Principal's Report

Nearly there

“It’s Advent; only a few weeks till Christmas!” Was it really a whole year since we last heard those words? Afraid so! However, it’s not all bad news because, for Christians everywhere, the Season of Advent affords us the opportunity to get in touch with our own spirituality, to reflect on the journey we’ve taken over the past year and to set goals for the coming year – spiritual resolutions. The Season of Advent offers us each year, an opportunity to seek God within the boundaries of our souls while living outwardly amidst the noise and activity of the world around us.

The four weeks of Advent allow us time to ponder how Jesus came into this world in such a stunningly humble way. As we contemplate His birth in a bed of straw in a messy stable, perhaps, we see our own life as being a little messy too. Our life is often distracted, self-centred and sometimes leaves us wishing we were better people. But if we can slow down and refocus our attention, we might realise that God is there, waiting to love us even though we have so many unfulfilled good intentions and so many unfulfilled desires about our spirituality.

The bumper sticker that reads, “Be patient; God isn’t finished with me yet” is a reminder that, in God’s eye, we are a work in progress. Our faith is not a vaccine that prevents bad things from happening to good people. Rather, our faith is the new seed that brings forth new life and hope out of a life that contains struggle, difficulty, conflict and maybe misunderstanding. Christians, during Advent, are like the shepherds from the Bethlehem hills; we are called from our everyday activities to allow God to re-enter our lives, even when we are feeling least “religious” or “ready” for His coming, for His arrival within us.

Who said that children don’t take notice of how parents go about doing things? At a Nativity play one Christmas; an enthusiastic group of young children was going about their enactment in a bright-eyed, eager manner. All was going to plan until Joseph knocked on the inn door and asked for a room for himself and Mary. The innkeeper kept to the script and responded by saying that there were no spare rooms. Unexpectedly, this sparked a non-scripted reply from Joseph who emphatically stated, “But my mum booked a room for us on the Internet!” No doubt, this would be a treasured memory for “Joseph’s” mother.

Of course, each of us gathers treasures of memories and experiences of teachings and principles as we age and mature. Christmas seems to be a time of drawing out these treasured memories that reach back as far as childhood. Carols and songs, decorated tree and presents, cultural traditions and midnight Mass, all have rich emotions attached, that give meaning to what we do in this season of Christmas.

As Christians, we are a community that should be known for its compassion, care and love without discrimination. Christ came for all people but especially the disadvantaged; we need to be the bearers of His attitude to the people who come in and out of our lives.

How will we reflect and prepare for the spiritual side of Christmas over the next few weeks?

How will the people we meet over the coming weeks find the Christ in Christmas 2019?

I look forward to the last weeks of the 2019 school year progressing well as teachers and students put the finishing touches to their work.

God bless.

Michael Delaney

Principal.