November Highlights!

Wow what a tour it was with the world-renowned chef, martial artist, break dancer, television host and, more importantly, ordained priest from the diocese of Baltimore in the United States.

Father Leo Patalinghug has created a huge level of excitement among Australian Catholics this month. He was able to speak to over 1500 people in just five days. He has the ability to be both an entertaining and deeply spiritual speaker who pulled no punches when talking about the hard moral issues we face today.

Fr Leo covered topics on the family, Mary, spiritual combat, marriage renewal, suffering, salvation history and money to name a few. Fr Leo speaks to fallen away Catholics and those who don’t necessarily understand what the Church teaches. He is able to connect with all sorts of people and has a very effective method of doing so… Food!

Fr Leo then caught an early morning flight to Toowoomba to give three talks at Holy Name parish.

His first talk ‘Epic Food Fight’ attracted over 80 people for a 10:30am talk. His second talk was on Suffering at 1pm and the final talk was on Marriage at 7pm with over 100 people attending.

Fr Leo managed to cover so much ground in those three talks. He also added a few podcasts for his online show. I encourage you to check that out at www.fatherleofeeds.com. I traveled to Toowoomba with father and we both had a good night’s sleep before catching an early flight back to Sydney.

Father Leo spoke to a full room at St Charbel’s college where he really challenged those who attended.

On Thursday the 15th of November Fr Leo had another full day beginning with a Women’s Retreat at Marymount Mercy Centre for over 100 women.

He gave his first talk on ‘Mary, the Heart of Love’ and the second was on ‘The Theology of Beauty’. Fr Leo really connected and inspired these women in their faith journeys.

The Retreat day also included adoration, confession and Mass.

Later that afternoon was an opportunity to video short clips for our YouTube channel. If you have not yet subscribed to the Parousia Media YouTube channel, please do so!

It is very simple – just click on the subscribe button and you will see all the videos we have been busily recording. We have five videos each week being uploaded for both EWTN and our own social media platforms.

Please take advantage of this and spread the word!

The feedback from all who attended this tour has been amazing. Fr Leo managed to connect with so many people and really gave them some new things to think about.

He even managed to reach some Catholics who rarely go to Church who said they will be taking their faith to the next level and will start making commitments.

The resources from Fr Leo were extremely popular. We sold out of all of them but more will be coming in before Advent. Fr Leo has written three books.

The first is called ‘Grace Before Meals‘ – a spiritual cookbook with over 40 recipes. The second is ‘Spicing up Married Life‘ and is another cookbook but with 12 recipes and some important theological truths as well as practical tips for couples. The third is ‘Epic Food Fight‘ which is a book on salvation history and how food is what we all hunger for, namely, the Eucharist.

On Thursday evening Fr Leo gave a talk on ‘Grace Before Meals’ at St Kevin’s Catholic Church in Eastwood. It was the first time we have ever had a speaker there and it was a great response!

The church was full with all ages in attendance and it was a great sight to see. Whole families came to this event and it is testimony to Alison and Fr Martin, along with the team of parishioners and family educators from Sydney Catholic Schools, that made this event such a success.

Fr Leo spoke on ‘Faith, Food and Family’ and the importance of reclaiming the dinner table as a family. We should all be taking meal times seriously again, making sure the whole family comes together at least once a day but ideally as much as possible.

Fr Leo’s tour has completed our line up of speakers for 2018. We are amazed at how much has been accomplished this year.

Next month’s newsletter will be especially dedicated to summarizing 2018 speakers and events and the impact they have had. Thanks again to Fr Leo for this tour!

I encourage you to visit his website www.fatherleofeeds.com and get to know more about what he is up to. Get a copy of his books or even a CD, DVD or even download his talks in audio or watch online with our streaming service. We have a new platform online allowing you to purchase or stream video content. Click on the button below to sign up for a free two week trial!
 

Fr Leo took a few days off and visited Melbourne in that time. On his return to Sydney, he called in to the Two Wolves Cantina which is a bar/restaurant with an upstairs chapel owned by the Jesuits. It is located on the corner of City Road and Broadway.

On Tuesday evening Fr Leo gave his final talk at Our Lady of Fatima parish in Kingsgrove on the topic “Spicing up Married Life” complete with his signature cooking presentation. It was nicely set up in the church hall with each guest receiving a rose, enjoying wine and cheese and live music leading up to the start of the talk. It was another packed crowd with many couples coming along to enjoy a date night with a difference… and what a night to remember!

Fr Leo gave a cooking demo and a talk at the same time, engaging the whole crowd for the duration of his presentation. A very beautiful part of the night was when he asked the couples to renew their wedding vows and he blessed them all. Well done to Anita and her team for creating such a special event.

That wraps up another full month at Parousia Media. Thank you to all the volunteers who have assisted us on our mission.

This work wouldn’t be possible without your prayers and support. People are helping in many different ways. Some donate their time by volunteering to pack CDs in our office or promote events across their region.

Others are helping with their prayers, which can never be underestimated. Your prayers are very powerful, so please keep them coming!

Many of you are supporting us with your treasure by paying a monthly contribution to help us to pay our bills and so continue this mission. The more souls we can reach with our work, the more of an impact we can have.

Please invite a friend or someone you may know to consider contributing a regular gift to Parousia Media, especially at this time when our country and culture desperately needs evangelizing.

As we begin to prepare for Advent, I pray this will be your best Advent yet as your heart is made ready to receive the divine infant Jesus this Christmas. May your faith reach the next level!

God bless you and your family,

Charbel Raish, Director

CD of the Month: Advent: Rethinking the Season

Advent is an odd season. Unlike most other seasons, it’s a season that isn’t about itself, but is instead about preparing for Christmas. But that reality often gets lost in the shuffle and stress of trying to find all the right gifts, decorations, and dinner ingredients. In this talk, Dr. Tim Gray uses storytelling and the readings of the Old Testament to explain that we need to live the ‘pre-season’ of Advent well, so we can be prepared to welcome and receive the greatest gift God the Father wants to give us at Christmas: His Son, Jesus. 

The Story of the Nativity: The Truth of Christmas (DVD)

The story of the birth of Jesus is often misunderstood. But this fast-paced, thought-provoking look at the true story of the Nativity clears away widespread misunderstandings of Jesus’ origin. Join top scholars, inspirational speakers, and popular authors as they explain the story behind the story of the birth of Jesus. The Story of the Nativity also includes stunning works of art depicting the biblical story, from Fra Angelico to Rembrandt, and footage from the Holy Land showing the places where the Christmas story actually took place. 

Spicing Up Married Life – Fr Leo Patalinghug (CD)

Spicing Up Married Life offers couples- whether dating, engaged, young parents, empty nesters, or celebrating their golden anniversary- the chance to renew their love for each other and to God.
Whilst preparing a meal live for his audience, Fr. Leo offers lessons to help couples learn and grow together and whet the appetite for the love God intends for us. 

Grace Before Meals – Fr Leo Patalinghug (DVD)

In this presentation, Fr Leo Patalinghug offers wisdom to help all families make their family meal time a way of life.
Whilst preparing a meal live for his audience, he shows that mealtime is the perfect setting for discussing the major issues all families face and demonstrates that it is a perfect opportunity to nourish both body and soul. 

Meet Your Mother: A Brief Introduction to Mary – Dr Mark Miravalle – Augustine Institute (Paperback)

Ever wonder why so many people pay so much attention to Mary, the Mother of Jesus? From the most ancient traditions of Mary in Christianity to the “Hail Mary” pass in American football, the Mother of Jesus has pervaded most world cultures for the last two thousand years.

But could the Mother of Jesus also be your mother?

That’s the question explored in the exciting new book, Meet Your Mother. This easy-read pocket book on Mary covers all the major teachings about the Mother of Jesus, but is particularly written for the person who has little or no background knowledge about her.  

Meet Your Spiritual Father – Dr. Mark Miravalle – Augustine Institute (Paperback)

Meet the man who raised the Son of God and discover the role he wants to play in our life. With down-to-earth practical wisdom and sublime insights, Dr. Mark Miravalle lifts the veil that has shrouded this glorious patriarch for centuries, revealing the treasures and benefits of having an intimate relationship with the virginal father of the Son of God. Those who read Meet Your Spiritual Father will find priceless treasures not only in this easy-to-read book but also in having St. Joseph as their spiritual father.