a work of Charity each day.
. Regularly be before Our Lord Jesus Christ in Eucharistic adoration.

These undertakings clearly expose the very serious intent of the FRASSATI members. The group does not envisage a permanent membership in the Houses, and in fact, not all members still live in the houses due to commitment to married life. Rather, the Houses are seen as providing lived experiences of spiritual and Faith development,providing strength from the common life, before the Members go out into the fullness of their vocation either in the married or single state or in training for Priestly or Religious Life.

Now, popular wisdom would have it that such earnestness is alien to young Australian males to-day. Yet plainly, this is not the case as the number of Houses grows. And, in addition, there is a substantial widening circle of FRASSATI followers from whom further members are recruited.

" We shouldn't be afraid
   and we should always
   have faith in the goodness
   of God Who will give us the 
   necessary help"
   Bl Pier Georgio Frassati

WORKS

FRASSATI has as its basic work the operation of the Houses themselves, working on the spiritual formation and development of the Members.

But from those bases the members engage in a variety of significant and perhaps surprising apostolic works.

Altar Serving Guild

Here Members seek to Evangelise through the Liturgy .

Come again?

Think about it and the concept rapidly shows forth its promise. By fostering the devout and reverent celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, the Guild brings about a radical change in the atmosphere in which Catholics in the Brisbane Parishes where they operate, assist at Holy Mass. The sense of the sacred is restored, and a deeper understanding of , and appreciation of the Holy Mass and of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is achieved.

Not only that, but in that more authentic atmosphere the significance of the prayers of the Mass and of the readings, is evoked more clearly and the entire celebration is rendered more truly vibrant , co-operating with the Holy Spirit and leading to true " full and active participation"in mind and heart, in the prayers and actions of the Mass,  as the Church desires.

They achieve all this by their dedicated, well-trained,devout service at the Altar. No longer does the Priest have to be driven to distraction by being surrounded by ineptitude, or oafishness, much less "giggling and concentration on who is looking at me?". No. The Priest is free to concentrate on his prayers to the Blessed Trinity, to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in his hands and before him on the altar, secure in the knowledge that when he reaches for this or that, it will be there, and when he turns to perform the Lavabo the Server will be there and all will be ready. He will not have to be gesturing to this one to come or that one to go. They will be there or will go,of their own accord and at the appropriate time. He can be the Priest he was ordained to be.

BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI'S DEVOTION
TO OUR LORD IN THE BLESSED EUCHARIST
INSPIRES THE DEVOTION OF FRASSATI AUSTRALIA

And as this sense of the sacred evolves , congregations come to see that the Merry go Round Songs they have been singing are not appropriate to this now perceived to be sacred rite. It is true that all ships rise on a rising tide. And whereas parish liturgies have for too long been spiralling down the drain hole in effectiveness, this professional aid comes to the rescue.

In addition the Frassati Servers  assist at major public events in the Archdiocese  such as the Corpus Christi Procession and other special occasions.

The example of the reverence of the Frassati Servers leads other young men to want to join them for proper training and in some cases for involvement in more Frassati activities. For some of the Frassati men too, it awakes the inkling of a vocation to Priestly life. Nothing succeeds like success.

VERSO L' ALTO

SAINT JOSEPH'S CHURCH KANGAROO POINT
WHERE VERSO L'ALTO MASSES ARE CELEBRATED

A regular feature of the FRASSATI activities is the Verso L'Alto  evenings.
The phrase means to turn  one's attention on high.

These evenings are held every Monday ( save only the once a Month when " Faith on Tap" is held at the Pineapple Hotel down the road a little - an activity FRASSATI supports strongly). The format is Mass at 7.00 pm at Saint Joseph's Church Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, followed by a meeting with Prayer, Sacred Scripture and Catechism Study, Adoration and Reconciliation  and some refreshments. Mass is celebrated alternately in the Ordinary Form ( Ad orientem) and in the Extraordinary Form .

The Church is notable for its truly beautiful Sanctuary and Altar and Altar furnishings of exceptional quality. The congregation is made up mainly of young men with a liberal sprinkling of girl friends all in all 60/70 people. The small choir sings Gregorian Chant and selected quality hymns ( no mere songs) . With Frassati's own servers and Spiritual Director Father Paul Chandler ( whose " day job" is as Parish Priest of Nundah in Brisbane) as celebrant , one finds a truly inspiring celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.

On the evening I attended - trying to hide my 73 yrs by retreating to the most obscure position I could find - the normal format was suspended to enable Father Chandler and his three companions recently returned from a Frassati Pilgrimage to report to the Members - a report made all the more interesting by showing their well chosen photos, complete with a humorous opening selection. These are real live, life enjoying young guys!

When the proceedings were complete, I was offered a lift back to my accommodation by one of the Leaders, Joe Moloney. He is a Captain in the Army and studying for the Permanent Diaconate, married with a little baby. He is also an importer and distributor of superb Church Plate and Altar furnishings - which explains the glorious state of Saint Joseph's Altar. We diverted on the way, to join a large segment of the group at Macca's (McDonald's for our non-Australian readers) and a lively get together it was! A lot of fun even for this scribe - oh to be in one's twenties again! And how impressive to be amongst so many intelligent, happy well-informed young Catholics so committed to, and rejoicing in their Faith!

Let me pause there, before completing this FRASSATI story in a further post.

GETTING A CLOSER LOOK

CARDINAL MARC OUELLET PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR BISHOPS
WITH POPE BENEDICT XVI WHO APPOINTED HIM

It is a rare occurrence for the Prefect of one of the Congregations composing the Roman Curia to come here to the end of the Earth. The last I can recall, was Cardinal William Levada then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who came to Brisbane ostensibly to Bless and open the new Holy Spirit Seminary. The reform of the Seminary proceeded at a lightning pace after his visit - to such an extent that no member of its then Professorial staff remains, and Father Anthony Randazzo who accompanied the Cardinal is now Monsignor Randazzo by Papal appointment and Rector of the Seminary.

Now Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops is coming to Australia ostensibly to address a conference : " The Great Grace - Receiving Vatican II To-day" at Parramatta on the 21st May, 2013.

Well, I may be charged with thinking that things " ain't what they seem to be" too often, but I would be greatly surprised if His Eminence did not "chance" to meet with a number of potential candidates for Episcopal Appointment during his time in Australia. We have previously drawn attention to the number of  vacant Sees in Australia, and the number of vacancies in immediate prospect. Perhaps it is not going too far to surmise that some potential appointees have been reluctant to accept sometimes uncomfortable appointments ( one might think of long-overdue Rockhampton, and Townsville which must be considered - to name only two).Perhaps the smiling, gentlemanly Cardinal can persuade the reluctant appointees where their duty lies.

One can only pray for the success of His Eminence's mission in Australia so that the painfully stalled task of reforming the Australian Episcopate can once again show signs of progress.