Faith & Mission Report 25 February 2022
Next week, we celebrate Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent, a season of the Church which continues until the evening of Holy Thursday when the Easter Triduum begins. On Ash Wednesday, the College community will gather in prayer and for the distribution of the ashes where we will reflect on the challenge of the Lenten journey. We recognise the greatness of our humanity in being created in the image and likeness of God – in being known and loved – and to celebrate that goodness in ourselves. At the same time, however, we acknowledge that we often miss the mark: we do not always live out the fullness of our humanity and be who we are created to be.
This time of our liturgical year is an opportunity for staff and students to reflect on the path Jesus walked; a path of radical love towards the cross which then opened heaven’s door for us to follow. In this period of Lent, as we walk towards Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are invited to meditate on our God of compassion, what that means for how we act in the world, and for what God calls us to be
A distinctive characteristic of Jesus was his compassion for the people he met particularly those who were suffering. Jesus’ teaching and his example of great compassion towards the vulnerable resonates deeply in the life of our Marist community. We seek to walk with the vulnerable in ways that bring hope and healing – and life to the full.
Game Changers students supported by the Faith and Mission team will be hosting a series of fundraising events throughout Term 1 to support the work of Caritas. This is one way in which our community can support the most vulnerable. On Shrove Tuesday, 1 March, we will be selling pancakes to students and staff for a gold coin donation. We hope you can support us in this endeavour. Look out for other fund-raising initiatives where we can put our faith into action.
To conclude, I would like to share a poem that I stumbled upon by Jan Richardson, titled Blessing the Dust. This encapsulates beautifully what Ash Wednesday and Lent invites us to reflect on. May God bless you on the journey!