Education in Faith

tSacramental Events and Dates

Dear Parents/Guardians/Caregivers,

Please take note of the important dates for our Sacramental celebrations that will take place throughout the school year. Sacraments play a significant role in the spiritual journey of our students and we need to ensure that you are well-informed and can actively participate in these meaningful events. Kindly mark the following dates in your calendar:

Sacrament Photos are ready to order

Great news!   Your Sacrament photos are now ready to view and purchase! 

Families who have pre-registered will be notified when images are available for viewing in their gallery.  

Your unique ID number was printed on the personalised order flyer that was provided to you on the Sacrament photography day.

Free Post To Home Orders

Families that place an order during the free post-to-home stage can select the photos they like and build their own packs.  These will be sent directly to their nominated address.

Any families placing an order after the free postage stage can still order but will incur an $8.95 postage and handling fee.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Sacramental Program, celebrations or preparation process, please feel free to contact the School's Religious Education leader.

Thank you for your continued partnership in the spiritual formation of our students. We look forward to celebrating these sacred moments with you and your families as a parish community. 

May God's blessings be with you and your loved ones.

Sacrament Levy

There is a $25 Sacrament Levy to cover the cost of stoles.

• This levy needs to be paid in full to the school in an envelope clearly indicating your child’s name, Home Group and name of Sacrament being received.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Last Sunday the Gospel reading was about Jesus calming the storm, the first of four miracles that Jesus performs in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee. Each of the four miracle stories offer us a glimpse of Jesus’ power. 

This week we hear about the third and fourth miracles - two stories of healing. One story tells us about a father’s great love for his dying daughter. The other story tells us about a desperate woman who risks much as she seeks healing from Jesus. In each story, the request for healing is itself a courageous act of faith, and yet very different circumstances are represented by the lives of each suffering person.

Jairus is described as a synagogue official, a man of considerable standing in the Jewish community. Distraught over his daughter’s poor health, he approaches Jesus and asks him to heal her. 

As Jesus leaves with Jairus, Mark describes a second person who seeks healing from Jesus, a woman with a haemorrhage. This woman secretly touches Jesus from behind and is immediately cured. In response, Jesus turns and asks who touched him. Jesus’ disciples, help us envision the scene. The crowds are pushing in on Jesus, and yet he, knowing that power has gone out of him, asks who touched him. The woman could have remained anonymous, yet at Jesus’ question she steps forward and acknowledges what she had done. Jesus responds by acknowledging her as a model of faith and sends her away in peace.

At this point, we can imagine Jairus’s impatience with Jesus; his daughter is dying and Jesus hasn’t helped him yet. A sense of urgency arises as a messenger suddenly arrives and confirm Jairus’s worst fear: his daughter has died. Jesus curiously ignores their message and reassures Jairus. When they arrive at Jairus’s home, they find family and friends mourning the girl’s death. Jesus enters the room of the dead girl, takes her by the hand, and instructs her to arise. Jairus’s faith in Jesus has not been in vain; his daughter is restored to life.

The contrasts between Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage are plain and revealing. One is a man, the other is a woman. One is a public official, an important person in the community. The other is a woman who has lost everything to find a cure to a condition that separated her from the community. One approaches Jesus publicly. The other approaches Jesus secretly. Yet in each case, faith leads them to seek out Jesus in their time of need.

The Gospel concludes with Jesus’ instructions to remain silent about this miracle. Repeatedly, those who witness Jesus’ power and authority are instructed to not speak of what they have witnessed. These instructions appear impossible to obey, and it is difficult to understand the purpose of these instructions. But in each case, they seem to emphasise the fact that each individual, make his or her own judgment about Jesus’ identity. Each individual must make his or her own act of faith in affirming Jesus as God’s Son.

Discussion Starters

• What is the impact of ‘interrupting’ one miracle story with another?
• What is the relationship between the two events?
• Why was it important that Jesus stopped and spoke to the woman after she had been healed?
• Why did Jesus instruct Jairus and his wife to tell no one about a miracle that would be hard to conceal?
• What is the message in this gospel passage for a modern audience?
• What is the common link between the two miracles in this gospel passage?
• What do you imagine life would have been like for the woman with the haemorrhage?
• What image of the disciples is presented in this passage?
• What do we learn about the importance of faith?

God Bless  

Rozeta Ambrose

Religious Education Leader

rambrose@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 5/6 SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM – MINI VINNIES

COMMUNITY SPIRIT HOUSE POINTS

Which House is leading in the Community Spirit Award points? Student are able to earn points for their House by demonstrating community spirit which includes our PBL values. The points for each House for the end of Term 2:

Well done to Teresa who is leading at the moment. Let’s see who will be leading next term. 

MINI VINNIES SOUP & CHAT NIGHT

Please save the date! Our annual Mini Vinnies Soup and Chat Night will be held in Week 6 on Tuesday August 20th. I hope all the Mini Vinnies will be able to attend.

We wish everybody a safe and relaxing holiday. 

Giuliana & SFS Mini Vinnies

gfaiola@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au