Dear Parents and Carers
Our theme for worship for this week is the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Archangel Gabriel tells Mary that she will bear Jesus, and be his earthly mother.
That means it's only nine months to Christmas! Hot Cross Buns in all sorts of fruity, chocolatey and spicy variety are still cramming the supermarket shelves, and we need to turn our attention to the festivities at the other end of the year.
It's too early to panic yet; we still have to get through Easter Egg hunts in a few weeks, and then we can turn our mind to the perennial question of Christmas; real or fake tree this year?
You might feel that we have lost something of the true meaning of these festivals, and a nine-month reminder of the Christmas holidays is a little excessive. On the other hand, as mince pies quickly give way to Hot Cross Buns, and then to chocolate eggs, and then back to buns, eggs and pies in the intervening months between Easter and Christmas, it might be said that we are keeping the Christian story alive through the medium of sugary treats.
This was certainly underlined recently when some of our students helped out at the Shrove Tuesday Pancake celebration at Christchurch in Mandurah. Our students cooked, served (and ate) pancakes for all comers at the Church. The organisers were thrilled to have assistance, and the students manged to combine an interesting array of toppings to enjoy. Our Secondary students also enjoyed Pancake Races on Shrove Tuesday; points were awarded for speed and agility as each pancake toss was totalled.
I pray that you will have a holy and reflective Lent, and a blessed Easter. And if the occasional Hot Cross Bun, or early Easter egg, or super early mince pie passes your lips, I hope that you recall the deep symbolism of each, and the marvel of the Christian story!
God bless
Canon James Tabor
School Chaplain