Upcoming Family and Faith Initiatives:

Sunday 30/03: 3-6 Family Mass at 10am followed by morning tea in the St Martha’s School Hall. Everyone is warmly invited, even K-2 families. We would be very grateful if everyone could kindly bring a nut-free plate to share. Thank you in advance for your generosity
Sunday 30/03: STRONG AND PRESENT FATHERS’ EVENT: https://pared.edu.au/podcast/strong-and-present-for-fathers-event/
Monday 31/03: Playgroup in the St Martha’s School Hall 8:50am to 10am
Monday 31/03: Lenten Group in the St Martha’s Church from 10:30am to 11:30am
Monday 31/03: Rosary in the St Martha’s Church from 2:35pm
Friday 04/04: Parents, Grandparents and Carers Pilgrimage to St Mary’s Cathedral

Pilgrimage to St Mary's Cathedral

Here is the link to book a FREE ticket for the pilgrimage, it includes a guided tour of the crypt by Dr Robert Haddad, a wonderful talk by Fr Ben Saliba and a simple, FREE lunch :

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGxYsP0c0nfltZzQqYCWzjVJez1S3_SZTO9aG24wXsjDORxg/viewform

Jubilee in two minutes

This weekend I would like to invite you all to sit down with a cup of tea / coffee and enjoy this video on the Jubilee: https://bustedhalo.com/video/jubilee-in-two-minutes

Strong and Present Fathers Event

This Sunday 30 March 11:30am to 4pm:

https://pared.edu.au/podcast/strong-and-present-for-fathers-event/

Growing Hearts for Fathers

Every dad wants to be there for his family, but it’s not always clear how to do it best. Take a day to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters.

Solemnity of the Annunciation

This past Tuesday (25 March) we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation.

If you would like to start the 9-month-daily Novena for the Adoption of an Unborn Child this weekend, please email elena.razzoli@syd.catholic.edu.au, thank you.

St Joseph’s Solemnity

I would like to invite you all to sit down with a cuppa this weekend and enjoy this short video: Who is St. Joseph? | MEET THE SAINTS

Who is Sleeping St Joseph and Why is it so Popular?

Have you ever heard of the devotion to “Sleeping St. Joseph”? The Gospel tells us that St. Joseph was going to divorce Mary quietly after he learned that she was pregnant. But an angel of the Lord appeared to St. Joseph in a dream, telling him to not be afraid, that Mary would give birth to the Saviour: Jesus Christ. God was entrusting Joseph with His greatest treasures: Mary and the Baby Jesus. St. Joseph’s faithfulness to God’s will helped bring our Saviour into the world. The image of St. Joseph as he’s sleeping is a powerful reminder of his peaceful surrender to God’s plan for his life. Pope Francis has owned a Sleeping St. Joseph statue for several years, and brought it with him from Argentina to the Vatican when he became Pope. He explained that whenever he has a problem or special prayer, he writes it down and places it underneath the Sleeping St. Joseph.

St. Joseph takes care of the intention while the Pope rests. Catholics around the world have adopted this practice and bought their own Sleeping St. Joseph statues in order to ask St. Joseph for his intercession in the midst of life’s difficulties. We should always remember St. Joseph’s whole-hearted “Yes” to God’s will, even when it wasn’t what he himself had planned or imagined. St. Joseph exemplifies total submission to God in the midst of uncertainty. When we honour the Sleeping St. Joseph statue, we are trusting St. Joseph to intercede for us — and trusting that God will handle our problems while we rest. We need to always remember that we too can turn to St Joseph whenever we are at a loss, sad, worried or in need of comfort, and know that he will intercede and present our intentions to God.

Pope Francis’ Devotion to the Sleeping St Joseph

Pope Francis explained his devotion to St Joseph at a meeting of families in Manila in 2015:

“I like St Joseph very much. He is a strong man of silence.

On my desk, I have an image of St Joseph sleeping.

Sleeping, he looks after the Church.

When I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath

St Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words, I tell him:

Pray for this problem!”

The basis of this devotion is in Matthew’s Gospel, Where he tells of four dreams in which Joseph is visited by an angel of the Lord and receives specific instructions and warnings of impending danger. This is why the Pope has the habit of placing cards stating problems, intentions and prayers of the faithful under the statue of the sleeping Saint, requesting grace. It’s like inviting St Joseph to ‘sleep on it’, and perhaps put in a word to God to solve difficult situations and help the needy, thus renewing his role as the merciful and protective father to those he loves. “Like St Joseph, once we have heard God’s voice, we must rise from our slumber. We must get up and act.” - Pope Francis

Please email me at any time (elena.razzoli@syd.catholic.edu.au) if you have any prayer intentions that you would like us to place under the image of the Sleeping St Joseph at St Martha’s School, thank you.

Lenten Parish Mission

8th, 9th & 10th April @ St Joan of Arc Parish Haberfield

Starting @ 6:30pm

Looking forward to seeing you all at the Family Mass this Sunday,

God bless

Mrs Elena Razzoli

Family Educator

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