PARISH NEWS

Same but Different

Our gospel this week is an opportunity to explore the profound and ultimately unfathomable nature of Jesus – true God and true Man. This gospel encounter (Luke 24:35-48) sums up the purpose of Jesus incarnation, life, death, and resurrection. His shared and very human experience of everything we experience up to and including resurrection. He died proclaiming God’s Kingdom of love.

Jesus makes it crystal clear that his return really is an affirmation of both divinity and humanity. To be human is to be an integral part of creation, uniquely aware and attuned to the Creator. Jesus’ humanity was the point of incarnation and, resurrected, he returns from death in flesh and blood – the same man with wounds still showing. Yet several times his closest followers have not recognised him. Something is different. He is resurrected to new life.

Meeting his disciples, who are naturally a bit sheepish at having deserted him, he doesn’t even refer to their weaknesses. He knows the pluses and minuses of their humanity better than they do. Instead, he settles them; looking ahead to their ongoing mission of proclaiming that “forgiveness of sins be preached to all the nations”. Jesus is not fussed about how we have messed up but only about announcing the good news of God’s love and forgiveness, as evidenced by his loving forgiveness of them. Gratefully putting our failures behind us and copying him makes us more truly human.

Pope Francis avows, “The Son of God, by becoming flesh, summoned us to the revolution of tenderness …... making one more truly human.” [We]“ learn.. to find Jesus in the faces of others, in their voices … [becoming] a mystical community capable of seeing the sacred grandeur of God in every human being.” (Evangeli Gaudium 88,91,92). We too can glimpse the divine in the world around us and respond in loving mercy, anticipating resurrection to new life.

Deacon Mark Kelly

On Sunday 21st April 2024, the parish celebrated the Silver Jubilee for Father Brendan Hogan.

Mass was held at 11 am, and lunch followed at the Marist Sion College Hall.

Pictured above L-R: Bishop Greg Bennett, Fr Brendan Hogan, Fr Peter Slater and Fr John Davine.