The Season of Lent begins

The Season of Lent begins...

The season of Lent began this Wednesday, 17th February with Ash Wednesday.  Unfortunately, the students were unable to participate in Learning Community liturgies.  Instead we ask all families to take some time this week to pray and reflect on the suffering of Christ during this Lenten Season and also think about what it means to ‘be more’, through kind gestures like a smile, donations or a helping hand. Lent provides us with an opportunity to consider how we might help those in need.

Lent is a time for reflecting on our lives, for refocusing on God’s love for us, and God’s call to love and serve others, and it begins with Ash Wednesday. 

Lent is a time for renewal through:

Prayer

Fasting 

Giving

During Lent the word “Alleluia “ is not mentioned.   

Lent is commonly referred to as a 40 day period but there are actually 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Saturday. It is a time of preparation and prayer leading to the Easter Season. 

The number "40" has always had special spiritual significance regarding preparation. On Mount Sinai, preparing to receive the Ten Commandments, "Moses stayed there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights, without eating any food or drinking any water" (Ex 34:28). Elijah walked "40 days and 40 nights" to the mountain of the Lord, Mount Horeb (another name for Sinai) (I Kgs 19:8). Most importantly, Jesus fasted and prayed for "40 days and 40 nights" in the desert before He began His public ministry (Mt 4:2). 

Saunders, Rev. William. "History of Lent." Arlington Catholic Herald 

A Prayer for Lent in 2021:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5ipEDL7Qqk

Caritas Australia - Project Compassion

Lent marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Project Compassion appeal. Every year St Brendan’s Primary School works hard with the whole school community to help raise money for Caritas.

This year the theme of Project Compassion is “Be More”.

Donations collected for Project Compassion, by our school community, allows Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to alleviate poverty, hunger, oppression and injustice.

We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayers, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion.  When the students return on Thursday (fingers crossed!) Caritas boxes will be handed out to each family, going home with the oldest in the family.  If you require an extra box you can collect one from the front office.

Saint Oscar Romero is our inspiration for Project Compassion 2021, so in his words, let’s “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”