A MESSAGE FROM THE REL

LAUREN CONSIDINE

ASH WEDNESDAY MASS 

The school will be celebrating mass with the Parish next Wednesday 9:15. We would love it if you could join us for this Special Mass. 

YOUTH MINISTER

Joe Melhem who is a Youth Minister at Holy Family spoke to the 5/6 children  about Prayer on Friday.

We discovered all the different ways prayer can be part of our daily lives .

Thanks Joe . We are so lucky having you each Friday working with us . 

THEY ATE AND THEY WERE FILLED

Saturday’s Gospel from this week is always one that leaves with food for thought- pardon the pun! As a child I was always fascinated how such small loaves could feed so many people and how they were all full! As I got older, I had this light bulb moment (which happens a lot on a Sunday at Mass) when I realised that maybe, just maybe, this Gospel is about so much more than loaves and fishes. Maybe it could be more about how the disciples shared their faith with others until they were spiritually nourished.

I have always found the concept of sharing my faith with others a little challenging. Sure I am happily known as a RE leader at school and the ‘guitar girl’ at my own parish. In these contexts  it is easy to show that side of me, but it’s more tricky when we get into the wider community. Hopefully it’s not just me that feels like this. It really makes me reflect about how brave the disciples must have been to freely join Jesus with the people on the shore and show them through their words and actions Jesus’ mission. 

Over the holidays some friends and I trekked north into the heat, to a little country town called Bourke. We volunteered at the local pool providing a free holiday program for the children. While we never said that we were a ‘religious’ group of young adults, our actions showed. Within days, the children's language was kinder, they used manners and asked for help because that was the behaviour we modeled. They participated in games and shared resources. And while we didn’t ‘kid’ ourselves that this would last after we left, for the few weeks they showed love and care for each other just like Jesus would. 

While in Bourke we also visited the hospital and sang for the residents of the old aged home. They enjoyed our rendition of Jolene and take me home country road, the best song by far was Amazing Grace where they all joined in singing. Even though we never asked them to pray with us, this song definitely was a prayer. The trip to Bourke showed me that actions really do speak louder than words even on a faith level.  

This week my challenge is 6 to show the love of God through actions, not words. To make choices without telling others that it is something Jesus would do. Maybe you want to join me as well. Then hopefully by making more kind, generous choices we can pay it forward to someone else and they can do the same for others. 

Lauren Considine

TERM 1 CLASS MASSES