Mission

What are you going to do with your one wild and precious life?

This is the question which we are encouraged to reflect on as the Marist theme for 2020. Below is the letter from Tony Clarke, Director of Marist Mission and Life Formation Team, which introduces this theme to us as a Marist community.

You will hear many references to this theme throughout the year beginning at our Opening Mass where we hear a Scripture passage from the Gospel of Matthew – the parable of the Servants and Coins:

Jesus told his disciples this story about the Kingdom of God:

“The Kingdom is like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed five thousand coins to the first servant, two thousand to the second, and one thousand to the third. Then he left the country.

“As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the five thousand coins used them to earn five thousand more. The servant who had two thousand coins did the same with his money and earned two thousand more. But the servant with one thousand coins dug a hole and hid his master’s money in the ground.

“Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked them what they had done with his money.

‘I have earned five thousand,’ said the first servant.

‘Wonderful,’ his master replied. ‘You are a good and faithful servant. I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness.’

“The second servant said, ‘You gave me two thousand coins and I have earned two thousand more.’

‘Wonderful,’ his master replied. ‘You are a good and faithful servant. I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness.’

“The servant who had been given one thousand coins then came in and said, ‘Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don’t plant and gather crops where you have not scattered seed. I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin.’

“The master of the servant told him, ‘You are lazy and good for nothing! You know that I harvest what I don’t plant and gather crops where I have not scattered seed. You could have at least put my money in the bank, so that I could have earned interest on it.’ Then the master said, ‘Now your money will be taken away and given to the servant with ten thousand coins! Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don’t have anything.’”

As Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven, he uses the symbol of coins to represent our gifts. Each servant in the parable is given a different number of coins and asked to look after them, just as we are each given different gifts and talents. On his return the Master rewards the servants who took a risk and increased their number of coins. He admonishes the one who hides his coins.

I encourage each of us at the beginning of our school year to act with intent – like the servant who is rewarded; to take advantage of every minute of every day with purpose.

Mrs Cathie Clarke

Director of Mission