RE News with Laura Matchett

Gospel Reflection John 2:13-25

In this Sunday’s Gospel, we witness Jesus cleansing the temple in Jerusalem. It's a powerful moment that reveals several important lessons for us and our children. Firstly, Jesus’ actions show us the importance of reverence and respect for sacred spaces. The temple was meant to be a place of prayer and worship, but it had been turned into a marketplace. Jesus teaches us the significance of treating places of worship with reverence, reminding us to approach them with hearts focused on God.

Secondly, Jesus' zeal for the house of God reflects his passion for righteousness and justice. He was not afraid to confront wrongdoing, even in the most revered institutions. This teaches us the value of standing up for what is right, even when it might be challenging or unpopular.

Furthermore, this passage reminds us of the need for inner cleansing. Just as Jesus cleansed the temple, we too must allow him to cleanse our hearts of anything that distracts us from God’s presence. It's a call to self-examination and repentance, inviting us to rid ourselves of anything that hinders our relationship with God. Ultimately, this passage invites us to encounter Jesus in a deeper way – to allow him to cleanse our hearts and lead us into a closer relationship with God. May we as a community strive to live out the lessons found in this passage, guiding our children to grow in faith, reverence, and love for God.

Project Compassion

Ash Wednesday marked the official launch of our Project Compassion fundraising campaign for Caritas Australia. Caritas Australia has worked hand in hand with the most marginalised and remote communities in Australia and overseas to confront the challenges of poverty for over 60 years. The theme for this year’s fundraiser is ‘For All Future Generations.’ Some inspiring stories (suitable for primary school aged children to watch) about people Caritas has assisted, can be found here: https:/youtube/pquSO1uw4Zs?si=sP_aGmnRjL6AdoCM 

Each classroom has a Project Compassion donation box which we encourage all students to donate to throughout Lent. In classes, we have talked about how Lent is a time of fasting, prayer and almsgiving , as well as sacrifice. Donating to Project Compassion, even just a small amount, is a great way for children to embrace the spirit of the Lenten season. As part of our fundraising efforts, the school will be holding an Easter Egg Jar Guessing Competition from next week. We will run this during the first break on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout Lent. The cost will be 50 cents per guess. The winners of the competition will be announced at our Easter Sunday Prayer Celebration on Tuesday 2nd April.

School Masses

As a school, we regularly attend the Wednesday morning 9:30 am Mass at St John Vianney’s Church. The choir sings at this Mass and sometimes our students have a role in other parts of the celebration. Parents and friends of our school are welcome to join us alongside parishioners at this Mass. Dates the school will be attending Mass this term are as follows:

Wednesday 20th March: Parish Mass at 9:30am (led by Year 4)

Monday 8th April: Annunciation Feast Day Mass, 9:30am, St Jude’s Church (only Years 3-6 classes will be at Mass; K-2 classes will attend a prayer celebration at St Jude's.  Details to follow )

Prayer Celebrations

To mark the significant events of Holy Week, classes will be leading our school community in Prayer Celebrations in the weeks surrounding Easter. The dates and times of these Prayer Celebrations are:

Friday 22nd March: Palm Sunday, 2:30pm, (led by Year 1)

Thursday 28th March: Holy Thursday, 9:15am (led by Year 5/6)

Thursday 28th March: Good Friday/Stations of the Cross, 2:40pm (led by Year 5/6)

Tuesday 2nd April: Easter Sunday, 2:40 (led by Kindergarten)

All parents and friends of the school are warmly invited to join us for these Prayer Celebrations. They will be held in the school hall.

Reconciliation 2024

Please keep our Reconciliation candidates and their families in your prayers as our candidates prepare to receive this Sacrament next week. 

Important dates for Reconciliation are:

Gathering Masses: Saturday 2nd Sunday 3rd March (all Sacraments)

Reflection Hour: 5th March 5:30-6:30pm at St John Vianney’s Church

Wednesday, 6th March: First Reconciliation (St Jude’s Church, 6pm)

Thursday, 7th March: First Reconciliation (St John Vianney’s Church, 6pm)

Saturday, 9th March: First Reconciliation (St Jude’s Church, after 8am Mass at 9am)

Sacraments 2024

A reminder to families with children receiving Reconciliation, First Eucharist or Confirmation this year, that there are Gathering Masses this weekend of 2nd/3rd March. Families are encouraged to attend ONE of the Parish Masses this weekend. The times/locations are:

Saturday 2nd March, St Jude’s Church, 5pm

Sunday 3rd March, St John Vianney’s Church, 9am

Sunday 3rd March, St Jude’s Church, 5pm

Registrations for First Eucharist and Confirmation for 2024 are open and we encourage families who would like their child to receive these Sacraments this year to register as soon as possible via the Parish Qkr! App. It is possible to receive more than one Sacrament in the same year, however, the Sacraments usually need to made in order (i.e. Reconciliation, followed by First Eucharist, then Confirmation). These questions and other general enquiries about the Sacramental program are best directed to the Parish Office via email: SacramentalOLA@cg.org.au 

Eligibility for each Sacrament is as follows:

Reconciliation - open to students who have been baptised Catholic and who are in Year 3 or above.

First Eucharist - open to baptised Catholic students who have made their Reconciliation and are in Year 4 or above.

Confirmation - open to baptised Catholic students who have received their First Eucharist and who are in Year 6 or above.

Key dates for each Sacrament are as follows:

First Eucharist

Saturday 2nd March/Sunday 3rd March: Gathering Masses

Tuesday 9th April: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Wednesday 10th April: First Eucharist registrations close

Tuesday 21st May: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Tuesday 28th May: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Saturday 1st June/Sunday 2nd June: Gathering Masses

Tuesday 4th June: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Saturday 15th June: Sacrament of First Eucharist, 5pm, St Jude’s Church

Sunday 16th June: Sacrament of First Eucharist, 9am, St John Vianney’s Church

Confirmation

Saturday 2nd March/Sunday 3rd March: Gathering Masses

Saturday 1st June/Sunday 2nd June: Gathering Masses

Tuesday 2nd July: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Tuesday 23rd July: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Wednesday 24th July: Confirmation registrations close

Tuesday 30th July: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Tuesday 6th August: Reflection Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Saturday 24th August/Sunday 25th August: Gathering Masses

Tuesday 27th August: Reflection Hour/Preparation Hour, 5:30pm, St John Vianney’s Church

Wednesday 28th August: Sacrament of Confirmation, 6pm, St John Vianney’s Church, (celebrated by Father Richard Thompson)