LITURGY MATTERS: Eucharist

We the Church of Maitland-Newcastle have just celebrated the second session of our Synod. On Sunday we celebrated the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. We are in the midst of the Confirmation and First Communion season (seven this week). I have just returned from the funeral of Fr Paul O’Neill.

LITURGY MATTERS: Ministry developments – liturgical and otherwise

One of the dominant themes at Session 2 of our diocesan synod last Saturday was and remains the participation of the lay faithful in the life and mission of the Church.

There is the mission that God entrusts to us all and for which we are all responsible, and there are formal ministries to which a few are called. Getting the right balance between mission and ministry is important.

LITURGY MATTERS: Christian Initiation celebrates a love story

After Mass on Saturday night a young woman I used to work with came bounding down the aisle to say hello. We‘re often at the same Mass but there has not been such bounding before. What prompted the bounding?

LITURGY MATTERS: It takes the whole community to initiate children!

There was a time we now call ‘pre-COVID’. If we think back to this time, is there anyone among you who would claim that the way we were doing Sacraments of Initiation for Children was working? The key word is ‘working’. What do we mean by ‘working’?

LITURGY MATTERS: Mysta what?

While society thinks Easter is over, we Christians know that it has only just begun. We have a church given mandate to celebrate (party) for 50 days, right up to Pentecost Sunday. So, what are you and your faith community doing to maintain the celebration?!

LITURGY MATTERS: Easter is no mere historical remembering

Holy Week has begun. And the good news of 2021 is that we can participate in the Holy Week liturgies in accord with the registration arrangements in parishes. Given that we were unable to have a public celebration of Easter last year, I am wondering what it will be like this year.