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Our Lady Help of Christians
This Sunday 24 May is the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia. This Feast Day has been celebrated in Australia since 1844. The early church in Australia had a special reason for turning to Mary: it was largely through the saying of the Rosary that early Australian Catholics kept the faith alive as no priests were sent to the colony, and until 1820 Mass was not allowed, with the exception of a brief period in 1803-1804.
Under normal circumstances we would hold a Prayer Assembly to mark the Feast; instead, a simultaneous prayer will be held throughout the school on Monday morning.
Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians:
Almighty God, deepen in our hearts
our love of Mary Help of Christians.
Through her prayers and under her protection,
may the light of Christ shine over our land.
May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.
Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Bless especially the men and women
of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Laudato Si Week
May 24 also marks the fifth anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, which inspired our school theme for 2020. Catholics the world over have been invited to think about and undertake a shared commitment to help build and strengthen constructive attitudes aimed at caring for Creation. The Pope’s message can be viewed here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-francis-laudato-si-week.html
Mobile Phones and Smart Watches Reminder
Many families provide a mobile telephone for their child for safety reasons, especially when travelling to and from school independently. Mobile telephones are not to be used during the school day, and we ask that students leave them for safekeeping at the school office, to be collected at 3:10pm. Developments in technology have seen a variety of phone-enabled watches now available on the market; if families choose to provide one of these for their child the same policy applies: telephones are not to be used during the school day and we ask that they be left at the office for safekeeping or set to school-mode (telephone/messages disabled) during school hours. Telephones used during school hours, including watches, will be confiscated.
May God’s peace be in your families,
GOSPEL: John 14:15-21
If you love me you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth whom the world can never accept since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you. I shall not leave you orphans; I shall come to you. In a short time the world will no longer see me; but you will see that I live and you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.'
REFLECTION
In his ‘Farewell Speech' at the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus prepares them not only for his departure from this world, but also for the reception of the Holy Spirit. In this week’s gospel text, Jesus, after repeating his favourite theme of ‘loving one another,’ promises them ‘another Paraclete’ or Advocate besides himself to remain with them forever, and emphasizes the intimate unity between him, the Father and the disciples. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ words about loving his Father are closely associated with doing his will and obeying him. Similarly, faithfulness or obedience to Jesus’ words is a sign of a disciple’s love for him as well as the hallmark of discipleship. That is why he tells his disciples that loving him also involves obeying his commandments.
In today’s gospel text, we get the impression that the Holy Spirit will not come if Jesus will not depart from this world. That is why he calls the Holy Spirit not as the Paraclete, but rather as ANOTHER Paraclete.
This word ‘Paraclete’ means one who is called to one’s side as a helper when the person who calls him is in trouble, distress or doubt. It can refer to a person who comes to the help of someone in times of danger or adversity. It can also mean a lawyer (as in a case in the court) who fights your case on your behalf. Further, it can mean a defender to stand by your side. There are various translations for this word such as Counsellor, Advocate, Comforter, Consoler and Helper. Each word connotes different aspects of what the Holy Spirit does by continuing Jesus’ divine presence in the world, namely giving comfort, counsel, or strength in time of need.
Just like Jesus, the Paraclete is the Father’s gift of love for the disciples, and just as Jesus himself is the truth, the Paraclete is the Spirit of truth (14:17). Just as Jesus came to bear testimony to the truth (18:37), the Holy Spirit is now in his place to do the same. Since Jesus himself is the truth, bearing testimony to the truth is the same as bearing witness to Jesus, or to the revelation of God as given by Jesus. He says that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth because it neither sees nor knows him.
This week’s gospel prepares us for the forthcoming feast of Pentecost by reminding us of the promise of Jesus to continue his powerful, permanent and personal presence in our midst through the Holy Spirit. First of all, the best way to prepare for this feast is to remain faithfully obedient to Jesus’ commandments. In today’s gospel Jesus invites us to love him by obeying his commandments. His number one commandment is to practice the type of love with which he loved his disciples within our own community of believers. To love one another as Jesus loved precisely means to heal, feed, serve, share, care for, self-sacrifice and forgive others as he did. If we say that we love Jesus, we are called to prove our love for him by choosing to love as he loved. The question is whether we consciously try to choose (by making a decision of the mind) to serve, care for, make self-sacrifice and forgive as Jesus did when our mind is not inclined to do so?
Jesus willed that there should be a special quality of love for “one another” within the Christian community so that their love may become a witness to the world to recognize his presence in them. This special quality of love among us makes us worthy to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of love and life – promised by Jesus. If the people of the world notice petty bickering, infighting, linguistic/ ethnic/ racial/ caste conflicts, divisions and open fights within the Christian community, it is shameful to say that we are Christ’s followers to people of other faiths. If this happens how can we say that the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and in our Christian community? People will know that we are Christians not by our love but by our fight. Therefore, as we prepare ourselves for Pentecost, this week’s gospel invites us to examine the quality of our love, so that we become worthy temples of the Holy Spirit.
MASS SERVICES
Whilst we are still unable to physically attend mass, I would like to remind everyone that the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn will continue to broadcast mass each day so that we can listen in and participate in the celebration.
Resource URL: https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/
St Augustine's Parish is also delivering a Liturgy of the Word each Sunday. To participate in this, could you please forward your email to the Parish Office: yass@cg.org.au and they will email you a link to join the service.
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
This Sunday we celebrate the feast day to Mary Help of Christians.
The feast day to Mary Help of Christians has been celebrated in Australia since 1844 but the history to this day dates back to the start of the 1800’s.
Napoleon Bonaparte had jailed Pius VI who died in jail. When Pope Pius VII was elected he too was jailed by Bonaparte, who kept him prisoner at Fontainbleau.
The Holy Father vowed to God that if he were restored to the Roman See, he would institute a special feast in honour of Mary.
The military eventually forced Bonaparte to release the Pope and on 24 May 1814, Pius VII returned in triumph to Rome.
Twelve months later the Pope decreed that the feast of Mary Help of Christians be kept on 24 May.
The infant church in Australia had a special reason for turning to Mary. No priests were sent to the colony in its early days and Mass was not allowed except for one brief year until 1820. It was largely the Rosary in those early days that kept the faith alive.
Catholic Australia remained faithful to Mary and was the first nation to choose her under the title Help of Christians, as principal Patroness.
St Mary’s Cathedral was dedicated in her honour by the Irish pioneer priest, Fr John Therry, who arrived in Sydney in 1820 and assumed responsibility for the planning and initial construction of the Cathedral.
When Australia became the first country to have Mary Help of Christians as Patroness, it became the first country to have a mother-cathedral under the same title. https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/24-may-our-lady-help-of-christians/
PRAYER FOR MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
Mary Help of Christians patroness of Australia and of the Military Ordinariate
Almighty God, deepen in our hearts
our love of Mary Help of Christians.
Through her prayers and under her protection,
may the light of Christ shine over our land.
May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.
Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Bless especially the men and women
of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
LAUDATO SI WEEK
Addressing his viewers and listeners during the midday Regina Caeli prayer on Sunday, May 17, Pope Francis announced the start of the “Laudato Sì” Week across the world that will conclude on the anniversary day, Sunday, May 24.
“In these times of the pandemic, in which we are more aware of the importance of care for our common home,” he said, “I hope that all the common reflection and commitment may help to create and strengthen constructive attitudes for the care of creation.” https://www.vaticannews.va/en
Please take a moment to listen to Pope Francis: https://safeYouTube.net/w/WVbG
Laudato Si’ Week honors the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home. The theme of the week is “everything is connected.”
This week launches a year-long journey of transformation, as we grow through the crisis of the current moment by praying, reflecting, and preparing together for a better world to come tomorrow.
Following Pope Francis’ invitation to join Laudato Si’ Week, Catholics everywhere will reflect and prepare for action 16-24 May.
We’ll put our preparation into action during the Season of Creation this September, when Pope Francis has invited Catholics to pray and act for our common home. https://laudatosiweek.org/
God Bless,
Warren Ziebowski
Religious Education Coordinator
Northern Region Swimming Award Presentation
Congratulations to all the students who participated at the Northern Region Swimming Carnival earlier this year.
A very big congratulations to Neve Luckie who was awarded the Northern region Intermediate Girls Age Champion.
National Simultaneous Storytime 2020
At Mt Carmel School we will be celebrating this event next Wednesday 27th May at 11.00am.
National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 20th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.
National Simultaneous Storytime aims to:
- promote the value of reading and literacy,
- promote the value and fun of books,
- promote an Australian writer and publisher,
- promote storytime activities in public libraries and communities around the country,
- and provide opportunities to involve parents, grandparents, the media and others to participate in and enjoy the occasion.
"Whitney and Britney are two gorgeous chooks who live alongside Dora von Dooze. But Dora is perplexed - why do her dear chickens seem to sleep all day long? Dora decides to snoop. She follows the chooks out at night to the local jazz club where she discovers, to her amazement, that they are Whitney and Britney: Chicken Divas!"
- Written and Illustrated By: Lucinda Gifford
- Published By: Scholastic Australia
Ev Turner
Teacher / Librarian
The Mt Carmel School Uniform Shop is open each Tuesday afternoon between 2.30pm– 4.00pm during school terms.
Ordering Options - Uniform orders can be placed online via Qkr! or by order form, which can be collected and paid for from the front office.
All Qkr! orders placed before 2pm each Tuesday will be bundled up and sent home with your child on Wednesday afternoon.
Please note that if the incorrect size/item is ordered or the size selected does not fit correctly, please return the item along with a note regarding changes required and the correct size/item can be sent home.
Trinity Catholic College - Year 7 2021 Parent Information Session - Today at 5pm
An online Year 7 2021 Parent Information Session will be held via ZOOM tonight, Wednesday 20 May from 5.00pm – 6.00pm.
If you wish to attend this online session, please register/buy tickets at the below link.
https://events.humanitix.com/trinity-college-goulburn-or-year-7-2021-parent-information-live-stream
Daramalan College Tours - Year 7 2021
Due to the Covid19 restrictions we were unable to conduct our Open Evening or Try Dara Days for prospective parents and students for Year 7 2021.
Now as some restrictions have been eased, we are in a position to offer a limited number of small group tours. The tours will be limited to a maximum of 3 people from the one family and 10 people in total in a group. In fairness to students who have missed out on the Try Days and Open Evening we are only making the tours available to prospective students for Year 7, 2021.
Tours for other year groups, 8-12 2021, may be undertaken later in the year. For students in Year 7 2022 and beyond we hope that normal enrolment services, tours and Try Dara Days will return to normal from 2021.
For current parents we ask that you do not take advantage of these tours at this time unless you are genuinely unsure of your student attending in 2021. There may be an opportunity for siblings of current students to view the school later in the year.
Tour dates and times available are listed below:
Thursday May 21 - 11am or 2pm
Friday May 15 - 11am
Bookings are essential and can be made by emailing enrolments@daramalan.act.edu.au or by phone on 6245 6348.
St John Paul II College - School Tours Available
If you would like to take a virtual tour with the College Leaders, please click here.
Enrolment information is available at the following link https://www.jpc.act.edu.au/enrolments/.