Every April 25th we pay our respects to Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in World War I, at Gallipoli in Turkey. One of the best ways we can show respect to our fallen soldiers is by understanding the breadth of Anzac history.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (Psalm 23)

We are all called to accept Jesus and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to all people.

With our journey through Holy Week Palm Sunday to Easter Day, we are led deeper into a sombre reflection and reverence of the final days of Jesus 's life.

Just like the blind man in last week’s readings, Lazarus represents us all. Lazarus represents all of humanity (all “dead men”) that Jesus loves and wants to liberate from the clutches of sin and death.

Now, he is in the light, not just of his physical sight, but because a deeper insight opens him up to Jesus who is the Light of the world.

The Holy Spirit that is present in Baptism. Baptism, the ritual which is the is the outward symbolic sign of a deep reality, the coming of God penetrating every aspect of a person’s life.

This Sunday we look to the internal struggles within a faith community, faith versus works as the means to be in relationship with God.

But, in Christ that we are not alone as we are united to Christ. It is in union with Christ that we face temptation and receive salvation.

By the 6th Century ashes were an important part of the Lenten journey in public acts of penance. The practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of all believers on the first day of Lent (Ash Wednesday) became common by the 10th century.

The Church uses the term Ordinary Time to the order of Sundays in the church year that do not fall into the major liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter.

Candlemas is one of the oldest Feast Days from the ancient Christian Church, dating back to at least the fourth century (The pilgrim Egeria recorded its celebration in Jerusalem in the 380s...)

Thankfully, now Lent is generally observed as a time of restraint from excess, by almsgiving, and by devoting more than the usual time to religious exercises such as prayer.

We pray to God, knowing our illumination, restoration and our salvation, depends on God. So it is in trust as well as longing that we cry out to God who is tenacious in faithfulness to us all.

This Sunday we celebrate the third Sunday in Advent. This is often called Gaudete (meaning rejoice) Sunday.

The season of Advent, the season of waiting in Hope, Peace, Joy and Love is in opposition to the frenzy that the lead up to Christmas can easily be. It is a time of year in that the regular rhythm of prayer can be of particular importance.

Advent teaches us that God is our source of Hope and the foundation of our love in our lives.

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King which reaffirms that the Kingship of Christ holds the place of ultimate authority over all aspects of human life

So the power of love that is within us is the power of God and with it the generosity and faithfulness through all that happens

Vestments are made in different colours to indicate the feast or season of the celebration, and in different shapes and styles, representing the role of the minister or priest and tradition of Christian vesture across the centuries.