The Kingdom is Absolute

Awakening us to the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus emphasises in today’s gospel (Matt 13:44-52) is the whole point of his birth, death and resurrection. We humans are a pretty thick bunch.

That’s why all through the eons since creation, though God taught us through the prophets, through Abraham and Moses, but we never quite got how He wants to relate to his creation or how he wants us to relate to one another. The Son’s incarnation as a vulnerable human was the only way to get through to us. It is all about the Kingdom of God!

Pope Paul’s apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Nuntaindi (which the future Pope Saint John Paul II was very influential in drafting and the current Pope Francis described as “the greatest pastoral document ever written”) sums it up really. For Jesus only the Kingdom is absolute and it makes everything else relative. And Jesus has commissioned us all to be examples and witnesses to the Good News of God’s Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Heaven is mystery, we can never fully grasp it, but, like those first Galilean peasants, we are overjoyed to hear that, far from coming as a harsh, vengeful, nit-picking king, God is the King who loves us absolutely, intimately, infinitely. To be part of His Kingdom though, we need to get wholeheartedly on board. There are no short cuts. Jesus uses analogies in this gospel to teach that being part of the Kingdom he has come to establish amongst us means being prepared to give everything away for the sake of the Kingdom.

Thankfully we have an infinitely merciful God who knows our hearts and our struggles. Jesus’ parable about the dragnet suggests that who is in God’s favour and who isn’t is God’s business. Ours is to reach into our store of things old and new (v52), aware and tolerant of the world around us, witnessing to God’s limitless love. 

Deacon Mark Kelly         

IMPORTANT SACRAMENTS UPDATE

CONFIRMATION & FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic we have had to change our plans for the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of First Holy Communion for this year.

Due to restrictions, we have decided to aim for our Confirmation preparation to begin with an information meeting on the 13^th October, 2020 in St Joseph’s Church Warragul for parents and candidates. We will be sending a letter of invitation home early next week with our Grade 6 students. This letter will include all the preparation dates for your diaries. At this stage we are hoping the present restrictions will be eased by October. Updates will be sent home if there are any changes.

Unfortunately, we have also had to postpone our First Holy Communion plans due to restrictions. The Sacrament of First Holy Communion will take place next year, 2021 for our Grade 4s and 5s. Further information will be sent home later in the year when dates have been decided.

We sincerely thank you for your patience, please know you are all in our prayers.

For any inquiries please contact Thérèse Meggetto, Sacrament Co-ordinator on 0439 306 642.                                                    

We hope to post Mass each Sunday.