91. The Soul
Welcome back to the second half of our year. This month, our focus is on becoming the people we want our young people to emulate. Often, we aspire to create an environment for students to grow in their Catholic ideals without realising that we must first embody those ideals ourselves. As G.K. Chesterton said, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." With that in mind, let's move into this term emboldened with a passion for proclaiming our flame in our community.
“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers.” - Pope St. Paul VI
Jesus told his disciples, “You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), tasking them with a sacred mission. To be a witness for Christ, they needed to embody His love and despise what He despised, with integrity and passion, even at the cost of their lives.
Unlike the first Christians, we may not face martyrdom, but being an authentic witness remains a difficult path. The word 'witness' comes from the Greek ‘martus,’ relating to giving testimony and deep personal conviction. This conviction is seen in the disciples on the road to Emmaus, when they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” Today, being a witness means cultivating genuine faith and living it authentically. Pope Francis adds, “A person is credible if there is harmony between what they believe and how they live.”
Living a Christ-centred life requires sacrifice, discipline, and putting a relationship with God above personal autonomy. It demands fidelity to the Church's teachings. Pope St. Paul VI posed three reflective questions: Do you believe what you are proclaiming? Do you live what you believe? Do you preach what you live? These questions should inspire us to deepen our faith.
Effective witness begins with prayer. From the Rosary to Christian meditation and the grace of the Eucharist, our tradition offers many ways to transform our lives. As a faith community, we can support each other in being Christ’s hands and feet in the world. Pope Francis reminds us, “Nourished by prayer and above all by love for the Eucharist, evangelization, in turn, increases holiness in those who carry it out.”
Lord, grant us strength to be the authentic witnesses you called us to be. Amen.
The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ( Year B )
Click the image above for the Staff Prayer PDF resource.
- Witness (Israel & New Breed) - “And the very same power that rolled the stone away, is the very same power in us today.”
- Matthew 6 (Tekoa, Rory McKenna & Mark Barlow) - Seek first the kingdom of God. In this groovy song, Tekoa uses passages straight from scripture (Matt 6) to remind us that God will provide for all we need.
- Sit With You (David Carpenter) - This beautiful indie-worship song explores how simply wonderful it is to sit with God.
- Wild & Free (Wande & DOE) - What a blessing that God has allowed us to be free to praise Him! God makes us ‘wild and free’ to praise God’s glorious name and share the goodness with those around us.
- Never Stop (Proclaim Lismore Wildfire) - Have you ever struggled to sleep because you’re excited about something? Never Stop by Proclaim Lismore Wildfire describes this feeling of desperately desiring to share the Good News because of what Jesus has done, and wanting to be witnesses of God’s power, glory, mercy and freedom.
As you start Term 3 reflect on where you can prioritise your wellbeing to have a successful and fulfilling school term. Focus on prioritising one area.
Guiding Our Children in Their Search for Truth, Meaning, and Purpose
In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, our children are navigating a landscape filled with endless information, diverse opinions, and constant distractions.
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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