Faith

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and this will be celebrated with Mass at 10am on Wednesday 26th February, 2020 at St. Anthony's church.  

The forty-day Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Thursday evening with the Celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Lent is primarily the Church’s time of preparation for the Easter mystery. We remember and celebrate the crucified and risen Christ who sends the Holy Spirit. Lent is the penitential season of the Church – the time for purifying our lives from sin by prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lent recalls Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness as he prepared to proclaim the Good News.  

The colour of Lent is violet, the colour associated with humility. Lent is traditionally the season of preparation for Baptism. In the early Church it was the period when candidates for Christian Initiation fasted and prayed more intensely before their baptism at the Easter Vigil.  

The Season of Lent

Along with fasting and almsgiving, prayer is one of the key foundation stones of Lent. During Lent it is important to allow time for daily prayer (personal prayer or communal prayer), and perhaps an extended period of time at least once a week for quiet meditation.  The most important attitude in prayer is having a mindfulness of God. Prayer is a communion with God and does not really require words at all.

As Christians we are particularly mindful that building a just world involves standing in solidarity with the poor and oppressed and making a commitment to do something about poverty. 

Project Compassion

Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.  We, at St. Anthony's will be collecting for Project Compassion in our classrooms.  Please donate to this very worthy cause, if possible, every cent counts.  Your child can place any amount of money in the box provided in their classroom.  At the end of the Lenten season we will forward all proceeds to Caritas to be distributed to their special causes in Australia and overseas.

See the Caritas Website https://lent.caritas.org.au/ for more information.

Sacrament of First Reconciliation 

A reminder that the Sacrament of First Reconciliation will be celebrated at St Anthony's Church on Thursday 19th March, 2020 at 7pm to 8pm.  Year 3 candidates are preparing for this important celebration and commitment to their Catholic faith journey.

St Anthony of Padua Quote:

"Actions speak louder than words; Let your actions and words speak!"

God Bless,

Toni Dent

Religious Education Leader