Living with Strength and Kindliness
'Always be a gift for others' (Pope Francis)
This week is National Volunteer Week!
Did you know?
National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering and is held on 16 – 22 May 2022. The theme for National Volunteer Week 2022 is Better Together.
Volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. Together, through volunteering, we are changing communities for the better. We are, Better Together.
It is a common theme in the culture of the Catholic Church that we share our gifts and talents with one another so that we may build the best possible communities in which we can all live and flourish, together.
Pope Francis often talks about this very theme.
He says that through volunteering we, ‘promote the culture of solidarity’ standing together in times of need and building up the strength of our own communities’. Pope Francis is well known for encouraging us to give a human and Christian touch through a volunteer service, where we actively seek out and give service to others.
Many names come to mind when we think about prominent Catholic figures who have lived their lives in service of others. In particular two come to mind in St Vincent de Paul and Mother Teresa. Today we will look at the life of St Vincent De Paul (who is assigned the title Pa).
Vincent de Paul was born in the small southern French town of Pouy (later renamed Saint Vincent de Paul in his honour) on 24 April, 1581 and ordained as a priest in 1600 at the age of 19.
As a young man he ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However an appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired him to a vocation of working with those most marginalised and powerless.
Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people who were unable to live a full human life:
“Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice.”
We best know the work of Vincent in modern times because of the St Vincent de Paul Society commonly referred to, today, as Vinnies.
Acts of service don’t always have to be for Christian organisations. The Christian act of service can be undertaken in any area of our society.
This week we celebrate National Volunteer Week. We will have a range of quizzes and information giving via our normal communication avenues here at school.
We have also undertaken a survey to find out who in our community volunteers beyond our school gates. Take a look on the next page of this newsletter and also keep an eye on our social media pages this week.
Don’t be afraid to reach out. There are many organisations in our communities who would love some assistance from you. We must all work together. Pope Francis calls us to this life of service and care for ‘other’.
Pope Francis implores, “I ask you to build the future. Make the world a better place. Please don't see life from afar. Live it. Jesus didn't stay out in a balcony. Instead, He got involved".
Let us pray:
In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he said, "God has given revelation through the Spirit, for the Spirit explores the depths of everything, even the depths of God…The spirit we have received is…God's own Spirit, so that we may understand the lavish gifts God has given us."
This week, let us take moments in silence, to value the many talents and gifts that God has given especially to our volunteers. For all these gifts, given out of your love, we thank you, God of all goodness.
Amen
To see what Pope Francis has to say about volunteering visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Mal69faYM
Mrs Kirrilee Westblade
College Leader - Catholic Identity