Religious Education
Pope Francis Prayer focus for April
Let us pray for Health Care Workers who serve the sick and the elderly, especially in the poorest countries; may they be adequately supported by governments and local communities. Amen
Fifth Sunday of Lent Meditation—Pushing On https://www.catholicculture.org/
Now we come to the solemn weeks of Passiontide. Swiftly, swiftly go the days, and in this final stretch of Lent the devil is very busy. He gets busier and busier. The Gospel of the first Sunday said that the devil left our dear Lord “until an opportune time” (Lk 4:13). The devil is full of diabolical zeal to push on quickly to what he wants to have. What does he want? It is that we should be despondent, that we should feel, “Oh, what is the use?” after all the misspent graces of this Lent, all the things that seem to be going wrong. Knowing that, God inspired the Apostle to exhort us in today’s Second Reading to strain forward. I like the old translation which said “push on” (see Phil 3:13). Not “walk on” or “run on”, but push, which means to put the things that are in your way out of the way. Let us in our meditation and our prayer this coming week see what we need to push out of the way.
What is impeding our swiftly moving toward a deeper union with our crucified Lord than ever before? What do we need to push out of the way? It is usually not polite to push people or things out of our way. But spiritually that is what I should do when the interior obstacles are impeding me from moving swiftly: give them one good push that will send them reeling. There is just one person to whom I need to give a good push—myself and my attachment to myself. Let’s be very “pushy” in this week. We do not usually use that colloquial word in a very pleasant way; but in the way I am speaking now, out of the love and the eagerness of my heart, it is different. In this way it is wonderful to be really “pushy”.
Isaiah is telling us that we are a people that God formed for himself so that we might announce his praise (see Is 43:21). When, with the strength of grace, we have pushed out of our way what does not belong there, what impedes our progress into the heart of Jesus, then we can each of us be the person that he formed for himself to announce his praise. We can announce it in so many ways to one another. Every act of virtue, every smile, every act of love, every act of mercy and forgiveness announces his praise, because it is all due to him. We can do nothing good of ourselves. But “I can do all things him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Every good thing that I allow his grace to achieve in me announces his praise.
I announce his praise and show what his mercy can achieve, what his grace can do, by my humility and my thankfulness in being forgiven, my joy in being allowed to go on living, my wonder that God has not wiped me out yet! God has not given up on me.
Again in Philippians, Saint Paul tells us “to know him and the power of his resurrection and [the] sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death” (Phil 3:10, NAB); or, in another translation, “by being formed into the pattern of his death”. His death leads to his Resurrection, and our own little deaths united with his can lead to our resurrection. We have to be formed in that pattern of his death and rising. What is that pattern? It is a pattern that keeps repeating the motif. He forgives, and then he forgives again. He shows mercy, and then he shows mercy again and again. He places his hope in us, and, despite all our counter-evidence, he hopes and hopes again. Despite our poor response to his love, he loves and loves again, on and on and on. This is his pattern. We can only push on in his pattern of death and rising, that pattern of mercy, of forgiving, of hoping, and of loving.—Mother Mary Francis, A Time of Renewal
Mass
Due to the current Covid situation Father has asked that the school have Liturgies in the classrooms. Teachers will be holding Liturgies outside, weather permitting, we would love you to attend as long as they are outside.
SACRAMENTS 2022
The Sacramental Program will go ahead as a school based program this year. This means that students will be prepared in the classrooms.
Reconciliation evening - Tuesday 5 April
RECONCILIATION
By 1 April: Workbooks to be returned to school for correction.
5 April: First Reconciliation at St Anne's Church at 7pm.
First Eucharist - Weekend of 4 and 5 of June
Confirmation - Sunday 23 October
STOLES FOR SACRAMENTS
A Stole is to be worn during the Sacraments. The Stole can be individual to the child or a family Stole. The Stole can be hand made or purchased through our supplier.
HOLY BEGINNINGS supplies the Stoles for the Parish. An order form will be sent home with children.
To order these you can contact Anita and pay for the Stoles via direct deposit.
ANZ bank
Anita M Hughes
BSB 013-593
Account no. 322691326
Please put child’s full name in the details.
HOLY BEGINNINGS can be contacted directly if you wish to order your stole independently.
Anita 0450 782 558