In Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus says to us – “I am the way the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” When we are born, we are baptised and our godparents promise to help us follow Jesus who shows us the way to heaven. At Confirmation, we confirm our promise to share Jesus’ love with others in the way we live and work. Our signposts which guide us as we travel through the good times and hard times, are God’s commandments and the way Jesus showed us how to live, the messages which we hear each week at Mass in the Sunday readings. We encourage our students to listen to the readings each Monday morning at prayer and think about how they can action our Mercy Value of the Week.

This week at Holy Spirit, we value courage. Most often, we associate courage with physical prowess or bravery. Courage can also be seen in the form of being honest, fair, not giving up, being a peacemaker. This type of courage often requires us to sometimes step out of our comfort zone and do something we might not usually do, but know we must as it is the right thing. This week we encourage our students to think how they can be courageous and help others.

Last Tuesday was ANZAC Day, a day to remember the many courageous men and women who have served our nation during war, those who have died, those who have returned from war, those who are still in peacekeeping teams and those who have died while helping with humanitarian aid in war torn countries.

Thank you once again to the many students, staff and families who joined us for the parade. 

Monday 1 May - FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER 

We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker. Saint Joseph is the model for all who work, because in his humble and simple work as a carpenter, he cared for the holy family and provided for the needs of Mary and Jesus. Through Saint Joseph, we can learn the importance of diligence and faithfulness in our daily life and work. 

MAY, THE MONTH OF MARY: By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to a certain devotion. In May, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary. This devotion arose among Jesuits in Rome in the late 18th century and quickly spread throughout the Western Church. There are several Marian feast days in May in Honour of Mary including; Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament (13 th May), Feast of Mary Help of Christians (24 th May) and Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (31 st May).

Next Sunday, we celebrate Mother’s Day. The history of Mother's Day is centuries old and goes back to the times of ancient Greeks, who held festivities to honour Rhea, ‘the mother of the gods,’ by offering honey-cakes, flowers and drinks. Mother’s Day has evolved and developed over the years in different countries to the celebration it is today. On this day, we show our appreciation for the achievements and efforts of our mothers and or mother figures. I hope all our mums have a wonderful day surrounded by loved ones.

Loving God, we give You thanks and praise for all mothers. 

We pray for young mothers, who give life and tend to the needs of their children;
May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and
themselves with great joy.
We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us;
May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.
We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war,
poverty, or conflict;
May they feel the loving embrace of our God.
We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion.
We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our
memory and nourish us with their love.
Amen.

God bless.
Caroline Fuller