Education in Faith
Sacrament Celebrations 2025
Burning of the Palms & Ash Wednesday Mass
Thank you to everybody who participated or helped plan the Burning of the Palms on Shrove Tuesday and our Ash Wednesday Mass. Using ashes obtained by burning palms from the previous Passion Sunday provides a wonderful life-death-life symbol of the paschal mystery to explore. The palms are a symbol of Christ our triumphant king (life); that triumph turns to ashes at the crucifixion (death); being marked with those ashes signifies our commitment to journey to the font at Easter (life).
There will be one more Whole School Mass this Term. This will be the Closing of Term One Mass - Wednesday 2nd April @ 2.00pm. Family and friends are more than welcome to join the students and staff at any of our Whole School Masses, which are always in the OHR Church.
Together at One Altar (https://www.togetheratonealtar.catholic.edu.au) a resource from the National Catholic Education Commission has drawn on Church documents when describing the Mass as having many purposes, some of which are outlined below.
Project Compassion
Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. The theme for this year’s appeal is Unite Against Poverty!
On Tuesday 4th March, our RE Student Leaders attended the Melbourne launch of Project Compassion at Emmaus College. There was a Liturgy led by Archbishop Peter Comensoli as well as a chance to dialogue with students from other Catholic Schools about ideas on how their school could support Project Compassion this Lent.
During Lent our RE Year 5/6 Student Leadership Team will be selling Zooper Dooper icy poles for 50c after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 3:30pm at the tuckshop window. This will start on Thursday 6th March. All money raised will be donated to Project Compassion. If anybody would like to donate a pack (or more) of Zooper Doopers please bring them to the office. We can look after the freezing for you‼
Family Led Sunday Mass
During 2025 the Parish, in conjunction with the Parish Primary Schools, has planned Family led weekend Masses. These Masses will be celebrated once a term and be followed by hospitality. They will be a great opportunity for children and their families to be involved in a Mass within the parish community.
Family Masses will provide an opportunity for families to come together and to support each other in faith. They can particularly be important for families who are presenting their children for Sacraments throughout the year. There may be opportunities to reconnect with our own faith as adults. There may be opportunities to engage with parish life and learn more about the faith, for those who are not so familiar with our local worshiping community. All families are welcome at these family Masses no matter what your religious background or affiliation.
Family Masses have been scheduled for the following dates this year:
Saturday 15 March at 6.00 pm (OHR Church)
Special invitation to Year 3 & Year 5 students and families
Sunday, 18 May at 5.00 pm (OLGC Church)
Special invitation to Year 4 students and families (includes First Eucharist Commitment)
Sunday, 17 August at 5.00 pm (OLGC Church)
Special invitation to Year 6 students and families (includes Confirmation Commitment)
Saturday, 15 November at 6.00pm (OHR Church)
Prep, Year 1 & Year 2 and new families for 2026 are particularly invited to this Mass
RE Learning in 3/4 JH
In 3/4 we have been learning about Choices and Forgiveness. We have been learning about how our choices can affect our lives, both positively and negatively. Sometimes our choices may require forgiveness. Forgiveness from ourselves to others or from others to us. To help us better understand these concepts we have studied the parable 'The Prodigal Son'. Students were able to describe the 3 main characters from the story and make connections with their own lives.
You can watch a video version on the story below:
Students used these 5 sentences starters to make their connections:
- I was like the younger brother when...
- I was like the older brother when...
- I was like the father when...
- I need forgiveness when...
- I forgive... when...
Here are some of our reflections:
I was like the older son when I couldn't get a Godzilla toy but my brother did - Arlo
I was like the older son when my dad and mum have chocolate and I don't! - Nora
I was like the older son when I was jealous of my sister - Harrison
I was like the older son when I feel left out! - Audrey
I was like the older son when my brother goes into my room - Tiana
I was like the older son when I couldn't go to my brothers birthday party. I was jealous - Nathaniel
I was like the father when my dad got home from New Zealand and I felt happy - Patrick
I was like the father when I promised my cousin a present - Juliette
I was like the father when I was happy for my sister - Alex
I was like the father when I was happy for my sister when she got a basketball goal - Jack
I was like the younger son when I didn't share the origami paper with my sister. I was selfish - Isaac
I was like the younger son when I was greedy and selfish to my parents - Hailey
I was like the younger son when I didn't care about what I did - Maxwell
I was like the younger son when I got a bigger piece of cake instead of my brother getting it - Emily
I was like the younger son when I wanted some money from my dad - Leo
I needed forgiveness when I hurt someone - Dilan
I needed forgiveness when I was mean - Krishna
I needed forgiveness when I hurt someone's feelings - Lucas
I needed forgiveness when I was cheeky to Josh - Summer
I forgave when my brother when he stole the remote control from me - Micah
I forgave my brother when he accidentally hit me, but I forgave him - Pela
I forgave my friend when he said an unkind word - Jaden
I forgave my sister when she woke me up and I was mad - Isla
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 Luke
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days. During that time he ate nothing and at the end he was hungry. Then the devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone.’
Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and said to him, ‘I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose. Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Scripture says:
You must worship the Lord your God,and serve him alone.’
Then he led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’, he said to him ‘throw yourself down from here, for scripture says:
He will put his angels in charge of you to guard you, and again:
They will hold you up on their hands in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’
But Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said:
You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’
Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.
Discussion Questions
1. Why did Jesus go into the wilderness?
2. What did the devil try to tempt Jesus to do?
3. What did Jesus say to the devil?
4. In Lent we also have to make some choices. We prepare for Easter by praying and doing good works. What are some of the things you would like to do in these next weeks of Lent?
Nick Byrne
RE Leader