Education in Faith
End of Year Mass
On Friday week (12/12) we will have a whole school Mass in the Church at 9.00am to celebrate the end of the school year. Everybody is most welcome.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Again this year, our RE Student Leaders would like everybody in the OHR community to get involved in supporting the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. This is often just shortened to the Vinnies Christmas Appeal.
This Christmas, more families are experiencing poverty and are on the brink of homelessness due to the relentless rising cost-of-living in Australia. The crisis has been an ongoing issue impacting Australians for over two years with no sign of reprieve. As the crisis deepens, so does the amount of people turning to Vinnies for support.
The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia has more than 60,000 members and volunteers, who work hard to assist people in need and combat social injustice across Australia. Internationally, the Society operates in 153 countries and has over 800,000 members.
This video helps introduce the Vinnies Christmas Appeal and explains a little about how the organisation is providing a hand to vulnerable people in urgent need this Christmas.
There are three ways OHR will be supporting the work of Vinnies this year. The first option is to bring in non perishable food items, especially those with a Christmas theme. This will help provide food for a family to celebrate Christmas with a meal together. These can be left in classrooms and we will collect them before the end of term.
The second is to bring in a voucher for Coles or Woolworths. These can be used by a family who is finding it tough. They might use the voucher to purchase food or other vital household items. These can be left under the Christmas Tree in the office.
Finally, for the rest of the year the RE/Social Justice Team will be selling Zooper Dooper icy poles for 50c after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 3:30pm at the tuckshop window.
If anybody would like to donate a pack (or more) of Zooper Doopers please bring them to the office. We can look after the freezing for you‼
We have already started selling zooper doopers - so please bring in your money if you want one. Also, don’t forget about donating a voucher or some non-perishable food items. Thank you.
Nick Byrne
RE Leader
RE Learning in 1/2GK
In 1/2GK we have been learning about the siginficance of Advent and what it means to us. We have explored the importance of the four weeks in Advent and how we use candles to convey the meaning of each week. Hope, Peace, Joy and Love!! We created explosions of joy which were used to make our giant wreath. This artwork encapsulates our learning whilst bringing the emotions of preparing for the arrival of our Saviour. In the book of Luke 1:35: An angel tells Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God". We have discussed many biblical references about the coming of our Lord. As we prepare for the Week of Peace, 1/2GK ask our family and friends, 'How will you show peace during this time?' 'What does Peace look and feel like to you?'
Sunday Gospel
The liturgy of the Catholic Church provides a framework for reflection which is used by Catholics throughout the world. Each week in the Newsletter, you will find the Sunday Gospel as well as some discussion questions to have with your child/ren.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord,
make his paths straight.
This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’
Discussion Questions
1. Who was the prophet mentioned in today’s Gospel?
2. What did he do?
3. John the Baptist told people they must be sorry for the things they had done wrong so they could be ready to meet Jesus. What things do we need to be sorry for?
4. How can we change our ways so that we can be ready to meet Jesus.