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 the Sacrament Program is ‘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

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

More detailed information is available on the College website here.

GOOD NEWS for the Third Sunday in Lent

“The water that I shall give will turn into a spring of eternal life.” (John 4:5-52)

The reflection is part of a longer homily by Fr Michael Tate for this Sunday's gospel and is printed here, with kind permission. Fr Michael Tate is currently a Parish Priest in the Archdiocese of Hobart and is Catholic Chaplain to the University of Tasmania where he is an Honorary Professor of Law, lecturing in International Humanitarian Law.

Our Sacred Site

(It is well known that) the Muslims face Mecca when they pray. One sees the men kneeling in rows, faces touching the ground. It is a profound gesture of humility which is quite moving.

But when we Christians pray, we do not face Jerusalem or Nazareth or Rome. Why not? The answer lies in today’s Gospel.

The Jewish people worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritans to the north worshipped on Mt Gerizem.

Each group believed that God’s glorious presence was grounded, was earthed, in a way special and exclusive to that place, such that it was only there that true worship could be given to God.

But Jesus says to the woman of Samaria: ‘Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this Mountain nor in Jerusalem … true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.’

Jesus uses a word for ‘to worship’ which means to incline the whole body, so Jesus is saying: true worship is the orientation of oneself, the inclining of oneself, body and mind, oriented to God who is never confined to a place.

This is radical stuff.

I don’t think Jesus would be against pilgrimages where his followers might deepen their faith by visiting places significant in his ministry, or in the life of the Church since then.

But, he is adamantly against any attempt to confine the presence of God to a particular sacred site.

Jesus Christ is our sacred site. God is dwelling in the person of Jesus. In his earthly ministry this was at places like the well in Samaria. As Risen Lord, he is to be found in those in dire need (‘when you did this to the least, you did it to me’), and in the heavenly bread, the sacrament of His Presence.

In both cases, we need to incline the body as an act of worship.

In the case of the needy, by doing something practical, even something which gets us bruised and dirty, in the words of Pope Francis.

In the case of the Heavenly Bread, by genuflecting, bowing, sometimes prostrating, before the Blessed Sacrament which is Our Risen Lord’s presence for us.

The Risen Lord is our sacred site…

Community Liturgy

Next Friday, 24 March, Community Mass will be prepared by students in Year 8, and families of Year 8 students are warmly invited to attend.

If you 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 in Term Time

Time: 8:00-8:30am

Where: College Chapel