Reflection

Sunday just gone marked the beginning of Advent. The liturgical colour purple is used during this special time, as it is a time for us to prepare. The same colour is used during Lent as we prepare for the death of Jesus, but instead of preparing through penance, in Advent, we are encouraged to wait expectantly with hopeful anticipation and joyful preparation. It is a time for us to welcome God into our hearts every day so that we can be truly joyful in a way that allows us to share this joy with everyone around us. The lead up to Christmas is an extremely busy time for most of us and in many ways, we lose our joy during this special time, whether it be through the mad rush of Christmas shopping and preparation, trying to reach deadlines for work, or worrying about seeing that family member that you only see once per year. Therefore, don’t neglect the preparation that you need to do in your mind and heart that will allow you to experience the joy that can be found even in the midst of all the busyness that comes as we approach Christmas. 

The joy that can be found during this time of year is evident on the faces of our Prep students as they prepare for their upcoming Nativity Play. The Prep teaching team works incredibly hard to prepare the students for this wonderful performance, yet it is evident that they too find joy in the small steps along the way as the class shares in learning about and re-enacting this special event. And, we very much look forward to seeing the joy on the faces of parents and family members when the time comes to appreciate the performance of their child and the other members of our Prep class.

Some of our students are also extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the Second Sunday of Advent Mass at St Patrick’s Catholic Church this coming Sunday. Some of our students in Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 will be singing the entrance song and the song after communion with accompanying actions. We also have a number of our Year 3 and Year 4 students that will be reading Prayers of the Faithful during this special Advent Mass. I am extremelly appreciative of those family members attending and I hope that this offers another opportunity of joyful preparation for Christmas.

If you had not already guessed through my use of the word over and over again in the above paragraphs, my hope is that you all experience joy in bountiful quantities by sharing joy with others over the coming weeks. The below ‘Advent in 2 Minutes’ video may give you some inspiration to make this a reality.

Kind regards

Kurt Atkins

Acting Principal