{"id":7273,"date":"2023-07-28T13:38:38","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T03:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mscw\/?post_type=article&p=7273"},"modified":"2023-07-31T10:41:39","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T00:41:39","slug":"from-the-religious-education-coordinator-51","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mscw\/article\/from-the-religious-education-coordinator-51\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Religious Education Coordinator"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In our Church \u2026\u2026<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
Saints Joachim and Anne<\/i><\/b><\/h5>\n

\"\"<\/a>On 26<\/span>\u00a0July, The Church celebrated the life of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, Jesus\u2019 grandparents- Mary\u2019s parents. In the Scriptures, Matthew and Luke furnish a legal family history of Jesus, tracing ancestry to show that Jesus is the culmination of great promises. Not only is his mother\u2019s family neglected, we also know nothing factual about them except that they existed. Even the names \u201cJoachim\u201d\u00a0and \u201cAnne\u201d\u00a0come from a legendary source written more than a century after Jesus died.<\/span><\/p>\n

The strong character of Mary in making decisions, her continuous practice of prayer, her devotion to the laws of her faith, her steadiness at moments of crisis, and her devotion to her relatives\u2014all indicate a close-knit, loving family that looked forward to the next generation even while retaining the best of the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

We believe that Jesus is truly God and truly human, and this feast of his grandparents is a testimony to that faith. While the names Joachim and Anne may be legendary, we know that Jesus had grandparents in the parents of Mary (as well as those of Saint Joseph). Our God truly became human and lived among us. <\/span>(taken from <\/span>https:\/\/www.franciscanmedia.org\/saint-of-the-day\/saints-joachim-and-anne<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, 23 July<\/i><\/b><\/h5>\n

\"\"<\/a>Pope Francis decided in 2021 to institute a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. <\/span>He was moved to establish it not just because of the importance of grandparents and the elderly, a theme on which he has often spoken, but particularly because of the neglect and isolation so many grandparents and seniors experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions, nursing-home policies and fear for their safety prevented their being visited and embraced by their loved ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pope Francis hopes that, on this day, grandchildren will visit their grandparents, perhaps even sharing with them a copy of his letter, and that parish families will have special Masses thanking God for the gift of grandparents, praying for them, and entrusting to him those who have died, particularly during the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The choice of the fourth Sunday of July is transparently to connect it, as closely as possible, to the July 26 feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus. This link to Jesus\u2019 family tree and to salvation history suggests that everyone\u2019s genealogy and personal prehistory is part of the providential plan of God.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pope Francis, in his message used the quote <\/span>\u201cI am with you always\u201d (<\/span>Mt<\/span><\/i>\u00a028:20)<\/span> summoning grandparents to recognize and be renewed in their sacred calling to be guardians of the connection between their family\u2019s history and salvation history and to pass on to younger generations a clear awareness of their place in the bigger picture.<\/span>(from <\/span>https:\/\/www.ncregiste<\/span><\/a>r.com\/blog\/world-day-of-grandparents-and-elderly-fourth-sunday-of-july<\/span><\/a>) <\/span>MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS\u00a0 FOR THE FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In our Community\u2026.<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
SCS Stage 4 Evangelisation Day<\/b><\/h5>\n

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On Wednesday, 28th June, <\/span>Sydney Catholic Schools hosted the Stage 4 Evangelisation Day at Aquinas College, Menai, which brought together enthusiastic Year 7 and Year 8 students from across Sydney, including <\/span>15 Year 7 and Year 8 students from <\/span>Marist Sisters’ College<\/span>. <\/span>The theme of the day was “Walking with the Holy Spirit in our Hearts” by recognising that \u2018Love is God\u2019 and \u2018God is Love\u2019 in today’s society. The day included a variety of guest speakers, pizza lunch, ice breakers, singing, trivia, dancing and the afternoon with Eucharistic Adoration.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI enjoyed listening to what the guest speakers had to say about the Holy Spirit, and it was good to learn about the significance of God and the Holy Spirit, as well as ways to strengthen bonds with God. I also enjoyed the fun aspects of the day, such as trivia, and of course, the pizza lunch! It was a lovely day, and on behalf of the students who attended the Evangelisation Day, we\u2019d like to offer a very special thank you to Ms Ison for coming with us and organising the day, and another special thank you to Ms Vu who also organised the day.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

– Lola Christopoulos, Year 8 Student<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Through prayer, reflection, and shared experiences, the students explored ways to live out their faith and embrace their role as compassionate and empathetic members of the community. As they returned to Marist Sisters’ College after this spiritually enriching day, the students carried with them a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper connection to their faith, ready to make a positive impact in the community.<\/span><\/p>\n