PARISH LIFE

If there are parents who have, for various reasons, been unable to enrol their daughter or son in their parish, or would like further information, please contact

Mary-Anne Lumley by email or via the Office.

© Artwork: Tony Kiely, Emmaus Productions

Sacramental Diary

Our local parishes have supplied the following diary information, which is on the College website. However we appreciate that the College has a wide catchment area. For further information:

- Your Parish Priest or Administrator

- Drop down box at http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/

- College website

- Mary-Anne Lumley - lumley.mary-anne@johnxxiii.edu.au

CITY BEACH: HOLY SPIRIT

Reconciliation

August 21, 4:30 Celebration of the Sacrament

NEDLANDS: HOLY ROSARY

Reconciliation

Wed. Aug 20: Parent adult education evening

NORTH BEACH: OUR LADY OF GRACE

Reconciliation

August 16, 23, 30: Celebration of the Sacrament

THIS SUNDAY'S GOSPEL: "Woman, you have great faith.…" (Matthew 15:21-28)

This week's reflection is from Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ, JSS Media Officer. It is reprinted here with his kind permission.

This weekend's Gospel story is unusual. In it Jesus changes his mind. He meets a foreign woman with a different religion - a double outsider. When she asks him to cure her son he answers abruptly, comparing the favour she asks of him to giving the children's food to dogs. His business is with Jewish people. She turns his quip back on him, saying that even dogs are thrown scraps from table. So Jesus changes his mind, praises her single-minded trust and heals her daughter.

The story cuts close to the people at Jesuit Social Services who work with poor non-Christian immigrant women. We are constantly humbled by how focused they are on what really matters. As for the woman in the Gospel story, this often has to do with their children. To find help for their children they will do almost anything. Indeed, if they are refugees they will already have endured and sacrificed do much for the children. They recall us to our simple shared humanity that God loves. When we recognise it in others, as Jesus does in the woman, it makes us go the extra mile for them.

And yet it is so easy to pass by such remarkable people without even noticing them. They are people of extraordinary resource who humble us deeply by their greatness of heart. And they can teach us about God. In the story God speaks through the stranger, the woman of the wrong race and with the wrong ideas about God.

The woman is also remarkable because she meets and deals with Jesus at his most intimidating. She does not take a step backwards. She is prepared to speak the truth to power, and Jesus praises her for it. She reminds us of how important that directness and freedom of speaking is in the Church and in the wider society. So many people suffer because others are silent either from fear or from a misplaced respect for the powerful.

Pope Francis often urges us to go out of our comfortable world to the edges of our society and church. This is what Jesus does in the story. He learned from the woman he met. And he was clearly encouraged by the meeting.

COMMUNITY MASS

Next Friday, 22nd August, Community Mass will be led by Loreto House. Loreto families and friends particularly welcome!

Friday 29th August the Mass will be prepared by Year 8 students.

Save the date! Friday 5th September Community Mass will join Primary to celebrate a special early morning Fathers' Mass at the earlier start time of 7:30. More details to follow.

Our Community Mass is always open to everyone; just come along!

Chapel

8:00am - 8:30am

Fridays in term time