{"id":9592,"date":"2024-03-28T14:32:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T03:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mscw\/?post_type=article&p=9592"},"modified":"2024-04-03T08:20:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T21:20:34","slug":"from-the-religious-education-coordinator-64","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mscw\/article\/from-the-religious-education-coordinator-64\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Religious Education Coordinator"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our Church \u2026\u2026<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
THE CELEBRATION OF EASTER<\/b><\/h5>\n

This week the Church celebrates Holy Week.\u00a0 In this newsletter we explore the development of this central festival in the Catholic Church.<\/span><\/p>\n

The celebration of Easter<\/b><\/h5>\n

By the second century the weekly assembly came to be complemented by an annual celebration of the paschal\"\" mystery.\u00a0 At first this Christian Pasch was celebrated in accordance with the Jewish calendar for Passover, on the 14<\/span>th<\/span> day of the month of Nisan, which could be any day of the week.\u00a0 After much controversy it was decreed by the Council of Nicaea in 325 that the commemoration of Jesus\u2019 suffering, death and resurrection should be held on Sunday rather than a weekday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The annual feast of Easter quickly carried over into a week of celebration which further developed into a season of fifty days.\u00a0 Throughout this time the church rejoiced in the one great mystery of Jesus\u2019 victory over sin and death.\u00a0 It reveled in the new life of the Spirit.\u00a0 But the integrity of this unified season was lost when the Ascension of the Lord began to be celebrated on the fortieth day, leaving ten days to be spent waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

The development of the Triduum<\/b><\/h5>\n

The Easter celebration itself took the form of a night-time vigil, preceded by days of strict fasting.\u00a0 Once it was transferred to Sunday, the service began to focus more exclusively on the resurrection of the Lord.\u00a0 Accordingly, the preceding days of fast developed an identity of their own.\u00a0 Good Friday came to centre on Jesus\u2019 death, Holy Saturday on his burial.\u00a0 The once unified remembrance of the paschal mystery broke up into a series of separate observances.\u00a0 Later developments led to the Vigil being celebrated on Holy Saturday morning, with the addition of Holy Thursday creating a new Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The evolution of these rites was aided and abetted by widespread imitation of the liturgies of 4<\/span>th<\/span> century Jerusalem.\u00a0 The Holy City had become a popular pilgrimage site.\u00a0 Devout Christians who visited during Holy Week experienced a series of liturgical events at sites associated with Jesus\u2019 passion, death and resurrection.\u00a0 On return home they introduced some of these rituals to their local churches.\u00a0 A number of them, such as the veneration of the cross, survive to this day.\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

All this enables the whole Christian community to be immersed in the whole saving mystery of Jesus Christ: his ministry, suffering, death and resurrection, glorification and sending of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 In this mystery the church becomes \u201ca chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God\u2019s own people,\u201d called out of darkness into God\u2019s marvelous light in order to proclaim God\u2019s mighty works (1 Pt 2:9). <\/span>Taken from: https:\/\/www.catholicaustralia.com.au\/the-sacraments\/lent<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

In our Community\u2026.\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
STAFF SPIRITUALITY DAY<\/b><\/h5>\n

On Monday the Marist Sisters\u2019 College staff gathered together at The Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in La Perouse. An <\/span>organisation that is a service of the Archdiocese of Sydney provides an interface between all Indigenous people and the Catholic Church.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the morning we gathered in the Reconciliation Church to celebrate mass with Father Kevin Dance. Throughout the offertory procession, staff offered the goods they collected to donate to the community pantry. The second session involved painting river rocks from the local area using cultural symbols and colours.\u00a0 The staff were able to deepen their understanding and knowledge by engaging in a walk on country experience guided by the Gujaga Foundation. We were able to gain a strong sense of cultural identity of the La Perouse Aboriginal Community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A huge thank you to Lisa Buxton, Kelly Wyld and Janice Ban from The Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, Rob and Shane from The Gujaga foundation and Father Kevin Dance for celebrating mass with our Marist Sisters\u2019 College staff.<\/span><\/p>\n