Parish Bulletin
PARISH NEWS
JOHN TO JESUS
John’s violent agricultural images (Luke 3:17) would have had a great impact on the peasants who heard him. He imagines Israel as God’s plantation, which needed a radical cleansing, clearing out all the useless brush, cutting and burning the trees that did not bear good fruit and a great purifying judgement leading to a new situation of peace and fullness of life in the transforming power of God, the life-giving outpouring of his Spirit.
John was further anticipating someone who would come, “through whom God would carry out his ultimate plan. John didn’t have a clear idea who that would be, but expected him to be the definitive mediator. This person would not come to prepare the way for God, as John had. He would come to make God’s judgement and salvation a reality. He would carry forward the process initiated by the Baptist, leading everyone to the destiny chosen by each one through their response to John’s baptism: either judgement or restoration.”
The definitive mediator did arrive but, although Luke doesn’t tell us about John and Jesus meeting, we know with the benefit of hindsight that Jesus has an altogether more radical and extensive message in the context of God’s mercy. Central to Jesus proclamation of the Good News is the Kingdom of God where this faulty and as yet incompletely converted people encounter God’s judgement as the great gift of salvation. In this otherwise hopeless situation the people would see the incredible compassion of God, not his devastating wrath. (Pagola p91). So the question posed by the crowd, the tax collectors and the soldiers remains. “What shall we do? Pope Francis explains for us that John’s answers are about “concrete commitments to justice and solidarity,” steps along “the path that Jesus points to in all his preaching: the path of diligent love for neighbour.” [Pope Francis homily 13/12/15].
Deacon Mark Kelly
CATHOLIC PARISHES OF WARRAGUL AND DROUIN
CHRISTMAS MASSES 2021
CHRISTMAS EVE 24TH DECEMBER
7.00pm Marist Sion Hall
(Full vaccination required)
8.00pm outside at St. Ita’s Drouin
(No vaccination record)
CHRISTMAS DAY 25TH DECEMBER
9.00am St. Joseph’s Church Warragul
(Full vaccination required)
9.30am St. Ignatius Church Neerim South
(Full vaccination required)
10.30am St. Ita’s Church Drouin
(Full vaccination required)
RECONCILIATION BEFORE CHRISTMAS
As well as regular times there is to be a communal service for Reconciliation at St. Ita’s Church:
Tuesday 21st December at 7.30pm
Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au
For further inquiries please contact Thérèse on M: 0499 116 428
