From the Rector
Greetings! Welcome to the season of Autumn which will last until
May when our winter months set in. Wow! How good was it to start the college week on Monday without having to wear a mask? I can now breathe and see without my glasses fogging up. Yeah! Although I do feel like something is missing when I go out!
Just when we thought our world was progressing to normality after the pandemic, parts of Australia are now inundated with floodwaters that are affecting people’s livelihoods.
Added to this our world faces a huge threat and uncertain future through a greedy self-serving leader, like the Russian President, throwing our world into disarray by unnecessarily charging his troops to invade Ukraine. We pray for the people of Ukraine and the innocent people of Russia who, like most of humanity, hate any form of war for any reason because of the pain and suffering innocent people endure just to satisfy the needs of a tyrant. It is amazing how we never seem to learn from history.
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Ukraine children at home praying for peace.
As the De Mazenod family, we also remember our brother Oblates and their people who are facing an unknown future.
I have included some thoughts from a communication our Province received from the Polish Oblate Provincial:
Chers Confrères!
“Over the past few days, it has been necessary to hide many times from bombings, but the Oblates do not leave their house and parishes, but stay in them, to accompany people, support them, spiritually and materially, and often allow them to shelter in the basement of our churches and houses. During Mass, we hear sirens announcing the bombings or flights of military planes, which cause increased fear. We pray that God can work a miracle and give us peace.”
Fr Vitalij Podolan OMI, Superior of Oblate Delegation in Ukraine.
Inaugural Mass – 2022: The College Inaugural Mass was celebrated last Friday in the Provence Centre due to ongoing COVID restrictions. We welcomed the Year 7 cohort for their first Inaugural Mass and our graduating students of Year 12 for their final Inaugural Mass after 6 years of education at Mazenod. Whilst, not the ideal way to celebrate our Inaugural Mass, it was heart-warming to welcome so many college families via our live streaming.
It was a pleasure to once again welcome our Oblate Provincial, Fr Christian Fini OMI, as our main celebrant who was joined by fellow Oblates. The Year 12 College leaders received their various leadership badges. A highlight was the official induction ceremony of Dr Paul Shannon as our new Principal. I express my thanks to all who contributed to planning the liturgy which was a prayerful and uplifting experience for all. A special vote of thanks to our inspirational music department.
Ash Wednesday: On Wednesday, March 2, we celebrated Ash Wednesday when all our staff and students received the ashes and were reminded to ‘repent and believe the gospel’ or to ‘remember that we are dust, and to dust, we shall return’. Our various college leaders attended the morning Eucharist and received their blessed Ashes before returning to their Homerooms and administering the ashes to their fellow students. The ashes are a reminder of our mortality and to make the most of this life that God has gifted us with. During Lent, we traditionally are invited to give up something or even take up something so as to come closer to Jesus. The word ‘Lent’ comes from an old English word which means ‘Springtime’. Lent is a time to do some interior spring-cleaning and to enjoy the new life that will result by leaving the trappings of our material lives behind us and concentrate on how we can grow closer to Jesus. During Lent, the Gloria and Alleluia are omitted from the liturgy. The seasonal colour for Lent is purple because it symbolizes our willingness to repent of our sins. As we begin this Lenten season, let us ask God to give us the grace to transform our lives to be more like his.
Caritas: Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. The theme of Project Compassion 2022 is ‘For All Future Generations’ which reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Caritas invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues. Donations can be made online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au
In subsequent newsletters, I will be focusing on three aspects of Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Hopefully, we can put some aspects into practice to help us make a difference in our lives and the lives of others.
Gospel Reflection: This first Sunday of Lent, we join Jesus in the desert – at least symbolically. Lent invites us to enter a private desert and face up to our shortcomings as children of God. In the desert Jesus faced the temptations to use his power to appease his hunger, to control the kingdoms of the world and to be more like God. This Gospel highlights for us that we are dependent upon God for all that we have and all that we are. As we start our journey through Lent, this Sunday's Gospel calls us to adopt the same confidence that Jesus had in the face of temptation: God's word alone will suffice, God's promise of protection can be trusted, and God alone is God.
A follow-up to last Friday's homily at Inaugral Mass!
Enjoy your weekend!
Yours in Jesus Christ and Mary Immaculate,
Fr Harry Dyer OMI
Rector