EASTER – the Season of new life (April 17 - May 29)

We continue to celebrate the most important Church season of Easter for the next four weeks. We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection – and the NEW LIFE in heaven Jesus won for us by dying on the cross. To say "I believe in Jesus Christ ... who rose from the dead," is to say I believe that the Resurrection goes on and on and on forever. Just as death could not hold Jesus, we now too can live in hope that death will not be the end for us.

During this Easter season we remember that Jesus was God living among us as one of us – fully human – and that he came to show us a better way to live… with love, hope, mercy, compassion, peace and justice - even in the midst of pain, death and sorrow. There are many recent YouTube clips of hundreds of Ukrainian Christians gathering to celebrate Easter Mass in the shadow of war. A particularly moving hymn was sung by a choir gathered to celebrate their faith in Jesus’ resurrection and a God who brings love, joy and peace even in the worst circumstances. Their faces radiated inner joy and peace as they sang ‘Alleluia. You are Lord, God Almighty’

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁸ I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans)

An Easter Prayer

Jesus, who suffered and died for me,

help me to understand that in every life,

something good fails, something great ends,

it may seem like an abandonment by God.

May we know that your rising from the dead is a sign to us

that every one of these “little deaths” is life becoming new all over again.

Risen Lord, you keep calling my name and meeting me in the garden of my life,

May I hear your voice, allowing me to feel loved, blessed and cherished.

Comfort and strengthen me with Your holy, peaceful presence

Help me to carry your risen presence with me, wherever I go and to whomever I meet.

Amen

Next week is CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is an annual celebration of Catholic education. This year, St Mary’s joins with 1755 Catholic schools across the country to celebrate over 200 years of Catholic education in Australia.

The core purpose of Catholic education is to form our students spiritually, academically, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially, to enable them to make a meaningful contribution to a world that is rapidly changing to educated. Catholic schools strive to empower students to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and actively strive to create a better world.

OUR SCHOOL MOTTO, MISSION and VALUES sum up our purpose…

Jesus Christ calls us as an inclusive community to live our faith, engage in quality learning and enrich our world for the future.

Following in the footsteps of our founders, the Sisters of Mercy, Together As One in Truth and Knowledge we are:

• Jesus’ hands - offering SERVICE to others
• Jesus’ eyes - seeing the needs of others with COMPASSION
• Jesus’ heart - sharing RESPECT for everyone
• Jesus’ feet - walking the road of JUSTICE
• Jesus’ mind - persevering and striving for EXCELLENCE

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Catholic School’s Week and Mothers’ Day Mass

All are welcome to join us for Mass next Thursday in St Mary’s Church at 12pm to celebrate catholic Schools’ Week and to honour our precious mothers.