Easter Message from Fr Marcus

Dear parishioners of St Francis Xavier and St Anthony of Padua,

Mary Magdalene features prominently in the accounts of that first Easter Sunday. She is the first to discover the empty tomb. She brings the message of the empty tomb to the apostles. Returning to the empty tomb with the apostles, she remains there all morning until the risen Lord himself appears to her.

For Mary Magdalene, life was meaningless without Jesus. Her life stopped when Jesus died. In a sense, she died when Jesus died. When the risen Lord finally appears to her and calls her by her name, Mary is brought back to life. She is raised by Jesus. What a wonderful example to us! Jesus is the source of true life. It is not money or location or social status or ‘likes’ or work that give us life. Life comes from Jesus. Only with Jesus can we be truly alive.

Our world desperately needs to rediscover Jesus. As war continues to rage in the Middle East, it is increasingly clear that true peace cannot be found by diplomacy alone. Only when nations submit to the higher common law of faith in Christ can differences be settled amicably. Let us remember in particular the Christians of the Holy Land, caught between warring parties.

The life of Jesus is called sanctifying grace. The gift of grace is offered to us by Jesus through the sacraments of the Catholic Church. On your behalf, I offer special congratulations and prayers to Rheannon, Riley, Corey, Meh, Broden, Mikayley, Christian, Cheryl, Josie, Sheryl, Connor, Melissa and Paris, who were fully initiated into the grace of Jesus and the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. Like Mary Magdalene, each of these wonderful people have discovered that they need the life that can only be found in Jesus and His Church. Let us also pray for Nannette, Mia and Victor, who are continuing their preparation for admission to the Catholic Church. I extend my particular gratitude to Joe Brdar for working alongside me as RCIA catechist. His presence, knowledge and example have edified our candidates.

On the Cross, Jesus merited a treasury of graces. On Easter Sunday night, the Lord charged the apostles with the responsibility to dispense these graces: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins your forgive, they are forgiven.” These graces continue to be dispensed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I am full of admiration for the many parishioners who humbly and courageously approached the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the days leading up to Easter. So many people came back to this sacrament for the first time in many years. The Confessional is like the tomb. Souls burdened by sin and death enter the Confessional, only to come out raised to new life by Jesus. It is the risen Jesus who waits for us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The ceremonies of Holy Week are complicated and demanding. The ritual of Holy Week has been crafted by the Church over centuries. It is complicated and demanding, requiring intensive effort from numerous people. Nevertheless, when carefully prepared and executed, these ceremonies lift us to God through their beauty and reverence. I extend my sincere gratitude to our musicians, altar servers, sacristans, readers, florists, extraordinary ministers, the Legion of Mary, and candidates for the foot-washing. I am also grateful to our catering team and Social Committee for organising Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday, and the Easter Egg hunts on Easter Sunday. Finally, a big thanks to Deacon Logona and Jasna Brdar. Your hard work has paid off yet again!

I thank God for the privilege of leading and serving this parish as your priest. I wish you all a very happy Easter!

Fr Marcus Goulding, PP