RE NEWS

Faith Reflection

Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James and John (Luke 9:28-36) 

In all three versions of this Transfiguration event that appear in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the context in which the event occurs is identical. That’s a little unusual with these three gospel writers who like to put their own spin on events and often play with the chronology or settings of events. However, in this case, all three writers report the Transfiguration event as taking place immediately after a particular sequence of events. Jesus has asked the disciples who they think he is and Peter has made his confession of faith by declaring that Jesus is the Messiah. This declaration is followed by Jesus teaching about the demands of discipleship and then the account of the Transfiguration. Furthermore, all three versions are directly followed by an account of a man who brings his possessed son to Jesus for healing after the disciples have tried and failed to cast out the demon.

When all three of the synoptic gospels use the same story with little variation and all three retain the same context around the event then there are some pretty clear signals that this was a commonly accepted sequence of events and their sequence holds significance. The core message of this sequence of stories is about the faith of the disciples. Whilst Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah, he and the others don’t really yet know what this means. In the Transfiguration, they are given the clearest possible indication of Jesus’ identity and yet they’re half asleep and we’re told Peter doesn’t know what he’s saying when he starts talking about building tents. The following failure by the disciples to cast out a demon shows that they still haven’t understood fully who and what Jesus is. What a great reading for the season of Lent!

Gospel Focus – Asleep again?

It seems that at crucial points in the gospel where Jesus’ true identity and mission are revealed, the disciples are falling asleep! The gospel of Luke is unique in suggesting that the disciples were sleepy at the Transfiguration. They managed to fight off sleep in this instance, but were fast asleep at the Mount of Olives as Jesus prayed in agony. The sleepiness of the disciples at these crucial times is indicative of limited grasp of what Jesus is on about. They are wearied by all that he asks of them, rather than energised by it, and consequently they’re not ready to witness great events when they come along.

by Greg Sunter

Holy Week 

Later this term, we will be celebrating Holy Week, the pinnacle of the Catholic calendar, as we commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

At school, each class will engage in meaningful reflections and responses:

• The Foundation and Year 1/2 students will share their reflections at school assemblies, focusing on Palm Sunday and Easter.
• The Year 3/4 students will create a mural, which will be displayed for the community. We encourage families to visit and take time to reflect on their work.
• Finally, our Year 5/6 students will lead the Stations of the Cross, reenacting the Passion of Jesus through the stations.

We warmly invite all families to join us for this special Stations of the Cross service on Wednesday, April 2nd, at 2:15 PM in the Performing Arts Area.

We look forward to coming together as a school community to journey through Holy Week in prayer and reflection.

Class Masses 

Class Masses play a key role in the school culture, providing a regular opportunity for our school community to come together in celebration. Each Mass is led by a different class, with every student having an important role to play. Parents are warmly invited to contribute by bringing a dish to share at a morning tea with families and students from the class. Please see below for the roster of Class Masses from next term onwards. Please note that, due to unforeseen circumstances, dates may occasionally change.