Weekes' News

Dear Sacred Heart Kew Families,

Christmas Carols, they just make you feel good. Or, maybe that's just me?

I am sure that you will all agree that we were all treated to a joyous and spirit filled school community event last night at our annual school Christmas Carols in our beautiful parish Church. Well done to all our children for singing and spreading some Christmas cheer. Thank you to Mrs Mulhall, Mrs Richardson and staff for organising and coordinating the evening. Thank you also to all our families who came along and supported us, and to our fabulous Parents’ Association for coordinating our inaugural Christmas market and annual sausage sizzle after our carols. It certainly is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

Why do we just sing carols at Christmas? What is it about these songs that make this time of the year come alive? Who decided that we just sing these songs for approximately 4-6 weeks before Christmas? And do these carols still pertain to our lives and times of 2025?

Here are some of my favourite carols, which I believe still resonate in our world today. 

‘O Holy Night’ speaks to me of longing for justice and hope. The carol’s main message of ‘the weary world rejoices’ reminds us that our world continues to deal with many tensions and challenges, financial stress, political struggles and other environmental and social issues. 

‘Do you hear what I hear’ speaks to me of communication, misinformation and the spreading of messages from different sources. Various information is passed on by the ‘night wind’, a sheep, a shepherd boy and a King to the people. As we know today we have a number of different channels and a variety of different media and news platforms which provide us with both accurate and inaccurate information, depending on the source, or vested interest, if applicable. Social media spits out ‘instantaneous’ news and information  ‘24/7’ , messages spreading quickly - gone viral (social media content that rapidly gains a large audience) - not an ailment. Truths and falsehoods, whispers turning into proclamation, I feel that this carol mirrors how messages spread in our world now, sometimes the messages we receive are often distorted, until we receive multiple viewpoints or clarification of the actual event. 

‘Joy to the world’ speaks to me of a call to renewal, optimism and of shared celebration, inspired by Psalm 96 and 98, about the Messiah will come. In today’s world, wouldn’t that be just the tonic?  Each time we sing ‘Joy to the world’ as we did together last night, we celebrate Jesus’ second coming, after his original birth. And, although this hymn is mostly often sung at Christmas, when we do hear it, we are reminded of the express joy which brought an end to previous sorrow, as Jesus’ birth made this future return possible. It reflects moments when communities collectively push for optimism and change, a reminder that communal joy is always possible.

‘Silent Night’ - speaks to me of finding calm in chaos (and has always been the pick of the bunch for me). Each and every year, when I actually take the time to listen and reflect upon the words of ‘Silent Night’, I am reminded of the importance of small moments of quiet, amidst the frenetic pace of life. One of the main reasons why ‘Silent Night’ is my favourite Christmas Carol is for the imagery that is presented from the words that are sung. It depicts the peaceful and holy birth of Jesus, focusing on the serenity of the night and divine significance of the event. Today, the practice of mindfulness is highly recommended and a popular pastime for many. For me, when I sing or hear ‘Silent Night’, I enter a mindful state for 2 and a bit minutes, away from external distractions, stress, noise and cluttered thoughts, which is also something that I crave, but don’t allow myself to experience often enough. 

The season of Advent is alive and well here at Sacred Heart Kew. Over the last two weeks our children have respectfully shared each Advent liturgy theme, helping us all stop, listen and reflect on the significance of the birth of Jesus, and what this means to all of us, in 2025. 

Thank you to all our children and staff for their reverent and engaging liturgies, bringing us all together as we wait for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend and last week and a bit here at Sacred Heart Kew. 

Kind Regards,

Ed Weekes 

School Principal