Veritas – From the APRIM

Who to worship - Christ the King of the Universe, or False Prophets?

Sunday 17 November was the 33rd Sunday of ordinary time in the liturgical calendar. It is followed by the 34th and last Sunday of the liturgical year, and this is the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We then move into the season of Advent. The themes from the readings of these 33rd and 34th Sundays, as always, are relevant. These ones are particularly relevant for our times. The themes are idleness, false prophets, fear, worry and faith.

In the times of the early church, as St Paul and other evangelists were preaching the Gospel and establishing Christian communities, there was the belief that Jesus’ 2nd coming was nigh, and hence the end of time. Some people within one community, the Thessalonians, had ceased working for their food (i.e. earning) and instead developed an attitude of entitlement. This may have been due to the belief that the end of time was near, so there may have been some resignation. St Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians states that some were “living in idleness, doing no work themselves but interfering with everyone else’s.” The letter then commands them to quietly work and earn their own living. It dispenses of the attitude of entitlement.

The Gospel that follows (Luke 21:5–19) has Jesus addressing people at the Temple. Jesus paints a picture of the destruction of the Temple and persecution of God’s people, and his followers quiz him as to when this will happen. Jesus assures them of a future of war and natural disaster. But he also tells them there will be false prophets warning of the end of time, and instructs His followers: “do not follow them”. Instead, he tells His followers to expect to experience persecution in His name, and that enduring in the faith will lead to salvation.

The attitude of entitlement and interference is evident amongst certain people in today’s times. It is often the same people that are swept away by the prophets of doom who, without any critical thinking or their own rational thought, are predicting some sought of apocalypse. There is also a sense of resignation expressed by some, evident in reports of young couples not pursuing parenthood because of the predictions of doom. There is also a growing anxiety amongst some children arising from the same themes. The predictions of doom also appear to be affecting the work ethic of some. Worse of all, the apocalyptic claims coupled with persistent and sensational media coverage are leading some to abandon manners and even simple dialogue, and worst still they are replacing it with a sense of morality in the violence they commit.

Jesus did warn us: “do not follow them”. Jesus did provide a description of the future, but it also looks like the past and the present. Jesus is consubstantial with the Father; God knows His children and He also knows that our fallibility permeates history, the present and the future. We will never know when the end of time will be or how it will be defined in our limited human perspective. What we do know is that Jesus affirms His presence with us. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, will strengthen us so we can bear witness in the face of persecution. Throughout this persecution, He says we need not worry – “not a hair of your head will be lost”. Jesus frequently used the phrase: “be not afraid”.

Given our Lord Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe, and our all-knowing and eternally loving Father, we should aim to remain faithful to Christ in this knowledge, as difficult as it can be when faced with ‘the crowd’ - a noisy avalanche of cynical, negative, aggressive and sometimes violent sentiment from the anti-life. The Gospel reading from the 34th Sunday, (Luke 23:35-43) presents the comparison of the cynical with the faithful at the most climactic time: as Jesus is dying on the cross, the criminals at his left and right sides represent the cynical and the faithful, and Jesus tells the faithful: “today you will be with me in paradise”.

John’s Gospel (3:16-21) is very clear about one purpose of Jesus Christ: to save God’s children and provide the choice of eternal life – achievable only through following Jesus Christ. John provides the imagery of light and darkness; of salvation and condemnation. Jesus is the light, and the anti-life is the darkness. Also from John’s Gospel: Jesus came so we could live life to the full, and this is the truth, as Jesus is the way to salvation, the truth and the life.

So the comparison is startling. Will you worship the false prophets of doom and let them sap the life out of you, or follow our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and live life to the full?

The Mass of St Albert the Great

Thank you to all of you of our community that attended the Mass for the Feast of St Albert the Great, our school patron, last Thursday evening. It was made uplifting through the efforts of many people, so I’d like to thank our priests Fr William and Fr Kevin; staff responsible for the choir and music Lucy Pope, Libby Hunter and Marie Wohling, as well as the choir and musicians themselves; Patrick Kelly, Demi Hoppo and Anastasia Lambis from the development office for providing the commemorative bookmarks, tea and coffee; and altar servers, parents, families, friends, students and staff.

It was so very positive to see the Neill Gymnasium full; it was a sign of the strength of our vibrant united community. The parents/caregivers of any student that did not attend without prior notice is being contacted to establish any communication problems or other reasons. Next year, we hope for an even greater attendance and have begun floating ideas as to how to accommodate the required space.

Mr Matthew Crisanti

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL: RELIGIOUS IDENTITY & MISSION

Blackfriars Priory School Newsletter

Term 4 Week 6 · 22 Nov 2019

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