Congratulations to the Year Four Sacramental Candidates who received the Eucharist for the first time and renewed their baptismal promises at Confirmation on the weekend. The COVID-19 restrictions meant the Archdiocese and Parishes needed to think creatively to provide the opportunity for the sacraments to happen. Here at St Francis of Assisi the two sacraments were offered together with a limit of guests per candidate. The Mass was live streamed for families at home to share in the experience.
Feedback from families who were present include:
“The best part, I feel was having the confirmation and communion on one day ! I felt it had a real nice flow to the ceremony and I felt more connected and it somehow felt like it had more feeling.”
“It was intimate and well organised. It ran smoothly. I found that in the past, with so many people, you lose sight of what the day is really about…it allowed for the children and families to really reflect on the meaning of these sacraments.”
A big thank you to our Secular Franciscans who attended the celebration and gifted the students with prayer cards and rosary beads. The members have been praying for the candidates since their First Reconciliation. It is their hope and ours that the children’s faith, religious understanding, knowledge of scripture, theology, morality and ethics will continue to be moved by the Holy Spirit, past these special days of the celebrations. I often hear families question their child’s understanding of the sacraments. If we view faith like a program on a computer it too needs regular updating. Failure and resistance to update our faith and to mature in spirit throughout life, making connections with the current world, enduring life experiences without a heart of a believer, is of greater concern than knowing all about sacramental life at a young age. Living a sacramental life is lifelong and beyond the preparation weeks and celebration day.
The children’s faith journey, as well as our own, is a work in progress that over our lifetime, through sad and happy times, is either nourished or becomes shallow. Some days God’s word and Jesus’ actions easily fall into our hearts, mind and soul. We are open to grow and with humility change towards doing our best. Other times we are closed to listen or reflect and our enthusiasm sways leading us to fail to uphold our faith in our actions. We also allow bad fruits such as anger, jealousy, hatred, rage and greed to override love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. These obstacles can be deleted just as easily as work on a computer, into the trash bin with a press of a button. Also, just like a computer keeps asking us for updates to ensure we are getting the best out of a program, so must we update our knowledge of faith.
After witnessing the joy of these sacraments through the children it is a good time to reflect on the questions: Have I resisted updating my faith and has my faith lost the zest it once had?
Also, the children had to choose a Saint name for their Confirmation, not because they like the name but because that saint speaks to them as a good role model in the way he/she lived life.
Tradition is the lived expression of the values found in the Bible that inspired people like St Mary MacKillop to be compassionate, welcoming and inclusive and serving with strength, courage and persistence.
As we celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop this Saturday, our only Australian Saint, and our Franciscan female saint, St Clare of Assisi on the 11th August let us think about what it means for us that our children are part of a Josephite and Franciscan School Tradition. How does this affect you and your child in the way we relate to others, solve challenges, show love and forgiveness and connect with God?
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:4-5
Josie Cochrane
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