Education in Faith

CatholicCare Victoria's Asylum Seeker Support Program

Here is a letter from the CEO of CatholicCare Victoria, Agnes Sheehan, thanking the OHR community for our "generous donation" of goods for the asylum seekers and refugees during Refugee Week.

RE Learning in 3/4JH

This term, 3/4 JH have begun exploring how Mary and the disciples show us what it means to follow Jesus.

We started by thinking about the positive role models in our own lives and identifying the qualities that make them people we admire, such as kindness, courage, honesty and compassion. Students reflected on how these important people influence the choices they make each day. You can see some of their work below. 

As we continued our learning, we made connections between our own role models and the people who influenced Jesus. Through reading The Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38), students discovered Mary's remarkable faith, trust and courage in saying "yes" to God's plan.

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

When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.

When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered, ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining, twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.

Discussion Questions

1. In today’s gospel what did the disciples want the crowd to do after Jesus had healed those who were sick?

2. What was Jesus’ reply?

3. What food did they have to share?

4. What did Jesus do to the food?

5. How much was left over?

6. Why didn’t Jesus turn the crowd away?

7. Jesus doesn’t turn us away and he gives us all we need. What can we thank God for?

This week we pray that we can share with others the good gifts that God has given us.