Prayer and Reflection

Prayer for the fourth week of Lent 

Father in Heaven, I thank You for the perfect gift of Christ Jesus Your Son.  

Jesus is the measure of how much you love us and the world.

By giving Jesus to us, You give us Your very Heart and Soul.   

May I be open to You more fully and to the perfect gift of Jesus in my life. 

I believe in You, my God.  

Please increase my faith and love.  

Jesus, I trust in You. 

( Adapted from https://mycatholic.life/books/catholic-daily-reflections-series/lent-and-easter-reflections/5-fourth-week-of-lent/ )

Mission at MCC 

Building an authentic Catholic community and strengthening Catholic culture in a school in today’s increasingly secular society is a challenging task, but one we undertake at McCarthy with determination and joy. A current part of this endeavour is teaching our school community about the history and traditional practices of Lent and embedding these into daily thinking and doing. Lent is a period of forty days of spiritual preparation for Easter, which celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The three practical observances that form part of one’s spiritual preparation during this time are increased prayer, fasting (or acts of self denial and solidarity with those who have much less than we do) and almsgiving (or giving money to help the poor). Each year McCarthy marks the beginning of Lent with the sale of pancakes on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent); the money raised from this event is donated to Caritas’ Project Compassion. On Ash Wednesday, the school community gathers in the hall to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and receive a cross signed in ash on the forehead. This is a sign of our mortality and grief for the times we have not acted out of love for another person. During the following six weeks, we encourage -everyone to pray more; to donate money to Caritas and to go without something and put the money the item cost in the Project Compassion boxes during Mentor Group. Additional money raising activities are organised by the Leaders of Student Care. We marked the end of Lent on Holy Thursday with a whole school dramatic presentation of one aspect of the Easter Triduum, the sacred three days, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

Mission and Liturgy Report

As noted above, we celebrated our Ash Wednesday Liturgy on Wednesday 14th  February. Fr Sarji, from St. Nicholas’ Parish presided over the liturgy and in his homily he reinforced the three practices of prayer, almsgiving and self denial. This year the ashes were distributed by our student leaders who approached the task with reverence and maturity. It was good to see youth to youth ministry in action. 

To date we have also celebrated the first of the voluntary Masses on Wednesday, 28th February, at 8.45 am. Fr John McHugh presided over this Mass which was attended by over 50 students and staff. It was a very encouraging sign of our growing Catholic culture. 

On Thursday 22nd February, Vinnies President, Charlotte Leonard and Vice President, Isabella Bolsom, represented McCarthy’s St Agnes Conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society at the official opening of the Vinnies Superstore in Taminda. The girls were a very welcomed addition at this event and a sign of hope for current Vinnies volunteers that their great work in assisting people in need will continue in the next generation.  

Cate Allen

Leader of Missions