Worship

We gather as a community in response to God’s invitation, to open ourselves to God’s love so that it might change us, both as individuals and as a community. In the liturgy, we meet God in each other we hear God speak to us when the scripture is proclaimed, we experience Christ as our leader in the ministry of the presider and are united to Christ in the Eucharist and other sacramental actions. We go out from the liturgy to live the love and compassion of God in our world today. 

Catholic Liturgy comprises all the official authorised rites of the Church including: 

• The eucharist and the other sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage and Holy Orders 

• The Prayer of the Church centred on Morning and Evening Prayer 

• The other official rites of the church: such as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the Order of Christian Funerals and the Book of Blessings. 

The liturgical year presents us with opportunities to reflect on the Paschal Mystery in our everyday lives. Catholics are familiar with the liturgical seasons through the readings and colours used at Mass.  

Endless resources are available around the Liturgical Year. This includes Advent, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time and particular Feast Days we celebrate.  

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle believes that we gather in community – to pray, to break open the Word, to celebrate, to encourage and support one another, to mourn our losses, to be nourished and strengthened for mission. 

We believe that our mission finds its source and summit in the Eucharist (LG 11). When lived in everyday life and celebrated in the liturgy, the Eucharist is the living symbol of Christ’s life, death and resurrection and celebrates the deepest identity of the Church as a communion of life, love and truth.   

We know that life has a sacramental dimension and that our sacramental rituals are moments of deeper communion with the God who created us for love. 

The Diocese has guidelines to assist parish teams with liturgies, copyright, appropriate selection of music and links to key liturgical documents of the Church. Many of these have been brought together by a key group of liturgical advisers who support our desire to be faith communities that thrive in liturgy, worship and prayer. 

Experience great worship when you attend your local Parish. To learn more, contact Mission & Evangelisation.