St Ursula’s School Serviam Rooted in Spirituality
Spiritual Quote May we be bound together by the bonds of love, Ever united in concord;
And may our first refuge ever be at the feet of Jesus Christ;
His light and the joyous splendour of His truth
surrounding us during these days and always.
St Angela Merici
In this Issue
Meditation . . . . . 2 Liturgical Roster . . . . . 2 The Lenten Rose . . . . . 3 Shrove Tuesday . . . . . 4 Ash Wednesday . . . . . 5
Forgive us our Sins . . . . . 6 Grade 2 Retreat . . . . . 6 Pilgrimage Cross . . . . . 7
Meditation
Lord, give me the grace to Love Help me not to judge others But rather love them as You did.
Help me to love myself. Thank you for loving me.
Let me love You in return, and deepen my
relationship with You during this sacred season.
Give me the courage I need to focus this Lent.
Help me to unclutter my heart. Be with me Lord I pray.
Liturgical Roster : Term 2 - 2019
April 4 Grade 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 4th Thursday of Lent April 11 Grade 1, 2 and 3 5th Thursday of Lent
April 18 Para-Liturgy Holy Thursday April 25 Grade 4,5,6,7 Octave of Easter St Mark May 02 Pre-School St Athanasius May 03 Personal Prayer May 09 Grade 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 3rd Thursday of Easter
May 16 Grade 4, 5, 6, 7 4th Thursday of Easter May 23 Grade 1, 2, 3 5th Thursday of Easter May 30 School Mass Ascension June 06 St Norbert June 07 Personal Prayer June 13 R/E Mass with the Sisters St Anthony of Padua
Gratitude
My day was a gift from God, I recall some of the blessings of the day and thank God for the people in my life.
The Lenten Rose
18 Things (that are not chocolate!) to give up for Lent & Beyond …
Fear: God is on my side. In Him I am more than a conqueror. The need to please everyone: I can’t please everyone anyway. Envy: I am blessed. My value is not found in possessions, but in my relationship with God. Impatience: God’s timing is the perfect timing Sense of entitlement: The world does not owe me anything. I live in humility and grace. Bitterness and Resentment: The only person I am hurting is myself. Blame: I am not going to pass the buck. Take responsibility for my actions.
Gossip and Negativity – Don’t share time with people who are negative and toxic. Comparison: I have my own unique contribution to make. Fear of Failure: You don’t succeed without experiencing failure. Go forward. A Spirit of Poverty: Believe that with God there will always be enough. Feelings of Unworthiness: You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Doubt: Believe that God has a plan for you. Self-Pity: God comforts us in our sorrow, so we can comfort others. Excuses: A wise man said, if you need an excuse, any excuse will do. Lack of Council: Wise decisions are rarely made in a vacuum. Pride: Blessed are the humble Worry: God is in control and worrying will not help.
Shrove Tuesday
Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day or Fat Tuesday. In some countries it is also celebrated as a Mardi Gras. This all points to the sacrifices that we choose to take on during these four weeks before celebrating the Paschal Mystery.
The learners of St Ursula’s had a wonderful celebration in making, flipping and enjoying pancakes made by the family of St Ursula. This was indeed Serviam in Action.
More than just ashes - the true meaning of Lent
The Church teaches that the season of Lent is a time for:
self-reflection. taking stock of our relationship with God, with people around us, and with ourselves. reconciliation and prayerfulness sacrifice in order to refocus on Christ preparation for the celebration of our redemption
through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
During this time we submit to fasting in imitation of Jesus’ 40- day fast in the desert, beginning with Ash Wednesday when we are called to “Repent and believe in the Gospel”. (Mark 1;15)
These 40 days challenge us to PRAY, FAST and GIVE ALMS, not with an outward show, but with our hearts.
The word Lent means SPRING or NEW LIFE – the season of personal transformation and renewal, rebirth and revitalization. JESUS offers new life to each of us.
Forgive us our Sins
Both primary and high school learners of St Ursula’s examined their consciences and reflected on the changes they would like to make in their lives which would give them new life.
They then proceeded to cut out paper in the shape of their bodies with the head in the shape of a heart. After reflection, they wrote down their deepest desires for change in their lives and pondered on the person that they were and how to live God’s law.
The high school learners then pasted the paper bodies on a log in the shape of the rock which was placed in front of Jesus’ tomb.
The primary school learners placed their bodies on a cross.
This was a meaningful experience for many of the learners.
Grade 2 Retreat Theme I am Special
I AM PRICESLESS I am an expression of love, beauty and joy! I am the most important thing in the world to me! I am love in motion! I am light for the world! I have a body, but I am not my Body! I have a face, but I am not my face! I have the right, the power and the ability to create a beautiful, joyful and peaceful world for myself and others! I can create! I can make mistakes! I can create something beautiful in all that I do! I deserve the best! I do my best! I am the joy the world is waiting for!
I AM IT!
Pilgrimage Cross – a Grade 11 Spiritual Journey
The Pilgrimage Cross begins this month and will be taken up in procession on the day the Grade 11’s gather for a morning of unity and celebration of Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg in May.
The cross, adorned with each school’s emblem, is sent with a prayer and message for all the youth in our diocese to be faithful witnesses to the Gospel, and remain united in following Our Lord.
Each school keeps the cross for about a week, and it is placed in a prominent position in the school as a reminder of our journeying together on our Pilgrimage of Faith.
St Ursula’s School received the cross directly from the Catholic Schools’ office and then, after a beautiful ceremony in our own chapel, we took the cross to La Salle College in Florida.
This was a special time for the Grade 11’s as we shared Gospel readings and prayers for our schools. Our hosts, La Salle College, were extremely kind and invited us to share in refreshments after handing over of the cross.
We will meet again at the Grade 11 Mass and will renew friendships made.