Prayer and Reflection
An Advent prayer
God of new beginnings,As we approach this Advent season,empower us to journey with hope, peace, joy, and love toward the celebration of the birth of Jesus.May the candles we light throughout this season reflect our inner search for connection and encounter and our outer call to be bearers of your love to our world. Amen.
A symbol central to Catholic preparation for Christmas is the Advent Wreath. The Advent wreath and candles are a deeply symbolic part of the journey to Christmas in many homes and churches. The tradition of lighting an Advent wreath appeared as a Christian ritual somewhere in the fourth or fifth centuries. One story posits that a Lutheran minister in Germany created a wreath out of a cartwheel to help children countdown the days until Christmas. He used 20 red candles for weekdays and four white candles for Sundays. In the Catholic tradition one candle is lit on each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. The first candle (violet) represents hope, the second (violet) peace, the third (rose) joy, and the fourth (violet) love. The wreath itself is also highly symbolic; its green branches symbolise life; its circular shape represents God’s unending love; pointed holly leaves are reminiscent of Jesus’ crown of thorns and the red berries point to Jesus’ death on the cross. (Adapted from https://www.mercypartners.org.au/publications/preparing-for-advent-2024-2/)
Mission and Liturgy Report
The last Sunday in October, is designated by the Catholic Church as WORLD MISSION SUNDAY; this occasion joins all Catholics of the world into one community of faith in support of our brothers and sisters in Christ who need our help. For this occasion nine of our young people in Year 11 volunteered to take part in the Mission Ambassador Program run by Mrs Jacquie Toakley, Diocesan Director for Catholic Missions in the Armidale Diocese. Following the training the students prepared presentations on the theme and focus of Catholic Missions 2024 to deliver to parishioners at St Nicholas’, St Patrick’s and Mary Help of Christians. The students spoke passionately and eloquently about the Church in Mongolia and the House of Mercy. I am enormously proud and moved by the courage and ability of our students: Lauren Barnes, Jack Benjamin, Sasha Domingo, Cooper Holzigal, Garielle Innis, Natasha Lees, Charlotte Lyons, Mikeele Tyrrell, and Hannah Wakely,
On the 11th-13th November Yr 11 students attended a retreat at the Francis Retreat Centre at Bonny Hills. The theme of the retreal was, “Walk the Mile and Bare the Load” a line taken from an ‘old’ hymn which uses the journey motif to explore our life and purpose as Christians to be present to one another and “help each other” on the Christian journey. In four presentations on Luke’s Gospel story of the Road to Emmaus the students were invited to explore the concepts of ‘liminality’ (the in between times), ‘companionship’, ‘resilience’ and ‘encounter’ with Christ. In small and large group sessions the students explored and shared some of the more difficult and challenging aspects of their lives with each other. The retreat team was moved and astounded by the level of truth and respect demonstrated by our students during these sessions. The most powerful experience of the retreat for the students was reading the letters from parents and guardians expressing their thoughts and love for our people. Many were moved to tears as they received such heartleft affirmation from their families. I would like to acknowledge my gratitude to all parents and guardians for their contributions to this most powerful experience of affirmation for our students. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the team of staff who volunteered to leave their families to accompany and support our students on this experience: Jonathan Dean, Steph Halpin, Pete Iuso, Tina Poder, Lisa Smith, Frances Tyler-Vine, Kathy Thompson, Harry Vella and Bernie Williams.
This week sees the conclusion of the Year 10 Catechist Support Program. During Terms 3 & 4 several Year 10 volunteer students have been going weekly to Tamworth Public School where they have been assisting the Tamworth catechists in their delivery of religious education to the Catholic students in Kinder and Year 1. On Thursday a number of the students met with Deacon Paul Manvell who provided feedback on their experience. The decision was made to continue and expand the program to include Oxley Vale Public School next year.
