St Mary's Parish Altona

07/06/2026

Today is the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, a day that reminds us that Jesus hasn’t left us. In Holy Communion, he gave the world a part of himself to last long after his Ascension, a legacy we can touch and taste.

The Scriptures this week begin fittingly with a command that is repeated during the Last Supper: ‘Remember.’ Moses called his people to remember, and centuries later, Jesus calls on his followers to ‘do this in memory of me.’ What we are called to remember and treasure is God’s enduring presence, and all he has done for us.

The whole Easter season has paid tribute to God’s limitless love for us: the generosity, the sacrifice, the mercy, the offer of eternal life because of what happened at Calvary. It has all enabled us, no matter what our hunger, to be fed.

‘Do not forget the Lord, your God,’ Moses implored, calling to mind the God who led the Israelites out of Egypt and slavery, feeding them with manna in the desert. Our God still feeds us with bread, as Jesus made plain: ‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven; Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world’ (John 6:51).

This Sunday, we reflect once more on the astounding gift of God giving himself to us through his Son—and the Son continuing to give himself to us through his own body and blood, week after week, year after year.

The tradition of the Eucharistic procession reminds us of this. In Melbourne today, and all around the world, the faithful will walk with the Blessed Sacrament, and the wonder and mystery of the sacrament will be conveyed to all who see it.

We walk with him, as he has walked with us through all our hardships and heartaches, our joys and our hopes. So, today, as we walk with him, we show the world how much we love him, because of how much he loves us.

Join us the Melbourne Corpus Christi Procession today from 2pm at St Patrick’s Cathedral: https://melbournecatholic.org/corpuschristi

🎨 The institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper, by Peter Paul Rubens.
✏️ Deacon Greg Kandra for OSV News (Reproduced with permission.)

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

TODAY’s GMRC | Spend Time With Jesus Each Day

Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said: “The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth.”

In a busy world, we often give our time to many things that soon pass away. But every moment spent before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is never wasted. There, we meet the One who knows us, loves us, and strengthens us.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Before the Eucharist, we find peace in our troubles, light in our confusion, and strength for our journey. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more our hearts become like His.

One day, we may realize that the best moments of our lives were those quiet moments spent in His presence.

07/06/2026

06/06/2026

TOMORROW IS CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY.

As the Church prepares to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we are invited to reflect on one of the greatest gifts Jesus has given us: the Holy Eucharist.

Corpus Christi is a reminder that Christ did not simply leave us His teachings or memories of His earthly life. He remains with us in a real and profound way through the Eucharist. At every Mass, Jesus offers Himself to us—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—nourishing our souls and strengthening us for the journey of faith.

In a world often marked by uncertainty, division, and restlessness, the Eucharist remains the source of our peace and hope. It is where heaven touches earth, where Christ comes to meet His people, and where weary hearts find strength. Every Holy Communion is an invitation to deepen our relationship with the Lord who loves us completely and desires to remain close to us.

As we approach Corpus Christi Sunday, let us prepare our hearts with gratitude and reverence. May we not receive the Eucharist out of routine, but with renewed faith and love, recognizing the incredible gift before us. Let us also spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, adoring Christ who remains present among us day and night.

Tomorrow, may we join the Church in proclaiming with joy and conviction:

"Lord Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, we adore You, we thank You, and we love You."

🙏 O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.

05/06/2026

Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr Apostle of Germany
Saint of the Day for June 5th
(c. 675 – June 5, 754)

Boniface, known as the apostle of the Germans, was an English Benedictine monk who gave up being elected abbot to devote his life to the conversion of the Germanic tribes. Two characteristics stand out: his Christian orthodoxy and his fidelity to the pope of Rome.

How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions he found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In instances their very ordination was questionable.

These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful.

In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops’ elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control.

During a final mission to the Frisians, he and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation.

In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.

Reflection
Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith. ~Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Saint Boniface is the Patron Saint of Germany.

05/06/2026

June 6, 2026
Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
2 Timothy 4:1-8
Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine
but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.For I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well;
I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15AB, 16-17, 22
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
with your glory day by day.
Cast me not off in my old age;
as my strength fails, forsake me not.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
But I will always hope
and praise you ever more and more.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,
for your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing your praises with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel!
R. I will sing of your salvation.

Alleluia
Matthew 5:3
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 12:38-44
In the course of his teaching Jesus said,
“Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext,
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation.”He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood.”

01/06/2026

Saint Justin Martyr (c. 100 – 165)
Saint of the Day for June 1st

Justin never ended his quest for religious truth even when he converted to Christianity after years of studying various pagan philosophies.

As a young man, he was principally attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian religion answered the great questions about life and existence better than the philosophers.

Upon his conversion he continued to wear the philosopher’s mantle, and became the first Christian philosopher. He combined the Christian religion with the best elements in Greek philosophy. In his view, philosophy was a pedagogue of Christ, an educator that was to lead one to Christ.

Justin is known as an apologist, one who defends in writing the Christian religion against the attacks and misunderstandings of the pagans. Two of his so-called apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor and to the Senate.

For his staunch adherence to the Christian religion, Justin was beheaded in Rome in 165.

Reflection
As patron of philosophers, Justin may inspire us to use our natural powers (especially our power to know and understand) in the service of Christ and to build up the Christian life within us. Since we are prone to error, especially in reference to the deep questions concerning life and existence, we should also be willing to correct and check our natural thinking in light of religious truth. Thus we will be able to say with the learned saints of the Church: I believe in order to understand, and I understand in order to believe. ~Fr. Don Miller, OFM