St Patrick's Cathedral Parramatta
Cathedral Offjce: 1 Marist Place Parramatta NSW 2150 Telephone 02 8839 8400 Web: http://www.stpatscathedral.com.au
Sunday 2 February The Presentation of the Lord
EMERG RGENCY CY CAL CALLS S ANYTI TIME Ph: 04 0417 7 84 848 8 522 22
STAFF CONTACT DETAILS
Dean & Parish Priest
Very Rev Fr Robert Bossini 8839 8420 or frbob@stpatscathedral.com.au
Assistant Priest,
Rev Chris del Rosario 8839 8423 or frchris@stpatscathedral.com.au
Deacon
Rev Roderick Pirotta deacon@stpatscathedral.com.au
Office Hours 9.00 am to 4.00 pm
Receptionist: Donna Missio (M,T,Th,F)
8839 8400 or enquiry@stpatscathedral.com.au
Parish Secretary: Pat Preca (Mon-Fri)
8839 8412 or secretary@stpatscathedral.com.au
Finance Admin : Mili Lee
8839 8415 or admin@stpatscathedral.com.au Sacramental Coordinator: Meg Gale (Tue only) 8839 8415 or sacrament@stpatscathedral.com.au
Director of Music: Bernard Kirkpatrick
8839 8400 music@stpatscathedral.com.au Liturgy Coordinator/Sacristan Fr Chris del Rosario Youth Coordinator Fr Chris del Rosario 8839 8416 or Credo@stpatscathedral.com.au Please Note: Baptisms are celebrated in the Cathedral on most
- Sundays. Check for exceptions. Family members
and guests must be present at the Cathedral at least 15 minutes before the usual time of 12.45pm.
Download baptism form at www.stpatscathedral.com.au Preparation is essential and may be completed prior to the birth of the child. Weddings are by appointment only. Contact the Parish Secretary. For more information regarding: First Holy Communion and Confirmation: Please contact the Sacramental Coordinator. To hire the Cloister Function rooms please call 8839 8400 or email mili@stpatscathedral.com.au
St Patrick’s Gift Shop (located in Murphy House) Gift Shop Manager Mindy Mercado Tues 10am-2pm Wed-Fri - 10.00am-3pm Sun 9am-1pm Closed Mon & Sat Email: giftshop@stpatscathedral.com.au
Dear friends,
With today’s feast we divert slightly from the Ordinary calendar and return to the Christmas story. We hear in the Gospel of Jesus being presented in the temple as part of the usual and customary rites of the Jewish religion [Exodus 13:1.11-16]. While the parents of Jesus
- bey the Law in all its directjves, we hear of strange and mysterious happenings as Jesus
is presented. Simeon gives his prophecy about the ministry and life of Jesus – saying that he will be a sign of contradictjon and that he will herald the rise and fall of many [Luke 2:28-32], in what is known as the Nunc dimittjs, the cantjcle recited at Compline or Night
- Prayer. We hear Anna, the daughter of Phanuel coming into the scene and proclaims
Jesus’ part in the deliverance of Israel [Luke 2:36-38]. The reading concludes with Mary and Joseph returning to Galilee. Here we have the beginning of the ‘hidden years’ of Jesus, those years where he grew under the authority and guidance of Mary and Joseph and where he grew and matured in the favour of God [Luke 2:39-40]. The next we hear
- f Jesus is when he encounters John the Baptjst and begins his public ministry.
Traditjonally today is the fortjeth day of Christmas. Though the Christmas season ended with the Epiphany, the Presentatjon brings us back to some of the Christmas themes. The feast becomes a lead into the Lent and Easter seasons where our redemptjon through the Death and Resurrectjon of Jesus is celebrated. The Feast of the Presentatjon was fjrst observed in the Eastern Church as "The Encounter." In the sixth century, it began to be observed in the West: in Rome with a more penitentjal character and in France with solemn blessings and processions of candles, popularly known as Candlemas. The theme of light is prominent in this celebratjon. In John’s Gospel Jesus proclaims himself as the Light of the World [John 8:12-20]. The Cantjcle of Simeon [vv. 28-32] takes on a signifjcant appeal as we recognise the link between this feast and the Lent/Easter celebratjon. We hear Simeon, a very upright and devout man who lived in the light of the Holy Spirit [Luke 2:25] proclaiming the fulfjlment of God’s prophecy in the person of this Child. He was expectjng a tjme when the Lord would bring comfort to the people and that he would see death untjl he laid eyes on the Messiah of God. In this encounter with Mary, Joseph and the Child Jesus, we see that this prophecy is indeed fulfjlled. In this Cantjcle Simeon pronounces the future mission and ministry of Jesus. This Child is to be the salvatjon promised by God and a revelatjon to all peoples. Luke again mentjons this salvatjon to the ends of the earth at the fjnal sectjon of his second volume, the Acts of the Apostles. Where Paul states ‘this salvatjon of God has been sent also to the Gentjles, and they will listen’ [Acts 28:28]. At the conclusion of all these prophecies, Luke presents a more human and personal touch to the story. We hear that when Mary and Joseph had carried out all that was needed of the Law, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. At the house of Nazareth, the Child grew in stature and strength, since he was fjlled with the Holy Spirit and the grace of God was upon him [Luke 39-40]. The sectjon immediately following this scene recounts the very traumatjc episode when Jesus remains in the Temple with the elders while Mary and Joseph, unaware of this absence, return home afuer having celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem. This sectjon also adds light on the ‘hidden years’ of Jesus as it states that he ‘contjnues to be under their authority’ and that ‘he increased in wisdom and in age’ [Luke 2:51-52]. We next meet the adult Jesus as he is baptjsed by John in the Jordan [Luke 3:21-22]. In these hidden years in Nazareth Jesus receives his educatjon and formatjon under the directjon and care of Mary and Joseph. As they came to terms with all that had occurred