Social Justice - St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Students and families are invited to donate non-perishable Christmas goodies to help families. Each grade level has been provided with a food donation/gift suggestion:

Grade	Item
Kindergarten	custard powder and jelly
Year 1	bon bons
Year 2	packets of chips
Year 3	packets of lollies
Year 4	mince pies and Christmas puddings
Year 5	soft drink and cordial
Year 6	chocolates
Students and families may also like to donate a wrapped Christmas gift with a gender and age clearly labelled.  The Woden Vinnies Conference has provided the following details: Sts Peter and Paul, our local families are in need of gifts for 3 year old gifts for boys and girls 4 year old gifts for boys and girls 5 year old gifts for boys and girls 6 year old gifts for girls 7 year old gifts for girls and boys 8 year old gifts for girls and boys            9 year old gifts for girls 10 year old gifts for boys and girls 11 year old gifts for boys and girls 12 year old gifts for boys and girls Donations of movie vouchers would be gratefully appreciated for 13 years and above. Thank you SVDP

All donations will be collected by St Vincent de Paul on Friday 1 December. Thank you for your generous support.

Illuminate: Youth Ministry Leaders

On Friday 24 November, our Youth Ministry team will travel to St Vincent’s Aranda to participate in the Primary Youth Ministry Gathering:Illuminate. The day will consist of a range of workshops, games and prayer. Archbishop Christopher will also address the gathering. It will be a day of fun, faith and friends. Students will travel by bus and will be accompanied by Maddie Greenwood and myself.

Sunday Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Year A

Gospel Reflection by Dianne Bergant

We have now come to the end of the liturgical year, the point that marks the transition from one period to another. Today we see that the kingdom of God is inclusive. Its embrace is as comprehensive as is the embrace of God. Criteria for membership are not based on obedience to the commandments or on conformity to ritual obligation, but on the bonds of love and concern.

What we do for others, we do for Christ, because Christ is identified with those in need. We very seldom see the face of the glorified Christ in the faces of the needy; it is more often the face of the disfigured Christ that is turned to us. We see his fear and his shame, his brokenness and sense of loss. As difficult as it may be to look into such eyes, it is precisely the needy with whom Christ is identified.

Having entered into the frailty of human nature, identified himself with the needy, and handed himself over to death, in the end Christ will have conquered all. It is a curious kingdom that he has won, a kingdom of the weak rather than the strong. He has turned the standards of the world upside down. He has shown that it does not take strength to ignore or to exploit the needy, but it does take strength to overcome our own selfishness in order to serve them. The kingdom that Christ hands over to God is a kingdom of love and care.

Blessings for the week ahead,

Veronica Hall

Religious Education Coordinator