Dear Families of Saint Joseph School,
As you will see throughout this newsletter, our students participated in many meaningful Lenten activities. Watching our older students help younger students cut their pancakes, made by teachers and staff, truly expressed our theme LOVE LIVES HERE!!
On Shrove Tuesday, Father George led us in a very powerful symbolic ritual of the burning of the palms. I think students will remember this event for the rest of their lives.
I was extremely proud of how well students answered Father’s questions during our Ash Wednesday liturgy. He had a bit of a “Jeopardy Style” homily with Saint Joseph Elementary Students versus Saint Joseph Notre Dame Students. And, the good news is that Father said SAINT JOSEPH ELEMENTARY WON!!!!!
May we all, as a community continue to grow in faith and in love during this Lenten Season.
Please enjoy these Lenten reflections from two of our Eighth Graders. I am so proud of our students and their amazing insight of how we can serve during this Lenten Season.
God’s Blessings on Each of Us,
Dr. Marquita Yriarte
Principal
Reflection of Lent by Kaitlyn Cassidy
Lent is a joyful season and there are many ways to celebrate it. At school we do Stations of the Cross and we write our promises for Lent. At home we don't eat meat on Friday and we attend Lenten Soup nights at school. We also have a rice bowl that we keep all lent and at the end, the change we've collected in the bowl, goes to children who need the money more than we do. Lent is the perfect season to give to others who are not as fortunate as we are. Lent is also. not just about giving things to others so much as giving hours and time to others. So, community service hours are a good idea: helping at your local senior center, cleaning up trash on the beach, and helping others. Lent is a time to fast, help and give to others.
Lenten Season by Lena Frez
My school and I do Lenten prayers, such as Stations of the Cross, to reflect the great miracle of Jesus' suffering and death. We participate and watch the burning of the palms as we see the palms from the previous year's Lenten season burn into ashes for today's Ash Wednesday Mass. We have come from the dust and to dust we will return. The ashes made from the burning of the palms are used on Ash Wednesday as a reminder of our own upcoming deaths in the future. Just like ashes, we will be part of our world as we succumb to death and be part of God's Kingdom
Some people during the Lenten Season, and hopefully our students too, will give up or even add something to their daily agenda. Some will give up eating a lot or some would add to their agenda to exercises daily, but what is more important is that we are to be reminded of Jesus' sacrifices fro us. Many others would fast, eating less, where we give ourselves to the need of others. It's the time when we empty ourselves of habits and earthly desires to make room in our lives and our hearts for others and Christ our Lord. By fasting and sacrifices, we are able to welcome ourselves to the compassion, kindness, and to so much more of our world.
There is also alms giving in the Lenten Season where generosity and being selfless are things that lead to spiritual transformation. Our school community and I make rice bowls where we give money, and the money we put in them will be used to help those in need around the world. Those who are going though hard times in life, we shall offer them our help and do so to the best of our capability. When we come across desperate and despairing times we must try and overcome those times with our own strength and our trust in Christ. It's actually really fun to help others because when you do, you make them happy, and in return you receive great satisfaction and happiness knowing that you have done a big difference in their lives. That's something worth smiling about."
