NAIDOC Prayer for this week….. 

God of all wonder,  

We pause in the busyness of our days to listen deeply to the wisdom of this land and those who belong to it.  

May our minds be open to dialogue,  

May our hearts be open to transformation and  

May our hands do the work of reconciliation.  

We ask that the Spirit accompany us on our journey of healing on these lands, seas and waterways;  

We also ask the Spirit of peace be with all those who are living a life of fear, dispossession and distress.  

We make this prayer in the name of Jesus our brother and friend. Amen. 

Sunday’s Gospel- 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  

Please find shared in this week’s newsletter: the Sunday prayer at home which has some wonderful resources to unpack this week’s readings in a family friendly way.    

This week’s gospel reading is about the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids and addresses the situation of the Church as it awaits the return of its Lord. The early church was infused with the idea of ‘Christ will come again’ and lived in this constant state of hope. The key message from this Parable is to not get so caught up in the waiting and to ensure that we use our time wisely and profitably, so as to not be caught out when the time comes, whether it be our time of death of the return of Christ.  These wise words remind us of the importance of how we live every day in our lives, do we have the necessary ‘oil’ for salvation as we have lived our lives by the twin commandments of love of God and love for each other.  Inspiration for this reflection comes from commentary by Brendan Byrne, SJ.  

Mission Day 

On Friday, the students participated in a wonderful Mission Day. The students have spent their time learning about Catholic Mission and the important aspect of being a Catholic to give to those in need. This year due to COVID we decided on the importance to act with solidarity for Catholic Mission. This year we wore socks not to raise funds for Catholic Mission but to create awareness of the wonderful work the men and women of the church do to help those in need. The students learnt about some of the amazing works being carried at home and abroad by Catholic Mission. One of the key values of Social Justice Teachings is the importance of bringing Joy to peoples lives. JOY represents Jesus First, Others Second and Yourself last. On Friday, the students participated in a JOYFUL activity run by our amazing staff and assisted by our Year 6 leaders. The activities ranged from soap carving, dancing, book creators, sand art, guided drawing, team building, painting, and rock art. Each student got to choose the activity they wished to join. Please see some of the photos below of the wonderful day.  

Remembrance Day 

This Wednesday we will be hosting a short liturgy of the word before first break. The school will gather together as a community to stop and remember those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We will observe a minute silence while we reflect and pray for those Australian men and women who have served in war and peacekeeping activities. Remembrance Day does not glorify war- it honours the memory of all those who laid down their lives for Australia. As a mark of respect to those we served we will pray together.  

Wonders of Living Program 

In Week 7 we will be having our annual Wonders of Living Program for students in Years 1 to 6. A Parent Slip will be sent home this week with more details about the program and the Parent information sessions on Monday the 16th November.  Due to COVID regulations could you please express your interest in attending via the Parent Slip.  

Natural Fertility Services Cairns will return to our school on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th November, 2020 to present a Personal Development Program based on the “Wonder of Living” series.  NFS is a Catholic Diocesan Service and has been working in the area of age appropriate sexuality and relationship education for over twenty years from Tully to Thursday Island.  Their sexualities and relationships education school   program extends from Year 1 to Year 12. The program is values-based and family-orientated and has the full support of Bishop James Foley. 

The accredited Family Life Educators engage the students at an age appropriate level. All education is aimed at supporting parents and the education that happens within the family. Please feel free to contact the school should you wish to know more information about the program.   

May St Joseph smile on you,  

Meg Newell 

APRE/CST