This year at Sts Peter and Paul, we are all called to ‘Let Your Light Shine”

Transfiguration Feast Day

Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration. The staff and students gathered together to celebrate the unity of our parish, its strong faith, generous acts of service and dedication to being followers of Jesus, just as those present at the original Transfiguration were.

The original Transfiguration event is the guidepost for all we are and do as a Parish: Jesus Christ, shining atop Mount Tabor in His glory to Saints Peter, James, and John, gave them a vision that would strengthen their faith when they saw Him suffer on a different hilltop, the Mount of Calvary.  None of us is perfect, all of us have our sins, our fears, our doubts, and our crosses, but with the grace of God we’re on the way, together. 

Sacrament of First Eucharist

Who is eligible?

Children in Year 4 or above who celebrated their First Reconciliation may be enrolled in the Parish’s Family-Based Sacramental Program for First Eucharist. 

The enrolment form and associated fee must be received ASAP. Enrolment can be done online using Qkr! App

To enrol online:

Access or download the Qkr! app. 

Tap on ‘North Woden Transfiguration Parish’

Tap Sacrament of First Eucharist (second option)

Complete the form and make your online payment.

The requested offering per family is $40. This helps to defray the cost of a workbook, commemorative certificate, memorial gift and administrative costs.  If you have difficulty meeting the offering, please contact Fr John for a confidential discussion.

Hosting a Family Group

The program is dependent on the generosity of some parents to host or to co-host a family group. A ‘Host Nomination’ form is enclosed for your consideration. The role of a host is not difficult, with session notes provided. 

All hosts must have, or have applied for, a Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) card.  There is no cost involved in applying for a WWVP card for volunteers.  Further information as to how to apply for a WWVP card is found on the ‘Host Nomination’ form. 

What does the program involve?

The program includes:

• Four family group meetings for parents and children following the Introduction Night.
• Presentation Mass. Each family to attend one of the following:  Saturday 27 August 6pm or Sunday 28 August 9.30am at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin.

This is the link to the homegroups sheet. Please add your child to a group once you have registered. If there is no group that suits your family, please consider hosting a group.

Celebration of First Eucharist

You will need to nominate a weekend Mass (Sat. 6pm, Sun. 9.30am or Sun. 5.30pm) on the weekend of 17-18 September for the celebration.  There will be a limited number of seats available for candidates, their families and guests, mindful of the need to accommodate other parishioners at each of these Masses.

What next?

If you would like your child to celebrate First Eucharist this year, you must register via the Qkr! App ASAP.  Meanwhile, enquiries can be directed to the Parish Office (6281 3999 / wodennorth@cg.org.au ).

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Gospel Reflection

This week’s gospel passage carries with it the expectation of the late 1st Century as the early Christians awaited the triumphant return of the Christ (sometimes called the Second Coming or the Parousia). This is a familiar theme through the gospels and, in fact, across the gospels we can see that the communities were beginning to face the realisation that the promised return was taking longer than they had expected. In the gospel of Mark, it is clear that the community expects the Parousia at any moment, while by the time of the writing of the gospel of Luke, 10 or 15 years later, we can see that the language has taken on an aspect of uncertainty about the timing – it could be sooner or it could be later (‘It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third…’).

What began to emerge was an attitude that if we don’t know when the Parousia will come, then we need to live ‘in anticipation’ of it. We need to live as if the Parousia were imminent. So, rather than waiting for the kingdom of God to be delivered, we must live our lives in such a way as to bring about the kingdom; to draw the kingdom into the present. Jesus often spoke of the kingdom as both near and not yet. If we all live the values of the kingdom, by our very actions we bring the kingdom into being. This gives an incredible significance to the way we choose to live our lives. If we ‘invest’ in the kingdom by living out the values of the kingdom and living in expectation of the Parousia, then that ‘investment’ is its own reward.

(Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Have a blessed week,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator