R.E News - Assistant Principal - Mission

Advent

Advent refers to the four weeks leading up to Christmas and like Lent it is a time of preparation and waiting. For all those students of the classics, the word Advent comes from the Latin advenio meaning "to come to".  This is a direct reference to Christmas and the coming of Jesus. It is deeper than merely remembering the nativity. It is also the celebration of Jesus coming into our lives still today through the Holy Spirit. Very importantly we are reminded "Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead".

How do we prepare for Christmas?

Take notice of the Advent wreath in the Cathedral or make one. The wreath is a circle, which has no beginning or end: God is eternal, and His love for us is everlasting. The wreath is usually made of fresh plant material, because Christ came to give us new, everlasting life. Three candles are purple, symbolizing penance, preparation and sacrifice; the pink candle symbolizes the same but highlights the third Sunday of Advent, The light represents Christ, The progression of lighting candles shows our increasing readiness to meet Our Lord.

Pray. Make this a daily routine. The Rosary reminds us of Mary, the ultimate role model of patience and waiting.

Read the Gospels. The four Sundays of Advent concentrate on St Matthews Gospel and reflect upon the  anticipation of the coming of our Lord.

Participate in the sacrament of reconciliation. Thanks to Father Paul and Father Roel students at O'Connor were able to go to confession last Wednesday. This is a great way to bring Christ into our lives in preparation for Christmas.

Proclaim. Remember the real reason for the season, remind those caught up in the consumerism that often abounds of the coming of our Lord.

Give. Christmas presents are obvious and bring great joy but also consider giving to the needy. Charity not only involves giving money but also of your time and your talents.

Here is a link to the Catholic Weekly article on the the importance of Christmas. It is very much worth reading and has been the basis for some recent lessons in RE here at O'Connor.

Our preparations, therefore, should have all three comings in mind. We need to prepare our souls to receive Christ worthily.

Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral Parish

Keeping in touch with what is happening in the Cathedral Parish is easy through their website and Facebook pages.

With such a difficult year it has been harder for parishioner's to give to the parish through the plates, particularly when the church was closed. The Parish account details are available on the Parish bulletin.