Mission News

Prayers

Lord Jesus, you call us to live not in fear, but in faith— to trust in the Father’s love and to await your return with joy. Give us hearts that are watchful, hands that are ready to serve, and spirits that are generous with all you’ve entrusted to us. 

Help us to be faithful stewards— not only of our possessions, but of our time, our love, and our witness. May we never grow weary in doing good. 

We continue to pray for those in our community who are recovery from illness, who have passed or whose anniversaries occur at this time. 

Community Mass

We will celebrate Mass on Monday 1st Break, and the Assumption of Mary Mass on Tuesday at 9:15am. All Welcome. From Week 6, we look forward to welcoming our Year 9s for their RE class Masses.

Gospel

Excerpt from Sunday’s Gospel, 19th Sunday in Ordinary time C - Luke 12:35-40 (JB)

Jesus said to his disciples: 'See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.'

In Sunday’s Gospel, Luke speaks of trust in God's providence, readiness for the coming of the Lord, and responsible stewardship.

Jesus speaks tenderly yet urgently: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” These words are a balm to anxious hearts. They remind us that we are not abandoned or forgotten—God delights in giving us His kingdom. But this gift comes with a call: to live with readiness, vigilance, and faithfulness.

Jesus uses the image of servants waiting for their master’s return. The faithful servant is not just alert but actively doing what the master entrusted to him. This is a powerful metaphor for our lives: we are stewards of time, talents, relationships, and responsibilities. The question is not just “Are we watching?” but “Are we serving?”

The Gospel also warns that much will be required of those to whom much has been given. In our Catholic community, this is a call to accountability. We have received the sacraments, the Word, the communion of saints, and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. These are not treasures to hoard but gifts to share.

So the question is: 

• Are we living with open hands and watchful hearts? 
• Are we generous with what we’ve been given? 
• Are we ready—not with fear, but with joy—for the Lord’s return?

Prayer: A Servant’s Heart

+ Lord Jesus,

You call us to live not in fear, but in faith—

to trust in the Father’s love and to await Your return with joy.

Give us hearts that are watchful,

hands that are ready to serve,

and spirits that are generous with all You’ve entrusted to us.

Help us to be faithful stewards—

not only of our possessions, but of our time, our love, and our witness.

May we never grow weary in doing good.

Mary our good mother – pray for us

St Marcellin Champagnat – pray for us

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – pray for us

And may we always remember – to pray for one another

Amen.+

Feast of St Mary MacKillop

On Friday 8 August, four of our wonderful Year 11 Marists students attended a special Mass at the Cathedral of St Stephen's to celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Especially noted was the presence of the Sisters of St Joseph, the order of religious sisters Mary MacKillop established so many years ago. During his homily, Archbishop Mark spoke of Mary, a prolific letter writer, whose life and work was a 'letter' written by God. Mary, he reminded us, points us not to herself but to Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the Mass, Archbishop Mark stood before an image of St Mary MacKillop and offered a prayer which said in part:

"Help us to be wise as you were wise; help us to be strong as you were strong; help us to trust in God's providence as you did, so that our fears will never have the last word."

We were so grateful to be invited to be part of this beautiful celebration in honour of Brisbane's patron saint, joining with students, staff and everyday Catholics from across the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

James and Liam holding the image of St Mary of the Cross during the recessional procession.

James Johnston, Liam Shay, Tom Long and Riley Hughes representing Marist College Ashgrove at the Mass for the Solemnity of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

James Johnston, Riley Hughes, Tom Long and Liam Shay with Archbishop Mark, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Feast of the Assumption

This Friday 15 August marks the Feast of the Assumption, honouring Mary assumed into heaven body and soul. In Australia, the Assumption is a ‘holy day of obligation’ meaning that along with Sundays and Christmas, it is a day Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass. Not only this, we encouraged to put aside work in order to rest and reflect. Our lives feel frenetic, intense and stressful at times, such that opportunities for prayerful contemplation and meditation become truly special and sacred. 

With our college Mass on Tuesday, we marked this Feast day as a whole Marist community—an event especially important to our Marist spirituality and heritage which so lovingly looks to Mary as the guiding star leading us to Christ. On the Feast of the Assumption, we are reminded of the example of Mary’s loving obedience to God, courage in the face of difficulty and solidarity with others. We are reminded that she loved and was loved, and looked with hope to a future which often undoubtedly felt uncertain and frightening. With Mary our Good mother, we praise God for the blessing of life.

St Joseph’s Bardon - Vinnies Pantry

On Wednesday last week, a group of Marist and Stuartholme School students gathered at Bardon House on the grounds of St Joseph’s Bardon to help sort out groceries donated by families of St Joseph’s Primary School Bardon. After organising the items by expiry date, the students packed the groceries into bags, ready for delivery to people in need in our the local area. This practical assistance for the St Joseph’s Bardon Vinnies group was a simple way for our students to lend a helping hand. It was also a great chance to connect with students at a neighbouring Catholic school. We look forward to being involved in similar outreach opportunities down the track. Many thanks goes to Ms Diana Carrigan at Stuartholme School for organising the afternoon.

Paddington Respite Visit 

On Monday it was a group of Year 7s from Ephrem House who dropped into the Paddington Community Centre to have a chat and play games with the elderly visitors. The young men of Ephrem were wonderful – polite and friendly – and enjoyed the encounter. The older folk continue to look forward to visits from our students in what is welcome experience of conversation and connection between different generations.

Stationery Aid Fundraising Event

A reminder that Stationery Aid’s major fundraising event will be held on Friday 29 August and all are invited! Tickets can be purchased via this Humanitix link.

The evening will be a great celebration of salvaged student art and stories, and repurposed functional art from Stationery Aid’s charity partners. It also marks 5 years since Stationery Aid started.

Artist David Hinchliffe https://www.davidhinchliffe.com.au/  is the special guest speaker with Anna Reynolds, Chair of Brisbane Festival and Brisbane Portrait Prize as MC for the evening.

The aim is to raise $82,500 by the end of the year to support 1,500 disadvantaged students with full student booklists to start 2026 school year (and resources for one year of learning). To help Stationery Aid achieve this important goal, we encourage our wonderful Marist community to get behind this event.  

Stationery Aid Friday Mornings

Join us in Room 801 on Friday mornings between 7:30am - 8:30am as we continue giving stationery a second life! 

A reminder that donations of good quality unwanted stationery is always welcome and can be placed in the blue bin outside the Mission Office. 

To find out more and to check the list for what can be donated, please visit: https://stationeryaid.org/