iServi News | 1 April 2021 | Term 1, Week 8
Easter
As we look forward to celebrating the resurrection of Christ in the upcoming days, we reflect on a Lenten period that prepares us for this very special occasion. Pope Francis encourages us all to welcome God into our lives and to allow him to “make his dwelling” amongst us.
Pope Francis says:
“At the Easter vigil, we will renew our baptismal promises and experience rebirth as new men and women by the working of the Holy Spirit”, and that “the Lenten journey, like the entire pilgrimage of the Christian life, is illumined by the light of the resurrection, which inspires the thoughts, attitudes and decisions of the followers of Christ.”
Pope Francis calls us to “draw from the ‘living water’ of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God, who makes us brothers and sisters in Christ”. He says that “accepting and living the truth revealed in Christ means opening our hearts to God’s word”.
The Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth, says in his 2021 Lenten Pastoral Letter that “the difficult realities we face can threaten to overwhelm us but they can also be a reminder to us of how much we need God”. He says our faith reassures us “that we are not alone and that ‘the Lord is close to all who call upon him’ (Psalm 145:18), giving us hope and strength for what lies ahead”.
In highlighting the uncertainty we often experience in our world, Archbishop Costelloe tells us in his 2021 Easter Message (available here), to listen to Jesus when he says to “not let your hearts be troubled – trust in God still and trust in me.”
Opening our hearts and minds to the word of God and trusting in Him inspires hope. It encourages us to act to help shape the type of world that He intended, where we look outward to care for others and to give them hope. In order to give hope to others, Pope Francis says “it is sometimes enough simply to be kind, to be willing to set everything else aside in order to show interest, to give the gift of a smile, to speak a word of encouragement, to listen amid general indifference”.
We are therefore encouraged to be true followers of Christ and to have the courage to model his actions though service to others. Our faith reassures us that we are never alone as “the Lord is close to all who call upon him” (Psalm 145:18) and gives us hope and strength for whatever lies ahead.
Easter Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for shining your light upon us,
And for sending your son to us, in human frailty,
To walk the road we walk.
Give us the strength to walk faithfully with Jesus,
Even when the road we walk is rocky.
You, Lord, are always faithful.
We stumble, we become lost,
But you are steady and sure.
May the hope of your resurrection colour our days.
May the promise of your spirit working in us light up our lives.
May the love you revealed to us shape our giving.
May the truth in your word guide our journeys.
Amen
At the end of another very busy term at Servite I would like to wish all our families a very happy and holy Easter. As always during a holiday break, I hope that you have the opportunity to pause and spend some quality time together as a family.
I am very grateful for the ongoing support of our families in partnering with us to support the growth and development of their children. We encourage all of our students to reflect on their academic outcomes in Term 1 with a view of setting growth goals for Term 2.
I am also very thankful to College staff for their continued dedication in striving to provide the best possible learning opportunities for our students.
College Reception
During the school holiday period, College Reception will be open as follows:
- 8.00am to 4.00pm Wednesday 7 April to Friday 9 April
- 8.00am to 4.00pm Monday 12 April to Friday 16 April.
Term 2
Please note that the College is closed on Monday 19 April and Term 2 commences Tuesday 20 April.
We look forward to the safe return of all of our students to the College in Term 2.
Mr Jeff Allen
Principal