The Time of Advent

The time of Advent is the four week period of preparation for the season of Christmas. This weekend, the season of Advent will begin. Advent is a time for us to prepare for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas day. The word Advent comes from the Latin word advenio, which means "to come to," and refers to the coming of Christ. We are called to come to the celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas; we are also called to be aware of the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of Holy Communion; and we need to be aware of Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent begins the cycle of the Liturgical Year and focuses on the coming of the Lord. The first weeks offer a vision of the future, looking to the end of time when Christ will come again. The final weeks point more specifically to the birth of Christ. Christ, the promised one, is awaited with joyful expectation.

The Advent Wreath

One of the major symbols of the Advent season is the wreath. The encircling wreath is symbolic of God without beginning or end and the green foliage represents our hope in God. There are five candles in the wreath, a central white candle representing the light of Christ that came into the world. Three of the outside candles are purple because the colour purple is a liturgical colour that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice. The rose coloured candle is a liturgical colour for joy.

The first candle, which is purple, symbolises hope. It is often called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

The second candle, also purple, represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is rose/pink and symbolises joy. It is called the “Shepard’s Candle,” and is pink because rose it is a liturgical colour for joy and is meant to remind us of the joy that is anticipated in the world experienced at the birth of Jesus.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Saviour. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolises peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

The progressive lighting of the candles marks the journey towards the Nativity.

Successful Lap-a-thon!

Congratulations to the Secondary students who participated in another successful Vinnies Fancy Dress Lap-a-thon last week Thursday.

The money raised will be donated to our local St Vincent de Paul centre to support them during this busy time of Christmas and also those affected by the drought.

SVDP

Our Vinnies fundraising support will continue across the school with the:

- Coin-Drop on Wednesday 11 December

- Christmas Hampers with the collection of non-perishable food items presented to SVDP at the Thanksgiving Mass on Friday 13 December.

Sacred Heart Mass Times

Saturday Evening - 6:00pm

Sunday Morning - 9:00am

Australian Catholic Youth Festival

The Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) is a national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC). It exists to provide young people with opportunities to deepen their relationship with Jesus, be empowered to be disciples in the world today and encounter and celebrate the vitality of the Church in Australia. The ACYF is held every two years and this year it will be held in Perth, WA!

The festival will be held from 8-10 December, gathering thousands of young people from across Australia.

The ACYF is a dynamic festival experience with a variety of activities occurring across the day.

The theme of the festival is:

‘Listen to what the Spirit is saying...’

This year we have 3 Year 10 students attending the ACYF and 1 teacher!

Luke Bryant, Montana Stevens, Connor Bryant are being accompanied by Miss Madeline McLeod. These Holy Trinity representatives will join with the rest of the pilgrims from the Armidale Diocese, around 50 in total, on Saturday 7 December.

We wish them all the very best on this pilgrimage and are looking forward to hearing about their experiences when they return.

Year 10 Camp at Copeton Dam

On Monday 2 December, the Year 10 students will be travelling out to Copeton Dam for a camp and retreat until Wednesday 4 December. Students are to be at school ready to depart at 9:00am with all their equipment and food for the few days.

The days will involve the students reflecting on their time together as a cohort, memories and talking about their hopes and fears for the future. They will complete Friendship booklets for one another and help prepare for their Graduation Mass which will be on Friday 6 December. The Year 10 students will also take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation at an evening service led by Fr James.

Year 6 and Year 10 Final Mass

On Thursday, 5 December the Primary students will go to Sacred Heart Church for the Year 6 Final Mass. The Mass will be held at 12noon and all family and friends are warmly invited to attend.

On Friday, 6 December the Secondary students will attend Mass at 9:15am at SHCC. The students will celebrate the Year 10 students as they Graduation from Holy Trinity school and to wish them all the best for their future endeavours. The Year 10 students are asked to come to the church on Thursday 5 December at 9:20am for a practise of the Mass prior to Friday.

Term 4

5 December - Year 6 Mass at SHC - 12noon

6 December - Year 10 Graduation Mass at SHC - 9:15am

13 December - Thanksgiving Mass at HTS - 9:30am

Enjoy the week,

Mary-Jane Guest

Religious Education Coordinator

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