RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
Sunday Gospel: The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, John 6:51-58
The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, celebrates and commemorates the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Although the liturgy on Holy Thursday remembers the celebration of the Last Supper, its focus tends to be more aligned with the events of the Passion, rather than on the institution of the Eucharist. In the 13th Century, Pope Urban IV established the feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ) and it was St Thomas Aquinas who composed the official prayers of the Church for the feast day. In 1970 the feast was changed to the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. In some countries it is celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday and in others on the following Sunday.
The gospel passage comes from the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, in which the gospel writer has Jesus deliver an extended discourse on the image of himself as the Bread of Life. This passage comes from the end of that discourse and, in this relatively short passage, Jesus repeatedly demands that his followers must eat his flesh and drink his blood. It is through these actions that his followers will share in eternal life. Jesus says that whoever does this will live in him and he will live in them. That is one of the fundamental beliefs about the Eucharist. When we receive the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist we become what we receive – we become Christ’s body in the world. When Jesus called his disciples, he called them to be like himself. He reissues that call to be like him every time we receive his body and blood in Eucharist.
(Gospel Reflection by Greg Sunter)
Sacrament of First Reconciliation
With the restrictions placed on large gatherings due to COVID-19, we were unable to join together to celebrate the First Reconciliation of the Candidates within our Parish.
We acknowledge the effort that families had put into preparing candidates to receive the Sacrament, and we want to ensure that students are given the opportunity to receive their First Reconciliation as soon as possible.
As such, Fr John will be inviting families to attend Holy Trinity Church, Curtin at an allocated time, for the children to receive the sacrament in smaller groups.
Candidates have been sent a letter with a link to a Google Doc that allows families to view the times available, and indicate the time they would like. If you have not received this document, or you are having any issues accessing it, please contact me.
Reconciliation Retreat Day
Tomorrow, all Year 3 students will participate in a mini retreat day at Sts Peter and Paul. Students are welcome to wear free dress.
Year One Values Assembly – Compassion
Thank you to the Year One teachers and students who so beautifully introduced us to the value that we will be focussing on for the next 5 weeks: Compassion. The Children shared with us some wonderful examples of how we can live with compassion and show kindness to those around us, I think the highlight for everyone was the beautiful song and actions that the children shared with us. Well done!
Religious Education Website - Transfiguration Parish
Although we are no longer Remote Learning, the “Parish of Transfiguration” website is still being updated weekly and features the Sunday Gospel of the coming week, as well as reflection questions, and other resources and ideas for families who want to grow in faith together. This week, we look at the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. We hope the site will be engaging and enriching for the families in our communities of Holy Trinity and Saints Peter and Paul.
You will also find on the website information from our Parish, including the bulletin and Prayers of Intercession to share at home, as well as a video that Fr John has uploaded for our families. The Parish Youth Ministers, Maddie and Grace have added content to the site also, so I encourage you to take a look.
God bless,
Stephanie Burns
Religious Education Coordinator
