Education in Faith

Opening of the 2025 School Year Mass

Thank you to everybody who attended our Opening of the School Year Mass last Friday. It was very special to see our three school communities come together at Our Lady of Victories.

Sacrament Celebrations 2025

RE Learning in 2TH

One of the Learning Intentions we will focus on this term in Prep-2 is: "We are learning to explain key elements and purpose of personal and communal prayer forms." To begin this exploration, students wrote their own personal definition of prayer. They then shared this with a partner and consolidated their two definitions into one. These pairs then joined with two other pairs and repeated the process until eventually the whole class came up a class definition of prayer which was, "prayer is talking to God". Over the next few weeks we will continue to explore the four basic forms of prayer:

• Prayer of Blessing and Adoration (praising God)
• Prayer of Petition (asking for what we need, including forgiveness)
• Prayer of Intercession (asking for what others need)
• Prayer of Thanksgiving (for what God has given and done) 

Running alongside this, will be an exploration on the different images of God. As a pre-assessment, students drew their own personal interpretation of God's Image. The next step is to explore scriptural descriptions of God. A central facet of this will be the concept of God being like a shepherd. 

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 Luke

Jesus came down with the Twelve and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.

Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said:

‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.

Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.

Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

‘Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.

‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.

Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.

Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

Discussion Questions

1. Have you known anyone who has felt sad?

2. What can you do if someone is feeling like that?

3. God looks after us, no matter what happens, even when people are unkind to us. How can we look after others the way God looks after us?

Nick Byrne

RE Leader