Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
The following reflection was sent through to me a couple of years ago– I hope you find it thought-provoking!
“One of the traits of our modern world is that almost everything we want is instant. If we want information, we Google, phone, text or twitter. If we need new appliances, furniture or clothes we produce the credit card and instantly take the items with us. Our children have become so used to the ‘here and now’ and the ‘I-world’ that they can often have trouble understanding the need to wait, prepare or work towards a goal. Perhaps they are even losing the notions of persistence, anticipation, expectation, service and hope.
Our Catholic traditions offer us many opportunities to teach our children (and remind ourselves) of the ‘higher order’ values of life. Every year as we approach Christmas, the shops start playing seasonal music, erecting displays and advertising monster sales. Children comb through brochures, junk mail and the web to ensure they receive a gift that is appropriate to their needs (and wants). Our faith however, asks us to do something that is almost the opposite. The season of Advent starts on Sunday 1st December and is a time of preparing, waiting and longing. It is a time not to specifically focus on ourselves but on what the presence of Christ means (or should mean) in our lives especially as we approach Christmas.
Are we going to again plough towards Christmas worrying about the parties, the shopping, gatherings and continual celebrations completely missing the opportunity to bring Christ’s person and message into our own and others’ lives? Can we prepare our hearts and minds to accept and bring him into the ‘everyday’ of life? Here’s an idea!
Put up your Christmas tree bare on December 1. Talk to your family about only adding a decoration when a good deed has been done by family members for someone else or to connect with God. Families can discuss what these good deeds might look like or even use an honour system. By the time Christmas arrives, each of the decorations on your tree will represent a moment of preparation, care or love.
They could include helping a sibling, packing a dishwasher, donating to the poor, not grumbling, attending Mass, saying a prayer, reading a Bible story, watching a program that promotes Christs’ message, reconciling with or forgiving someone, collecting for a charity, cleaning your room, visiting a relative or someone sick or mailing some money (anonymously) to a family you know who is struggling financially. The possibilities are endless!
Who knows you may even need to buy more decorations. What an easy but powerful way to have a family focus on the real meaning of Christ in their midst – the real meaning of Christmas – sharing the person and message of Jesus in our homes and world. Start in Advent!
Let’s not allow our preparations for Christmas to be solely about running around doing, buying and planning functions. Only we can create our family values. Let’s take time to be with God, family and each other as we prepare to again acknowledge and celebrate Christ in our world and our lives.
