{"id":6744,"date":"2023-06-02T13:14:45","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T03:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mscw\/?post_type=article&p=6744"},"modified":"2023-06-02T13:14:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T03:14:45","slug":"from-the-religious-education-coordinator-48","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mscw\/article\/from-the-religious-education-coordinator-48\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Religious Education Coordinator"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our Church \u2026\u2026<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n

PENTECOST<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Pentecost is a Christian holiday, observed on the seventh Sunday after Easter, that celebrates the blessing of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and\"\" other followers of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (<\/span>Acts 2:1-31<\/span><\/a>). The day of Pentecost is known in the Christian Church as the day on which the Spirit descended upon the apostles. Guided by Peter’s preaching, many thousands were converted in Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why do Christians celebrate Pentecost?<\/b><\/div>\n
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\u201cModern Christians observe Pentecost as a holiday, not to celebrate a wheat harvest, but to remember when the Holy Spirit invaded the Church in <\/span>Acts 2<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

https:\/\/www.christianity.com\/jesus\/early-church-history\/pentecost\/where-did-pentecost-come-from.html<\/a><\/p>\n

The description states that, after Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus\u2019 followers were gathered together for the Feast of Harvest (aka Pentecost), and the Holy Spirit \u201cfilled the whole house where they were sitting\u201d. \u201cAll of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them\u201d. This unusual event drew a large crowd, and Peter stood up to speak to them about repentance and the gospel of Christ. By the end of the day that the Holy Spirit came, the Church grew by 3,000 people. This is why Christians still celebrate Pentecost.<\/span><\/p>\n

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THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY<\/i><\/b><\/h5>\n

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Every <\/span>31st of May<\/span><\/a>, members of the Catholic Church celebrate the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It\u2019s a commemoration of the blessed mother\u2019s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, why does an event that took place thousands of years ago merits a celebration today? What is the significance of visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (aside from it being a mystery of the rosary)?<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we answer that, let\u2019s first refresh our knowledge on what transpired during this visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Happened During Mary\u2019s Visit To Elizabeth?<\/b><\/em><\/h5>\n

It all started during the Annunciation \u2013 a story most of us are very familiar with. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that she will be carrying the son of God in her womb and she is to call him Jesus. The angel greeted her with the words:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women!\u201d (<\/span>Luke 1:28<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

We know what happened after that. Mary humbly accepted God\u2019s will and her fiat is one of the greatest Bible stories of all time. This is why many people tend to forget that the angel also bared another news to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

The angel also told the Blessed Virgin that her cousin, Elizabeth, who at that time was already well past her childbearing years, is pregnant. This child would grow up to be Christ\u2019s forerunner, Saint John the Baptist. Upon hearing this, Mary hurriedly traveled from Nazareth to Judah to visit her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elizabeth was already in her sixth month of pregnancy when Mary visited. She greeted her cousin as soon as she set foot at her house. At the sound of her voice, the baby inside Elizabeth\u2019s womb leaped and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary stayed 3 months and went back to her hometown just before Elizabeth\u2019s son was born.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Significance of the Visitation of Mary<\/b><\/em><\/h5>\n

When the baby inside Elizabeth\u2019s womb leaped upon hearing Mary\u2019s voice, the movement was no ordinary move. From the moment John the Baptist was conceived, the angel already told Zechariah (Elizabeth\u2019s husband) that the Holy Spirit would fill his son even from his mother\u2019s womb.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.\u201d (<\/span><\/i>Luke 1:15<\/span><\/i><\/a>)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

This is the significance of Mary\u2019s visit to Elizabeth. John\u2019s movement inside his mother\u2019s womb signifies that he recognized the divine presence of the Son of God. It confirms what the angel has told Mary \u2013 that the baby in her womb is the savior promised in the old scriptures. John leapt out of joy because, at that moment, God\u2019s divine grace filled him and he was cleansed from the stain of original sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Elizabeth told her cousin that she is the most blessed among women, that\u2019s because she knew Mary was chosen for a special purpose. She is to be the Mother of God \u2013 the woman who will make salvation possible. Without her fiat, God\u2019s plans wouldn\u2019t come to fruition. And by accepting God\u2019s will, she has become a Mediatrix between God and men.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re familiar with the Blessed Virgin\u2019s litany, one of the invocations is the ark of the covenant. In the bible, the ark of the covenant is a symbol of faith and God\u2019s presence. Just like the ark, Mary is a reminder of God\u2019s presence. Her complete surrender to God\u2019s will makes her a model of faith among Christians. And just as David danced around the ark, John leapt at the sound of her voice because he knew that God\u2019s promise was finally fulfilled.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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WHAT DOES IS MEAN TO BE CATHOLIC?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Anthony Cleary, The Director of Mission and Identity at Sydney Catholic Schools\u00a0 shares his article in the latest edition of Catholic weekly<\/span><\/p>\n

Anthony Cleary: \u2018What does it mean to be Catholic?\u2019<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In our Curriculum\u2026\u2026<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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YEAR 12 EXCURSION TO THE EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On Monday the 29th, Year 12 Studies Of Religion students Studies in Catholic Thought students had the wonderful opportunity to visit The Emanuel Synagogue at Woollahra. Bronte Fisher, Zara Chand and Jaimie Woo from Year 12 have written the following article describing their experience at the excursion:\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

We spent the morning expanding on the knowledge stemming from our study of Judaism, and within this, synagogue services. Rabbi, Sam Zwarenstein, spoke to us about the significance of the Torah, the different variants of Judaism, and his personal experience of growing up as a conservative Jew.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When entering the beautiful synagogue we were able to identify the specific symbols and features. Initially, we saw the \u2018tzitzit\u2019 which are the fringes or tassels worn on traditional or ceremonial garments by Jewish men as reminders of the commandments. In the center of the room we saw the \u2018Sefirot\u2019, the Tree of Life, which represents the manner in which consciousness expresses itself in creation. Moreover, we observed the Torah ark facing the north, towards Jerusalem as they do in all synagogues in the Southern Hemisphere. The progressive stream of Judaism was embodied through the inscriptions on the synagogue walls which had both Hebrew scripture and the English translations. Having these inscriptions on the walls welcomes all individuals, not just adherents of Judaism, therefore showing the progressive nature of Emanuel Synagogue. At the end, we were gifted the opportunity to see and touch the back of the Torah, which inscribes the Hebrew teaching, direction, guidance, and law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a very informative and sacred experience, to see the Jewish synagogue and deepen our knowledge on our study of Judaism in Studies Of Religion. Visiting Emanuel synagogue was an eye-opening experience which enabled Year 12 to embrace the dynamic Jewish congregation committed to the Hebrew tradition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n