First Eucharist

This weekend, our parish celebrates students receiving the Sacrament of First Eucharist. All members of the Sts Peter & Paul community are invited to attend one of the masses at Holy Trinity Church, Curtin.

Saturday 16 September - 6pm

Sunday 17 September - 9:30am and 5:30pm

First Eucharist Retreat

Last week, Year 4 participated in a day of prayer, reflection and fun during their First Eucharist Retreat at Holy Trinity. The day commenced in prayer with students attending mass celebrated by Fr Woods. Following lunch, students engaged in Godly Play, an art activity and participated in contemplative prayer called Visio Divina. A big thank you to Nic Marsham, Katie Birch and Emily Capper (HT) and Holy Trinity staff for supporting our students.

Social Justice - Mission Market Day - Friday 15 September

On Friday, our Year 6 students will host our Catholic Mission Market Day. Students are invited to bring in gold coins to purchase vouchers to use on the day.

$1 for 2 vouchers or $2 for 5 vouchers.

All monies raised will be donated to Catholic Mission.

Sunday Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

I tell you that you forgive not seven times but seventy times seven.

Gospel Reflection by Greg Sunter

This gospel passage follows directly from last week’s passage. It concludes the whole of Matthew Chapter 18 that deals with sin, forgiveness and reconciliation. Peter’s question to Jesus and suggested answer is a reflection of the view that there is a limit to the number of times we should forgive someone. Seven is a significant number in scripture and implies a ‘perfect’ amount. Even though by his use of seven, Peter is suggesting that he should forgive someone many, many times, Jesus quickly corrects Peter and says not seven, but seventy-seven times (or seventy times seven). Jesus plays on the use of the number seven and multiplies it to indicate that one should forgive as many times as is required – without keeping count; without keeping score.

The story of the unforgiving servant is a familiar one of forgiveness and mercy being shown but not passed on. The sting in the tail of this parable is Jesus’ final warning that, ‘So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.’ This is an unsettling statement, as we believe God’s forgiveness to be without measure and without end. Jesus warns that unless we seek to imitate God’s forgiveness and forgive others ‘from our heart’ (with compassion) then we are not going to recognise the forgiveness of God and will cut ourselves off from it.

The whole idea of forgiving from the heart is a powerful contradiction of a popular concept: ‘I can forgive, but not forget.’ Is it really possible to forgive but refuse to forget? Surely holding on to a memory of hurt is holding on to the hurt itself and does not display that any forgiveness has occurred at all. To forgive but not forget is to keep count. How many times should I forgive the one who has hurt me? As many times as it takes!

Blessings for the week ahead,

Veronica Hall

Religious Education Coordinator