Liturgy
SACRAMENT PROGRAM
'Family focused, parish-based, Catholic school-supported'
"Your unique and indispensable role in your child's Catholic Christian formation is one that both school and parish endorse and support. It is your privilege and responsibility, which follows from your commitment when your child was baptised, to present your child for the sacraments."
John XXIII College prepares children for the various sacraments during the course of this year's religious education programs: Year 3 - Reconciliation, Year 4 - Eucharist, Year 6 - Confirmation.
Your family celebrates that sacrament in your home parish, the parish community in which you regularly participate.
Image © Tony Kiely,
Emmaus Productions
For further information about Sacrament Programs in your parish, go to - Archdiocesan website: http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/Parishes_and_Mass_Times.htm?cms%2Erm=List
Or contact: Mary-Anne Lumley, Parish Liaison lumley.mary-anne@johnxxiii.edu.au
'GOOD NEWS' for FEAST OF ALL SAINTS
"Rejoice and be glad…" (Matthew 5:1-12)
The reflection for this Sunday's Gospel is taken from Greg Sunter. Greg Sunter is a member of the Evangelisation and Spiritual Formation team with Brisbane Catholic Education.
The Church celebrates a certain number of Saints whose lives provide a glimpse of God for the rest of the Church. But there are many, many more saints whose glimpse of God was only ever experienced by their family, friends and those with whom they worked.
Today's gospel, the Beatitudes, from the Sermon on the Mount describes perfectly those 'lower case s' saints we celebrate in this feast day. The Beatitudes are sometimes referred to in parallel with the Ten Commandments. However, the Beatitudes are not 'rules' or 'instructions' for life as the Commandments are. They are more in line with a strategy that today we would call 'positive reinforcement'. They celebrate those who respond to God's call through particular attitudes towards life and towards others. Jesus presents them to the disciples and the crowd as images to inspire imitation. They're not hard and fast rules for life, but attitudes for life; the Be-Attitudes, so to speak. Those who live with these attitudes in this life are to be celebrated - 'Happy are you' - for they will be saints. They will be welcomed into communion with God in heaven.
Calling on the Saints
Saints play an important role in the devotional life of many Catholic people, but it is a role that causes some confusion for other traditions. Whilst all prayer is directed to God, sometimes that prayer may be directed through one of the Saints or a Saint is called upon to pray on behalf of the petitioner. Images of people kneeling before statues of Saints has led to a misconception that Catholics pray to Saints, rather than to God through the Saint. The Litany of the Saints, with its 'Pray for us' response, calls on the Saints to intercede for us. (For example, here at John XXIII College the community especially honours the lives and inspiration of Pope Saint John XXIII, Mary Ward and Saint Ignatius of Loyola and recognises that they pray for us and with us - ed.)
Making Saints
Despite media reports that the Church, or the Pope, has 'made' a person a Saint, the Church is quite clear that what it does is recognise a person as a Saint, not make them a Saint. This is what happens through the process of canonisation; a person is 'formally recognised' as a Saint by the Church. We might say that it is God who makes Saints, not the Church. The Church formally recognises the saintliness of particular people partly to provide inspiration and example to others. The Church tells the stories of its Saints to keep alive their inspiration.©
COMMUNITY MASS
Year 11 students will have to opportunity to participate at Community Mass and assist with preparation next Friday 6 November, just before they go into examinations. Year 11 family members are also very welcome - join us for a cuppa in the café afterwards if you are able.
Everyone is always welcome at Community Mass!
When: Fridays in Term Time
Time: 8:00am start - 8:30am finish
Where: College Chapel
SACRAMENT PROGRAM
