This Sunday's Gospel is from the book of John, where Jesus feeds five thousand.  Pope Francis draws our attention to the boy’s role in today’s Gospel passage. He ‘makes us think’, the Pope says. ‘His compassion moved him to offer what he had.’ 

There is no suggestion in the Gospel that the loaves and fish were forcibly taken from the boy. Rather, it is implied that they were his gift. An act of human charity is, therefore, a key element in Jesus’ miracle. 

Another noteworthy factor is Jesus’ sense of priority. This episode, the Pope points out, ‘shows us again that Jesus is attentive to people’s primary needs’. This has implications for we who seek to follow him. 

After all, the boy was discovered because Jesus prompted his disciples to think about how they could feed the crowd. As the Pope says, ‘the people were hungry and Jesus engaged his disciples so that this hunger could be satisfied.’ 

While Jesus offered the crowd much more than food – ‘his Word, his solace, his salvation, ultimately his life’ – he did not neglect their physical needs. ‘And we, his disciples, cannot ignore this’, the Pope affirms. We are called to follow the example of Jesus, his apostles, and the boy with a few loaves and fish. We must not turn our backs on the people or retreat from the world. We must face up to the reality we find – and do what we can. Adapted from Nick Brodie. 

RE News

As shared via Compass last week, this Semester we welcome Mrs Susan Strickland into the REC position this semester. I congratulate Susan on this wonderful appointment and know she will bring many gifts to the role!

First Eucharist Parent Formation Evening

A reminder that our parish First Eucharist Parent Formation evenings are tonight (24/7 at 7pm) and tomorrow night (25/7 at 5:30pm) at Holy Family Church. This is a compulsory parent session, children are not required to attend. If you are unable to attend, please let Susan Strickland know so she can organise a makeup session.

Save the date – St Clare Feast Day Mass!

Friday 16^th August (week 4) at 9:30am at Holy Family Church. All members of our community are welcome to attend.

Wishing you a wonderful Semester!

Kind regards

Rachel Kennedy and Susan Strickland

Religious Education Coordinators