Thunder News Flash – March 31, 2018

This Easter Weekend will be filled with plenty of spiritual reflection for us. The Easter Triduum is always the highpoint of our liturgical year and rightly so as the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus gives meaning to our entire faith. There are so many important reflections and insights to explore that it is difficult to narrow it down. I would like to take this opportunity to draw attention to Simon of Cyrene. 

Simon of Cyrene is chosen by the Roman soldiers to assist Jesus in carrying the cross of Jesus’ crucifixion. The three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) all reference Simon in a single sentence albeit with slightly different wording. The Gospel of Mark tells us, “They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross” (Mk 15, 21). Who was this man? Why him? What happened afterwards? Why include this detail?

Church artwork and writings often depict Simon of Cyrene as a willing volunteer to help Jesus in carrying the cross. This certainly makes sense because Christ himself told us to carry our cross if we wanted to follow him (Mt 16, 24-26). The message of the cross and its importance in our faith can not be understated.

But it is possible that Simon of Cyrene may have just been a bystander. He may have just been selected by the Roman soldiers to take up the cross and he may not really have had a choice in the matter. Sometimes we get asked to help in tasks that we really do not want to help with. We’ve got other things and priorities on the go. We’ve got our own plans. I can just imagine Simon of Cyrene thinking to himself that he did not come to Jerusalem to participate in a crucifixion. He may even have been there with his sons. But he was pressed into service by soldiers and the consequence for not obliging would have been severe. The fact that all three of the synoptic gospels mention him and that Mark goes so far as to mention his sons, tells me that this moment nevertheless transformed him and that people in the Christian communities at the time the Gospel was written would have known him. I like to think that helping Jesus carry his cross transformed Simon in a most profound and positive way. And so it goes for us. When we are asked to help, when we are called upon to care for others, when we are pressed into service despite our own plans, we are often rewarded with a positive and transformative experience. 

I hope you have a blessed Easter. 

If you have a child in Grade 1 or Grade 2 he or she received an Individual Membership Registration Form and Waiver Form for the STEM Afterschool Program by Treefrog Digital. In this program kids will create, build, code and operate Sphero’s (a ball like robot) using basic computer programming. Along the way they will learn critical and creative thinking, problem solving and teamwork skills. 

This program we will be running on the following dates: April 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 2:40pm to 4:00pm in the French Lab.

The program is only available to maximum of 12 students from either Grade 1 or 2. The first 12 registrations to be completed and returned to the School Office with the fee of $96 CAD per student will be guaranteed their spots. Please return the forms and money to the Office and not the classroom teacher before April 6th, 2018. Cheques can be made out to Treefrog Digital. If you don’t have the form you can download it here.

Part of the proceeds will go to buy new equipment for St. James & St. Ann’s School STEM program.

Students who have been selected by their classroom teacher to participate in our school wide Speech Arts will be performing in our school gym on April 5th and 6th. Parents are invited to come and watch and support our talented students. Please see below for times. 

Primary Schedule for April 5th: (times are estimates only and we start with Kindergarten)

Bible readings begin at 9:00 am to 9:20; Poetry from 9:25 to 10:00; Class poems from 10:00 to 10:25. 

Intermediate Schedule for April 6th: (times are estimates only and we start with Gr. 4)

Bible readings begin at 9:00am to 9:20; Poetry from 9:25 to 10:00; Character Dramatizations 10:00 to 10:25; Speeches 10:50 to 11:10; Class or Group poems 11:10 – 11:30