✝️Faith and Mission

Prayer of Peace

- Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: 

where there is hatred, let me sow love; 

where there is injury, pardon; 

where there is doubt, faith; 

where there is despair, hope; 

where there is darkness, light; 

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek 

to be consoled as to console, 

to be understood as to understand, 

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive, 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Mary Immaculate, Pray for us.

St Eugene De Mazenod, Pray for Us.

Amen

Whole School Mass – Holy Week

All Mazenod College community members, including extended family members and Lesmurdie parishioners, are warmly invited to attend the Whole School Mass for Holy Week. The Mass is being held at 9:30 am on Wednesday 27 March in the College Gymnasium. There is no need to RSVP.

Holy Week Mass & Service Schedule

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Lesmurdie

PALM SUNDAY

Saturday Vigil 23rd March 6:00 pm

Sunday Mass 24th March 8:00 am and 9:30 am

HOLY THURSDAY 28th MARCH

7:00 pm The Lord’s Supper Mass

Adoration until 9:00 pm

GOOD FRIDAY 29th MARCH (Day of Fast and Abstinence)

10:00 am Stations of the Cross

10:45am Reconciliation

3:00 pm Passion of Our Lord

Reconciliation following the Passion of the Lord

HOLY SATURDAY 30th MARCH

10:30am – 11:30am Reconciliation

6:00 pm Easter Vigil Ceremony & Mass

EASTER SUNDAY 31st MARCH

8:00 am and 9:30 am Easter Mass

Our Lady of Grace – Pickering Brook

Cebula and Tempier Feast Days

During Term 1 both Cebula and Tempier celebrated their House Feast Days. These Feast Days honour the House Patron and consist of Mass in Period 4, followed by a shared lunch and games in the gym. Both Cebula and Tempier enjoyed a wonderful celebration of House spirit for the boys, spurred on by pizza, soft drinks and a hearty game of dodgeball. The other four Houses look forward to having their Feast Days in either Term 2 or Term 3.

Fr Jozef Cebula was a man of quiet prayer with a deep spiritual life. He radiated peace in the very middle of the concentration camp at Mauthausen in Austria, even when tormented by the Nazis. Fr Cebula died a martyr in 1941.

Fr Henri Tempier was with St Eugene from the very beginning. He first joined St Eugene in his work in Provence in October 1815 and was a founding member of the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1826. Father Tempier, for his part, was always deeply attached to St Eugene de Mazenod and worked together with him with unflagging devotedness. Today we remember this fruitful friendship and offer thanks to God for the life of Fr Henri Tempier.

Gospel Reflection for Palm Sunday

by Michael Moore OMI

The story of Palm Sunday is basically a human drama; it is our drama. As Jesus enters into his final week, he takes humanity with him and continues to do so every Easter. We are not just remembering a historical event that happened over two thousand years ago. We are celebrating and taking part in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as it happens today to us and for us.

His entry into the city begins on a huge wave of optimism, joy and hope. The people line the streets; they wave palms, they put their cloaks and garments on the ground and they shout out his name. This was an ancient Roman tradition used to welcome soldiers and armies home after their success in battle. The crowd similarly welcome Jesus as they shout out, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Yet, how quickly the crowd changed and turned against Jesus. The same people who were happy to welcome him with shouts of joy will soon begin to shout ‘Crucify him, Crucify him.’ Jesus is even betrayed and denied by his closest friends. The rest of them run and desert him. He is left alone.

Where am I in the unfolding drama that begins on Palm Sunday and plays out over Holy Week and which climaxes on Easter? Where am I as Jesus passes by on the donkey? Am I one of the crowd shouting out his name? Am I like Judas in any way? When have I betrayed others or Jesus? When like Peter, have I denied knowing Jesus? Am I like Pilate when I judge and condemn others? How am I like Simon or Veronica who help Jesus in his time of need? Having stood with the crowd shouting out his name and welcoming Jesus, will I stand with the same people spitting out insults as I shout ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’

As we celebrate Palm Sunday and begin our journey through Holy Week, we are called to ask ourselves who and where we are in the crowd. This is a week to pray and then decide what kind of followers of Christ we are and are going to be.

During this busy week of prayer, liturgies and ceremonies, let us not lose sight of what we are remembering, celebrating and taking part in.

As we begin this most holy of weeks, may Jesus be our constant companion. May we enter in the mystery of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection with faith and hope.

Damian Wallis

Director of Faith and Mission