Mass Readings
Reading 1 – Malachi 3:1-4
Reading 2 – Hebrews 2:14-18
Gospel – Luke 2:22-40
Gospel Reflection
Fr Martin Ashe, Parish Priest
We celebrate the feast of our Parish—Christ the Light, this weekend. It is an opportunity to reflect on the life and mission of our community. We give thanks to God for the many ways people are endeavouring to be a welcoming and supportive community, enabling our people to grow and celebrate their faith in Christ, who is the Light to guide us. For several months the pandemic has been challenging for us, especially not being able to gather and connect as a community. Yet at the same time, the pandemic has made us more conscious of our identity as a community by the way in which so many have sought to reach out to show care and concern for others. It made parishioners aware that they were truly part of Christ the Light Parish.
Our Parish logo which is on the front of our newsletters and website, continues to challenge us in being faithful to our mission. The yellow and orange lines flowing out from the cross, reminds us that we are a community sent out to bear witness, to reveal the presence of Christ’s healing and compassion. Indeed we are called to be a community of missionary disciples. More than ever at this time, when there is still uncertainty and struggle in people’s lives, how important it is to offer Christ as a source of Light and hope for people’s lives.
Even now as we continue to go through this challenging time, it is to trust that the Light of Christ guides us to adapt in new ways to the Covid environment we are living in, and to engage creatively in being a community that makes a difference to the world around us. The words of Pope Francis speak to this, “I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world. We have to regard ourselves as sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing enlivening, raisingup, healing and freeing”. Our feast of Christ the Light is an invitation to us to recognise that our presence as a Catholic community, living joy-filled and hope-filled lives, can be a true source of blessing in our world at this time.