In this season of Lent, we seek to experience the mercy of God the Father, and to practice it in our daily lives. But first we must experience our need for mercy, that is, our brokenness and, indeed, our sinfulness, insofar as we have failed to love God above all, and to love our fellow men and women as ourselves. This is why the Church’s Canon Law reaffirms the obligation to do penance – to interrupt the usual comforts of life, to rediscover in prayer the merciful love of God, and to practice charity and justice towards those in need. The special times of penance are all Fridays throughout the year and the season of Lent.

We recall that St John the Baptist prepared for the coming of the Lord by “preaching a baptism of repentance”. Jesus began his ministry with the exhortation: “Repent and believe the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). Repentance means the rejection of sin. It implies conversion to, and reconciliation with, God. Prayer, self-denial, and works of charity are the concrete expressions of repentance. Each of these identifies us more closely with our Saviour. By penance we make satisfaction for our sins, and take real steps in the renewal of our lives. Repentance and conversion are central, on-going, and even daily practices of Christian living.

In nominating special times of penance, the Church encourages and promotes in all of us the habit of penance. Furthermore, observance of these special times by all Catholics throughout the universal Church emphasises what we call “the social dimension of sin”. The sin of the individual member always in some measure infects the whole body. Therefore during Lent and on every Friday throughout the year, we do penance, not only on our own account, but also in the name of the Church and of the …

Our favourite Christmas carols sing of peace on earth and goodwill to all, a promise of hope for our world.

Yet at the close of this year, these songs do not seem to match our reality. Instead of peace, we hear daily of war. Instead of goodwill, we witness man’s inhumanity to man.

Instead of hope, we see despair, as people worry about war, climate, making ends meet.

Christmas can seem like a fairytale: a nice story we tell our children and ourselves, but one not based in reality, not speaking to contemporary problems.

But the Christmas story is true! The God who created the universe really did come from heaven as a newborn.

Pope Benedict XVI said God came as the vulnerable newborn Jesus so we would not be overwhelmed, not afraid to draw close to Him.

God became one of us to share in our humanity: not just our joys, but our sorrows as well; not just our hopes but our fears and anxieties.

Christmas reminds us that God knows the brokenness of the world: He has experienced poverty and homelessness, danger and flight as a refugee, loss and grief first hand.

He has heard the cries of the broken heart, the silent sufferings you think no one notices or cares about. He wants to be with you in those anxieties.

But He will not leave you there in your troubles! Jesus’ birth broke through the darkness of that winter night, with a star that shone so brightly, it proclaimed the prince of peace to wise men in a faraway land.

It broke through the silence and indifference, with angelic songs of glory to God and peace to people.

Just as He did 2000 years ago, God wants to bring light into the darkness in your world and your heart. He wants to sing a song of …

Members of the community are invited to join a special Homeless Memorial Service on 21 June at Martin Place Amphitheatre to honour those who have died on the streets and in the shelters of Sydney in the past 12 months.

Held on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, the service hopes to bring our community’s attention to the need to end street sleeping, as well as the plight experienced by homeless people, especially during the cold winter months, when high numbers of deaths occur.

The Memorial Service is open to all members of the community, especially those affected by homelessness including victims, carers, family, friends, outreach workers, volunteers, health workers and community workers.

It’s also an opportunity to recognise the dedicated work undertaken by not for profit and faith-based organisations and members of the wider community in helping those sleeping rough on the streets of Sydney.

Sydney Catholic Early Childhood Services (SCECS) is searching for dynamic, fun, and high energy team members to join Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs across the Sydney Catholic Schools network. 

It presents a great opportunity to kick-start a career in Early Childhood Education, in a well-resourced, supportive team environment with ongoing training opportunities. 

There is availability for part-time and casual opportunities, including flexible morning and afternoon shifts. 

No formal qualifications are necessary as training is provided, with a Working With Children check the only requirement. 

It’s a perfect opportunity for TAFE or university students looking for work that fits around their studies, or for those seeking a fun, rewarding part-time career. 

For more information contact the SCECS team at scecs.careers@syd.catholic.edu.au Careers at Sydney Catholic Early Childhood Services

More than 30 Sydney Catholic Schools Principals and Assistant Principals—together with Jacinta Collins, Executive Director of the National Catholic Education Commission, and Dallas McInerney Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Schools NSW—are undertaking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome this April. 

Led by Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher OP, the pilgrimage is a valuable opportunity for our school leaders to engage with, share and deepen their faith, and to take these new spiritual learnings back to their schools and communities.

Follow along as our pilgrims journey throughout the Holy Land and retrace the footsteps of Jesus.

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30 APRIL

After walking in the footsteps of Jesus in the Holy Land and St Peter in Rome, our pilgrims enjoyed a short stay in enchanting Assisi, the home of St Francis. The first stop was the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels, on the plain where St Francis spent most of his life, before the group celebrated mass in front of St Francis’ tomb at the Basilica of St Francis.

They also visited the Basilica of St Clare, where the Jesus spoke to St Francis from the crucifix, the Church of St Damiano, where St Francis heard Christ’s call to rebuild the church, as well as the Hermitage where he spent many hours in prayer. They also paid a special visit to the Santa Maria Maggiore, the resting place of the recently beatified Carlo Acutis. Before departing for home, our pilgrims celebrated one final mass together in Assisi, where the Archbishop called on our leaders to spread their new spiritual learnings throughout their school communities.

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27 APRIL

Our pilgrims journeyed to Rome, the Eternal City, where they began discover the foundations of the church as we know it today. They first …