Mission and Identity
The Road to Bethlehem - A Liturgical Pilgrimage
St Pius X College, Mercy Catholic College and youth ministry students from St Leo’s Catholic College celebrated the beginning of Advent in a spectacular liturgy on Monday 4 December. The yard of St Pius X College was transformed into the Holy City of Bethlehem and saw the entire Nativity story acted out with great sincerity and care by students and staff from Mercy College and St Pius X. The story of the birth of Christ, the adoration of the Magi and the Shepherds were realistically re-created in the yard using elaborate costumes and decorations, a panoramic liturgical experience, and the presence of real camels, a donkey and goats supplied by Oakfield Ranch in the Hunter Valley.
The College was honoured by the presence of parents, parishioners and the Very Rev Dr David Ranson, Vicar General for the Diocese of Broken Bay, Fr Joey and Fr Marek from Our Lady of Dolours.
Below is the prologue that gave context to this liturgical approach:
‘We are here today to share, the Nativity Story – The Christmas story, Our story!
Each one of you before us is another page in the never ending story of God’s love.
The Nativity tells of the birth of Jesus. When we walk into a shopping centre or through an airport during the season of Christmas, we see Nativity scenes inside a stable of statues featuring Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the three Wise men and some animals. Yet how many of us stop to really reflect on the miracles, awe and wonder that is the Christmas story.
How many of us stop and think about what it meant to be Mary – a 14-year-old peasant girl, pregnant outside of marriage which carried with it punishment by death. Who would believe her that an angel spoke to her and said that she would become pregnant with the Son of God? How many of us stop to think that Mary becomes pregnant purely through the power of God’s Word?
How many of us would have been as forgiving as Joseph, who thought that Mary had been unfaithful to him? How many of us would have agreed to be a loving, devoted father to a baby that was not his and one that he could hardly begin to understand how it came into being?
How many of us would risk our lives like the 3 Magi on a journey across several countries and deserts, searching for a baby Messiah that was written about in ancient prophecies, guided by nothing other than a bright star? No guarantee that their risk would pay off, but going forward in faith that their journey would reach its destination.
The Christmas story is painted in the colours of trust, courage, faith, sacrifice, doubt, journey, relationships and above all love – a love so immense that God became one of us - a human being – to walk among us, to live like us, to suffer and die for us so that we would be healed. A God who loves us that much is a God worth loving in return and so today we share.
It is for this reason we have chosen to break open the Christmas story so that the story of the birth of the Son of God will be written on our mind so that Jesus can be reborn this Christmas in the cradle of our hearts.'
We are so grateful to all the staff and students who so passionately embraced the opportunity to hand on to a new generation the true meaning of Christmas.
Mr Daniel Petrie - Assistant Principal, Mission and Identity