Living with Strength and Kindliness

This week we entered into the liturgical season of Lent. At St Joseph’s College, this is an important time for us to reflect prayerfully on what this year is going to mean for us and how we can amplify the core messages of Lent, which are - prayer, almsgiving and repentance or self reflection.  We began our Lenten journey with student-led House liturgies for Ash Wednesday. These liturgies also launched our almsgiving focus - Project Compassion.

This year’s Project Compassion theme is "For all future generations". It is a theme that draws us to think about how our actions today can support those in the future. It is also a gentle reminder of the faith and joy we can bring others every day through our small actions of kindness and giving. This Lent we are are encouraged, where possible, to support Project Compassion by engaging in prayer, learning together and contributing to our donation boxes.

Lent is also a great opportunity to connect with our new theme for 2024 - 'Hope - Launching us into a future of endless possibilities'. I would like to share this reflection about our theme, prepared by two of our College Leaders, Kajini Kauranayake and Cora Wilson.

“Hope within the community of St Joseph’s College is striving for personal excellence in oneself, while encouraging others around us. As the future lays in the hands of our generation and those to come, it provides us with endless possibilities to grow as individuals to be the best version of ourselves. It also aims to foster a strong sense of community with both of our campuses, together as one, and encourage collaborative teamwork.”

This week I had the privilege of being with our Year 12 students on their retreat. This retreat is an opportunity for students to come together and think about their relationships with themselves, with others, with their families and with their faith. This time of retreat is an invitation for our students to pause and encounter each other and reflect on what they bring. Students reflected on the scripture of feeding the 5000 and how this scripture can be seen as an invitation to share their gifts and talents with the community to make positive changes. At the conclusion of the retreat we paused in prayer and thanksgiving with a student written and led liturgy that encouraged all to step into the rest of the year with hope and faith for a future filled with endless possibilities. 

Lee Pethybridge

College Leader - Faith and Community