In God's Image

Holy Week 

Time flies when you’re having fun! It seems like only yesterday we were contemplating how we could celebrate Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday when the Circuit-Breaker announcement was made.  Alas, we made up for the slight interruption to our learning and preparation and continued with our Lenten preparations despite the challenges. 

Our focus now turns from the season of Lent and shifts toward this extra special time of Holy Week. Our colleague at Catholic Education Sandhurst, Kylie Smith (Faith Formation), has the following reflection on Holy Week to share with us. 

The abundance of stories that make up Holy Week invite us to become participants in the tail end of Jesus’ life on earth, as portrayed by the Markan author. The holiness of this week emerges in a landscape of deceit, injustice, doubt, betrayal, feasting, farewells and fear. This is not a week we would rather remember. It is a difficult moment in history that calls to mind how dark life can be and how humanity can get so caught up in our shadow side that overrides our capacity to choose love as our leading paradigm. 

In our lives, like in the universe, darkness is as apparent as the light. It is that aspect of the human condition that takes us away from God. It limits us and blocks our God given potential to be light in the world, to be Christ for others every day. As we journey towards the inevitability of the cross let us know our capacity for compassion and justice. 

Holy Week is a sacred invitation for all to become participants with creation, to form communities who strive for the common good and to let go of our shadow side as we move with Christ towards the light. 

How will you respond to the sacred invitation of Holy Week in 2021? 

God of compassion,

offer us your loving embrace this Holy Week.

God of compassion,

offer us courage to go the distance with Jesus this Holy Week.

God of compassion,

offer us faith to believe in the light.

Amen

Bishop Joe Grech Scholarship

Applications are invited for the Bishop Joe Grech Scholarship. To be eligible to apply students need to be enrolled in Years 10 or 11 and plan to continue to the end of Year 12. Students need to have contributed to leadership initiatives in their school/s and/or the diocese (innovation/implementation/evaluation) and present a detailed proposal for participation in a planned or self-designed Spirituality or Leadership program. 

If you would like more information about this wonderful scholarship opportunity please see Miss Morrissey or speak with Hannah Hocking in Year 12 (2020 recipient).

Sandpiper

The July edition of the Sandhurst Diocese Newspaper, Sandpiper, is now available.  You can read it here: Sandpiper