Lent

Lent - Week 3

 “Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be Christ?”  John 4:29

This is the story of a woman who encountered Jesus at the well.  She comes to the well in the middle of the noon day heat so as to avoid the other women of her town for fear of encountering their judgment upon her, for she was a sinful woman.  At the well she encounters Jesus. Jesus speaks with her for a while and she is deeply touched by this casual but transforming conversation.

The first thing to note is that the very fact of Jesus speaking to her touched her.  She was a Samaritan woman and Jesus was a Jewish man.  Jewish men did not speak to Samaritan women.  But there was something more that Jesus said that deeply affected her.  As the woman herself tells us, He “told me everything I have done.” 

Reflect, today, upon the undeniable thirst that is within you.  Once you are aware of it, make the conscious choice to let Jesus satiate it with Living Water.  If you do this, you too will leave the many “jars” behind that never satisfy for very long.

Lord, You are the Living Water that my soul needs.  May I meet You in the heat of my day, in the trials of life, and in my shame and guilt.  May I encounter Your love, gentleness and acceptance in these moments, and may that Love become the source of my new life in You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

A Lenten Prayer

Fast from hurting words and say kind words,

Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude,

Fast from anger and be filled with patience,

Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope,

Fast from worries and trust in God,

Fast from complaints; contemplate simplicity,

Fast from pressures and be prayerful,

Fast from bitterness; fill your hearts with joy,

Fast from selfishness and be compassionate,

Fast from grudges and be reconciled,

Fast from words; be silent and listen.

Pope Francis

Reconciliation - Celebration of the Sacrament

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called penance or confession, is a Sacrament of the Catholic Church. It is a way for us to be forgiven of our sins, or things we do wrong. We are reconciled, or brought closer to God. This Sacrament heals our souls because our sins are taken away. It brings many graces, or blessings and good things, to those of us who receive the Sacrament. 

This week our Year 3 & 4 students celebrated their First Reconciliation. Fathers Eric, Giancarlo, Kevin and Harry celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation with our students and their families. Our students have now begun their journey where they have the opportunity to rebuild those relationships that are in need of repair.

We thank our wonderful families in helping with the preparation for and celebration of the Sacrament. 

Project Compassion

During Lent, at St. John Vianney's, we support the Project Compassion Campaign.  Perhaps your family could think about donating to help people in need in other countries.  

We do this because during Lent, we focus on three things:

* Praying

* Fasting or making a change on our lives and

* Giving to the poor.

Boxes have been distributed to the eldest in every family. At the beginning of Term 2, we will collect the boxes and families know how much has been raised by our school.

We will be helping those in need.  Caritas need your donations and help.

Hear from the CEO of Caritas