Lent – a time of reflection and renewal

22/Feb/2023     Mission

It seems a very short time ago that Mater People were celebrating the birth of Jesus with ‘faith, hope and love.’  

Christmas and the New Year have now passed, and our thoughts go towards the Easter season: another time for family and friends and a reminder of all that is good and worthwhile.  

In the Christian tradition, there is a preparation time of six weeks before Easter called ‘Lent’, which begins today with Ash Wednesday. It is a time for reflection and renewal of the faith, hope and love that was the promise of Christmas.  

The baby Jesus we welcomed at Christmas became the adult Jesus who taught the world that compassion, respect and justice are the qualities that human beings are called to live and experience. 

During Lent, we understand that though we seek understanding and compassion from others, we are also called upon to show this same understanding and compassion, even to strangers. The experience of respect and justice that we all desire and deserve is the same experience we are called to share with all those we meet. Lent is a time for all people, Christian and non-Christian, to be challenged to be more for others. For Mater People, this is how we live our Values.

Catherine McAuley said, “The simplest and most practical lesson I know is to resolve to be good today, but better tomorrow.” May we all strive to be better each day in all that we do for each other and our communities, especially through our work at Mater.  

May God keep you in the palm of His hand.

Ash Wednesday liturgy and mass times   

Several liturgies and masses will be celebrated today across Mater and ashes will be available for both patients and Mater People:

  • Mackay – Liturgy, 10am, Chapel
  • Rockhampton – Mass, 12 noon, Chapel
  • Townsville – Mass, 8.30am, Chapel
  • Newstead – Liturgy, 7.45am, Sacred Space, Room 11.4, Level 11
  • Redland – Liturgy, 12 noon, Chapel
  • Springfield – Liturgy, 12 noon, Chapel
  • South Brisbane
    • Liturgy, 6.15am and 8.15am, Mater Hospital Brisbane Chapel
    • Mass, 11am, Mater Private Hospital Brisbane
    • Mass, 12.30pm, Mater Hospital Brisbane.

 

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