John XXIII College Newsletter

Liturgy

Sacraments Program

Do you have a child in Year 3, 4 or 6?

Is your child already enrolled in a Parish Sacrament program in your own ‘home’ parish for Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation?

 

Need help with this?

Updates from Local Parishes

Holy Spirit, City Beach

Registration forms are available from Cathy Gawen, delattrecn@yahoo.fr

Alternatively phone Parish Priest, Fr Emmanual-tv Dimobi, 93413131.

 

Saint Thomas Apostle, Claremont

Sacrament enrolments close: Friday 16 March.

Registration forms are available from silvia.kinder@cewa.edu.au

 

Star of the Sea, Cottesloe

Enrolment form on the College website.

Further information: cottesloe@perthcatholic.org.au

 

Saint Cecilia, Floreat

Further information: Prue Pupazzoni, floreat@perthcatholic.org.au

 

St Joseph, Subiaco

Applications for Sacrament of Confirmation to be made from 1 March. Applications for Eucharist and Reconciliation will be invited in terms 2 and 3 respectively.

Further information: sacraments@stjosephssubiaco.org.au

GOOD NEWS for 4th Sunday in Lent

 

“God sent his Son into the world that we might be saved through him.”  John 3:14-21

 

The reflection is part of Fr Michael Tate’s homily for this Sunday's gospel and is printed here, with kind permission. Fr Michael Tate is a Parish Priest in the Archdiocese of Hobart and is Catholic Chaplain to the University of Tasmania where he is an Honorary Professor of Law, lecturing in International Humanitarian Law.

 

 

God’s Works of Art   

 

... What does St Paul reveal as one of God’s favourite ways of regarding us?

‘We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus, to live the good life as from the beginning He had intended us to live it.’

 

God is an artist working on a cosmic scale. What an artistic imagination: stars, caterpillars, the oceans, rhinoceroses, you, me. We humans are God’s imagining – God’s image-ing – at its best.

The Greek word for this work of art is poiema. We get our word ‘poem’ from it. You and I, each one of us is one of God’s poems still being written, we are works in progress.

Just as an artist respects the medium (in which) he or she is working ... so too God respects us as human beings with free will. Which is why His works of art don’t always look the way He intended!

 

Now, if one has a work of art in the house, for example a particularly nice vase, or a picture or print that means a lot to you, or perhaps the first sketch by a grandchild, do you put it in the darkest corner of the room, more or less obscured from view?

Or do you allow just enough light to fall on it so as to reveal how terrific it is, why it gives you pleasure? Of course, the latter.

 

Now, if you and I are God’s work of art, God wants exactly the same. He wants us to be revealed in the light. What sort of light? This is today’s Gospel. Christ our Light came into the world not to condemn it but to save it.

 

Of course, it might be necessary for the Light to dispel some darkness, some shadow dimension of our lives … When my dear old mother was in her last months, I used to wheel her out into the courtyard to get some sun – just a few minutes every day but that light was healing, therapeutic physically and mentally. That is the sort of healing light which our Lord throws on us …

Christ not only casts his Light on us to heal us, but to illuminate us in a way which more clearly reveals the love which the Divine Artist has for His creation.

 

Which is why I look forward to Easter. I look forward to the Paschal Candle being lit in the darkness of the Easter Vigil. That Candle celebrates the victory of Divine Light over the inky darkness of the tomb. As I process it into the darkened church I proclaim three times: ‘The Light of Christ’. Then, as each lights his or her candle from Christ our Light …  the church fill(s) with those flickering candles …

 

And then we can together say together with St Paul:

“We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had intended us to live it.” 

© Fr Michael Tate

 

Image: Jenny Close

Community Liturgy

Each Friday morning students, staff, families and friends gather to celebrate the Eucharist, which is joyful, prayerful, nourishing, ‘user-friendly’ and open to all. At our Community Mass next Friday, 16 March, we will remember Owen Burke whose anniversary occurs around this time.

 

During the Lenten season, some families make a particular effort to attend the Community Mass.  On the last Friday of Lent, 23 March, the Liturgy will commence at 7:30am in the Library courtyard with a blessing of palms, followed by procession to the Chapel.

 

When: Fridays in Term Time

Time: 8:00-8:30am

Where: College Chapel

If you have any queries about Community Liturgy, please contact Mary-Anne Lumley: Lumley.mary-anne@johnxxiii.edu.au or 9383 0513.

 

Except: Friday 23 March.

7:30 to 8:00am – Library Courtyard, for blessing and procession of palms.

8:00 to 8:30am – Chapel, for the Passion of the Lord and celebration of the Eucharist.