Education in Faith

Sacramental Dates for 2026

Parents please be aware of the following dates and note them in your calendar:

• Grade 2 will receive First Reconciliation in Term 4 on Thursday, 19th November 2026.
• Grade 3 will receive First Eucharist in Term 2 on Saturday, 13th June 2026.
• Grade 6 will receive Confirmation – Term 3 on Saturday, 29th  August 2026.

Reconciliation: baptised Catholics in Year 2.

Eucharist: baptised Catholics in Year 3 or who have celebrated their Reconciliation.

Confirmation: Year 6 Catholics who have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist.

If you have any further questions regarding your child receiving these Sacraments, please feel free to contact me at the school.

First Sunday in Lent - Year A

From temptation to trust

This week is the First Sunday of Lent and it always brings us back to the beginning. In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the story of Adam and Eve a story not just about disobedience, but about trust. Faced with the serpent’s questions, they begin to doubt God’s goodness and to believe that life can be grasped on their own terms. The temptation is subtle: not outright rebellion, but the quiet suggestion that God is holding something back.

St Paul, in his letter to the Romans, contrasts Adam’s choice with Christ’s obedience. Where sin entered through one human act of mistrust, grace now overflows through one human life fully surrendered to God. 

Lent, then, is not just about recognising our sinfulness, but about rediscovering the possibility of grace, grace that meets us precisely where we fall short.

The Gospel (Matthew 4:1–11) places Jesus in the wilderness, echoing Israel’s forty years in the desert and our own forty days of Lent. Hungry, tired, and alone, Jesus faces temptations that strike at the core of human desire: comfort, power, and security. 

Each temptation asks the same question: 

Can God really be trusted? Each time, Jesus responds not with force or cleverness, but with Scripture and surrender choosing faithfulness over self-interest.

What is striking is that Jesus does not avoid temptation; he enters it. Lent invites us to do the same not to seek hardship for its own sake, but to honestly face the places where we are tempted to rely on ourselves instead of God. Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are not spiritual “tasks” to complete; they are ways of clearing space so we can hear God’s voice more clearly and learn again how to trust.

As we begin this Lenten journey, we are reminded that temptation does not define us our response does. In Christ, failure is never the end of the story. Grace has the final word.

Discussion Starters

• In the Genesis reading, what doubts about God does the serpent introduce? Where do we experience similar doubts today?
• Which of the three temptations in the Gospel feels most familiar to you right now and why?
• How do Jesus’ responses to temptation challenge the way we usually deal with difficulty or desire?
• St Paul speaks of grace “overflowing.” What might that look like in your own life this Lent?
• How can the traditional Lenten practices help us grow in trust rather than just self-discipline?

God Bless,

Rozeta Ambrose ~ Religious Education Leader

rambrose@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 5/6 SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM – MINI VINNIES

PROJECT COMPASSION

Each Learning Space has 4 Project Compassion Boxes, one for each House. We encourage students and families to donate to their House Project Compassion box.

Families can also take a project compassion box home if they wish. These can be collected from the office but we ask that parents please collect them and they must be returned by Week 9. If you would like the money collected to go towards your child’s House, please write the name of the House on the box.

We hope that SFS students and families will give generously this Lenten Season as we ‘Unite against poverty.’

Ash Wednesday

 (Wednesday 18 Feb 2026)

This Lent, our school community is invited to be a part of something incredible. Once again, we are called to stand hand in hand with thousands of others across the country and Unite Against Poverty by supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. 

Last year, our school was a part of a nationwide movement that raised over $10 million to bring opportunity and change to vulnerable communities across the world. This year, with your support, we hope to have an even greater impact. 

By taking home a Project Compassion donation box this year, you’ll be answering the Gospels’ call to care for our global family and walk alongside the most vulnerable. Your generosity will enable Caritas Australia to provide life-changing support to communities facing poverty, food insecurity, lack of education and water shortages, while building resilience against future challenges.

Together, through faith and action, we can bring hope and opportunity to those most in need. 

First Week of Lent (Week beginning Monday 23 Feb)

This Lent, our school community is supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion, uniting in faith and action to make a lasting impact for vulnerable communities around the world. In our classrooms, we’ll be sharing four inspiring stories of resilience and strength, showing the kind of transformative change that we can play a part in achieving.

We will first be introduced to Sisilia, a young student from Tanzania, who often missed classes at school because she had to walk long distances to collect water every day. Thanks to Project Compassion and the support of schools just like ours, her community now has safe, clean water nearby – giving Sisilia more time to learn and chase her dreams of one day becoming a pilot.   

We’ll also get to know Monoranjon from Bangladesh, who is using climate-smart farming to feed his family and build a safer, more sustainable future for his children. We’ll meet Manaini, a mother of six and a grandmother of two from remote Fiji, who is learning food processing skills to create new income opportunities. And we’ll shine a light on Caritas Jerusalem staff in Gaza, who have endured displacement, personal loss and danger, yet remain committed to providing life-saving support to those in need.

Watch Caritas Australia’s Introduction to Project Compassion film HERE to be inspired by these stories and learn about the impact your support can have on vulnerable communities around the world.

Our school has the opportunity to be a part of a nationwide movement for change and to pave the way to a brighter future for people and families across the world. We can’t do it without you - will you stand with us?

Giuliana

Mini Vinnies Facilitator 

gfaiola@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au