RE NEWS

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Congratulations!

Congratulations to our children who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation over the weekend! This is a significant step in their faith journey, allowing them to experience God's love and forgiveness in a profound way. May they continue to grow in faith and grace.

Faith Reflection

Parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:1-3. 11-32) 

Today’s gospel is perhaps the most famous of the parables that are unique to the Gospel of Luke. Sadly, what is often overlooked is the accusation aimed at Jesus that leads into the telling of this and two other shorter parables (the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin – Lk 15:4-10). The Pharisees and scribes accuse Jesus of what they regard to be abhorrent behaviour in relation to the purity code that dominated 1st Century life: not only does Jesus welcome sinners, he actually shares meals with them. This would be absolutely scandalous behaviour. Who you ate with was a reflection of who you were. To eat with sinners and the unclean effectively made you a sinner and unclean.

The three parables Jesus tells in response to this accusation are all about the lost being found and great rejoicing over the finding of the lost sheep, lost coin, or lost son. The Gospel of Luke – more so than any of the others – has a very strong focus on the message of Jesus being addressed to and welcomed by the outcasts and marginalised; in other words, the ‘lost’ of his society. Rather than being embarrassed by the accusation that he ate with sinners, Jesus would have worn those words like a badge of honour. It was exactly what his mission and ministry was all about – being one with the poor; the outcast; the sinful; the lost. The three parables, and particularly the parable of the lost son, demonstrate the joy of a loving God when one who was lost returns. The extravagant welcome the prodigal son receives from his father is symbolic of the extravagance of God’s love that will be poured out for any ‘sinner’ who returns to God.

by Greg Sunter

Holy Week 

Later this term, we will be celebrating Holy Week, the pinnacle of the Catholic calendar, as we commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

At school, each class will engage in meaningful reflections and responses:

• The Foundation and Year 1/2 students will share their reflections at school assemblies, focusing on Palm Sunday and Easter.
• The Year 3/4 students will create a mural, which will be displayed for the community. We encourage families to visit and take time to reflect on their work.
• Finally, our Year 5/6 students will lead the Stations of the Cross, reenacting the Passion of Jesus through the stations.

We warmly invite all families to join us for this special Stations of the Cross service on Wednesday, April 2nd, at 2:15 PM in the Performing Arts Area.

We look forward to coming together as a school community to journey through Holy Week in prayer and reflection.

Class Masses 

Class Masses play a key role in the school culture, providing a regular opportunity for our school community to come together in celebration. Each Mass is led by a different class, with every student having an important role to play. Parents are warmly invited to contribute by bringing a dish to share at a morning tea with families and students from the class. Please see below for the roster of Class Masses from next term onwards. Please note that, due to unforeseen circumstances, dates may occasionally change.

NB: Please note the change of date for the 5/6 N Class Mass