Thinking about major events within the Christian calendar, Christmas and Easter are obvious markers, but Australian Catholic University together with a number of churches globally want to introduce a ‘Feast of Creation’ into the liturgical calendar to incorporate the value of creation in our spiritual journey.

For thousands of years the liturgical calendar has drawn on inspiration from Jewish feasts and the Roman calendar to guide worshippers through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

It marks significant seasons like Advent, Pentecost and Easter offering a pathway to consider salvation and the experience of following Christ.

Something missing from the calendar observed in Western tradition is the Feast of Creation, which marks September 1 as the Day of Creation and the beginning of God’s plan for salvation.

Jacqui Remond, ecological theologian at Australian Catholic University (ACU), thinks the feast would allow for deeper contemplation of God’s act of creation and our role in caring for it.

“God’s continuous action of making the world, with you and me in it [is] a core belief of Christian faith,” Jacqui said.

“A Feast of Creation in Christ shines a light on the intrinsic value and worth of each thing.”

Recommendations for a new liturgical Feast of Creation in Christ emerged at an ecumenical conference in Assisi, Italy in March 2024 and are in line with Pope Francis’ institution of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in 2015.

“At the beginning of the Nicene Creed – [which marks its 1700th year of observation this year] – we acknowledge creation in a very particular way,” Jacqui said.

“We say, ‘I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is visible and invisible’.

“In lifting up this understanding of creation in a feast, we’re also acknowledging that creation is greatly suffering as a result of human action.

“A Feast of Creation is about [honouring] the gift of creation in liturgy to hear both the songs of creation [and] the cries of creation so that we can see it’s much more than just a backdrop in our lives, in our story of salvation.”

Adding a new feast into the liturgical calendar isn’t unprecedented.

In the last 100 years the Catholic Church has instituted seven new liturgical feast days, including Christ the King, the Holy Family, Baptism of the Lord, and St Joseph the Worker – but it does have “a lot of different dimensions”.

“[The proposal] is in motion, but different denominations have different processes for integrating and considering something like this,” Jacqui said.

“Globally there’s churches from across the spectrum of ecumenical Christian churches who’ve met in Italy in 2024 [and] they’re making decisions for themselves essentially, integrating it into their lectionaries and liturgical documents.”

Last year Bishops Conferences endorsed a letter that was sent to Pope Francis supporting the feast of Creation, and there’s more to follow.

“It’s pretty exciting to see the uptake that’s taking place,” Jacqui said.

“It’s a really special thing that all our churches get involved.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Canva Pro

About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.

Easter is celebrated in various ways: indulging in chocolate, enjoying the company of family and friends, taking time to relax on the public holiday, and (or) the remembrance of the most brutal death in history.

Whether one believes Jesus to be the Son of God or simply a man, it is undeniable that his death, the crucifixion, was like no other.

“And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,  and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” Matthew 8:28-29.

The crucifixion was the most shameful way to die, reserved for the worst non-Roman criminals. To hang naked on a cross exposed to onlookers and the stigma in being a criminal.

Despite the horror of Jesus’s death, there is a message of hope and joy. Through the torture, Jesus sacrificed himself for humanity. A sacrifice that spans through eternity. The gift of repentance, forgiveness, and therefore, salvation. Easter’s everlasting gift.

So, this Easter, I hope you feel God’s presence and experience his love. That you may come to realise, like the Roman centurion did, that:

“Truly this man was the Son of God.” Mark 15:39, Matthew 27:54.

Article supplied with thanks to Life FM in Adelaide.

Feature image: Golden sunlight casts a warm glow on the rippled dunes of White Sands National Park, New Mexico, USA. Photo by Joseph Corl on Unsplash

“For me, growing up on Boigu Island was like living in heaven on earth”, says indigenous evangelist, Laurel Pabai.

Located in the northernmost tip of Queensland’s Torres Strait Islands and just six kilometres from Papua New Guinea, Boigu Island is where Laurel was born and raised, among idyllic natural beauty, within the love and strength of her indigenous culture and community.

This week on our Helping Hands Easter special, we join Laurel as she returns home for the first time in 20 years.  We journey with her through emotional reunions with family, see her reconnect to indigenous tradition and culture, and see how she shares the Easter story with family and friends.

As the tiny single turboprop Cessna aircraft starts its descent towards Boigu Island’s airstrip, Laurel’s excited anticipation at being so close to home is evident in the upturned corners of her wide smile and the joy in her eyes. They reflect happy memories of home bubbling ever closer to the surface of her mind.

Once on the ground, Laurel immediately sees changes and improvements in her community. It now has many “Queenslander” style homes (raised off the ground so the flow of cool air can bring relief from the intense tropical heat), plantations of fruits and vegetables to sustain daily life, and greater employment, evidenced by buildings for a supermarket, ranger headquarters and a police station.

“The yarning circle of the First Nations Peoples of Australia is (for) storytelling and the passing of culture to the younger generations.”

“Time flies! You know, I get busy with my evangelism work. You’re not realising that there are family that are getting old because in your head you are thinking they are still young! It’s exciting. It’s a great time to come back and really get reconnected back into the culture … To us, culture is a way of life.”

While reliving childhood memories and reflecting on culture, Laurel invites us into a yarning circle.

“The yarning circle of the First Nations Peoples of Australia is (for) storytelling and the passing of culture to the younger generations,” says island elder, Uncle Fred Pabai, “making sure that our culture is alive … It’s the survival kit to the community to maintain and to be able to come together as one and unite.”

Storytelling is an importance part of all indigenous cultures across Australia, Uncle Fred says it is how indigenous people share and learn important cultural knowledge and history.

Uncle Fred acknowledges the role the Christian faith plays in the Boigu Island indigenous community, and invites Laurel to share the Easter story.

“With the Christian faith coming in, it’s good for the community,” says Laurel, referencing the Easter story as a light in the darkness that brings joy.

Laurel shares the Easter story in plain English, using an Easter story booklet produced by Bible League. The Plain English Version (PEV) of the Bible is an English translation designed for Indigenous Australian’s whose mother tongue is an Aboriginal language.

“It’s written in English,” says Laurel, “and it is easy to understand because it’s written in the English that we speak,” continues Laurel.

Laurel and Uncle Fred read the Easter story in English and talk about the Easter story in their native language.

“Because of the way it’s written, they now understand what the true meaning of Easter is.”

See the BIBLE LEAGUE – EASTER AT BOIGU ISLAND story and the full catalogue of Helping Hands documentaries at helpinghands.tv. Catch up on full episodes of Helping Hands on 9NOW.

Article supplied with thanks to Helping Hands TV.

Feature image: Supplied

About the Author: Helping Hands is an Australian produced TV program that airs on 9GEM, Channel 9 and 9NOW, and showcases people and organisations who make the world a better place.

In 2015, on the 100^th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, Brisbane’s Noreen Baxter shared with Seven West Media what her father, veteran George Green, endured at the Turkish peninsula on April 25, 1915 .

“He was one of the first to land,” she said. “He just fought. Dad was wounded four times. He carried shrapnel in his back for the rest of his life.”

Australians and New Zealanders will pause to remember soldiers like George Green this coming Anzac Day on April 25.

This year, the date marks 110 years since the Gallipoli landings, and commemorations are being held across the country.

“Anzac Day is a time for all Australians to recognise the more than 1.5 million service men and women who have served our country in all conflicts, wars and peacekeeping operations,” the Department of Veteran Affairs said in a statement.
“It’s also a time to remember the over 103,000 Australians who sacrificed their lives in our country’s name.”

National Dawn Service

In Canberra, the Australian War Memorial (AWM) will mark both the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, as well as commemorating the Australians who have served in conflicts and peacekeeping campaigns around the world.

The program includes:

• 5:30 am: Dawn Service.
• 7:30am: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association Commemorative Ceremony.
• 30am: National Commemorative Service including the RSL ACT Branch Veterans’ March.
• 6pm: Last Post Ceremony.

The AWM states that Anzac Day “is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.”

For more details head to the Australian War Memorial website.

Customs and traditions

Anzac Day has many customs and traditions, some of which are shared with Remembrance Day on November 11 (the anniversary of the the First World War’s Armistice of 1918).

One of the most iconic customs is the Last Post bugle call, which is heard at Dawn Services.

In military tradition, the Last Post signifies the end of the day’s activities. But it is also sounded at military funerals, Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

Flowers have always been laid on graves and memorials in memory of the dead and for Anzac Day it is no different. They are often left at memorials and cenotaphs.

In recent years, the poppy flower, which has long been associated with Remembrance Day, has also been used in wreaths on Anzac Day.

“During the First World War, red poppies were among the first plants to spring up in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium,” read an AWM statement. “In soldiers’ folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their comrades soaking the ground.”

The sight of poppies on a battlefield inspired Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to write the famous poem, In Flanders Fields.

Moment to reflect

A minute’s silence is also included in most Anzac Day ceremonies as a sign of respect.

It is believed the idea for a moment of silence originated with Melbourne journalist and First World War veteran Edward George Honey, who was living in London in 1919.

According to the AWM, “He wrote a letter to the London Evening News in which he appealed for five-minutes’ silence, to honour the sacrifice of those who had died during the war.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature images: Canva

A $5,000 prize is up for grabs in this prestigious International event for choral groups.

Entries are now open for the 2025 International Christian Choral Celebration

Choirs from around the world are invited to take part in the 2025 International Christian Choral Celebration (ICCC) — a global online event hosted by Excelsia University College in Sydney, Australia.

Celebrating the richness of Christian musical tradition across all denominations, the ICCC welcomes church, school, community, college, and professional choirs of all sizes and styles. From acapella to gospel to traditional choral works, the event is open to anyone with a heart for singing Christian texts.

Winner of the 2024 Prize – The Choir of St Paul’s College, Sydney

Participation is free and easy

Choirs simply submit two video performances of pieces with a Christian theme — in any genre or language. One piece should be based on or inspired by the Psalms. All submissions must be unaccompanied.

The $5,000 William Byrd Prize is on offer, awarded to the performance that most deeply moves the judging panel. Finalists will be showcased during a live-streamed event in September 2025, coinciding with the LUMEN Conference in Sydney. The panel will also lead a discussion on the role of music in worship and how diverse traditions can learn from one another.

This celebration is more than just a competition—it’s a platform to showcase the richness of choral music, foster community spirit, and highlight the values that Excelsia University College stands for.

Excelsia University College, with its 40-year legacy in creative and performing arts, invites choirs everywhere to raise their voices in unity and praise.

Submissions close 1 July 2025.

Apply now and view full details

Article supplied with thanks to Christian Media & Arts Australia.

Feature image: Excelsia University College Choir – Supplied