From the Religious Education Coordinator's Desk
LENT
This week I offer a prayer:
Creator God,
Sometimes I feel I can not face tomorrow, it is hard to keep going with such anxious thoughts running through my mind.
I ask for your peace to flood my being, that each moment I would surrender these worries, fears and anxieties to you.
I ask for your presence to walk with me through each part of my day, that I would not feel alone but know that I am loved.
And I ask for your strength to wake me each morning and keep me going. May I trust in you to see me through, lead me to calmer seas, balance and rest in heart, mind, body and soul.
You are all I need.
Amen.
APPIN MASSACRE
Remembering, Healing, Reconciliation
I ask that you take the time to read the account of the massacre that took place at Appin, April 17, 1816
And so we pray:
Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history so that we may build a better
future for our Nation.
Teach us to respect all cultures.
Teach us to care for our land and waters.
Help us to share justly the resources of this land.
Help us to bring about spiritual and social change to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities, especially the disadvantaged.
Help young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit.
May your power and love be the foundations on which we build our families, our communities and our Nation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS
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Sunday 5 April  Hosanna in the Highest
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6th week of Lent PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD Peter is devastated when he hears the crowing of the rooster. It is as if the rooster watched him, heard his denials of Jesus, and cried out for justice to be done. Imagine the earth witnessing and suffering with every act of injustice: the night stars seeing Judas betray Jesus, the grasses being crushed as Jesus falls to the ground carrying the cross, all the trees feeling the awful pounding of the nails of crucifixion, and the earthquake trembling when Jesus dies. Is this point of view far-fetched, or does it contain some truth? Can you imagine the organic planet at unrest with all the violence done to people and to nature? Or do you view most of nature as unfeeling, inanimate matter, more or less disconnected from us? So often we think it is ‘okay’ to do something if we ‘don’t get caught’. If you see that your decisions affect all of nature, how would it change the attitude of ‘try to get away with whatever you can’? |
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Sunday 12 April  Alleluia, Alleluia
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EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD Jesus’ tomb was empty. It had even been cleaned up. The linen burial cloths were folded and rolled up neatly. Everything was left in order and taken care of. Jesus was clearly finished with this grave. No more of this ‘death business’ for him. He left it totally behind, and was fully alive, never to know the sufferings of death again. Have you ever made a transition in life? Did you ever take a step and know that a part of your former life was totally behind you? What happened? How did you feel? Did you find yourself trying to take care of things or leave things in order in any way? Obviously Mary, Peter and the other disciple were close friends with one another and with Jesus. It is easy to picture the three of them running to the tomb together to be sure of what actually happened. Who are the Marys and Peters in your life? Have you ever hurried to get to some important place? Have you ever struggled with someone else to figure out what was really happening in an important situation that affected you or a friend of yours? What happened and how did that affect your relationship? |