From the Religious Education Coordinator
“Christ is alive and He wants you to be alive”
Christ is still alive at Good Samaritan
When school began earlier in the year, even with the regular news reports from overseas, I doubt anyone could have foreseen that we would end Term 1 and begin the holiest week in the Church calendar in isolation. While the ‘new normal’ has been far from ideal, I have been inspired by the way that our Good Samaritan spirit has risen to the challenge. Despite the majority of our 1300 students no longer coming into school, our student led Lenten Prayer group has continued running through the use of Zoom. The level of faith shown by the students involved in this great initiative is a perfect reminder that it doesn’t matter where we are gathered, that Christ is alive and He is still present and active in our lives. I would like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to our Catholic Life leaders Robert P, Melanie C, and Allison V, who have led the student group with maturity, kindness, and a very deep and authentic sense of faith.
The other example of Christ being alive can be seen in the way the school was able to produce the various live streamed masses throughout the lead up to Easter Sunday. We managed to film four masses over a few days and that was in no small part due to the tireless work of our Special Events and Media team. To see students come into school solely to serve their school and local Church community was yet another example that Christ is alive in our students and He is helping us to connect with Him during this difficult time.
As we now approach Good Friday and eventually the Easter season, it is an opportune time for all of us to reflect on how we can continue to keep Christ alive in our hearts. He is alive, but the challenge is for us to welcome Him into our hearts and into our homes. It is also possible for us to consider this time as a chance to find time for prayer, whether it be on our own or with our families near and far. I have missed being able to receive the Eucharist each Sunday but seeing churches all around the world stream masses online has, in some ways, opened up the celebration of the Eucharist on a level that has not been seen before. It is now possible to experience Mass from beyond our parish borders, and who could forget the powerful image of our Pope Francis praying for the world with his eyes firmly fixated on the cross? Not to mention that, in spite of recent suggestions that Australia is becoming increasingly secular, Easter Sunday Mass will be televised on Channel Seven this Sunday.
At the end of a busy and unique term I would like to wish everyone at Good Samaritan a very happy, holy, and safe Easter holiday. Throughout Term 2, the Religious Education Web Site will continue being updated to provide innovative opportunities for students and staff to connect with their faith and hopefully welcome Christ into their homes and their hearts for He is truly alive!
God Bless!