5th Sunday of Lent – A Call to Renew Our Life

At St Ann’s Catholic Church, Kingston Hill, we enter the final stage of our Lenten journey with the powerful Gospel of the raising of Lazarus. This moment invites us to reflect deeply on life—its fragility, its purpose, and the lasting impact we leave behind. As Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb, we are reminded that we too are given opportunities to renew our lives, to rise again, and to live more meaningfully before the Lord.

Palm Sunday – 29th March 2026

All parishioners are warmly invited to join us for Palm Sunday. The celebration will begin with a procession at 10:30 am from the garden, followed by the Holy Mass in the church. This marks the beginning of Holy Week, and we encourage everyone to take part prayerfully as a parish family.

Appreciation to the Hall Core Committee

We extend our sincere appreciation to the Hall Core Committee for their dedicated efforts in reaching an important milestone—the selection of the right architect for our parish hall development project. This is a significant step forward for our parish community. Further updates will be shared by Chris in the coming week.

Preparing for Holy Week

As we approach Holy Week, parishioners are encouraged to enter into this sacred time with prayer and reflection. If you would like to suggest someone to represent one of the twelve disciples for the Washing of the Feet on Maundy Thursday, please contact Fr James.

Key upcoming celebrations include:

• Palm Sunday – Sunday, 29th March (10:30 am Procession & Mass)
• Lenten Reconciliation Service – Tuesday, 31st March at 6:00 pm
• Maundy Thursday – Thursday, 2nd April at 7:00 pm
• Good Friday – Friday, 3rd April (2:15 pm Way of the Cross, 3:00 pm Passion Liturgy)
• Easter Vigil – Saturday, 4th April at 8:00 pm
• Easter Sunday – Sunday, 5th April at 10:30 am

Parish Life & Community

• Tea & Coffee after Sunday Mass – A time of fellowship for all, with a special Kids’ Corner.
• Way of the Cross – Every Friday at 7:20 pm following the 7:00 pm Mass.
• Bible Study (Third Fridays) – Next session: Friday, 17th April at 7:30 pm.
• Spiritual Evenings (Second Tuesdays) – Next gathering: Tuesday, 12th May at 7:30 pm.
• Youth Meeting – Saturday, 11th April at 4:30 pm.
• 60+ Club – Every Wednesday at 10:45 am in the parish hall.

Supporting the Parish

Parishioners are invited to support St Ann’s through regular giving via Standing Order and Gift Aid. Your generosity helps sustain the life and mission of the parish. Easter offering envelopes are also available as a personal gift to support the priest’s ministry.

Homily – Fifth Sunday of Lent

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

In today’s Gospel, we stand before a very powerful moment.

A man has died.
Lazarus is in the tomb.
Not just dead… but already four days gone.
Everything seems finished. Everything seems lost.

And yet, Jesus stands there…
and calls out:
“Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43)

And the man who was already given up…
comes back.

This is not just about bringing someone back to life.
It is about being given another chance…
a chance to live differently.

Let me take you to a simple story.

A disciple once asked a wise teacher,
“Does my life really matter? Do my actions leave anything behind?”

The teacher took him to the seashore.

They walked for a while on the wet sand.
As they walked, their footprints appeared clearly behind them.

The disciple looked back and said,
“See… we have made a good path.”

But after a few moments, a wave came in…
and quietly washed everything away.

The teacher said,
“Look again.”

The disciple turned…
there was nothing.

“No path… no direction… nothing remains.”

Then the teacher took him further… into the forest.

There, on the ground, was already a path.

Not made in a moment…
but formed over time.

The teacher said,
“See this… someone walked before.
Not once… but again and again.

And because of that…
what began as footprints…
has now become a path.”

Then he looked at the disciple and said:

“You may walk and leave marks…
and they disappear.

Or you may walk with purpose…
and your life becomes a way for others.”

My dear brothers and sisters,

That is the difference.

Marks… disappear.
But a path… remains.

Lazarus was given another chance.

Imagine…
if he came out of the tomb
and lived the same old life again…

What would be the meaning of that miracle?

No.

That second life must have been different.
More aware… more meaningful… more purposeful.

Because he had already seen the end.

And that is where we are today.

We may not be in a physical tomb…
but sometimes our life becomes like the seashore.

Busy… full… impressive…
but nothing remains.

We run… we gather… we hold…
but when time passes…
everything fades.

There is a question that touches the heart:

Who will cry when you die?

But even deeper than that—

What will remain when you are gone?

Not what you owned.
Not what you wore.
Not what you achieved.

As Scripture says,
“Naked I came… and naked I shall return” (Job 1:21)

Everything else passes.

Only one thing remains:

The path you created.

The kindness you showed.
The lives you touched.
The direction you gave to others.

Because people may forget our words…
but they walk on the path we leave behind.

My dear brothers and sisters,

Today Jesus stands before us, just as He stood before Lazarus.

And He calls each one of us:

Come out.
Come out of a life that disappears.
Come out of living without purpose.

I give you a chance…
to live in a way that remains.

So let us reflect quietly:

Are we just leaving footprints…
that will be washed away?

Or are we walking in such a way
that our life becomes a path?

A path of love…
a path of goodness…
a path that leads others closer to life.

And when our time comes…
may we not leave emptiness behind…

but a way…

a path…

that continues to lead others forward. Amen.