Family and Faith
News from our Family Educator - Ms Tracey Bowler
National Families Week
This week we celebrate National Families Week which is a great reminder for us to spend quality time with family members, to make contact with extended family and friends and to share in the enjoyment of family activities within the wider community. Pope Francis advises that “A happy family life requires frequent use of 3 phrases: May I? Thank you and I’m sorry. Never never never end the day without making peace”
The theme for National Families Week this year is “Living Real, Dreaming Big” celebrating families in all their diversity and promoting the capacities and resilience of families in creating strong, safe and connected communities. This week the students will receive promotional materials to mark the occasion. So over to you … what are you planning to celebrate Families Week?
Heavenly Father,
Please bless our family with your love and protect us from harm.
Give us grace to forgive others, strength to overcome the difficulties we face, and keep us together when situations or people try to pull us apart.
May your family unit be a model to us always of what it means
to be truly family.
Amen
Family Meal Times
Some families enjoy dining together as a family most nights. In other homes, it will be less frequent due to children’s activities, parents travelling, etc. I invite you to take from this what is right for you and your family.
Here are a few ideas:
- Turn off the TV and computer
- With the help of the children, set the table - maybe use the special cutlery or dinner set. Maybe some of the younger children can graduate to crockery instead of their usual plastic or melamine for these special occasions.
- Ask the children to decorate the table with some flowers from the garden, remembering that ‘weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them’ (or so said Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh)
- Parent/carer to light a candle. “Jesus is the light of the world”
- Begin by saying grace. You might like to all say it together. You might choose to take turns leading it, even the very young members of the family. You might like to use a prepared prayer or you might like to make up your own. Simply thank God for the things for which you are grateful.
- Wise people have various suggestions for debriefing the day across dinner. Such things as:
- What was the best thing that happened to you today? How did that make you feel?
- What was one thing you learned today? Or What was one act of kindness that you did or noticed someone else do today?
- The idea is to make sure everyone gets heard and to help children process their experiences.
More ideas.....
- Play a game of soccer, footy, cricket or bocce in the local park
- Make dinner together
- Go for a walk after dinner with the dog
- Play a board game or card game
- Watch a movie or read a book together
- Set up a family prayer space including some of your special things – flowers from the garden, favourite toys, rosary beads, pictures of family members.
- Go out for a meal and chat about the day’s happenings
- Plant a Mary Garden for the month of May
- Have a picnic in the backyard
- Go to Mass and pray as a family
MOTHER’S DAY MERCY CUP
- Thank you to the families who participated in the Mother’s Day Mercy Cup activity. It was a big hit! Great to see lots of dads too!
Family Mass - Pentecost - The Church is Having A Birthday!
The next Family Mass will be on Saturday 27th May at 5.30pm with Year 6 once again leading us in prayer in the celebration of Pentecost which concludes the Season of Easter. It is the birthday of the Catholic Church and you’re invited to celebrate this important event. We need volunteers to sing in the Choir to help us make this Mass a joyful one. Let me know if you would like to volunteer and a Mercy card will be coming your way!
At Family Mass EVERYONE is invited.
Fatima Friends
We had lots of fun last Friday painting symbols of new life. Check out the great photos! This Friday we are having free play. Pre - schoolers, toddlers and babies with their parents or carers are all welcome to Friday Fatima Friends at 9.10am after Prayer Assembly!
Wishing all our families a wonderful week celebrating love, quality family time and fun!
Tracey Bowler | Family Educator