CALLED TO BE SAINTS

Many years ago, as a young teacher, I considered the role of the Religious Education Coordinator seriously as I wanted to help build a community’s faith, engagement and commitment of service for others. But then I started thinking: What if I’m not good enough? 

The doubt was not so much around my ability as a leader or teacher, but as a person. What if I’m not good enough? I had this notion that I needed to be somewhat of a ‘saint’ and a gregarious young lady maybe didn’t seem like the pious picture others had when they thought of an REC. We sometimes joke about ‘Catholic guilt,’ however it was at that time that I truly believed I suffered from a great dose of it. Let me be clear, I wasn’t behaving badly in my youth, I was just far from perfect. Aren’t we all?

Fast forward some years later, and I was drawn to the message of St. Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians,  when he wrote “to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Cor 1:2).

In essence, we are told that we are called to be saints. This may appear to present a problem. To begin with, although we read the lives of the saints and admire them, most of us cannot imagine ourselves in that sacred company. 

It is very Catholic and beautiful, the way we feel so at home with the saints that we not only admire them and ask their intercession with God for spiritual favours, but also send them requests for the daily things of life. St. Anthony of Padua is a good example. Some of us remember the little prayer rhyme to him: “Tony, Tony, look around; something’s lost that must be found.”

Still, we tend to think that we can never imitate or measure up to most of the saints.In spite of this, it is important for us to remember that those who have become saints did so not because of the so-called great deeds they performed, but because of the love of God and neighbour that drove them. We don’t have to look hard to find the truth of this. All we need are the words of St. Paul (who would have written that same letter to all of us because the Corinthians were struggling to make their faith active in their lives) :

“If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

If we look at the lives of all the saints, we can certainly find faults. Far from discouraging us, this can give us courage. Perfection is not what we are striving for, unless it is as perfect a love as possible. We are ALL called to be saints.

St Vincent de Paul- Wednesday 27 September

Vincent is the patron of all works of charity. In Australia, we are aware of the “Vinnies” organisation whose work is based primarily on Catholic Social Teaching.Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people affected by poverty and suffering, saying: “Organise charity so that it is more efficient...teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure... there is no charity without justice.” Thank you for your continued support in our “Vinnies” appeals and drives which make such a difference for a large number of people in our area. In one area of Wollongong alone, there are more than 300 meals being served from a Vinnies van. Your ongoing generosity makes all the difference.

CLASS MASS TIMETABLE FOR TERM 3

Each term, our students have the opportunity to attend Mass with our St. Brigid's parishioners. This cherished tradition is a central aspect of our students’ faith formation, serving as the greatest act of worship and a sacred celebration of community.

We warmly invite parents, carers, grandparents, and relatives to join us for Mass, especially when their child(ren) are involved. After each Mass, we serve tea, coffee and biscuits, offering a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents and members of our parish community. Additionally, you are welcome to visit the classroom for a 10-15 minute learning walk following Mass. Please see the schedule for Term 3:

CHRISTMAS STORY ART COMPETITION

Our Year 5 and 6 students are finalising their artworks that reflect an understanding and interpretation of selected scripture verses.

It has been fabulous to observe our students as they work with a variety of materials and forms to represent the scriptures. Conversations with the students have revealed how deeply they have engaged with the scripture passages and used them to create their responses.

Students are so immersed in developing their work and understanding that I have often joined conversations on the playground after overhearing them discussing the project with their friends.

The artworks are due next week and will be judged against set criteria. They will then be compared with works from other schools within our diocese. The artworks that best meet the criteria will be displayed at the Wollongong City Art Gallery.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 4 October to 27 October 2024.