St Matthew’s Primary School

Good News (REC)

HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR B (GAUDETE SUNDAY) (5) - Catholic For Life

This Sunday we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent. This week is a little different because instead of another purple candle, we light a pink one.

Why the pink candle? In the earliest years of the church, the only church season was Lent. Lent was a season of fasting and prayer and the traditional colour of banners during this time was a deep purple, signifying repentance and suffering.

Lent was a solemn season due to the impending crucifixion of Jesus. Yet there was always a twinge of hope and joy in the story. On the third Sunday of Lent, the Christians broke their fast and had a feast to signify this hope and joy amid the sadness. Pink became the symbol of this day; priests began to wear pink vestments as a reminder of the coming joy of the resurrection.

The third Advent candle, colour pink, was selected to be a reminder of the spirit of Lent, with its mixture of joys and sorrows and in particular its joy of the resurrection.

Advent is a time for joy, not primarily because we are anticipating the anniversary of the birth of Christ, but because God is already in our midst (Emmanuel). The readings for this Sunday assure us that God is with us, not as a judge but as a Saviour.

We have had a very rough year and it is very easy to concentrate on wishing the year was over so we can start again. This week as a family try and flip that narrative and talk about all the joy we experienced in our loves this year and what how we can keep that focus towards the crazy busyness of the end of the year.

(Reflection inspired from Article by Rev. Lee Cruze)

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

On Thursday last week 16 of our Year 3 children received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. While Covid-19 postponed the ceremony, the children and their families gathered together to celebrate with Fr Simon. The children, while nervous, were well prepared thanks to their teachers Ms Tegan Bew and Mr Luke Folkard as well as their families.

Congratulations to the following students.

Georgia Rey Andre Susic Dan Pindral

Ruby Murray Henry Rutter Liam Gibson

Aston Pirotta Laura Parkee Francesco Rositano

Elspeth Hamilton Saxon Small Rosie Marshall

Zoe Rushby Ava Morrison Madeleine Ryan

Sasha Kpakima

VINNIES CHRISTMAS APPEAL

THANK YOU to all families who have generously donated goods to our Vinnies Christmas Appeal. If you wish to donate, there is still time. All donations are to please be returned by Friday December 10th.

CHRISTMAS EVE MASS

All families are invited to the Christmas Vigil Mass celebrating the Nativity of the Lord at 6:00pm on the 24th December, here at St Matt's on the K-1 playground. If you would like further information, please click on the QR code on the advertisement at the bottom of the newsletter.

THANK YOU

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the St Matthew's families for welcoming me into your school community and making ne feel so loved and accepted. This will be my last newsletter before I move to St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Calwell in 2022 and I will miss the wonderful people I have met over the past year so much. I wish you and your families a happy and holy Christmas and a restful break over the summer.

Sharee Thomas

Religous Education Co-ordinator