Faith & Family

St Anne's Parish & Galilee Bondi Christmas Gift Appeal

Next week, each family will be receiving a Christmas gift from Galilee which will also contain an invitation to purchase a gift for a child in need, to wrap it and  return it to school to be placed under our Christmas tree near the school office.  These gifts will be donated to the Sudanese Catholic Refugee Service to support children of refugee families and bring some joy into their lives.  We hope that you will support this initiative.  Its really incredible how one small gesture like a brand new toy from a caring family, can make a world of difference to a child who has very little.

Advent is coming but what exactly is it?

Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas (or sometimes from the 1st December to Christmas Day!). Advent means 'Coming' in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus into the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

There are three meanings of 'coming' that Christians describe in Advent. The first, and most thought of, happened about 2000 years ago when Jesus came into the world as a baby to live as a man and die for us. The second can happen now as Jesus wants to come into our lives now. And the third will happen in the future when Jesus comes back to the world as King and Judge, not a baby.

No one is really sure when Advent was first celebrated but it dates back to at least 567 when monks were ordered to fast during December leading up to Christmas.

As a community we will mark the beginning of Advent this coming Saturday at the Galilee Family Mass at St Anne's Church.  I pray that your advent is filled with rest, renewal and family connection.

What is Grace?

We hear the phrase 'may the Grace of God be with you' very often in the Holy Mass, but do we really understand what it is? Grace is the help given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not necessarily because of anything we have done to earn it. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to people – "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved"– that takes the form of divine favour, love, clemency, and a share in the divine life of God.  Grace can be at work in our lives without us even knowing.  It can often feel like a nudge in your heart, an understanding of a regretful choice, or even just gratitude for the wonderful favours we have each be granted.  This Advent season, lets focus on God's grace, lets be challenged to cooperate with it, and most importantly, lets be grateful for it.

Friday Morning Mass at St Anne's

Parents are reminded that morning masses are back at St Anne's at 9:00am on Fridays.  Please feel welcome to attend and celebrate mass with the Bondi Parish community after school drop off.  St Anne's church will also be open soon, following the completion of final renovations during the day for anyone who would like to visit for private prayer.