Gospel Reflection Luke 19:1-10

And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’

This week’s Gospel reading tells the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed the tree to see Jesus as he walked through the town. As a wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus had a terrible reputation, and had most likely cheated people to obtain his wealth. As Jesus walked through the town, he singled Zacchaeus out and asked him to come down from the tree, before going to share a meal with him. The crowd did not understand why Jesus would choose to spend time with such a man? Yet we see in this story, Zacchaeus experienced a true encounter with Jesus and became a changed man because of it. This story reminds us that each of us is capable of bringing about change by offering people a chance for redemption. Although this is not always easy, this is what Jesus would do, and as Christians, we need to strive to live a life that follows His example, the best we possibly can.

RECONCILIATION COMMITMENT MASSES

A reminder that this weekend is the last opportunity families have to attend a commitment mass as part of the requirements for your child to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Only one mass must be attended over the weekend. Mass times are Saturday 6pm and Sunday 8am, 10am and 6pm. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Anne Gowan, our Parish Sacrament Coordinator TuggeranongSouth.Sacraments@cg.org.au. 

BANDANNA DAY

Today we are proud to take part in National Bandanna Day. Held on the last Friday in October, Bandanna Day is the flagship fund raising and awareness campaign for Canteen. 

This year our school community lost a past student, Puoc, who had been supported by Canteen throughout his journey with cancer. Canteen provides free and tailored support to young people aged 12-25 who are impacted by cancer. Whether they are dealing with their own diagnosis, a close family member’s cancer or the death of a loved one, Canteen provides support such as counselling, peer support events and youth friendly resources.

Young people impacted by cancer are up to six times more likely to face mental health issues like anxiety or depression than their peers. After just six months of support from Canteen, almost two-thirds of young people report improvements in their mental health and overall well-being. Canteen also provides services for parents dealing with cancer in their family, because our research shows that when parents are supported through cancer, their children cope much better as well.

To date, our school has raised over $3000 which will help Canteen enormously to fund support for the young people involved. A HUGE thanks to Miss Rachel Southwell for organising the ordering, selling and distribution of our bandannas and thank you to everyone who purchased one.