Lent - 40 days into the desert with Jesus.

The liturgical season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (5th March). This is a season in the Church where we dedicate 40 days to working on our relationship with God and others in a special way. It is a time of simplicity, a time of self-denial, a time of prayer and good works.

In the classrooms, the students will have conversations about how they can make Lent a special time for them, by each making an individual commitment. This Lenten commitment or 'promise' is often focused on things they could do for others, ways they could spend more time talking to God, or a luxury they could go without.

Project Compassion

The annual Lenten appeal for Caritas Australia will also kick off with the beginning of Lent. Project Compassion is our school's chosen charity for almsgiving during Lent.

Caritas Australia is the major aid organisation of the Australian Catholic Church. Caritas works in Australia and around the world with community partners to support aid and community development.

How you can support our fundraising:

Each family will receive a fundraising box and information flyer- you are invited to donate any spare change you have around the house between now and the end of the school term.

Caritas K's sponsorship - This year we are participating in Caritas K's as our major fundraising event for Project Compassion. Soon each student will receive information on how to seek financial sponsorship for this event via an online fundraising page.

Upcoming events

Shrove Tuesday - Burning of the Palms & Caritas Launch - Tuesday 4th of March

On Tuesday the 4th of March we will be hosting our traditional Burning of the Palms Liturgy.

The burning of the palms is a tradition where the palms used during Palm Sunday celebrations in 2024 are burnt to make the Ashes which will be used to mark the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

During this liturgy, we will also formally launch our 2025 Project Compassion Appeal. This is an annual appeal for Caritas Australia's aid and development work both nationally and internationally. Project Compassion is a part of our school's Lenten observance, by being the means for our school's almsgiving during Lent.

You are welcome to attend the burning of the palms liturgy on March 4th at 2:30 pm on the green courts.

Ash Wednesday Mass and Grade 1 & 2 Liturgies - Wednesday 5th of March

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Catholic Church's season of Lent. Lent is a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Ash Wednesday is traditionally a day of fasting and prayer. At St. Therese's we observe Ash Wednesday by attending Masses or Liturgies and receiving the ashes.

Ashes are used as a sign of repentance, a symbol of our willingness to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. During these liturgies, the community receives a cross marked on their forehead in the ashes made the day before.

This tradition has ancient roots in early Christian and Jewish traditions.

Grades 3 -6 will be attending an Ash Wednesday Mass at 12:40 pm in the Church on Wednesday the 5th of March.

Grades 1 and 2 will be holding a unit liturgy throughout the day to receive the ashes and mark the beginning of the season of Lent.

All are welcome.

Sunday Gospel - Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples:

“To you who hear I say,love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.

Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.

For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Reflection

This is a very well-known teaching of Jesus, but that doesn't make it any less challenging. At the time this was a very radical way of thinking, and I might be so bold to suggest that it still is. How hard is it to love the way Jesus loves?

This is the point in Jesus' teachings where people started to question what he was saying, they began to turn away from him as what he asked was too hard.

The good news for us is, that we know how Jesus' story ends, we know with confidence from where he comes and from what authority he speaks.

We know the mercy and love of God. It is that mercy he is asking us to show others, that some love.

Thankfully, we know that God's love and mercy endures, we will fail at times to live up to the call Jesus gives us today, but we are given the chance to try again and again.

As we look towards Lent, let us identify those people in our lives who need our mercy and forgiveness, those who we need to reach out to, and extend to them the love and mercy of our

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