Religious Education 

Holy Week Liturgy

You're invited to join the OLF community in remembering the events of Holy Week. Each day classes will be depicting each of the events at 9:15am on the top playground (weather dependent).  Please see below for the events:

Question of the Week

Click here to answer the Religious Education Question for the week.

First person to answer will be this week's winner.

The Gospel Reading this Sunday 27th March

Lk 15:1-3. 11-32

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Your brother here was dead and has come to life.

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ 

So he spoke this parable to them:

‘A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.

‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.

‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.

‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. “Your brother has come” replied the servant “and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out to plead with him; but he answered his father, “Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property – he and his women – you kill the calf we had been fattening.”

‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it is only right we should celebrate and rejoice because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”’

Reflection on the Gospel 

Here are some questions you may like to share with your children;

• Which one are you most like, the ‘good’ sibling who does the right thing and sits in judgment of the ‘bad’ sibling? Or the ‘bad’ sibling who does the wrong thing and comes home to partying and presents and a jealous ‘good’ sibling? Why?
• Have you ever been surprised by someone’s willingness to forgive you? 
• Have you ever felt the simple, patient compassion of a parent like the one in this story? What happened? What is your relationship like with that parent now?

Palm Sunday

The Parish has asked if there is anyone who has access to palms that might be able to be donated to the church if you might consider bringing them to the church before the end of the term. They will be able to be used for the Palm Sunday Mass on Sunday 10th April. Your help is very much appreciated. 

First Holy Communion 

Please keep the children making their First Holy Communion on Easter Sunday in your prayers as they continue to prepare for this important Sacrament. 

Sacraments

Miss Liz O'Brien | Religious Coordinator