May You know The Spirit of Christmas which is Peace, The Joy of Christmas which is Hope, and the Heart of Christmas which is Love.

Transcription

1 DECEMBER 2016 May You know The Spirit of Christmas which is Peace, The Joy of Christmas which is Hope, and the Heart of Christmas which is Love. Table of Contents ADMINISTRATORS MESSAGE... 2 ADVENT CELEBRATION... 3 SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM... 3 LEADERSHIP... 3 STAR PATROL... 4 TERRIFIC KIDS Sponsored by Kiwanis Club... 4 HOME READING... 4 FRANSPAÑOL TICKETS celebrating our French and Spanish languages... 5 FATHER LEO GREEN CHRISTMAS MUSICAL CONCERT... 5 UPGRADED CONCERT SEAT RAFFLE... 5 FATHER LEO GREEN SCHOOL CHOIR... 6 MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATIONS... 6 COLD WEATHER SCHOOL BUS CANCELLATIONS... 6

2 APPROPRIATE WINTER WEAR... 7 EXTRACURRICULAR CLUBS... 7 RELAXATION/MINDFULNESS... 7 ROSARY GROUP... 7 DANCE CLUB... 7 GRADE 4-6 INTRAMURALS... 8 ART CLUB... 8 SOCCER CLUB... 8 BOOK CLUB... 8 YEARBOOK/PHOTO CLUB... 8 BROADCAST CLUB... 8 CHOIR... 9 SAC NEWS... 9 Christmas Art Cards... 9 Hot Lunch... 9 Boston Pizza Operation Education DEADLINE: December 22nd Casino Fundraiser Family Market Tradeshow Thank You Card Contest ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH NEWS SUPERINTENDENT S MESSAGE ADMINISTRATORS MESSAGE The season of Advent invites us to await with the eagerness of a child, for the rebirth of Jesus in our hearts. It is a time of hope, anticipation, and celebration. As we share the joy of the season with family and friends, we pray for those whose memories and experiences are clouded with uncertainty, with anxiety, with hunger or with loneliness. May each of us be a light of hope for someone this Christmas. It was so great to meet so many parents at our Parent Teacher Interview evening and at our Advent celebration. We would like to wish you and yours a restful and blessed Christmas season. It is such a blessing to share the joy of the season with your amazing children! The last day of classes before Christmas break is Friday, December 23 and dismissal is at 12:00 noon. Classes will commence in the New Year on Monday, January 9, 2017.

3 Joyeux Noël! Feliz Navidad! (A. Scarpelli-Mannarino and D. Hatch) ADVENT CELEBRATION Sunday, November 27th marked the beginning of Advent, as we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ. Father Leo Green School students celebrated the beginning of Advent on November 29th by singing songs and reciting prayers. We lit the first candle that symbolizes hope. It symbolizes faith in God keeping his promises to humanity. The second is called the candle of preparation, reminding Christians to get ready to receive God. The third candle is the candle of joy. It recalls the angels joyfully singing about the birth of Christ. The fourth candle, the candle of love, reminds Christians that God loves them enough to send his only son to Earth. Here is a more detailed explanation of the meaning of the Advent wreath. In our school there is an Advent wreath in every classroom, and at various locations through the school. You did a wonderful job at the first Advent celebration! God bless you all. SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM The Grade 6 s have created a year plan for the social justice activities happening this year. For our global project, we are supporting Nicaragua in the pillar of opportunity. We are hoping to raise $ this year to buy eight bundles of farm animals to support families in Nicaragua. Our first project this year is called the Candy Cane Project. The students in grade 6 will be making reindeer and snowman candy canes and selling them between December 12th and 16th at first recess in the library. Your child can purchase the candy canes for $1.50 up to $3.00. They can then give these candy canes as gifts for others in the school. They can write on the tag who it is from or they can keep it anonymous. All the money raised will go towards the bundles of farm animals for Nicaragua. Stay tuned for more information regarding this project and others after Christmas! LEADERSHIP Some of our Fantastic Leadership Group presented at our assembly on November 30th to introduce a Mental Wellness Minute. One group of Grade 6 girls shared that Zumba can help your heart and your brain. They created a video and shared the dance with the rest of

4 the school. A second group of Grade 5 girls shared that relaxation is important for a healthy mind. Some examples of relaxation that they shared included reading, going on a picnic, and drawing. We look forward to more groups presenting at our January assembly with more mental wellness tips! STAR PATROL Our Fantastic Leadership Group is also involved in Star Patrol. Each recess, four of our leadership students are placed at either the small park or the big park and they are helping the supervisors deal with smaller conflicts that happen during recess time. They are encouraging the students to do the T.W.I.S.T and helping them come up with solutions to little deal type of problems. We are thankful to have our Leadership group so involved in our school this year. TERRIFIC KIDS Sponsored by Kiwanis Club During the month of November, our students were asked to show peacefulness as part of our fruit of the Holy Spirit for this month. We would like to say congratulations to the following students who demonstrated peacefulness: KA: Jacob and Isabella KB: Honor and Arielle KC: Simon and Breanna KD: Samuel and Joanna 1A: Monica, Dezi, Haylee and Makayla 1C: Emilia, Zayda and Brissa 1D: Samuel, Sadie and Jaxson 2A: Emerald, Jake and Kaeley 2C: Caleb, Ella and Kaithlyn 2/3B: Grace and Jackson 3A: Kaleb and Alexis 3C: Tizrah and Isabel 4A: Julia, Nevaeh and Rylea 4C: Brendan, Sofia and Ryker 5A: Lily, Samuel, Onyx and Sierra 5C: Emiliano and Jaleigh 6A: Tessa, Julia, Naomi and Dylan 6C: Avery and Moshe HOME READING At our November 30 th assembly, we chose more Leaders of the Pack from each classroom. These students showed growth and enthusiasm toward our Home Reading program. Congrats to all our winners for this month.

5 With the completion of term one, we also chose two Kings of the Jungle for our school. These two classes read the most minutes per student in the class since the month of September. We want to congratulate 6C and 2/3B for being our Kings of the Jungle in term one. On the afternoon of December 16th, these two classes will have a special activity as a reward for their hard work with reading. FRANSPAÑOL TICKETS celebrating our French and Spanish languages Over the past few months, our students have been earning Franspañol tickets by being caught speaking in their target language outside of classroom situations. From the hundreds of tickets which are earned every month, 6 tickets are drawn at the monthly assembly and those kids are treated to a grilled cheese lunch with Mme Scarpelli and Mr. Hatch. The winners for November were: Valery (2D), Mia (2D), Alexis (3A), Daniel (5C), Xander (6A) and Iva (6A). FATHER LEO GREEN CHRISTMAS MUSICAL CONCERT "A Simple Christmas " will be the theme for this year's Christmas Concert. It will consist of classes 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4C, 5A, 5C, 6A, 6C and the School Choir. There will be a Christmas play and Christmas songs to listen to and enjoy. The concert will begin at 7 pm, however students are asked to arrive in their classrooms at 6:30pm. Your child s homeroom teacher will inform you of what your child should wear for the concert. There will be a final dress rehearsal on the same day at 10:30 am we ask that grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends who are able to, please attend at this time. Due to fire regulations, we are limited to a certain number of people in the gym, including performers. Therefore, seating is limited in the evening and we can only accommodate 2 spectators per child. For this reason, we will be issuing tickets to the concert all individuals attending the evening concert must have a ticket. If you require another ticket, please contact the office. If you are not using any tickets, please return them to the office. Christmas Concert: Wednesday, December 14th- 3A, 3C, 3B, 4A, 4C, 5A, 5C, 6A, 6C and School Choir Spring Concert: Wednesday, April 20 KA, KB, KC, KD, 1A, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mme Andrews at (780) Thank you. Have a very Merry Christmas! PLEASE BRING A NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEM UPGRADED CONCERT SEAT RAFFLE This year we will be holding a raffle for reserved seating in the two front rows at the Christmas concert. Proceeds will go to support the Sign of Hope. Tickets will cost $1.00 each. Each ticket drawn will be given two assigned seats in one of the two front rows. **

6 Please note that these will not be 2 additional tickets, but an upgrade of the tickets you have already received. Tickets will be on sale beginning on Monday, December 5th and the draw date will be December 13th. You will be notified by phone if you are the lucky recipient of 2 assigned seats (in either the first or second row) to our concert! FATHER LEO GREEN SCHOOL CHOIR Our School Choir have been busy preparing songs to sing to celebrate the Christmas Season. They will be performing at City Hall on Tuesday, December 6th at 12:30 and at the Legislature Building on Wednesday, December 21st at 12:00. If you have the time, please come to watch our students perform. They would love your support. MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATIONS For the last three years ECSD has taken on an initiative to promote Mental Health in all schools. This allowed students and staff to h ave open dialogue concerning healthy living habits and emotional balance at school and at home. As part of this initiative, some students from the leadership club were given the opportunity to present at an assembly to the entire school body on the ECSD Nutrition Policy. Nicholas and Michaela from 6A and Mateo and Kyra form 6C presented on the importance of healthy eating and how these choices contribute to a healthy lifestyle and state of mind. These students were also able to present to the SAC at their November meeting. They talked the parents on how they can work with the school to help their children develop healthy living habits. COLD WEATHER SCHOOL BUS CANCELLATIONS Please be advised that the following Radio and TV Stations will carry announcements with respect to transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions. RADIO STATIONS 630 CHED AM 930 The Light CJCA CBC CISN FM SHINE FM CHFA (CBC Fr.) FRESH FM 92.5 TSN 1260 CFCW 840 INEWS 880 AM 95.7 CRUZ FM CAPITAL FM 96.3 The Bounce FM 91.7 The Bear FM K UP! 99.3 FM SONIC FM NOW! Radio HOT 107 FM VIRGIN Radio FM TV STATIONS

7 CITYTV CTV Edmonton GLOBAL Edmonton CBC TV Every effort will be made to have messages broadcast commencing no later than 6:30 a.m. APPROPRIATE WINTER WEAR Winter will soon be here and with it, the expected cold weather. Please ensure your children are dressed appropriately for the weather. Label all new winter wear with your child s name so that it can be returned easily if lost. Students who are ill should remain at home until they feel well enough to participate in all school activities, recess included. EXTRACURRICULAR CLUBS Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday First Recess -Leadership Games in gym Grade 1 (Jan and Feb) Leadership Games in gym Grade 2 (Jan and Feb) Relaxation/ Mindfulness (starts in January) Book Club Lunch Recess Last Recess Intramurals (4-6) Dance club (1-3) Art Club (3-6) Soccer Club (4-6) Choir Intramurals (4-6) Leadership Dance Club (1-3) Leadership Games in gym Grade 3 (Jan and Feb) Leadership Games in gym Grade 4 (Jan and Feb) Choir Rosary Prayer (Chapel) Dance Club (Grades 4-6) RELAXATION/MINDFULNESS The Relaxation/Mindfulness club is held every Wednesday 1 st recess in Sra Cardoso's classroom. It will start on January 11th, Led by Sra Cardoso and Mlle Treder. We will teach the kids how to relax, we'll give them tools to manage stress, emotions and anger. Students and staff are welcome! ROSARY GROUP Rosary Group is held every Friday at lunch recess in our Chapel. Our first meeting was on October 7th. All students and staff are welcome to come pray with Mme Bessette and Mme Julie. The Rosary is a mental and vocal prayer in which we meditate on the virtues of the Life, Death, Passion and Glory of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Prayer is a way to help us get in touch with God and to develop a relationship with him. In prayer we not only talk with God, but God communicates with us. As we continue to pray, our relationship with God grows. DANCE CLUB Led by Mme Olivia, Sra Guasp and Sra Lucyk the dance club gives grades 4-6 students the opportunity to develop their dance skills. We will be performing dance routines to the school at various assemblies. Students will participate in hip-hop, jazz, and other genres of dance. The dance club will take place every Monday during last recess.

8 GRADE 4-6 INTRAMURALS At the beginning of December, all interested Grade 4-6 students will be formed into teams to begin tournament style intramurals. We will begin with a floor hockey tournament and then a basketball tournament. To end off the season, we will be racing in fun an d wonky obstacle courses and relay races geared for the older students. Intramurals will run in the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays at lunch recess. Mme Thomson and Mme Murray are excited to be involved in this fun, non-competitive round of intramurals! ART CLUB Led by Mme. Rachel and Srta. Lucyk, the Art Club will be offered to students in Grades 3-6 every Monday at lunch recess. This club will give students the opportunity to use their imagination and creativity in order to develop their artistic skills. The Art Club will put students' artwork on display throughout the school during the year and aims to create an art gallery towards the end of the school year. SOCCER CLUB Sr. Cristian and Srta. Perri are excited to be running the soccer club this year. We will be meeting once a week, to practice our soccer skills in preparation for the upcoming tournament in January. All grade 4 to 6 boys and girls are invited to try out. We will be choosing a team of 12 to participate in the tournament. BOOK CLUB Calling all book worms! Mme Schreiner and Sra. Sinclair will be meeting with Grade 4-6 students once a week on Thursdays at recess to discuss anything and everything books! Book Club members are allowed to take out an extra book from the library. Yes, there is definitely reading! There are also plenty of laughs as we incorporate our favourite books, characters and book genres into fun activities that include book fans of all sorts! YEARBOOK/PHOTO CLUB The Yearbook/ Photo Club gives seven Gr.6 & Gr.5 students the opportunity to learn about photography. They will be able to take pictures during school assemblies, celebrations, special events and concerts. Downloading pictures onto the computer and editing are a few of the skills the participants will learn. Photos taken during this club will be used to prepare the school yearbook. Participants will meet every second Tuesday, during morning recess, throughout the year. The Yearbook/ Photo Club is led by Mme. Andrews, and Sra. Marta. BROADCAST CLUB Student Broadcasting has been in full swing since the middle of September. Students in Grade 6 had the opportunity to sign up for student broadcasting or technology assistant and are now on a consistent rotation schedule. Students receive the announcements first thing in the morning to practice what they will be saying. Then, just before first recess, they gather in an area of the

9 computer lab designated for broadcasting. We have a green screen in which various backgrounds can be chosen according to the season, holiday or day of the week. This team has been doing a tremendous job of delivering our morning announcements. The members of the team this year are Camila, Nick, Annalysa, Brian, Aidan and Hannah. CHOIR Our school choir began singing in late September and will continue until mid-may. The choir members are students from Grade 3 to Grade 6. They meet every Tuesday and Friday during noontime recess under the direction of Mme Andrews and assisted by Srta Tara and Srta Serrano. There are approximately 40 students in the school choir this year. They perform at various events and places such as the City Hall, the Legislature Building, our school concerts and at our Music Monday concert. They love to sing! SAC NEWS Christmas Art Cards Thank you to everyone that has already placed an order for Christmas Art Cards. In fact, the response has been so great that we ve run out of stock. Our new shipment should be arriving very soon and then we ll be able to resume printing and sending your wonderful cards home. For those of you that haven t ordered yet, the final deadline is Friday, December 9 th. Please remember: when handing in the forms, you must return it in its entirety the order form with payment. Please do not send post-dated cheques and change cannot be provided. Orders will be printed in the order they are received. If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Thornton at flgsac@gmail.com. Hot Lunch o o o o o o o Upcoming lunch date Tuesday, December 20 from Boston Pizza ORDER DEADLINE - Thursday, December 10 pm Silly Theme & Homeroom Challenge: Crazy Hair Day! If you would like to volunteer at 11:00 am to help deliver the hot lunch, please Trina Jewison at flgsac@gmail.com. Trina will confirm with all volunteers directly via two days prior to the hot lunch date. Use HealthyHunger.ca to order. Payment must be made with Interac, Visa or MasterCard. Items come as listed only. If you have not done so already, you will need to set up an account at HealthyHunger.ca following the instructions on the website but don t fear, it s super easy. PLEASE CHOOSE THE CORRECT CLASSROOM/TEACHER. French is at the top of the list, Spanish at the bottom.

10 Boston Pizza Operation Education DEADLINE: December 22nd Time to collect ALL BP receipts dated September 1 through December 22, Please hand them in to Karen in the Office by 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, December 22nd. You can continue to collect them during Christmas Break as we will begin a new cycle in January. Dine-in, Take-out & Delivery receipts (we need the itemized copy only) are all valid for this program. We have been sponsored again by the location on the southwest corner of 97 St and 137 Ave. If you have a choice...please use that location; however, receipts from ANY Edmonton area Boston Pizza location are eligible as well at the many outlying locations. Thank you for continuing to support this fundraising effort. Casino Fundraiser Thank you very much to everyone who worked a very long shift (or two) at the Century Casino on November 20 th and 21 st! Also, thanks to those of you who were on standby to be called in. This extremely important fundraiser was a success thanks to all of you. We will find out the exact amount our school will receive from AGLC in February The plans for the money are to supplement field trip costs as usual; buy more math manipulatives, musical instruments and library books; contribute $10, towards upgrading all the computers in the computer lab; and support many of our school s clubs and special events and activities. Family Market Tradeshow The first FLG Family Market on November 24 th was a tremendous success! We would like to thank everyone involved. We had 12 dedicated vendors who came out to participate with their beautiful and useful products and were an absolute pleasure to work with. Our school s Leadership team was a big help running the popcorn table. They did a really great job selling 103 bags of popcorn! The Second Cup at Hollick Kenyon was very generous to sponsor the coffee, including a refill so we could enjoy hot delicious coffee all day. A giant THANK YOU goes out to all the families who took the time to come and browse, chat, shop and donate that day. For many of the vendors, this was their first plunge into markets like this and it was a really great experience.

11 Our expectations were exceeded on every level! Thanks to the table fees, popcorn sales, and the kind free-will donations we received, we managed to raise over $425. This money will help us to continue supporting the kids of our school. This was a fun and new event for our school. We hope we can do it again with even more and varied vendors. Watch for a pamphlet with photos and the participating vendors information coming to you soon from your Classroom Rep. Thank You Card Contest FLG has many talented artists! SAC appreciates all the students that took the time to draw, paint or colour beautiful pieces of artwork that they submitted for our Thank You Card Contest. Congratulations to Nia from 6A and Sophie from 3A whose artworks were chosen as the winners from each age group. They received wonderful art kits so that they can continue expressing their creativity. Both pieces of artwork will be used to make thank you cards (just like the Christmas Art Cards) so that we can show our appreciation to the various community members and companies who generously sponsor our school. A special thank you to the parents who helped to judge the finalists artwork. Watch for the coming soon from your Classroom Rep to see the winning pieces of art. ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH NEWS 1. CONFIRMATION FOR ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH - Pre-registration for Confirmation (grade 6 or older) is now taking place. If St. Dominic Savio is your home parish and you would like your child/ren to receive this sacrament at our parish in the spring of 2017, please call Ann at ext. 2. Registration forms and letters will then be sent to school addressed to your child before Christmas break. 2. Our parish Advent Penitential Service will be on Monday, December 19 at 7:00 p.m. There will be several priests available for reconciliation (confession). 3. ST. DOMINIC SAVIO CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS MASS TIMES: Christmas Eve: Saturday Dec. 24-6:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Christmas Day: Sunday Dec :30 a.m. New Year s Eve: Saturday Dec. 31 5:00 p.m. New Year's Day: Sunday Jan. 1 9:30 am and 11:30 am Christmas Day and New Year's Day are the only two holy days of obligation in Canada. SUPERINTENDENT S MESSAGE

12 December 2016 Therefore, keep awake for you do not know when the master of the house will come... And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake. ~ Mark 13:35-37 The month of December is joyous for many reasons in Edmonton Catholic Schools. Our schools enter the exciting time of Advent, which has us anticipating the birth of Jesus. This scripture passage is one which is often used during Advent. Jesus is giving his disciples a message of hope about the coming of the Messiah, assuring them that they should keep faith in God s promise, even during challenging times. It calls for us to be alert and to prepare a place for Jesus in our daily lives. Classrooms will be abuzz with activities that help students to prepare just such a place in their lives for Jesus and explore the great gift of love that our Father has given us in the person of His Son over the four weeks of Advent. In this year where We are Called to be Leaders of Hope and Mercy in Edmonton Catholic Schools, we are reminded of what hope truly means as we prepare for the birth of our Savior. Our schools and sites also turn their attentions to mercy through their many social justice projects. Our annual We Care Challenge is one way in which this occurs. Many of our schools and sites carry out a variety of engaging activities to raise funds for the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation and Catholic Social Services Sign of Hope Campaign. Other schools will collect socks and mittens, build hampers, and raise funds for the many organizations in Edmonton and beyond that help people in need. We have several exciting enrichment opportunities for students who are passionate about music through our All-City Choir and All City- Band Programs. These highly committed students come together regularly to hone their skills as ensembles. There are several occasions for people to enjoy these spectacular groups at their Christmas concerts. The concerts start at 7:30 pm: All City St. Joseph s Basilica- Dec. 5, Junior All City John L. Haar Theatre (MacEwan)-Dec. 7, Senior All City U of A Convocation Hall Dec. 13. Our Council of Elders hosts a Sacred Pipe Ceremony four times a year to welcome and honour each new season hosted at a Nehiyaw Pimatisiwin (Way of Life) School. The winter ceremony will be held at Our Lady of Peace School on Thursday, December 15. This is a time to celebrate friendships, welcome new friends to the circle, and to ask God/Creator for his blessings. If you are interested in attending the Sacred Pipe Ceremony, please contact The Council of Elders office at

13 There are many times where we report our accountability to the public. There are two major reports of this nature which will be presented at the November 29 Public Board of Trustees Meeting, our Audited Financial Statements, August 31, 2016 and the combined Annual Education Results Report and Three-Year Education Plan Once approved by the Board of Trustees, the reports will be posted on our public website on the Annual Reports and Results page at As we turn our eyes towards Christmas and the birth of Jesus, we also reflect upon the willingness of his mother, Mary, to humbly serve our God. Her incredible faith, echoed in her joyous acceptance of the news that she was to give birth to the Messiah, reminds us that God calls on us, too. Pope Francis shared the following thought on Twitter - Mary is the woman who says yes, a yes of surrender to God, a yes of surrender to her brothers and sisters. May we follow her example. (02/13/16) Mary s yes changed our world! I wish you all a blessed Advent and a Holy Christmas as you turn your eyes towards a lowly manger in the town of Bethlehem and the precious gift of love to be found there! Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

14 Newsletter insert for December 2016 Kathleen Nguyen, Elementary Religious Education Consultant Celebrating Advent as a family What do January 1 st and November 27 have in common this year? They are both considered a New Year! The first Sunday in Advent falls on November 27 this year and so it is the first day of our New (liturgical) Year. During this time of advent, we are joyful and hopeful as we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. This is a time that we can give our children the gift of tradition as we deepen their understanding of the Church s celebration of this season. Create and use the Advent Wreath as a family to prepare for the birth of Jesus: The Advent wreath has many rich symbols that can help make the Advent season meaningful to us because we focus on Jesus. At first glance, you see four candles that are evenly spaced around a circle of evergreen branches. But what does it mean? Circle: The circle is a symbol of God who is eternal and everlasting. Evergreen plants: Evergreen plants have leaves all year long which symbolize Jesus Christ who has conquered death and given us everlasting life. Candles: The candles represent Jesus Christ as the light of the world. The warmth of the candle and bright light that it brings during the cold, dark winter help us remember the new life Jesus has given us. Four candles: The four candles represent the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Each week, we light one more candle. Three purple candles: Purple was used in ancient Rome as a symbol of royalty. We use purple to remember that Jesus is the Messiah or King. Purple helps us remember that we must prepare in a special way; especially through prayer and penance. One rose candle: We light the rose candle on week three. This is known as Gaudete Sunday; a Latin word that means rejoice. We know that Christmas is almost here! Blessing your Advent Wreath as a Family Praying together as a Family Sit the Advent Wreath in the middle of your table. Light the candle. Say a short prayer from the link below or sing a verse of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Have a Blessed Advent.

15 Amoris Laetitia Chapter 3 Looking to Jesus: The Vocation of the Family As a member of two music ministry groups, I am fascinated with the many ways that the themes found in favorite hymns and songs celebrate the Word of God. Whether Sing to the Mountains, Sing a new Song, or Go Tell it on the Mountain, the message of God found in each musical piece touches the heart of the Gospel message we proclaim. Pope Francis opens this chapter by reminding us that the core of the Gospel message, the Kerygma, is what is most beautiful, most excellent, most appealing and at the same time most necessary. (58). Pope Francis outlines the need for us to enter more deeply into the Word of God which we must hear again and again in different ways, and which we must always announce in one form or another. (58). Very much like how I hear a similar message via different hymns and songs, I can learn more and interpret nuances differently because of the various styles of music. As for the message our Pontiff states: nothing is more solid, profound, secure, meaningful and wise than that message. (58). This chapter explores in great detail, through many illustrative scriptural examples, the Church s teachings on marriage and the family. Our teaching on marriage and the family cannot fail to be inspired and transformed by this message of love and tenderness; otherwise, it becomes nothing more than the defence of a dry and lifeless doctrine. (59). Echoing the call for a pastoral approach to deepening our understanding of family and marriage encountered in chapter 2, Pope Francis posits that the Christian family can be fully understood only in the light of the Father s infinite love revealed in Christ, who gave himself up for our sake and who continues to dwell in our midst. (59). Through sharing beautiful examples of Christ s love, mercy, and compassion, the chapter goes into great detail about how marriage and family life is to be viewed as a gift from the Lord. In reminding us of God s divine covenantal love for all of humanity, our salvation history, we recall that through his Church, Christ bestows on marriage and the family the grace necessary to bear witness to the love of God and to live the life of communion. (63). In several examples such as: the miracle at Cana, friendship with Lazarus and his family, and sympathizing with grieving parents over the loss of a child, Jesus demonstrated the true meaning of mercy, which entails the restoration of the covenant. (64). Jesus models gratuitous love in the face of sin and in doing so models how we are called to do the same in our relationships. Pope Francis reinforces this point through recounting the nativity narrative where the incarnation of the Word in a human family, in Nazareth, by its very newness changed the history of the world. (65). Mary said yes to have the Word conceived in her womb. Joseph too said yes in naming Jesus and watching over mother and son. We witness the struggles and toil of a family, who despite the harshness and challenges life can sometimes bring, such as exile, persecution and humiliation, hold their communion with God with humility and love. The covenant of love and fidelity lived by the Holy Family of Nazareth illuminates the principle which gives shape to every family on this basis, every family, despite its weaknesses, can become a light in the darkness of the world. (66.) This is truly a hope-filled message. From the example of the Holy Family, we next examine several documents of the church, such as Second Vatican Council s Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes, which promotes the dignity of marriage and family. We learn that in marriage Christ the Lord makes himself present to the Christian spouses in the Amoris Laetitia Chapter 3 1

16 sacrament of marriage and remains with them. (67). Through the incarnation, Jesus assumes human love, purifies it and brings it to fulfilment. By his spirit, he gives spouses the capacity to live that love, permeating every part of their lives of faith, hope and charity. (67). This is central to the foundation of the Christian family. Pope Frances cites the work of Blessed Paul VI (Humanae Vitae) which brings out the intrinsic bond between conjugal love and the generation of life: married love requires of husband and wife the full awareness of their obligations in the matter of responsible parenthood the exercise of responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife, keeping a right order of priorities, recognize their own duties towards God, themselves, their families and human society. Pope Francis furthers his views through citing Saint John Paul II s Familiaris Consorto which defined the family as the way of the Church how spouses, in their mutual love, receive the gift of the Spirit of Christ and live their call to holiness. (69). This is echoed by excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI s Deus Caritas Est, where he states marriage based on an exclusive and definitive love becomes an icon of the relationship between God and his people God s way of loving becomes the measure of human love. Further, in Caritas in Veritate, Benedict XVI stresses the importance of love in society as a place where we learn the experience of the common good. (70). The message is consistent in all cases: love is at the heart of our existence. Marriage and the family are rooted in love; a love that is radiated and witnessed through Jesus. The chapter progresses to a detailed examination of marriage including the nuptial mystery, sexuality, imperfect situations, the ministry of marriage, procreation, and the sanctity of life. The message of the Church s teaching is meant to help couples experience in a complete, harmonious and conscious way their communion as husband and wife. (82.) The chapter then explores the role of family and the Church. Pope Francis asserts that the Church is a family of families, constantly enriched by the lives of all those domestic churches the church is good for the family and the family is good for the Church. The safeguarding of the Lord s gift in the sacrament of matrimony is concern not only of individual families but of the entire Christian community. (87.) Pope Francis assures us that the experience of love in families is a perennial source of strength for the life of the Church. (88). Examples of the beauty of marriage, the value of family and the profound sense of God s covenant of love with humanity are abundant in this chapter. Just as a song sounds better when others join in and lend harmony, Pope Francis shared wisdom on marriage and family life in this chapter is succinctly captured in his closing words: The beauty of this mutual, gratuitous gift, the joy which comes from a life that is born and the loving care of all family members from toddlers to seniors- are just a few of the fruits which make the response to the vocation of the family unique and irreplaceable, both for the Church and for society as a whole. (88). What a wonderful song these words would make! Tim Cusack, Assistant Superintendent, Learning Services Innovation Amoris Laetitia Chapter 3 2