Bathurst Diocese Advent Newsletter 2023

Posted on November 28, 2023 
Filed under Australian dioceses

The Bathurst Diocese Newsletter for Advent 2023 is now available here as a PDF file.

Great to use to pray for the churches of the diocese and the people they seek to serve with the gospel.

Bishop Mark Calder writes:

Dear friends,

My guess is that most of us are well and truly getting into Christmas planning and shopping.

Some of you may have purchased an Advent calendar which are increasingly popular. However, the secular version seems to be all about helping kids countdown to Christmas. That is not actually what Advent is about!

Advent is about preparing for Christ’s second coming! In Advent we look forward to Christ’s second coming and then celebrate his first coming at Christmas because it marks the beginning of God’s plans to save the world through his Son Jesus.

My Advent sermon series this year is called “On that Day” and arises from a song by CityAlight.

We will be reminded that when Jesus returns, we will rise; we will see him; we will know him, and we will keep on singing!

The season of Advent is meant to lift our eyes from all the disaster which surrounds us – to see the glorious nature of the future which awaits. To see that there will one day, be an end to the mess. To understand that that Jesus has conquered all evil and even death! We’re reminded that Christians are people of hope and expectation. We are people who know that on that day – when Jesus returns – we will rise as Jesus rose!

May Advent be a time of recapturing our Christian Hope and rejoicing in all that is yet to come!

Mark.