STAFF SPIRITUALITY DAY!

'Silence Stillness Service'. On the first day back this term the staff gathered for their annual Spirituality Day. The theme for this year was Silence Stillness and Service. 

The day was filled with opportunities for silence and stillness but also for listening, questioning and reflection.

The staff engaged in several reflective opportunities and formation techniques such as visio-divina, Emmaus walks, writing journals, small group sharing and Christian Meditation.  

This spiritual formation opportunity was a lovely opportunity for staff to look deeper at themselves and develop an understanding that silence and stillness, like all the tools of the spiritual life, is not an end in itself.  It is a means — a method for coming to know God and Jesus Christ.

WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS & THE ELDERLY

Pope Francis has instituted a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Starting this year, it will be held on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. Pope Francis has given it the theme “I am with you always” from the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 28: 30).

The Holy Father said he instituted the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly because “grandparents are often forgotten, and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on” what the elderly have received.

He emphasised the importance of grandparents and grandchildren getting to know one another, because “as the prophet Joel says, grandparents seeing their grandchildren dream,” while “young people, drawing strength from their grandparents, will go forward and prophesy.”

This day has a beautiful message for our students; that older people’s greater perspective, depth of experience, and appreciation of life’s profound rhythms are all part of a wisdom not to be taken lightly or ignored.

A prayer for grandparent's that was written by Pope Benedict.

Lord Jesus, you were born of the Virgin Mary, the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne.
Look with love on all grandparents. Protect them! They are a source of enrichment
for families.

Support them! May they continue to be living treasuries of wisdom and courage and may they pass on the fruits of their human and spiritual experience.

Lord Jesus, may we always value our grandparents and show them 
respect and love. Keep all grandparents constantly in your care,
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

TERM 3'S INTEGRATING FOCUS

Our role model this term is Eileen Rosaline O'Connor (19 February 1892 – 10 January 1921). She was an Australian Catholic and the co-founder of the Society of Our Lady's Nurses for the Poor (1913) – also known as the Brown Nurses – committed to providing free nursing services to the poor-visiting the sick in their homes and nursing the frail and the elderly.

'The cause of a person’s poverty is not yours to question. The fact a person is poor is the reason you help.’

Eileen became a Servant of God in August 2018, which is the first of four steps towards sainthood. The Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney, approved two prayers for the beatification of Eileen O’Connor:

“Great and Merciful God, through the maternal love of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you inspired your servant Eileen O’Connor, to care for the sick and dying poor and to serve your Church through spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Listen graciously to our prayers, and grant that Eileen may be raised to the glory of your altar. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

“Holy and loving God, we give you thanks for your faithful servant Eileen O’Connor. By your grace she united her sufferings to Christ and her prayers to Mary. With great patience she inspired and called other women to be devoted to the care of the sick and dying poor, both in body and in spirit. We humbly ask that the Little Mother, Eileen, who by her ceaseless prayer and suffering inspired others to live the Gospel, may be lifted up and counted among your saints in heaven. Graciously hear our prayers through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”