Religious Education Coordinator

Feast of St Matthew 

On September 21, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle, one of Jesus’ closest followers and the writer of the first Gospel. Before becoming a disciple, Matthew was a tax collector, a job often disliked in his time. Yet when Jesus called, Matthew responded immediately, leaving everything behind to follow Him.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him” (Matthew 9:9).

Matthew’s story reminds us that no matter who we are or where we come from, Jesus sees us, loves us, and invites us to walk with Him. For children, Saint Matthew teaches that we can listen to Jesus’ call and live our faith in everyday life.

Head, Heart, Hands

The Head, Heart, Hands paradigm is a holistic learning approach featured in the new curriculum and in Religious Education lessons. Let us take a moment to explore these in relation to St Matthew. I strongly encourage you to open discussions at home with your children about how their head, heart and hands are informed by the scripture they are exploring in class or hearing at mass on Sunday. 

• Head focuses on understanding and knowledge, helping students think deeply, ask questions and explore faith intellectually.

   

• Heart encourages empathy, trust and personal reflection, nurturing values and spirituality within each child.

   

• Hands moves learning into action, empowering children to demonstrate care, fairness, and community service in practical ways.

   

Head

• Matthew shows us that Jesus calls each of us, even when others might not expect it.
• We learn that saying “yes” to Jesus means choosing kindness, fairness and truth.

• His Gospel helps us to know Jesus’ teachings more deeply.

   

Heart

• Matthew trusted Jesus enough to leave behind what was comfortable.
• Children can learn to trust God in their own lives—whether at school, in friendships or at home.

• His story inspires us to believe that God always has a place for us in His plan.

   

Hands

• Be ready to respond when someone needs help, just as Matthew responded when Jesus called.
• Show honesty and fairness in games, schoolwork and play.
• Share God’s love by being welcoming and including others, just as Jesus welcomed Matthew.

Saint Matthew, pray for us, that we may listen to Jesus’ voice and follow Him with our heads, hearts, and hands.

God Bless, 

Nancy Kubti 

REC