Ash Wednesday Mass –The beginning of Lent

Last Wednesday, Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 celebrated Ash Wednesday with a liturgy of the word. Considering this was the first time many of the students had celebrated in the church as a school community, it was wonderful to witness their response and behaviour in the church. Years 3 to 6, celebrated mass with Father Victor. Father Victor congratulated the students for their outstanding reverence and beautiful singing. Well done to the staff for preparing our children so well for these celebrations. Thank you to our families for teaching the children the values of reverence and respect.

Ash Wednesday marks the commencement of the Lenten Season and culminates in the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. Lent is the forty days before Easter when we are encouraged to prepare ourselves to get closer to God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is a time for personal reflection as we find new opportunities to turn back to God. Lent is a wonderful opportunity to spring clean our lives and start anew.

Many of us will connect Lent with Project Compassion and donating money to help with projects around the world. We have placed a Project Compassion box in each classroom and we encourage the children to make some small contributions to help those in need. We also connect Lent with giving up something we enjoy, like chocolate. Making sacrifices is also an important part of Lent, we are called to come from a place of selfishness towards caring about and appreciating others and hopefully our lives will take on a meaning that is more about others than ourselves.

As a Catholic school community, we aim to engage our students with a faith inheritance which facilitates knowledge, commitment and behaviours that enable personal transformation.

Religious Education and Pastoral Care Coordinator
Maria Debrincat