Faith and Mission
Opening School Mass
This year will be full of new adventures for each of us and it’s off to a great start with the whole school back on campus. As we plunge into our studies and work, we pray for protection, not just over ourselves physically, but over our minds, hearts and emotions. Starting a new year can come with great excitement, but also worries and doubts. We pray that we never forget that we are all here for one another in strength and kindness.
The 2022 College theme is “Compassion – Walking with and having empathy for all.” It was launched during our Opening of School Year Mass which was celebrated on Friday 4 February. We thank Fr. Barry for presiding over our Mass and sharing his insights into linking the Parable of the Good Samaritan with the value of compassion.
Compassion plays an integral part in the story of the Good Samaritan. Fr. Brendan Byrne explains that it is easy to place labels on others. Therefore, to move in a more compassionate way, we need to remove the judgmental “they” to see the person in a new light, removing the social stigma of the label from the person in question.’ We see this clearly when the Samaritan helps the injured man in this story.
The Kildare Ministries Core Value of Compassion will be explored through acts of service, scripture, prayers and throughout the curriculum over the coming weeks. It will be celebrated in our forthcoming assemblies and liturgies. As a starting point, we can begin with developing an understanding of what compassion means. Some definitions of compassion include the following.
- Feeling like you have a great deal in common with other people, even if you are very different in many ways.
- Being able to understand what other people are going through and feeling their pain.
- Being mindful of other people's emotions, thoughts, and experiences.
- Taking action when you see that someone else is suffering.
- Having a high level of emotional intelligence so that you are able to understand, manage, and act on your own emotions as well as the emotions of others.
- Feeling gratitude when other people express compassion for your own hardships.
A few upcoming dates:
1–7 Feb World Interfaith Harmony Week
2 Feb The Presentation of the Lord
World Wetlands Day
4 Feb Saint Blaise International Day of Human Fraternity
8 Feb International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking
11 Feb Our Lady of Lourdes
11 Feb World Day of the Sick
2 March Ash Wednesday
Resources: The Hospitality of God. Brendan Byrne. Pg 10.
Bernadette Casey
Assistant to the Principal - Faith & Mission