Religious Education News
Ash Wednesday - Lent - Project Compassion
The season of Lent begins on Wednesday, 14 February 2024 with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is so called because ash, made by burning Palm crosses, is mixed with oil and used to make the sign of the cross on a person’s forehead.
Talk to your children about the meaning of Ash Wednesday. In the Old Testament, the ashes represented repentance. Ashes are a public sign that we desire to live in Christ and to follow Christ. The ashes also symbolise grief for our sins.
Lent is intended to be a time to renew and prepare ourselves to receive the fullness of the resurrection. Yet before there can be the joy and exuberance of new life, first there must be death - death to selfishness, death to mean-spiritedness, death to anything that serves ourselves rather than others. To prepare our minds and hearts for the joyous celebration of new life and energy of Easter, we can experience Lent as a kind-of spiritual makeover time. Personal pledges to forgo favourite foods, to fast, to give to charity and to extend our prayer time are simple and effective ways to re orientate our hearts towards life and love.
Lent is a significant period on the church calendar and at St Paul’s we will enter into the spirit of Lent in various ways. We will begin by celebrating Mass on Ash Wednesday for classes of Years 3 to 6. Our Kindergarten, Years 1 and 2 classes will attend a liturgy where they will receive the Ashes. On Thursday, 22 February 2024, we will celebrate by attending another liturgy to help us further focus on Lent. All classes will focus on a Lenten unit in their RE lessons. We will also be encouraging our students to support Project Compassion during Lent.
On Tuesday, 13 February 2024 two of our student leaders will accompany Mr Reardon and myself to attend the annual Caritas launch for Project Compassion. On St Patrick’s feast day, as it falls during Lent, we will ask students to wear something green with their uniform and bring an extra donation for Caritas.
Each class will receive a Project Compassion box to keep in their prayer spaces for the duration of Lent. This box serves as a reminder to us all to keep our brothers and sisters from around the world in our prayers and to think about what money we can go without in order to support them. Should you like to keep a Project Compassion box in your homes during Lent, these will be made available from the church. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. In support of Project Compassion, we are asking all students and staff to help us raise money and offer hope to the millions of families who fight for justice, peace and survival every single day.
The theme of Project Compassion 2024 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today, extends to impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues. We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through prayer, fasting and almsgiving in support of Project Compassion.
Embrace Project Compassion 2024.
A Lenten Prayer
Lord Jesus, desert dweller,
help us now, at this time of Lent, to accompany you.
As we walk, God, be our way.
As we learn, God, be our truth.
As we grow God, be our life.
We pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Maria Debrincat
Religious Education and Pastoral Care Coordinator