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Our understanding of God emerges from how God has self-revealed.  While today’s celebration of the doctrine of the Trinity was articulated well after the New Testament era, today’s Gospel makes clear that God’s self-revelation is for the sole purpose of bringing all human beings into the life and love of God.  John’s Gospel contrasts darkness and light.  Conversion is the ongoing turning from darkness and sin or ‘the world’ to the light of divine love revealed in Jesus.  However, John’s Gospel is a mixture of both a positive and a negative attitude towards ‘the world’. The positive attitude is evident in today’s Gospel and elsewhere (cf. Jn 1:29; 4:42; 6:33,51: 10:36; 12:47; 17:12). Yet there is more of a negative attitude overall in John (cf. Jn 1:9-10; 7:7; 15:18-19; 16:20; 17:14, 16; 18:36).  Scholars suggest that John’s community went through stages of development. “In its earliest stage (mid 50s), this community saw the world as a good place but in need of reform. It needed and deserved evangelization. For the most part, Mediterranean Judean believers in Jesus attracted other Mediterranean Judeans to believe in Jesus.  At a slightly later stage (late 80s), some Judean audiences began to turn a deaf ear to the preaching and soon took measures to eject fellow believers in Jesus from the synagogues.  This shocking experience stimulated the development of the negative attitude toward ‘the world’” (John J Pilch).  In John’s Gospel ‘the world’ is used seventy-nine times, which is over four times the combined use of the term in the other three Gospels.  John’s community is separate from wider society and tight knit among themselves and with their founder.  Johannine scripture scholar Raymond Brown would have it that to both retreat from and presume to evangelise “the world” is naïve.  Rather, “all believers must come to grips with disagreement and rejection and devise constructive rather than self-defeating responses to both” (John J Pilch).  I would suggest that the way the Little Company of Mary and the Archdiocese have attempted to engage with the ACT Government over the compulsory acquisition of Calvary Hospital is a case in point.  The matter now moves to the courts.  Life moves ever forward.  The issue is how do we manifest our ongoing trust in the revealed love of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit?  Our circumstances will change, and hopefully so too our awareness of God’s constant love.                                

Fr John

CLAIM THE DATES 2023

In anticipation of your diaries filling up with appointments for the coming year, please note the following dates for the Sacraments of Initiation in 2023:

Term 1 - First Reconciliation        • Parent Information Night - Tuesday, 7 February 2023, 6pm via Zoom

                                                       • Sacramental Celebration - commencing Saturday 1 April 2023

Term 2 – Confirmation                  • Parent Information Night - Tuesday, 2 May 2023, 6pm via Zoom

                                                       • Sacramental Celebration - Monday and Tuesday, 19 and 20 June 2023, 6pm

Term 3 - First Eucharist                • Parent Information Night - Tuesday, 25 July 2023, 6pm via Zoom

                                                       • Sacramental Celebration - Saturday-Sunday, 16-17 September 2023

(Note:  These dates may be changed as the Sacramental Program is finalised.)  In the meantime please claim these dates in your diary now.  Thank you in anticipation.  Meanwhile, if you have any enquiries regarding these Sacraments please contact the Parish Office.