Friday, 29 January 2021
Catholic Schools: Communities of Hope
As Catholic Schools Week comes to a close, we are asked to think about St Mary’s as a Community of Hope.
‘I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I hope.’ (Ps 130:5)
Hope brings all sorts of other good things with it – optimism, positivity, enthusiasm, courage, resilience, motivation. It is the gift that keeps on giving. And we can give that gift to the others in our wider network or community to help them get through challenging times. It’s not always easy, but we can work on it, develop it, pray for it, spread it and show it in the way we relate to others. It can be a light to show us the way, the energy to keep that light burning brightly, a vehicle to carry us on our way, a pit stop where we can refresh. It does not demand repayment.
We are all children of God, called to live like Jesus asked us. Lord, help us to live like you taught us to. Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father …
‘You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.’
Michelle Obama June 22, 2011 - Keynote Address at Young African Women Leaders Forum.
Selected materials from the Catholic Schools Week 2021 (CSW2021)
resources were used in today’s reflection.
Links to the CSW2021 Resources for Primary, Post-primary schools and parishes.
Thursday, 28 January 2021
Catholic Schools: Communities of Resilience
Today we are asked to think about our College as a Community of Resilience. Resilience means how we cope with things even when they get tough. We can all learn and develop the skills that it takes to become more resilient and we can support one another in times of challenge and difficulty.
Lord, help us to live like you taught us to. Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...
Pope Francis reminds us that, “God supports us in many ways. God gives us strength and closeness; in the same way He did with the disciples who asked for help in the storm.”
Selected materials from the Catholic Schools Week 2021 (CSW2021)
resources were used in today’s reflection.
Links to the CSW2021 Resources for Primary, Post-primary schools and parishes.
Wednesday, 27 January 2021
Catholic Schools: Communities of Intergenerational Love
‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love’ (1 Cor 13:13).
During Catholic Schools Week each year, schools celebrate the important role played by grandparents in passing on the faith. This intergenerational love is to be celebrated and cherished, especially this year, where so many of us are separated from our parents and grandparents who may have been isolating.
Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...
May he support us all the day long, ‘til the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest and peace at the last.
Saint John Henry Newman
Selected materials from the Catholic Schools Week 2021 (CSW2021)
resources were used in today’s reflection.
Links to the CSW2021 Resources for Primary, Post-primary schools and parishes.
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Catholic Schools: Communities of Learning
Today we are asked to think about our College as a Community of Learning. We learn to be the best we can be, being kind to ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Lord, help us to live like you taught us to. Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...
Catholic schools and Colleges are dedicated to the education and formation of everyone who studies and works there. Today let us reflect on taking the opportunities given to us to use this powerful knowledge, for the common good and building of the kingdom.
St Patrick’s Breastplate
Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ before me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
Selected materials from the Catholic Schools Week 2021 (CSW2021)
resources were used in today’s reflection.
Links to the CSW2021 Resources for Primary, Post-primary schools and parishes.
Monday, 25 January 2021
Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith
Monday is the first day of Catholic Schools Week 2021. Monday’s theme is about being a Community of Faith. Prayer is an expression of our faith. Through prayer we spend time with God and in doing so we deepen our relationship and come to realise that God is always with us.
Lord, help us to live like you taught us to. Together we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father ...
‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.’ (Hebrews 11:1)
During this pandemic, we witness acts of kindness and hope in our communities of faith. In the face of fear and suffering, people in our communities, and indeed all over the world, are called to help others and in doing so bear witness to their faith daily.
'We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour, but within it, we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves so while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?... There is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.'
US Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman at President Biden’s inauguration “The Hill We Climb”.
Selected materials from the Catholic Schools Week 2021 (CSW2021)
resources were used in today’s reflection.
Links to the CSW2021 Resources for Primary, Post-primary schools and parishes.
