From the Head Teacher

The Easter Story for modern times

Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of lent.

It was the day of celebration when people lined the streets of Jerusalem to welcome the now famous Jesus.

As he entered the city on a donkey people waved palm leaves.  This was a way to show respect.

In church on Palm Sunday, palm leaves are shared and these are turned into crosses which are kept through Eastertide. 

Some of these same palm leaves are kept and then the next year will be burned and the ashes used for the Ash Wednesday service.

During this week we will consider the journey from joy on the Sunday to Jesus being arrested and then dying on a cross on Good Friday. 

On the Thursday Jesus gathered his closest friends to him and told them that he would be leaving.  He reassured them and gave them a last reminder of his most important message:

Good Friday is not a sad day in the church tradition.  Good Friday is re told through 14 pictures or stations, retelling the story of the journey of Jesus from capture to dying on the cross.

We retell this each year in school with the children.  All children are invited to reflect on this journey. Our older children reflecting more deeply.  By reflecting on each image and what was happening we can be strengthened by the love and courage of those who were with Jesus.  Amazed by his ability to draw on love and not become embittered. 

The Easter story is a powerful mix of joy and pain.  It is a story of life: do we fall into the sadness of the challenge or rise above this and remain hopeful and positive, despite the difficulties. 

Easter is a great reflection for the Covid journey.  Just when we think we are through the difficulties we have been faced with more. Each of us challenged in different ways.

How do we get through this?  Certainly, we are strengthened by being lights for each other, by acts of kindness of seeing goodness around us….in the smallest of things.

We are helped by those that give rather than take. By smiling rather than falling into the sadness of what we may have lost.  By noticing what we have rather than what we haven’t.

Easter people are people of hope. They choose to see the good and to be the good wherever they can. That doesn’t mean that we have no right to be challenged. It doesn’t mean if we are in need of support we should not ask. It means that we should not actively work to bring unnecessary challenge to others.

Be a person of hope and see the good in others.    It is like switching on a rainbow in your world.

Follow this link for a re write for the Easter Hallelujah. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3NZEdHQaI

Wishing you every blessing at this Easter time.

 

In the meantime on behalf of all at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School I send you our warmest wishes.  

Elaine Mannix

March 2021