Liturgy

Sacrament Program

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

Students in these classes are excited about preparing for the Sacrament this year. It is a great privilege for this task to be shared among parents, the parish and our College. In our archdiocese it is known as ‘family-focused, parish-based and Catholic school supported’.

If you have not already enrolled your child in a a parish program it is important to do that immediately.

If you need support in this, there are several people available to assist:

Contact your Parish Priest or Sacrament Coordinator.
Contact Mary-Anne Lumley, Parish Liaison lumley.mary-anne@johnxxiii.edu.au or 9383 0513.
Information for all parishes may be found on the archdiocesan website:

http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/Parishes_and_Mass_Times.htm?cms%2Erm=List

Information from parishes will be on the College website as it becomes available?

Updates From Local Parishes

Holy Rosary, Nedlands

Registration forms and dates and full details are now available on the parish website http://www.holyrosarynedlands.org.au/ in the church porch, or from the parish office.

St Cecilia’s, Floreat & Our Lady of Victories, Wembley

Contact: florcath@iinet.net.au

Download information or enrolment form: www.floreatwembleyparish.org.au

Saint Thomas Apostle, Claremont

Sacrament enrolments close: Friday 17 March.

Registration forms are available from the Parish Office or kinder.silvia @cathednet.wa.edu.au

Our Lady of Grace, North Beach

Eucharist Faith formation for parents: Tues 14 or Thur 16 March, 7:00pm.

Reconciliation Faith formation for parents: Tues 21 or Thur 23 March, 7:00pm.

More detailed information is available on the College website here.

GOOD NEWS for the Second Sunday in Lent

“His face shone like the sun” (Matthew 17:1-9)

The reflection is a section from Fr Richard Leonard's homily for this Sunday. It is printed here with kind permission. Fr Richard Leonard SJ is the Director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting, is a member of the Australian Catholic Media Council and is author of Preaching to the Converted, Paulist Press, New York, 2006.

… One of the refrains of the entire Gospel (of Matthew) is that Jesus is the New Moses, the fulfilment of the law and the light that illuminates the darkest night. As interesting as the similarities are between Moses on Sinai and Jesus on Tabor, the differences are even more revealing for us on our Lenten journey.

Moses goes up the mountain alone, Jesus takes companions with him who share in the experience and witness to it. The face of God is hidden from Moses whereas on Tabor Jesus is given to us as the face of God for the world. On Sinai Moses receives a code of law and is told to make sure the people obey it. On Tabor Jesus receives a proclamation of God’s love and we’re told to listen to him. While Moses’ face shines, Jesus’ whole body is transfigured with light. Moses descends to enforce the law; Jesus comes down to die that we might live.

Just when some of us think Lent is a grim season of self-denial, the Church gives us the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration to put our sacrifices in context. The only reason we deny ourselves anything or commit ourselves to actions of service for these 40 days is to grow more deeply in love with the God who loves us into life. Penance is not meant to attack our self-esteem, it’s intended to help us sort out what really matters, to cast some light in the darkness of our lives and to focus on the relationship which gives meaning and purpose for this world and the next.

The God of Mount Tabor is not interested in each of us feeling isolated as we fulfil the letter of a legal code. He wants all of us to have hearts that listen to the Gospel of love so that we can gain the power to transform the world through the sacrifices of our daily lives.

On a much gentler scale, Sunday Mass is meant to be a weekly mountaintop experience for us where we hear God call us by name and confess his love for us; where we feel re-energised for the commission we have to bear his light to the world. In this context anything we can do this Lent that helps remove the blocks in our full response to his love, must be worth effort. ©Richard Leonard SJ

Community Liturgy

Thanks to Koolyangarra House for preparing Mass this morning. This morning we also prayed a blessing on our Chapel Choir, which is a great gift to our College community and our weekly liturgies.

Next Friday, 17 March, we will celebrate the feast of the day – Saint Patrick. It is appropriate that at this Mass, we will also remember past pupil, Owen Burke, whose first anniversary occurs around this time.

If you have never attended Community Mass before, you are very welcome. Some people commit to Community Mass as part of their Lenten practice. People are welcome to attend on a regular basis – or less frequently, depending on personal schedules.

For any enquiries concerning the Community Mass, please contact Mary-Anne Lumley: Lumley.mary-anne@johnxxiii.edu.au or 9383 0513.

When: Fridays during the term

Time: 8:00-8:30am

Where: College Chapel