The Soul
Welcome to The Soul, a dedicated resource for Catholic school staff in the Diocese of Lismore and beyond.
When we speak of charity, we do not mean a vague kindness or mere sentiment. True Christian charity is always grounded in truth — in the person of Jesus Christ, who teaches, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Without truth, love loses its meaning and becomes whatever the world wants it to be. But when love and truth stand together, charity becomes powerful, life-giving and free.
This edition reflects on how Christ calls us to love with honesty, integrity and courage, knowing that the truth sets us free (John 8). May His example guide our words, our classrooms, and our relationships, so that our charity is real, enduring, and rooted in Him.
How many of us can remember the classic Tina Turner hit with the word ‘love’ in the title?
Depending on when you were born, you’re either singing it right now or ‘googling’ it. Love makes its way into our hearts through music, conversation, social media and movies. In our schools, we have staff, programs and KPIs built around loving our students - inclusion, wellbeing, pastoral care, etc. and rightfully so. Love is very much on-brand for Catholics. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God, which belongs to the poor, the lowly,1 the widowed, the orphaned, the powerless, the marginalised - we understand this mandate well and do our best to apply it in our schools.
But how many songs can you remember that focus on absolute truth? When was the last time you took a date to watch a historical or scientific documentary? In our moral relativistic society, absolute truth may at times appear like love’s inconvenient little cousin who we begrudgingly bring to the birthday party hoping they don’t offend the other partygoers. However, love and truth are irrevocably tied together. Love can only be directed towards what is real and true. Or stated negatively, love cannot exist in lies. We cannot ‘will the good of the other’2 if the other does not exist.
St. Thomas Aquinas refers to unity, truth and goodness as the intrinsic universal attributes that belong to God. That is to say, God is Truth, God is Goodness, God is Love - literally and wholly. We might not be surprised, then, to hear Jesus say in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”3 This is good news, this is the Gospel.
Deep down, each of us yearns for truth, beauty, and love because we are made in the image and likeness of God, who is the complete fulfilment of those desires. Our restless hearts long for what only God can fully provide - St Augustine had that right!4 Love and truth are eternally tied together because God can only love what is real, that is to say, our true selves - who we really are beneath our masks, disfunctions, and ego. As Thomas Merton writes, “Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self. This is the man that I want myself to be but who cannot exist, because God does not know anything about him… for most of the people in the world, there is no greater subjective reality than this false self of theirs, which cannot exist.”5
Therefore, the truth is non-negotiable, and truth-telling, particularly the Good News, is very much on-brand for Catholics, regardless of the possibility that the truth might offend. We simply need to follow the example of how Jesus spoke truth as a means of healing. To the woman at the well, Jesus tells her the precise truth of who she really is and where she might find unending life.6 To the rich young man, Jesus very gently exposes his dysfunction and what he needs to give up to be made perfect.7 To the woman caught in adultery, Jesus elevates her back to her rightful dignity and (wait for it)… tells her not to sin again!8 Jesus holds up the truth while restoring relationships. What Jesus does not do is pretend, minimise, placate or pull any punches. The truth, with love, is the right medicine, and Jesus is the physician par excellence.
Our young people are desperately searching for truth with every social media scroll, in every echo chamber filled with misinformation and in each video an algorithm sends them. Like us, our young people yearn for the truth, for the Good News, for the right medicine, for Jesus. May they find the truth, held up with love, in every one of our classrooms, hallways, sporting events and lunch areas.
What’s truth got to do with it? Everything.
- 544 Catechism of the Catholic Church
- 1766 Catechism of the Catholic Church
- NRSV, Catholic Edition Bible, Catholic Bible Press
- The Confessions - Book 1, Augustine of Hippo 397-400 AD
- New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton, Copyright © 1961 by the Abbey of Gethsemani, Inc.
- John 4:1-42
- Matt 19:16-22
- John 8:1-11
Feast of the Dedication of the
Lateran Basilica in Rome
John 2:13-22
Click the image above for the Staff Prayer PDF resource.
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The Blood (Bethel Music, David Funk)
This song of surrender and transformation reminds us of the truth of Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us. It reminds us that it was by the blood of Jesus, freely given, that we have been forgiven and redeemed.
A new sound from LIN D in this groovy song tells us to be the face of Jesus today. In a world searching for truth in love, ‘Move’ encourages us to go where Jesus calls us, to proclaim the Gospel, and to love like He does.
‘Author Of My Story’ is a beautiful ballad featured on Wildfire’s most recent album ‘It’s Good To Be Alive.’ This powerful song explores stories of victory in the Bible, and how we can ask God to write our story too. It describes Jesus’ sacrifice as the ultimate act of love for us, drawing us into the truth of our salvation.
Family Matters
As parents, one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the confidence to be their true selves. Our latest Family Matters resource explores how truth and love work together in family life — and how God calls each of us to live with honesty and heart.
Truthfulness & Mental Health, Why Honesty Heals
When we speak about wellbeing, we often think of sleep, nutrition, exercise and rest. But another pillar of healthy living often goes unmentioned: living in the truth.
Pray every day with Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie, and millions of others around the world on Hallow, the #1 prayer app.
Hallow is a Catholic meditation and prayer app, It provides audio-guided Bible stories, prayers, meditations, sleep, and Christian music.
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