Liturgy

Community Liturgy

Thank you to our wonderful Magis group of students who prepared today’s Community Mass. Next week students from Year 10 will be preparing the liturgy. The Mass is joyful and ‘user-friendly’ and everyone has a ‘standing invitation’ whether or not they are Catholic. For any queries please contact Mary-Anne Lumley: mary-anne.lumley@cewa.edu.au

Community Mass Summary

Every Friday in term time
8:00am – 8:30am
College Chapel

SACRAMENT PROGRAM

Sacrament Preparation

In the Archdiocese of Perth, the model for Sacrament preparation is family-focused, parish-based, and school/PREP* supported. The Policy was formalised in 2014, and outlines how family, parish and school work together.

*Parish Religious Education Program

Sacraments 2021

Parishes are now planning for celebrations of the sacraments in 2021. Parents are encouraged to enrol their child in their ‘home’ parish once enrolments open.

Cottesloe/Mosman Park
Enrolment information and contact details for the Sacrament Coordinator may be found here.
Subiaco
Enrolment information will be available in November.
Enrolment information from other parishes will be updated as it becomes available.
See our updates provided by some of our ‘local’ parishes;
If your nearest parish is not listed, search the Archdiocesan website;
Check the information available on the College website
Contact Mary-Anne Lumley mary-anne.lumley@cew.edu.au 08 9383 0408

Updates from local parishes for 2020

SAINT THOMAS APOSTLE, CLAREMONT

Reconciliation 4 & 5 November, 3:30-4:30pm

Contact: silvia.kinder@cewa.edu.au

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, DOUBLEVIEW

First Communion Saturday 17 & 24 October, 6:00pm

Sunday 18 & 25 October, 10.00am.

Reconciliation Tuesday - Friday, 27 - 30 October, 9:00am.

Confirmation Saturday 7 & 14 November, 6:00pm, Sunday 8 & 15 November, 10.00am.

Contact: Kaye Shervington, doubleview@perthcatholic.org.au

OUR LADY OF GRACE, NORTH BEACH

Reconciliation 27 October

Contact: Sheralee Allen, north.beach@perthcatholic.org.au

GOOD NEWS for the 29th Sunday in

Ordinary Time

The reflection for this Sunday’s Gospel is from Father Michael Tate and is used with permission. Rev. Prof. Michael Tate was a Senator for Tasmania from 1978-93 and Ambassador to The Hague and the Holy See from 1993-96. He is currently Vicar-General in the Archdiocese of Hobart and is an Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Tasmania where he lectures in International Humanitarian Law.

WHOSE IMAGE AND LIKENESS?

In contrasting the spheres of Caesar and God, today’s Gospel adamantly rejects any ideology which sets out to control or dominate every aspect of the lives of people.

What was the situation portrayed in today’s Gospel? People in Judea and Galilee were under Roman rule. Some collaborated, others fiercely resisted (known later as ‘Zealots’). Jesus is challenged about the payment of a head tax levied by Rome and which had to be paid in Roman coinage – the denarius.

Jesus first cleverly throws his questioners on the defensive. They are the ones carrying the coinage, not him. Then he poses the crucial question, ‘Whose image is it and whose inscription?’ They said to him, ‘Caesar’s’. Then he said to them: ‘Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’

That’s all rather enigmatic. The key to understanding that famous statement lies in the question: Whose image and whose inscription? The coin bore the image and inscription of Caesar. Genesis teaches us that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God.

Our Lord is saying, ‘Let the political and financial authorities have their coinage. It is their legal tender. But they cannot have human beings.’ Human beings belong to Another. They belong to God.

Political and economic authorities cannot reduce human beings to mere elements of society or the market. They have an inherent dignity which comes from being made in the image and likeness of God.

The Roman denarius handed to Jesus bore the inscription, in part: ‘Tiberius Caesar, august son of the Divine Augustus.’ The father of Tiberius Caesar awarded himself the imaginary title: ‘The Divine Augustus’. That is all fantasy.

By contrast our heavenly Father grants us the real status of imaging the Divine. Human beings, made in such image, are not the property of the rulers of this age. Yes, the political and financial authorities are owed due deference. They are necessary for social and financial stability. But their role must not encroach on the inviolate dignity of a human being.

We are fortunate to live in Australia in a wonderful democracy. But even a democracy can violate the dignity of a human being created in the image and likeness of God. In 1891 the first outline of our Federal Constitution was drafted. It took another one hundred years for the Catholic Church to issue its first official endorsement of democracy. After listing some good features of democracy, Pope John Paul II went on to say:

‘Authentic democracy is possible only in a state ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person.’ (Centesimus Annus).

That correct conception is signalled and effected by Baptism. At our Baptisms we heard in the depths of our heart the same words which Jesus heard at his Baptism: ‘This is my beloved child with whom I am well pleased.’ This is our true identity as we are called to image God during what we hope will be a long and blessed lifetime.

Let we who have the inscription, ‘Child of God’, effectively engraved on our hearts by baptism, use whatever influence we have to ensure that the world may give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but always to God what is God’s.