HONESTY

St Raphael's school value in Term 2 is HONESTY. To be honest is to have a quality, to being truthful, sincere and fair. Over the term every homeroom group will explore this value and work towards deepening their understanding of the term and help children demonstrate it in their everyday life and interactions with others.

MARY-OUR MOTHER

John 19:26-27 Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, this is your son”. Then to the disciple he said, “This is your mother’. And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

In the month of May as Christians we are asked to focus on Mary the Mother of God. We turn our hearts and minds to this special woman, saint, mother of all mothers, Mother of Jesus.

I would like to share with you some on the learning that is taking place in the 3/4 level that relates to Mary.

For centuries, the Catholic Church has set aside the entire month of May to honour Mary, Mother of God. Many parishes say the Rosary daily during May and have a special altar with a statue or picture of Mary as a reminder of Mary’s month.

God wanted Mary to be the mother of Jesus and she said Yes.

Mary’s yes made her the mother of Jesus and of God’s family, the Church.

Jesus gave us Mary to be our mother when he was dying on the cross.

After Jesus went to heaven, Mary stayed on Earth to take care of the Christian family. Later Mary went to heaven to live with Jesus and was taken up, body and soul, to be with her son. Mary takes care of us. She prays for us and asks Jesus to bless us. She helps us to be like Jesus so that we can live forever with Him.

The Rosary is a prayer to remind us that Mary’s son Jesus loved us very much. The rosary tells the story of Jesus’ life in four parts: The Joyful Mysteries, The Sorrowful Mysteries, The Glorious Mysteries and The Luminous Mysteries.

Each time we pray the rosary we should focus on Jesus’ life.

The Joyful Mysteries are about Jesus’ birth and his early life.

They start with Mary saying yes to God, the birth of Jesus and tells of Jesus as a young boy teaching adults about God.

The Sorrowful Mysteries teach us about the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross.

These mysteries retell the events of Holy Week that we reflect on during Easter. He died for our sins because he loved us so much.

The Glorious Mysteries tell us about Jesus’ resurrection from death and the glorious life that awaits us in heaven.

Jesus rose from the dead and later returned back to his father in heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit to Mary and the Apostles. Later Mary is taken, body & soul, to Heaven where Jesus crowns Mary queen of heaven and earth.

The Luminous Mysteries tell about when Jesus went out to the people to teach them about God. We hear about his baptism, first miracle, early teachings and when he gave us the first eucharist.

Mary is known by many titles. She is the patron saint of Australia and is known as Our Lady Help of Christians. Some of her other titles are: Saint Mary, Holy Mother of God, Mary Immaculate, Mother of Christ, Morning star, Star of the Sea, Queen of angels and Queen of peace.

Please take the time to pray the Rosary together at home as a family.

A copy of 'How to Pray the Rosary' has been provided for you.

Wishing all Mothers at St Raphael's a very Happy Mother's day.

Mother's Day Mass

Dear Families of Our St.Raphael's Community.

> You are invited to our 10:30 mass on Sunday 14 th May in celebration of Mother's Day .

> Father Benneth will bestow a special blessing to all Mothers.

Student Services

Parent Workshops $20 See flyers for details.

-Developing resilience in adolescent boys.

-Understanding and supporting children with anxiety.

-Coping with the stress of schooling.

-Developing resilience in girls.