Parish Bulletin
PARISH NEWS
Where’s Melchizadek?
Listening closely to the Old Testament reading this Sunday (Gen 14:18-20) our ears prick up at the story about Melchizadek. We hear about him elsewhere, in Psalms and in Paul’s Letter to Hebrews, but who is this guy and how is he tangled up with our Mass? And particularly in the Eucharistic Prayer, where the priest prays after the consecration, “Look with favour on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchizedech.” The first, archetypal, “priest”, Melchizadek’s bread and wine remains only that, but, with echoes of Melchizadek, Jesus the ultimate priest, offers himself totally in the form of bread and wine to God telling his disciples to "do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19-20)
Today’s Psalm (Ps 109 (110)) is sung at the ordination of every Catholic priest: “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizadek”. Beyond the worthiness of the individual, the priest is enrolled under Jesus in that Order of Melchizadek, empowering him to consecrate, acting in the personhood of Christ, the bread and wine as Christ’s body and blood.
In the feeding of the multitudes, today’s gospel (Luke 9:11-17), Jesus takes and breaks the bread in a ritual prefiguring the celebration of the Eucharist and sends the apostles to feed the people. It is this total offering of self to which Jesus refers in his instruction to "do this in remembrance of Me." Following Jesus instruction, as the priest elevates the chalice containing Christ’s blood, he is faithfully doing so in remembrance of Jesus’ directive and reminding himself and all of us of Jesus’ instruction to address the needs of the people. Eucharist regularly nourishes us in order that we might give of self for others as Christ Jesus does.
Deacon Mark Kelly
SACRAMENT PROGRAM UPDATE |
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SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION 2022 Our final Commitment Mass for the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated this coming Sunday, 19th June at our 10:30am weekend Mass at St Ita’s Church, Drouin. Could all families who still need to make their commitment please remember to bring their enrolment form and a copy of your child’s Baptism Certificate and Reconciliation art work for display to this Mass please. Families will receive their symbol for their candidates sash at this Commitment Mass if you haven’t already received one. Also we will be handing out sashes to all those families that have ordered one. Please arrive 10 minutes early so all families can be seated on time. Our Reconciliation candidates will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday, 22nd June at 7pm in St Ita’s Church, Drouin and on Thursday, 23rd June at 7pm in St Joseph’s Church, Warragul. We ask all families to please arrive 10 minutes early for a 7pm start. We warmly ask our school communities to please keep these families and their children in your prayers. |
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CONFIRMATION 2022 An Invitation is extended to families who wish to have their children continue their journey of initiation into the life of the Catholic Church Community of Warragul & Drouin, through the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. This Sacrament is for children who have celebrated the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. An invitation will be sent out to families this week via your school. There will be a Parent /Child information evening at St Ita’s Church, Drouin on Wednesday, 20th July, at 7pm and at St Joseph’s Church, Warragul on Thursday, 21st July, at 7pm. Parents are asked to choose one of these nights to attend with your Confirmation Candidate. Information packs and enrolment forms will be handed out on the night. We are looking forward to seeing you all at one of our information nights. |
PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES
Sacrament Enquiries: Mrs Therese Meggetto
Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au
