Catholic Identity
St Vinnie's Christmas Appeal - Help Us Share the Joy!
As we prepare to celebrate the joy of Christmas, we are reminded of the importance of caring for those in need within our local community. This year, our school is supporting the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal, which provides assistance to families who may be struggling during this festive season.
We are asking for donations of supermarket vouchers (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA etc.). These vouchers allow families to purchase essential items and enjoy a special Christmas meal together.
If you are able to help, please send your vouchers to the school office by Monday December 15. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a real difference to a family in need.
Thank you for your generosity and for helping us share the true spirit of Christmas!
This Sunday's Gospel - Second Sunday of Advent A
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’
A beginning points for discussion of this week's Gospel with children:
- Who was the prophet mentioned in today’s Gospel?
- What did he do?
- John the Baptist told people they must be sorry for the things they had done wrong so they could be ready to meet Jesus.
- What things do we need to be sorry for?
- How can we change our ways so that we can be ready to meet Jesus.
Julie Cornwall
Deputy Principal | Catholic Identity Leader