ST MARK'S KEYSTONE "Reflect"

R.E. News

Religious Education Dates for 2024

RE DATES:

 

Confirmation

  • Friday 14th June- Confirmation Reflection Day
  • Saturday 15th June - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 6pm
  • Thursday 22nd August - Confirmation Reconciliation service - 11:40am
  • Bishop visit - Thursday 15th August at 2pm
  • Saturday 24th August - Sacrament of Confirmation – 1pm and 3pm 

Eucharist

  • Thursday 31st July - First Eucharist Parent/Child Information Night at 6pm
  • Saturday 10th August – First Eucharist Commitment Mass – 6pm
  • Wednesday 23rd October - Eucharist Reflection Day
  • Thursday 24th October -  Reconciliation at 11:40am and practise
  • Saturday 26th October - Sacrament of First Eucharist mass at 6pm
  • Sunday 27th October - Sacrament of First Eucharist mass at 9:30am

Whole School Mass/Events 

  • Friday 28th June - NAIDOC Week assembly (1pm)
  • Thursday 15th August - Feast of the Assumption Mass at 9am
  • Friday 25th October - St Francis Blessing of the animals service from 9am to 9:15am
  • Monday 11th November - Remembrance Day service at 10:55am
  • Thursday 12th December - Year 6 Graduation at 6pm 
  • Friday 13th December - End of School Mass at 9am 

 

Junior Information Nights

  • Year 1/2 Good Shepherd Night – Wednesday 7th August (6pm)

 

 

 

Children’s Liturgy

The reintroduction of Children's Liturgy at St Mark's Church is up and running and looking for more volunteers! Training will be provided and the next session is due at the end of Term 2.

The Children's Liturgy provides a great opportunity for primary aged children to engage with the gospel in a way that is accessible and meaningful to them. It runs every Sunday at the St Mark's 9:30am mass during school terms. At the start of mass the Children’s Liturgy adult leaders take the primary school age children into the hall for a small lesson and activity about the gospel of the day. Parents are welcome to join the session if they would like. If any parents are interested in volunteering to help with the Sunday sessions, please email Andrew Davies - andrew@smdingley.catholic.edu.au

 

 

Gospel Reflection by Greg Sunter

Family members are often the last ones to allow us to change from who we have been to who we want to become. Unintentionally, family will sometimes continue to treat us as the child we were growing up in the family environment, despite our various accomplishments and changes in direction. Sometimes it’s easier to continue to treat someone we love as we have always treated them, rather than learning to adjust and accommodate a new way of relating. When you’re the one seeking to establish a new life or a new way of operating, family can appear to be ‘keeping you in a box’.

In a style typical of the Gospel of Mark, the two incidents with Jesus’ family ‘sandwich’ and focus attention on the interaction with the Scribes who accuse Jesus of being under the influence of Satan. Like the family of Jesus who don’t want to see him for who he really is becoming, or has become, the Scribes misunderstand Jesus’ fight against evil. Jesus dismisses their claims through his use of the image of binding the strong man before entering the strong man’s house. Jesus has ‘bound’ Satan – the strong man – proving himself the stronger and has set about undoing the work of evil in the world.

Today’s gospel paints a picture of Jesus’ family wanting him to play safe and remain the person they’ve known him to be, rather than growing into his ministry and preaching his challenging message. They can see that his actions are causing the authorities to pay attention and their reaction is to try to get Jesus to stay under the radar; to live small.

 

Sacrament of Confirmation

On Wednesday 5th June the Year 6 children preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation had an information night for both children and parents. The Information night was introducing the children to the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and providing information to the families about the sacrament itself. It was wonderful to see so many families attend the night. 

     

 

Fire Carrier Program

On Thursday 23rd May, Mr Davies, Mrs Bredin and four Year 5 children visited the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry  to be commissioned as Fire Carriers. The word FIRE means - Friends Igniting Reconciliation  through Education. Congratulations to Max, Cynthia, Georgia and Edwina for being our Fire Carrier Leaders. As Fire Carrier leaders here are some of the jobs that they will lead:

  • raising the Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag
  • helping with Reconciliation activities and events 
  • writing prayers for Aboriginal people
  • acknowledging traditional custodians of the land we meet on
  • fundraising for Opening The Doors Foundation
  • helping to action our school's Covenant
  • celebrating significant dates in our shared story
  • attending FIRE Carrier meetings and listening to/sharing ideas