Education in Faith
CatholicCare Victoria's Asylum Seeker Support Program
Here is the presentation our RE Leaders gave at last Monday's Assembly.
As part of the Our Lady of Pentecost Parish, we are proud to support people in need through kindness, compassion and service. Today we would like to share a special way our school community can help others this term.
Our parish supports asylum seekers and refugees through the CatholicCare Victoria Asylum Seeker Support Program. This program helps individuals and families who have come to Australia seeking safety and a better life. Many families are waiting for important decisions about their visas and often have very little support.
The Asylum Seeker Support Program provides care, food and practical help to families during a very difficult time. It receives no government funding, so the generosity of communities like ours makes a real difference. During Refugee Week in June, we would like to help these families in a practical way.
Over the next few weeks, we invite all students and families to bring in any donations they are able to give. Some helpful items include cleaning products, toiletries, baby items such as nappies, basmati rice, tinned foods like tomatoes and chickpeas, and biscuits. Every donation, big or small, will help support refugee families in Dandenong. All donations will be stored at their warehouse and distributed to refugee families as they need it.
For just a little extra motivation, on Friday 19th June which is during Refugee Week, each class is going to create a line on the basketball court with all the items their class have brought in to donate. The class with the longest line will get an extra 20 minutes playtime.
Jesus teaches us to welcome and support people in need, and this is one way we can live out that message together as a school community. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us make a difference.
RE Learning in Prep MH
In PMH we are learning about different forms of prayer. We know all about prayers of praise and thanks but there are many other ways that we can talk to God. Through song, movement, going to Church or just being quiet in a peaceful space.
We can also just talk to God about our day and ask God if there is anything that God wants to tell us. Then we can try listening with our heart to whatever God wants to share with us.That might sound a little funny, listening with our heart. What do you think that means? You may wish to discuss this focus question with your child.
Listening with our heart means that we take time to stop and to think about spending time with God, by being still, quiet and not letting ourselves become distracted by other things nearby. We are opening our hearts and minds to God’s presence and allowing ourselves to be ready to talk to God.
I wonder how we could learn to listen with our heart.
I wonder what we could do to help us hear God clearly.
I wonder what God might say to you, in your heart?
We reflected on listening with our hearts and illustrated our ideas.
Our learning intentions for this term include:
We are beginning to understand the importance of making the sign of the cross reverently and prayerfully.
We are learning about the difference between listening ears and listening hearts.
We are working towards listening respectfully to the prayers of others.
Sunday Gospel
The liturgy of the Catholic Church provides a framework for reflection which is used by Catholics throughout the world. Each week in the Newsletter, you will find the Sunday Gospel as well as some discussion questions to have with your child/ren.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’
Discussion Questions
1. Who do you invite when you share a meal?
2. Who does Jesus invite to share in his sacred meal?
3. What are some of the things we do at this sacred meal, the Mass?
4. Eucharist means ‘thanksgiving’. What can we thank God for in the Eucharist today?