LET US PRAY
Lord,
One hundred years from now it will not matter
what kind of car I drove,
what kind of house I lived in,
how much money I had in the bank,
nor what my clothes looked like.
One hundred years from now it will not matter
what kind of school I attended,
what kind of computer I used,
how large or small my church looked,
but the world may be a little better, because…
I Let the light of my example shine
I was important in the life of a child and blessed to be their teacher.
Lord bless all who teach especially in your name. Amen
WORLD TEACHER’S DAY AUSTRALIA.
Last week on Friday 25th of October we celebrated World Teacher’s Day.
This day commemorates the work of teachers and their contributions to society. As a staff we celebrated and were thanked for all the work we do to educate, inspire and empower learners at St Augustine’s. It was an opportunity to acknowledge the immense effort and dedication the staff put into their work.
A special thank you from our Student Social Justice Team.
Hello, our names are Aishah, Natasha, Mila, Mario, Alanah, Liam, Oscar and Piper and we are the Social Justice Team. Recently on the last day of term 3 we raised money for the MacKillop Family Services Equine Assisted Social and Emotional Learning Centre in Warrnambool. We raised and donated $300 which is incredible for only 260 students. The $300 that we raised will help young people who have experienced trauma. Horses are loyal and horse therapy helps the young people to reduce stress and improve mental health. The kids learn how to earn a horse’s trust and co-operation which helps them with their emotions. Mental health is a very serious thing and that affects a lot of people in lots of different ways. Our efforts supported our theme – See a need … Make a difference. Thank you everybody for your donations from the social justice team.
Thank you letter from MacKillop Family Services
We received the following letter from the organisation expressing their gratitude.
All SAINTS’ and All SOULS’ DAY.
This week on Friday November 1st and Saturday 2nd November the church will remember the feast days, of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. These two special days remind us that God has a special plan for everyone. Before we were born, God willed for us to live with Him forever. When we were baptized, we became part of a special family called the communion of saints, who share in Jesus’ gift of His holiness.
The saints are people who said “yes” to God’s plan for them and are now in heaven. Some were children and young people, some were mothers and fathers, some were monks, priests or nuns, and some were single people. On All Saints Day we praise and thank God for what He has done for us through these holy people. We ask the saints to pray for us that we might love our God and neighbour the way Jesus taught us.
All Saints’ Day Prayer
Lord, bless the saints in heaven, gathered in that special place. May we tell their stories and remember all the ways they lived their faith. May we live like them as faithful disciples, inspired by their example. Let us always hold them dear and know their life and place. May we know their inspiration and aspire to their grace. Lord, thank you for the example of the Saints. Amen
The word saint comes from the Latin word ‘sanctus’ meaning ‘holy’. A saint is someone who has proven himself or herself to be virtuous and holy by following God’s teachings and has entered the kingdom of heaven. To become a saint, a formal request for an individual to be considered for sainthood is submitted to a special Vatican tribunal. The request must explain how the person lived a life of holiness, pureness, kindness and devotion. If the candidate meets the requirements, the tribunal officially recognises this person to be a Servant of God. The Church teaches that by imitating the virtues lived by the saints, the saints brings us closer to Christ. When we ask the saints to pray for us, we ask them to join their wills with the will of God and intercede for us here on earth. This is the Communion of Saints which we profess every Sunday in the Creed.
On All Souls’ Day, we pray for all people who have died. We ask God to bring them to the joyful banquet of heaven to be with God and the saints forever. We pray that all those who have died, our loved ones, and also those people around the world who we will never meet that through the mercy of God, will rest in peace. It allows us to remember with thanksgiving before God those whom we have known and who nurtured us in faith. The Church encourages prayers for the faithfully departed and, during November, a list of the names of the dead is usually placed in the church so that the community can remember them in prayer. Many people also visit and sometimes decorate the graves of deceased loved ones on All Souls’ Day and throughout the month of November. The feast of All Souls is not a feast of sadness, but one of great hope and confidence. It invites us to entrust our loved ones to God. We know that if we have loved them, God has loved them more. They are in God’s care, and like a good shepherd God will lead them to peace.
All Souls’ Day
Lord bless the many departed souls who lived their lives with grace. We remember those dear and close to our hearts, family members, relatives and friends. We pray for those who, sought to embody your grace and love, those who received and carried tradition, and in turn passed it on to us. May they rejoice in Your kingdom, in the company of your son Jesus. Amen
Mrs Barone
