Planted in the House of the Lord; they will flourish Psalm 92:13

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Thank you to our Year 3 parents who attended the Reconciliation Parent Information Night last week. It was a great information session and we look forward to the Home Groups starting soon.  Any further enquiries can be directed to the Parish Office ( 6281 3999/  wodennorth@cg.org.au )

Upcoming dates to remember: 

• PARENT SACRAMENTAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY (Optional): Via Zoom 6.00pm Tuesday 20th February
• PRESENTATION MASSES: Each family to attend one of the following: Holy Trinity Church, Curtin 6.00pm Saturday 2nd March 2024  OR Holy Trinity Church, Curtin 9.30am Sunday 3rd March 2024

• RETREAT AND PRACTICE FOR CHILDREN: Holy Trinity School Hall 9.15am–2.15pm Friday 22nd March, 18 Theodore Street, Curtin

• SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION: Holy Trinity Church, Curtin 6pm Tuesday, 7th May

Today, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Please give generously to Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help vulnerable people around the world, now and for all future generations.

With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to assist communities around the world through income generation, water and sanitation, food security, education and disaster risk reduction programs.

Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow.

TAPITAS- This year our school will be focusing on raising money for drinking water. We have a whole school display, where each class will receive a ‘water drop’ for every $5 raised. The children will be learning more about Project Compassion in class during Friday Prayer and at morning assemblies. 

Each class has a Project Compassion Box on their Prayer table for donations and we thank you in advance for supporting such a worthy cause. 

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B

Mark 1:12-15- He was tempted by Satan, and the angels looked after him.

Mark’s Gospel is bold and challenging. It doesn’t beat around the bush. Throughout this year, there will be many Sundays when we really need to tune in because Mark’s Gospel doesn’t wait for the reader to be ready. It is right in your face, to use a modern expression. Sometimes Mark reminds us of the wise old person who doesn’t use many words, but every one of those words counts. There can’t be many books of so few pages that have had such a mighty impact on the world. 

Today, a few lines tell us that Jesus went into the desert for 40 days and ‘was tempted by Satan.’ He was ‘with the wild beasts’, meaning he was vulnerable as he was immersed in the natural world. This was surely an experience of struggle and growth. Then suddenly Jesus discovers that John the Baptist has been arrested. In a few lines, Mark creates the impression of a challenging time. 

How did Jesus respond? He seems to have been enlivened, to have decided to create change. He is full of energy and purpose. ‘The time has come,’ he says. In his vulnerability, he has discovered that ‘the kingdom of God is close at hand.’ 

This year, through Project Compassion, Caritas Australia will ask us to consider several stories of vulnerability and hope in action. Over the coming weeks, we will meet a number of extraordinary women: Ronita from the Philippines, Leaia from Samoa and Memory from Malawi. They remind us that in many situations around the world, women are the heart of the community and the drivers of change. In each case, a partnership involving Caritas Australia and local agencies has led to new opportunities not just for an individual but for families and communities. The kingdom of God is, indeed, closer than we think. Together with Ronita, Leaia and Memory, our decisions help to bring it to reality around the globe. 

Perhaps we might spend time with the words of Sunday’s Psalm: ‘God guides me in the right path; God teaches the Lord’s way to the poor.’ 

Adapted from Michael McGirr

Caritas Project Compassion Prayer

We pray for all who are trying to rise from the ashes in their lives. May our support for Project Compassion remind us that now is the time to turn to the Lord with all our hearts and embrace the needs of God’s whole family.

Amen

Blessings for the week ahead,

Amanda Basedow

Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)