R.E. News

Forgiveness and Healing

In the RE units for the remainder of this term, the students will be exploring the concept of “Forgiveness and Healing”. They will be learning about how God protects them and forgives them and how they can forgive others and rebuild friendships and relationships. Through Bible stories, they identify ways God, in the Old Testament (e.g. The Story of David) showed love and protection for His People. In the Gospels, Jesus showed forgiveness through His actions and by telling parables that demonstrate forgiveness and healing, and how to accept forgiveness (e.g. The Ten Lepers, The Forgiving Father). The students will relate actions of forgiveness and “making up” to their own experiences and the choices they are required to make. 

R.E. Topics for the next four weeks are:

Foundation: Protected by God

Year 1: Love One Another 

Year 2: God Loves Us – No Matter What

Year 3/4: Making Choices

Year 5/6: Be Compassionate, Choose Justice 

Feasts and Events

Feast of the Assumption – 15th August

On Thursday 15th August, the Church celebrated the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady when according to our faith, the Holy Mother, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”. Although defined as an article of faith by Pope Pius XII just over half a century ago, the Assumption of Our Lady into heaven has been accepted from back to the earliest of Christian times.

The Assumption signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. While the bodies of both Jesus and Mary are now in heaven, there is a difference between the Assumption and the Resurrection. Where Jesus arose from the tomb and ascended into heaven by his own power, Mary’s body was taken up to heaven by the power of her Son. For this reason, we use different words to describe each event. One is the Ascension of Christ and the other, the Assumption of Mary. (The Catholic Weekly, Staff Writers, August 12, 2011)

Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 22nd August

August 22nd is the Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pope Pius XII established the Feast of the Queenship of Mary to be celebrated throughout the world. Catholic Tradition holds that once Mary, the Mother of God was assumed into heaven at the end of her earthy life, she was then crowned as Queen of both Heaven and Earth to reign alongside her Son, the King. This is why the two events in Mary's life are side by side in the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

Prayer During This Time of Uncertainty

Let us pray the prayer (adapted from a radio message by Rodolfo Valenzuela Núñez, Bishop of La Verapaz, Guatemala):

Dear Lord,

At this time of the pandemic,

Let us foster respect and solidarity with others, especially those who are weak or poor.

Let us remain calm and ignore unsubstantiated rumours.

Let us take advantage of living together as a family.

Let us attend to moments of prayer.

Let us cultivate responsibility, patience and hope.

Amen.

Margaret Cronin

Religious Education Leader