Liturgy

Community Mass

November is the month in which the Church especially remembers and prays for ‘all souls’ – our loved ones for whom ‘life is changed, not ended’. We will especially remember our beloved dead at Community Masses during November.

Thank you to students in Year 9 for preparing this morning’s Mass. Next Friday, the liturgy will be prepared by students in Year 7. All families in the College are always welcome to come along to Community Mass and to continue the fellowship in the Circle of Friends Café.

Community Mass details

College Chapel
Fridays in term time
Starts: 8:00am and concludes 8:30am

Sacrament Program

Parents with students in Years 2, 3 and 5

Parishes are now planning for celebrations of the sacraments in 2022. Parents are encouraged to enrol their child in their ‘home’ parish once enrolments open.

Enrolment information and contact details may be found here for the parishes of Cottesloe/Mosman Park and Subiaco.

If you would like further information about the Sacrament Program:

If your nearest parish is not listed, search the Archdiocesan website;
Check the information available on the College website here
Contact Mary-Anne Lumley mary-anne.lumley@cew.edu.au 08 9383 0513

Advent and Christmas

Advent and Christmas is a season in many families choose to participate in parish liturgies and events. As a way of preparing for Christmas, the Parish of Saint Thomas Apostle Claremont is presenting their annual ‘Road to Bethlehem’, a celebration of song scripture and reflection.

Good News for the Feast of Christ the Universal King

The reflection for this Sunday’s Gospel is by Jesuit priest, Fr Richard Leonard. Fr Richard Leonard SJ is the Director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting, is a member of the Australian Catholic Media Council and is author of Preaching to the Converted, Paulist Press, New York, 2006.

… It’s clear this Sunday’s Gospel, and the New Testament in general, that while Jesus frequently spoke of his Kingdom, is hailed like a king on Palm Sunday and is facetiously given the title of king by Pilate, his kingship is vastly different from those of Caesar, Herod and even David and the other Kings of Israel.

The earliest Christians seem to have understood this very well. We find very little writing or artistic representation of Jesus as a king before 324 AD. In that year Emperor Constantine becomes a catechumen and Christianity becomes the religion of the Roman Empire. After this time Jesus starts to appear wearing a crown and holding an orb. Mary is styled as the Queen of Heaven and begins to be pictured as such. This is all understandable as the previously persecuted Christian sect now emerges to become the most powerful unifying force in the Roman Empire. It was a sweet victory, but it meant that whatever was said of the Roman Emperor, even more must be true of Christ the Universal King and Lord.

As centuries passed and the Roman Empire passed away, the Church maintained many of its now long-standing royal prerogatives and language. Just as an example, to this day the Pope and some bishops live in places called palaces. They wear jewels and rings and have feudal coats of arms…

The problem with all these historical accretions is that they directly contradict the way in which Jesus spoke about himself as a King. Almost all references to Jesus’ kingship occur within the passion narratives. Today’s extract from John’s gospel is among the most famous of them all. ‘You say I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

There are not too many Kings or Queens today who would love their people so much that they would be prepared to die for them. We know from history that when the going gets tough many monarchs get going. But what we get in Jesus as King is one who did not compromise his humanity, who would not yield from his preaching and does not abandon us in our desolation. Jesus’ kingship is revealed in his utter fidelity to us – even to the end.

So let’s not be seduced by the power, pride, riches and greed which worldly rulers so crave. Let’s keep our own eyes on Christ our King who loved people more than things, who spoke the truth with love, and who died that we might live. And let’s not shrink from challenging the entire Church to do the same.