Religion

Mary MacKillop

August 8 Feast day of St Mary of the Cross (Mary MacKillop) Australia’s first and only saint. She started schools of poor country children. She was the founder of a teaching order of sisters, the Josephites. She was a mystic, a visionary, a missionary and faithful to God.

The Josephites write "Our world is fractured and in need of understanding, reconciliation and healing. In 1878 Mary wrote “love each other, help and comfort each other.” Her love and compassion excluded no one, but she did have a special place in her heart for the disadvantaged, marginalised or isolated. We are called to have this same love and compassion, to reach out to those in need. Who might the marginalised be for me today? Thus, inspired and challenged by Mary, her spirituality, life and work, people connect with Mary MacKillop Chapel to pray in gratitude, others in petition while others simply seek comfort, peace and tranquillity"

Prayer

Provident God, with grateful hearts we remember the power for goodness that Mary MacKillop is in our world. On this her feast day may we be touched anew with her spirit of prophetic charity and generous participation in mission. We ask this in the name of Christ, the Sacred Heart, and of the Spirit of Mission. Amen.

The Feast of Assumption

Tuesday is the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady. "when according to our faith, the Holy Mother, "having completed her course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory". Although defined as an article of faith by Pope Pius XII just over half a century ago, the Assumption of Our Lady into heaven has been accepted from back to the earliest of Christian times. The Assumption signals the end of Mary's earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. While the bodies of both Jesus and Mary are now in heaven, there is a difference between the Assumption and the Resurrection. Where Jesus arose from the tomb and ascended into heaven by his own power, Mary's body was taken up to heaven by the power of her Son.

For this reason we use different words to describe each event. One is the Ascension of Christ and the other, the Assumption of Mary" (Arch Diocese of Sydney). It is a holy day of obligation and there will be a whole school Mass at 9.15am.

National Vocations Week

National Vocations Awareness Week is an opportunity for us to give thanks to God for the presence and ministry of consecrated life in our church and our lives. Pause and spend a moment of prayer in thanks for the priests and religious who have contributed to our community. Father Francis apart from his role as college chaplain is the vocations director for Armidale Diocese. He will be visiting RE classes this week talking about vocations.

Damian Roff

REC