Living Justice Living Peace

In the pursuit of justice, there is a very real and confronting aspect of being faced with some of the more complex and challenging issues in our society. But amongst all the issues we aim to raise awareness and funds for, here at St Joseph's College - there always remains a sense of HOPE.  

Hope that one day things will be better.

Hope that through education our students become young men and women in service to others.

Hope that we become kinder towards each other.

Hope that with justice, there will soon be peace. 

There have been so many issues that have been highlighted by our social justice community this year, you only need to look at our last newsletter reflection of 2023 to see it has been a busy year indeed! However, for this newsletter rather than looking back I wanted to focus on hope for the future.

I, along with many others, struggle with hope. I often feel myself have a fleeting moment of hopefulness, but just as quickly as the moment comes, I give myself a dose of reality to temper the hope so as to not feel disappointed. This protective mechanism most of us have, robs us of the joy that comes with hope. With hope comes fear, and fear makes us vulnerable, and to be vulnerable shows that we care. A friend of mine said to me recently that it doesn’t hurt you to be hopeful, it is not going to change the outcome. Whether you are hopeful or not you will still feel disappointment, so why not allow yourself to feel the joy that hope can bring? Wise words.

As explored in the Christmas story, light shines brightest in darkness. That’s at the heart of the Christmas story, an overriding message of hope that is articulated beautifully in the lyrics of “O Holy Night”: “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining, It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.” 

Jesus entered our lives at night, in darkness and chaos. Israel was fractured. King Herod ruled through terror. Joseph had wanted to divorce Mary due to her immaculate conception. Jesus was born into relative poverty. Jesus’ birth took place during the census which meant Mary & Joseph were on an arduous journey, which inevitably forced them to give birth to Jesus in a manger. Even after Jesus’ birth, he was hunted to be killed by King Herod. So despite the hope that the birth of Jesus brings it does not mean bad things cease to occur, it simply shows us the way to light and hope. Guiding us towards love and compassion, despite the darkness. And this is what has been on show with our social justice team this year, that despite things not always going as planned or despite us not being entirely capable of fixing the issues in our world, each and every one of us who continue to fight for a better world is bringing light and this means there will always be hope.  

I want to leave you with a Christmas reflection I stumbled upon from the point of view of the Bethlehem Star exploring the essence of hope at Christmas. 

A Star’s View of Christmas; An Imaginary Reflection by the Star of Bethlehem. 

By Tracey Williamson.

It was I who kindled the fire within them, the longing in every man’s heart to find something greater, the treasure beyond all treasures, the hope that will be fulfilled. Barely understanding they listened, allowing my message to transform them.

Giving up everything they knew, they followed me, the star of light, knowing not where I would lead them or how long the journey would take. They put themselves in my hands, these men of great human wisdom. Some even call them Kings and indeed they are, so lofty is their desire to understand this universe.

What a desperately long journey it had been, through vast stretches of desert, stumbling over the barren rocks and dry sinking sand. Hungry, thirsty and constantly facing death from marauding gangs, wild animals and dangerous storms. Daily, I covered them with the glory of my protection and they kept their eyes on me as I burned with my beautiful guiding light. 

I became the sunrise, the dawning of hope for something greater, the budding of the first flowers of spring, the pure birdsong, the tender awakening of love, the glimpses of heaven, the bright morning star. 

They see glimpses of the truth as my light shatters the darkness before them. But they have no idea yet that I am the living manifestation of His glory.  The glory He willingly forfeited in His all consuming love for them. I, with Him, am the Light of the world, the whisper of the eternal.

I am no longer hidden inside a star but am now a fire given to the heart of every man, woman and child.

We wish you all a hope-filled Christmas and restful holiday break.

In Peace, Love & Hope

Brooke O’Brien