Religious Education

LENT - the colour purple 

 During Lent, churches use the color purple (or sometimes a deep violet) for vestments, altar cloths, and decorations to help us focus on the very special, quiet 40-day journey.

Purple is the color of royalty. Long ago, purple dye was very expensive, and only kings and queens wore it. Using purple reminds us that Jesus is the true King of Kings, even though he wasn't a king in a palace.

Purple reminds us of Jesus's sacrifice. When Jesus was brought to be crucified, soldiers put a purple robe on him to make fun of him, calling him "King of the Jews" while hurting him. The purple reminds us of that sad time and how much Jesus loves us.

Purple is a serious, quiet color. It helps us remember that Lent is a time for "penance"—a fancy word for cleaning our hearts, saying sorry for mistakes, and focusing on prayer and kindness before we celebrate Easter.

Purple is a calming colour, Lent is a time to stop rushing and think about how we can follow Jesus better.

Sometimes, you might see a slight change in the shade of purple to a softer "rose" or pink color on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This is called Laetare Sunday, and it's a happy reminder that Easter is getting closer!.  

This week we focused on Monoranjon's story from Bangladesh 

https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/monoranjon-story/  

The Sacrament of Penance 

Please keep our students and the children from the parish catechist group in your prayers as they prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and receive their First Reconciliation. Over the past few weeks, the students have been learning about this special sacrament during Religious Education lessons.

Last Thursday evening, students and their families gathered in the Hub for our Sacrament of Penance Family Faith Evening. Fr Darien spoke about how the sacrament strengthens our relationship with God and with one another, reminding us that God’s mercy offers us a fresh start.

Today, the students, along with members of the catechist group, participated in a Sacrament of Penance Reflection Day. This provided an opportunity to deepen their understanding of forgiveness, belonging, saying sorry and giving thanks, through Scripture and prayer.

First Reconciliation will be celebrated on Wednesday 18th March. We ask that you continue to keep these children and their families in your prayers during this important time in their faith journey.

Pope Leo XIV Monthly Prayer Intentions 

March

For disarmament and peace

Let us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence. 

Amen