Thunder News Flash – March 3, 2018

I have always been intrigued and fascinated by the hidden life of Jesus (His life before his public ministry). I find myself lately reflecting on Jesus’ life as a carpenter. We only have a small scriptural reference to Joseph as a carpenter and by extension we can safely assume that Jesus would have had some experience with carpentry. It comes to us when the people of Nazareth were shocked that Jesus was speaking with such authority about the scriptures (“Is he not the carpenter’s son?”Mt 13:55). The people were surprised because more than likely they would have known Jesus as a worker in Joseph’s shop. Perhaps He had been to their homes to build a table or build farm equipment. I find myself asking why did God choose Joseph, a carpenter, to help raise Jesus?

We do not believe that the birth of Jesus was accidental and that Mary and Joesph were just randomly selected. Rather, they were chosen with intention. What is it about carpentry then that prepared Jesus for what was to come? And what if anything can we learn from this that can help us to become better people? I would like to share two reflections with you:

1. In the time of Jesus, carpentry was hard work. There were no automatic tools and one did not just go to Lowes or Home Depot to pick up some 2x4s to start building. Everything about carpentry in the time of Jesus would have demanded hard physical labor. But in that hard work was accomplishment. Jesus would have learned the value of hard work from Joseph and he carried that into his ministry. He understood how hard people worked to make a living and he respected that. He also understood that his mission would require hard work if it were to succeed. 
2. Wood is not perfect. Woodworkers and carpenters know that you have to work with the product you have. Sometimes you have to smooth away the roughness and sometimes you just have to live with the fact that the wood may be a bit warped. Joseph would have taught Jesus that you have to work with the material you have.  Joseph would have taught Jesus to see its inherent value. Jesus understood that none of his disciples were perfect. But Jesus knew that they each had inherent value and worth. They were a part of a vision that he was building.

There are plenty more lessons to be drawn out from carpentry that are applicable to our life today. But perhaps you can take some time to reflect with your children on the importance of hard work and in seeing the worth in ourselves despite our imperfections.

Our Annual General Meeting is Wednesday, March 7th, 2018 from 6:00 – 8:00pm.

There will be Chilli for parents, which will be served at 6:00pm. For those new to our community, the AGM is an important evening in which we cover several important items and we also begin to accept re-registration forms right after the meeting. Please come to the AGM with your re-registration forms (white forms) completed as this will make the process so much easier. We look forward to seeing you in our school gym on Wednesday March 7th! 

We are using an online tool to help with signing up for Student Led Conferences that are taking place on March 9th. Please click here to make a reservation. 

Please be aware that your child only attends school for their Student Led Conference time slot. They are to come with their parent/guardians and also go home with their parent/guardians as soon as they are finished their conference. Students are to be in uniform. The first time slot is 8:30am and the last time slot is 3:30pm. Thank you. 

On behalf of the school community of St. James and St. Ann’s Elementary, I would like to congratulate our Gr. 2 students on making their First Reconciliation. What a wonderful first step towards receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. Let us keep our Gr. 2 students and our Gr. 7 students in our prayers as they continue to prepare for their sacraments. 

Hot Lunch forms went home with your child on Friday, March 2nd. Please make sure the forms are filled out correctly and returned to the school by March 28th, 2018. Thank you.