Religious Education
'Religious Education enables learners to encounter God in their lives and to articulate what this means, in an environment that welcomes multicultural and multi-faith world views.'
Education in Faith - Advent
Advent is the first season of the Church year. It is a special time of waiting as we get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The word Advent comes from the Latin 'adventus' which means 'arrival' or 'coming'. It is a time of waiting and preparing. You might ask, “Who are we waiting for?”
Jesus
As a school we gather together to celebrate advent on a Friday, we listen to God’s word, sing and light the candles on the Advent wreath. Each of the candles have a special significance.
The candles act as reminders to us:
- The first candle is the candle of 'Hope', so prayers on this day focus on hope. This candle represents the 'Patriarchs' such as Abraham and David.
- The second candle is a symbol of God's 'Peace'. This candle reminds Christians of the Prophets who foretold that the Messiah would be born.
- The third candle represents 'Love' and stands for John the Baptist who baptised Jesus.
- The fourth candle symbolises 'Joy' and when this candle is lit Christians remember Mary the mother of Jesus who was joyful when the angel Gabriel told her she was to have a special baby.
All are welcome to attend the Advent celebrations
Friday 25th November: First Week of Advent-Theme ‘The Patriarchs’ presented by Prep
Friday 2nd December: Second Week of Advent-Theme ‘The Prophets’ presented by Year 1/2
Friday 9th December: Third Week of Advent-Theme ‘John the Baptist’ presented by Year 3/4
Friday 16th December: Fourth Week of Advent-Theme ‘Mary and Joseph’ presented as part of the Graduation Mass at 12:30pm in the Church.
In the classrooms the students learning about Advent will be through the Jesse tree.
The Jesse tree helps us connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events leading to Jesus’ birth.
The Jesse tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Jesse was the father of King David. We adorn a Jesse tree with illustrated ornaments that represent the people, prophesies, and events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The ornaments of the Jesse tree tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history.
https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/advent/the-jesse-tree
Alicia Baker
Religious Education Leader