Religious Education

Dear Parents/Carers

Next Tuesday, the 15th August, the students will attend Mass on at 9:15 am for the Feast of the Assumption.

On the surface, the Gospel passage for Tuesday has little to do with the feast of the Assumption. There is no scriptural account of the Assumption and so we draw on a different significant gospel passage that features Mary. The Gospel  includes both the Visitation and Mary’s canticle, the Magnificat Luke 1:39-56.  Apart from Jesus, Mary is the central figure in Luke’s account of Jesus’ infancy. The account of Mary rushing to her cousin and proclaiming the Magnificat is an example of Mary's joyful "yes" to life and to God that tradition tells us was rewarded in her bodily assumption into heaven.

The narrative highlights the supreme quality and significance of her faith. This is what her cousin Elizabeth singles out as she responds to Mary’s greeting: ‘Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord’ (1:45). The main idea is that in bringing about the promised salvation, God exalts the lowly and puts down the mighty. Mary dwells upon her lowly social status and marginalised situation. If God has chosen her to be mother of the Messiah, has ‘exalted’ her in this way, this has clearly shown God to be on the side of the poor and lowly, rather than the rich and powerful. 

The readings thus present Mary as a woman within her tradition, a woman whose fidelity to Jesus is modelled to all believers. In her complete self-giving to God’s will and her intimate relationship with Jesus, she is gifted with the immediate consequences of his resurrection. Like Jesus, she moves through death, to life with God without bodily corruption. In Mary we are given the promise of our own future.

You might like to reflect on the Feast of the Assumption over the coming week.

I wonder what this feast day evokes in me?

I wonder what  it means to be transformed?

I wonder what it means to be raised up?

Information regarding Confirmation candidates and parents

On Thursday the 31st August 7pm at St Bede's School, there will be a Confirmation Faith Evening for parents and students who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

Candidates will need to attend the Commitment Mass on the weekend of the 2nd (Saturday 6pm Mass) OR 3rd September (Sunday 9am or 11am)

The  students will also take part in a Faith Reflection Day on Monday the 4th September.

Fr John's 40th Anniversary

As mentioned in the Community News, our Parish Priest, Fr John  Salvano will be celebrating 40 years of priesthood on the 20th August at the 11am Mass followed by  a light lunch. Everyone is welcome.

Have a lovely week

Bernadette