Pentecost

This past week I had the privilege of a trip to Brisbane for a National Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) Principals Conference. The start of the conference was a wonderful Walking Country experience around the Botanical Gardens with Uncle Joe, an elder of the Jagera people who lived around the Brisbane River before white settlement. We walked about 4 km along the riverfront and gardens into some very sacred spaces for First Nations people in Brisbane. It was so lush and beautiful with the trees bursting forth with foliage and flowers. Birds were singing and darting about everywhere in a playful dance. Every place I looked I saw the promise of new life. With every deep breath I took, I felt a renewed energy within.

My mind drifted to the first chapter of Genesis, as the ancient author describes the creation of the world and how the ruah (breath of God) moved over the waters. Creation came into being by the very breath of God. Again, my thoughts moved to the upper room where sacred scripture tells us Jesus breathed on the Apostles giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit and finally to Pentecost, where the Lord sent his Holy Spirit to descend upon the fledgling Church, bathing them in His gifts.

What a powerful image that is. The same breath that moved upon the waters at the dawn of the world’s creation, that came forth from the mouth of Jesus in the upper room, comes to each of us in our Baptism and Confirmation. Not only does it come upon us making us new men and women in Christ, but it renews us from the inside out.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit far exceed our human capacity to fully comprehend their riches. But through meditating on the gifts themselves, we can come to recognise them more clearly and through them, be renewed in heart and mind. I love all the gifts of the Spirit, but for many years now my nightly prayers have been for an increase in the gifts of wisdom and counsel and to be blessed with an attentive heart. I pray that the goodness of God continues to draw me deeper into His mystery and that I respond to His will with generosity and charity.

May the breath of God stir the flame of His Spirit within each one of you, igniting His gifts and transforming you into an apostle after His own heart.

A Prayer for Pentecost

Dear God,

Please grant me;

Wisdom, so that I will live my life in harmony with your divine will;

Understanding, so that I will be a person of compassion;

Knowledge, so that I will be open to truth and goodness;

Good Judgment so that I will make choices that reflect your will;

Courage, so that I will be able to stand up for what is right and just;

Reverence, so that I will enter into your divine mystery;

Awe, so that I will see the beauty in all of creation.

Amen.

Call to Action

Think of a person you would like to communicate with in a more positive way. Whose story do you need to hear in order to better understand and connect with this person?

Take time today or in the upcoming week to learn more about that person - listen to them without interruption to see if there is a way you can connect to their story.
Create a spiritual family tree.
Think of family members in your family tree and which gifts of the Holy Spirit they have passed on to you and your family members.
Talk to your boys about the gifts you see in them and challenge them to use these gifts in our SPC community.

Helping your son think differently about Mathematics

The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) has launched a new digital hub, Everyday Maths. The videos, games and interactive activities have been co-designed by NSW teachers and tested by parents and carers to offer practical tools that shine a light on maths in everyday life.

Parents and carers can choose activities to best suit their child by using the year group filter. The aim of the hub is to give parents and carers a trusted place to go to get started, to build their confidence with maths, to support them in connecting with their children through maths and empower them to foster skills in their children to find problems, to solve problems, to notice and to wonder about mathematical ideas that surround us every day.

You can visit the hub here.

In Memoriam

We keep in our prayers Marc Mazzeo (Year 11) and his family on the loss of Marc’s grandfather Carmelo Mazzeo who passed away last Friday.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Amen.

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything! *

*except divide by zero

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