Ministry Update – Term 1 Week 4
Season of Lent
If you are a little like me, you are probably wondering where these first five weeks of term have gone. It only seems like yesterday students were coming in for their first lessons, and yet we’ve already got some students who are preparing for their second assessment. Life moves fast. We’re constantly juggling school, friendships, social media, sports, work, and everything in between. And when you’re busy, it’s easy to get caught up in it all and forget to take a step back…to reflect or think about the things that are happening.
That’s why the season of Lent is so important – it’s this great invitation to pause, to slow down, and to refocus on what truly matters.
Lent is a time of spiritual renewal – in other words it’s a chance to check in with ourselves and with God. It’s a time to ask:
- Am I living in a way that reflects who I really want to be?
- Am I making time for the things that truly matter?
- Am I being the best person God has called me to be?
The reality is, we all get distracted – students, teachers, parents, families…everyone. We also all make mistakes. We say things we shouldn’t, act selfishly, and sometimes put ourselves first at the expense of others.
But God doesn’t hold onto our failures – he invites us to recognise them, learn from them, and start again. Lent gives us a way to do this through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Prayer is really interesting. When we hear of prayer, many of us might imagine someone sitting down to read the bible or perhaps going to the chapel where we make the sign of the cross. But prayer is just about connecting with God. For you, that might simply mean a small reflection, where you consider how you were kind that day. Or it could be a commitment you make each morning, to go out of your way to really make someone’s day. Or it could be the decision to reflect on the Gospel reading each day. It’s very simply about giving thought to the person you choose to be each day. You might ask yourself, perhaps, how God working in your life?
When we think of fasting, we might think back to our primary school days – the bold decision to give up chocolate for 40 days, only to gorge ourselves on Easter morning. But fasting isn’t just about giving up chocolate or social media, or whatever else you might choose. It’s about making space for what really matters. It’s about trying to reduce the distractions, or negativity, or things that pull us away from being our best selves in our lives, so we have time perhaps for prayer, or very simply, to connect with and be present to those around us.
And finally, Almsgiving. Very simply, almsgiving is about looking beyond ourselves. It’s about generosity – not just with our money, but with our time, our kindness, and our willingness to help others, especially to those who are vulnerable or in need.
In the Gospel for Ash Wednesday, Jesus talks to his followers about doing each of these things. But there is an important caveat he places on them too – that when we do these things, we should do it for the right reasons. Not to show off, or to virtue signal, or to appear better than others…. but because it is the right thing to do…it is what God wants us to do.
If we make a commitment to these practices, however small or large, in our own lives or household, Lent becomes more than just something that happens to finish the term – it becomes a time of real change. A time where we let go of what’s not important, strengthen our faith, and come out on the other side renewed – closer to God, more aware of His love, and more like the people we are called to be.
So, the invitation to the community is ours – make the most of this time. Let’s step back from the busyness, refocus our hearts, and use this season of Lent to grow in faith, love, and purpose.
Family Mass
It was great to celebrate our Family Mass last week, in what must be said, was some very favourable February weather (though I wouldn’t have minded a little less wind blowing everything off the altar!).
I would love for any families who are able, to provide us with some feedback on the Family Mass, so we can be better prepared to meet the needs of our community in our planning for next year too. You can click on the link to leave your feedback here .
