Religious Education

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Next week will be the last week for our St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal for 2023. The hampers will be donated and presented at the End of Year Mass on Friday 15th December. Please support this special cause if you can!

Here is a reminder of items that can be donated:

Graduation Mass & End of Year Mass 

The Year 6 Graduation Mass will be held next Thursday evening in the Church at 5 pm. All are welcome to attend the Mass - with our Year 6 families having a special Graduation Dinner and celebration following Mass.

The End of Year Mass will be held on Friday 15th December at 9:30am in the Church. All members of our community and welcome and encouraged to attend.

Gospel Reflection - Sunday 3rd December

Gospel Reading

Mark 13:33-37

Jesus warns his disciples to be watchful so that they will be ready when the Son of Man comes.

Family Connection

In family life, we try to prepare ourselves for many future things: our next vacation, our children’s education, our retirement. We are careful not to allow ourselves to be caught by surprise so that we can handle any challenges our family may face. 

Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are called to be just as attentive and alert to the coming of the Son of Man so that it will not catch us unprepared. This means attending to our family’s spiritual life as carefully as we attend to other important family matters. As you gather as a family, talk about a time when you received surprise visitors at your house, perhaps a neighbour who stopped by or a relative who arrived unannounced. Was your household prepared to receive this unannounced guest? What might your family have done differently if you knew ahead of time that this visitor was going to arrive? Jesus told his disciples that no one knows when the Son of Man will return, except the Father. Read with your family what Jesus told his disciples in today’s Gospel, Mark 13:33-37.

During Advent, we not only prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we also check to see if we are doing all the things that will keep us ready to receive Jesus when he comes again. Talk about how your family can recommit to daily prayer, reading Scripture, and staying faithful to God’s commandments. 

Pray together that through this Advent season, your family will be more prepared to receive Jesus when he comes again. Read as a concluding prayer Paul’s words to the Corinthians found in today’s second reading, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, or pray the Lord’s Prayer.

Steele Anderson

Deputy Principal / RE Leader