Prayer

Acknowledgement of Country 

We acknowledge and pay respect to the original and ongoing custodians of the land upon which our offices are situated.  We commit to actively working alongside First Nations people for healing, reconciliation and justice.

The Catholic education faith community is inclusive and acknowledges that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and we are created in love. People of all faiths, genders, sexualities, abilities and cultures are therefore respected equally in the Sandhurst Catholic community.  

We acknowledge the pain and suffering of all who have been hurt in body, mind and spirit by those who have betrayed the trust placed in them.

May we all stand tall, stand firm, grounded in truth, together as one. 

Celebrating The Word of God

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 9:36 - 10:8

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

The Gospel of the Lord 

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

Spiritual Reflection

The call of the original disciples is a world away from our modern context. Despite this, we too receive the same divine invitation to actively participate in the betterment of our world. Matthew’s text specifies the poor and the lost as those who discipleship will serve. The key motivator, being an increase in God’s mercy, is the very same motivator that invites us today to deepen our awareness of the poor who desperately need to be cured, raised, cleansed and freed from evil. 

Pope Francis makes it very clear that our devastated environment makes up the poorest of the poor in a world that we have made into a ’rubbish dump’. All variants of plastic has become a significant contributor to this desperate situation requiring mercy and transformation. Discipleship and sustainable living are now inseparable as we seek solutions and new, innovative ways of living that respects all of creation. As Plastics Free July is around the corner let us imagine how our community can contribute through this most positive movement.      

Concluding Prayer

Creator God,

Invigorate our hearts to become ambassadors of love for all of creation.

Creator God,

Cure our blindness to where we have gone wrong regarding creation.

Creator God,

Send us out to cure, cleanse and raise the poor we see in creation.

Amen