Greetings and many blessings to you all. Here are some updates and resources that I feel will be of benefit to you.

St Mary of the Cross Feast Day: 8th of August

I attended Mount Saint Joseph High School for four years. I have a deep affinity with Mary MacKillop (St Mary of the Cross). We celebrate this amazing woman of faith and courage on the 8th of August.

6th of August: Transfiguration

Both Roman and Eastern rite Catholics celebrate the Church's feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, on its traditional date for both calendars.

The feast commemorates one of the pinnacles of Jesus' earthly life, when he revealed his divinity to three of his closest disciples by means of a miraculous and supernatural light.

This week’s Gospel (from Liturgyhelp)

REFLECTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE – The rich farmer had many possessions but when he died, suddenly those possessions meant nothing at all. His focus was always on earthly matters, not on God. I wonder if he had heard the message in the first reading would he have lived his life differently.

If he had shared his wealth with the poor he would have been storing up treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

Our society encourages us to be successful, to earn as much money as we can, and to have more goods and possessions than we could possibly need. There is nothing wrong with working hard and being successful, it is only when we selfishly hoard our good fortune and ignore those who are in need and who don't have the opportunities that we have.

Ask the children to think of some ways they can be less addicted to material possessions, less selfish, more sharing, more aware of the needs of others. Ask them to think about television advertising – do they really need all of the things that the ads tell them they should get? Do they even need half of those things?

Ask them to think of one thing they can do this week that is more focused on Jesus than on possessions. (The don't need to tell you what it is, unless they want to.)

Sacrament Update:

The Sacrament of Confirmation will take place next Friday the 5th of August at 6.00pm and 7.30pm.

Please pray for the children as they prepare for the sacrament.

Can you answer this question?

Podcast: Ripples Ripples is a PODCAST developed for staff and parents on-going spiritual formation. It seeks to offer a space where people can draw on the wisdom of a series of guest speakers and can experience some treasured stillness through meditation. See the link - you can either download the files as podcasts or listen to them directly from the website.

Do you yearn to have a moment of stillness or inspiration?

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