Mission Update – Term 4 Week 6
Recently, my family and I had a couple of visitors stay with us at home. My mother-in-law has been visiting from Cairns, spending time with her grandchildren, while only a week before, we welcomed my brother, who had travelled home from England to spend some time with his nieces and nephews before the Christmas break. It was a busy time in the lead up. Getting the house ready, planning out different things to do and just generally looking forward to seeing people that, as a family, we dearly love, but just don’t not get the opportunity to see very often.
In many ways, this is the same sense of expectation and hope that we experience in the lead up to Christmas. Soon, we will begin the season of Advent, a very special time in the Church calendar where we prepare for the arrival of Jesus. When I was younger, I understood this in the literal sense – that we are awaiting the celebration of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. But as I grew older, I began to understand Advent on a deeper level, too. That we are also preparing for the coming of Christ in our hearts. We do this through how we choose to live our lives, through prayer, love, and kindness to others.
The season of Advent also invites us to slow down, be still, notice God’s presence, and make space for Jesus in our busy lives. It encourages us to make time for prayer, be present to those who matter most, and still our focus, so we can live and love in the way of Jesus. As we come towards the end of the school year, my great hope for students and families is that they might enter into this season of Advent with a quiet heart. A heart that allows us to slow down, to put aside the distractions of Christmas parties and presents, and focus on how we can bring God’s love to those around us; how we can prepare not just for the birth of Jesus into the world, but the birth of Jesus into our hearts.
Philippines Immersion
Next week, we will say goodbye to our Year 11 students as they venture with Mr Box, Miss Mincherton, and Mrs Cooper to the Philippines for our annual Immersion. Students will visit a number of organisations that seek to support children who are living on the streets or who have been victims of serious abuse. They will offer their support and have the chance to encounter the stories of others, helping them grow in understanding and solidarity.
Sometimes, families might wonder why we have these types of experiences for our students.
An immersion can have many purposes. It can give students the chance to experience a different culture, to build empathy and compassion and to encounter our faith and values through lived experience. In the preparation we had with Year 11 students, we spoke about how the purpose of immersion is not to come back as a fully formed human, ready to leave their life behind to become a missionary. Rather, it is about opening our hearts to the experiences of others and being prepared to listen to where that may lead us. Perhaps developing a heart of service for those in need, no matter our career or vocation.
Two years ago, I visited the Philippines with a group of students for the first time, and since then, there has not been a week in which I have not found myself thinking about the people I met and the experiences I had. What does that mean for me? I am still not sure, in some part. But it sits within me, in my heart, like a whisper, constantly present as I reflect on the important things in life for me and my family.
I would like to invite all members of our school community over the coming weeks to keep our students and staff in their prayers as they begin their journey. We pray that they are kept safe and well, and that they may have an experience that touches their hearts and shapes them in life-giving ways.
Mr Stuart McClorey
DIRECTOR OF MISSION & CATHOLIC IDENTITY