Mission News

Prayers

We pray for all those families who have entrusted their children to our care over the weekend, may our guests find friendships, joy and laughter during the Sony Foundation Children’s Holiday Camp here at Marist.

Community Mass

To finish the term, we will celebrate Mass on Monday 1st Break and Wednesday at 8:00am. This Wednesday we have extended a special invitation to our Year 5 cohort, and their families for our morning Mass. All are welcome.

Gospel and reflection

Gospel – 24th Sunday in Ordinary time Year C - John 3:13-17 (NRSV)

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

"No one has ascended into heaven

except the one who descended from heaven,

the Son of Man.

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,

so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world

that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not perish

but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world

to condemn the world,

but in order that the world might be saved

through him."

Reflection 

In a world often marked by division, fear, and striving for significance, yesterdays Gospel reminds us of the radical simplicity and depth of God's love. Jesus speaks of being "lifted up"—a reference to the cross—and connects it to healing and salvation, much like Moses lifting the serpent in the wilderness. But here, the stakes are eternal.

John 3:16 is perhaps the most quoted verse in Scripture, and for good reason. It encapsulates the heart of the Gospel: God loves. God gives. We believe. We live. This love is not abstract or conditional—it is embodied in the person of Jesus, who enters into our brokenness not to condemn, but to redeem. John 3:16 is called the "gospel in miniature"; that is, a concise but complete distillation of the gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”. 

God: The origin of all things is God. The mission of Jesus has its origin in God because it was God who sent Jesus (3:17).

Loved the world: The motive of all God's activity - creation, incarnation, redemption - is expressed in one verb: love. 

Gave his only Son: God "gave" the Son in two senses: first, in the incarnation God sent the Son into the world (3:17); second, God gave the Son over to death, as the "lifting-up" of the previous verse discusses (3:15). Thus, verse 16 links the incarnation (v. 17) to the death (v. 15). 

Believes: God, who has done so much in love - creation, incarnation, redemption - requires only one response: that people believe in Jesus. Believing means entering into a deep and abiding personal relationship with Jesus

Not Perish/Eternal Life: God's plan is not human destruction, condemnation, or punishment. After all, God sent the Son that "they may have life and have it more abundantly" (10:10). That abundant life is here described as "eternal life." This does not mean life-as-we-know-it stretched out indefinitely

In a contemporary context, this passage invites us to reflect on how we respond to love that is freely given. Do we receive it with trust? Do we extend it to others? Do we live as people who know they are deeply loved and called to bring light into the world?

Prayer

God of boundless love,

You sent your Son not to condemn the world, but to save it. In a time when judgement often comes faster than grace, help us to remember the depth of your mercy and the wideness of your embrace.

Lift our eyes to the cross - not as a symbol of shame, but as a sign of hope. May we see in Jesus the fullness of your love, poured out for all people.

Teach us to live as those who are loved. Let that love shape our choices, soften our hearts, and guide our mission. May we be bearers of light in dark places, and messengers of grace in a world that longs for healing.

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.+

Sony Foundation Camp 

On Sunday approximately 85 student volunteers from Marist College and Mt Alvernia came together for an orientation day in preparing for this weekend’s Sony Foundation Children’s Holiday Camp. The students had the opportunity to get to know one another and to learn about the children who will be in their care over the duration of the camp. 

We were fortunate to have our Sony Camp Nurse Coordinator Ellie Hotston, Physio and MCA Mum Lou Bennett, and two special education teachers including our very own Natalie Sones offer their expert knowledge and answer any questions that arose. The day proved to be invaluable in helping our students understand their roles as companions and camp helpers and may have possibly added some anxieties that weren’t there previously (apologies). Mr Richard Rogusz from Mt Alvernia also discussed camp wellbeing and how to look after oneself while taking on the caring role. 

Here at Marist, we speak of the symbol of “Three Violets” representing the characteristics of humility, simplicity and modesty, qualities that St Marcellin prized and which we see most clearly in Mary, the Mother of Jesus. For our Marist Sony Foundation Camp, we have made a connection to the symbol of the three violets with our new floral pin which features the “balloon flower” (designed by our very own, Campus Minister Clare Locke). This colourful image reminds us of the children we will be privileged to spend with over the camp – their joy, their sense of play and fun. It’s an invitation for us to enter into the experience with the same light-hearted, creative, child-like spirit. 

Our College Chaplain Mr Tini blessed these floral pins which were presented to each of our student volunteers in recognition of their commitment and contribution to the 2025 Sony Foundation Children’s Camp.

Be sure to follow along on social media as we will be sharing all the fun we will get up to!  

Stationery Aid 

The end of term is always a good opportunity to sort out and donate any unwanted (good condition) stationery! The yellow bins will be outside the Mission Office for dropping off. 

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

Thank you for your support of Stationery Aid this term! We will need all hands on deck on Friday morning in Term 4 as we help finalise the items for 2026 book packs. 

Treadlightly

Do you have old sports or school shoes lying around the house? Donations of unwanted shoes can be dropped into the blue bin outside the Mission Office. These shoes will be delivered to our local Rebel store where they’ll be collected by Treadlightly, an organisation that recycles them to be turned into new products. To find out more about Treadlightly, visit their website: Tread Lightly – Together we can step into a better future​.