Education in Faith

Sacramental News and Dates

Sacramental Levy

There is a $25 Sacramental Levy to cover the cost for:

•  a guest speaker to conduct a Parent and Child Workshop for each Sacrament.
• professionally made stoles. 
• a candle for children receiving reconciliation.
• children receiving First Eucharist and Confirmation to travel to St. Kevin’s Church for Reconciliation, Eucharist practice, and reflection day by bus.

This levy needs to be paid in full to the school in an envelope clearly indicating your child’s name, Home Group and name of Sacrament being received at the start of the year, before or on the day of your Family Workshop Session.

1st Sunday of Lent

Sin and temptation are the dominant themes of the readings for the first week of Lent. They are indeed regular themes in the season of Lent. However, the scripture passages throughout this season allow us the opportunity to think again about these themes and perhaps reconsider some traditional understandings of them.

The first reading and gospel give us two different insights on the notion of temptation. In the passage from Genesis, humanity is tempted to ignore the will of God and, when they surrender, they lose their innocence and become embarrassed by their nakedness. The temptation they are offered is to believe themselves above and beyond the will of God; to believe that they can judge as well as God; and to rise to an equal level of power and authority with God. Their action breaks the trusting, loving relationship between themselves and God. 

In the Gospel, Jesus too is confronted with similar temptations. Ultimately, the temptation that faces Jesus relates to his purpose and ministry – will he trust to God’s vision of the suffering servant who will bring about a change of heart in the people, or will he be the sort of Messiah that the people hoped for: a triumphant, glorious victor over all who stood in his way. He is tempted to break his self-imposed fasting, to test God’s promise of nurture and security, and to seek glory and personal power. While Adam and Eve surrender to temptation, Jesus holds fast to God’s vision.

The second reading from Paul ties the Genesis and Gospel readings together and injects the notion of sin into the equation. However, Paul make it perfectly clear that the sin of Adam, though carrying great consequences, pales in comparison to the extraordinary abundance of God’s love that is expressed through Jesus Christ.

Scriptural context – Trusting God

The testing and temptation of Jesus echoes the plight of the people of Israel as they wandered in the desert for forty years. They relied on God to provide them with food and protection and ultimately lead them into the land that was promised to them. They had to trust that God would deliver these things in God’s own time and way. Jesus is tempted to ignore God’s time and ways by seizing for himself food, protection and ownership of the land. The temptations of Jesus and the people of Israel are all about trusting God.

Have you thought? – An invitation

Lent is a season of invitation. It is an invitation to step into the desert with Jesus; to confront our own purpose and ministry and to renew our trust in God’s vision for the world and for us individually. Seen in this light, Lent is so much more than fasting from meat and giving up ice cream for a few weeks. The whole idea of fasting and sacrifice is an attempt to simplify our lives. Through simplifying our life and removing some of the daily distractions, we can share in the desert experience of Jesus and then truly celebrate the hope reborn in the Easter season.

Jesus is calling us all back into right relationship.

Discussion Starters

• Why did Jesus go into the wilderness?
• What did the devil try to tempt Jesus to do?
• What did Jesus say to the devil?
• 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 could you do in these next weeks of Lent?
• What might it mean that Jesus was ‘led by the Spirit out into the wilderness’?
• In what way can the temptations Jesus faced be seen as testing his trust in God?
• From where do you seek strength and support when your will and commitment are ‘tempted’?
• How can you become better aware of the way God calls you to live your life?
• Why might this gospel reading have been chosen for the Lenten season?
• What temptations do you face and how do you try to address them?
• When have you put trust in God to resolve a situation beyond your control?

God Bless

Rozeta Ambrose

rambrose@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

GRADE 5/6 SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM – MINI VINNIES

COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD

Our Community Spirit Award Competition updates for last week:

                        1st                    MacKillop        214

                        2nd                   Teresa              186

                        3rd                    Bosco              172

                        4th                    Patrick             158

Congratulations MacKillop!!! But it’s early days so come on Bosco, Teresa and Patrick!! Next week we also add the money that has been donated to Project Compassion for each house.

This week, the season of Lent started with Ash Wednesday, which also marked the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. 

The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues.  We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through prayer, fasting and almsgiving in support of Project Compassion. 

Each Learning Space and the Office has Project Compassion boxes decorated in the House colours. We are encouraging students and parents to donate to Caritas through their House box. Families that would like to take a project compassion box home can collect one from the office. They will need to be returned in the last week of school with your child’s house name on it if you would like the money you collect to go towards your child’s house points. 

Each week I will also add a link your family might like to watch together. This week’s link is an introduction to Project Compassion:

https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/school-film 

I am so glad the Mini Vinnies are back!! As you can see their first meeting back on Wednesday was very busy counting points, preparing and distributing the Project Compassion Boxes as well as putting up posters. Thank you Mini Vinnies.

Giuliana