Faith and Mission
Danny Franc
An Imperfect heart
Humanity is a mixture of blunders. That’s what makes it so charming, so interesting to be around. Because none of us is complete, we all need one another. It’s only when we convince ourselves that we are the fullness of all that is, that we become spiritually poor.
The nice thing about being human is that you get to fail a lot. Value that; it’s priceless. It gives us such respect for everybody else. The reason clowns and slapstick comedians are so popular is that, if truth were known, we all see in them the parts of ourselves we try too hard to hide. When we take ourselves too seriously, we forget that the only thing we know for sure that’s eternal is God.
Making mistakes is part of the growth process. We must learn to be much gentler about this with other people. We must learn to be gentler with ourselves. Otherwise, what we expect of ourselves, we will expect of everybody else. And that can be tragic. For all of us.
Never be afraid to admit that you “don’t know” or “can’t find’ or “couldn’t do” something. Our imperfections and inabilities are the only thing that gives us the right to the support of the rest of the human race.
The gift of knowing what we lack, is the gift we have to give to the abilities of others. As the Irish proverb says, “It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.” -
Joan Chittister
This reflection helps us to realise that we are allowed to make mistakes, and we are encouraged to continue to learn from them so as to help others. This is sometimes difficult during remote learning / lockdown, but none the less, a message we all are encouraged to hear.
Last week our Monivae students shared in an online liturgy with St Mary’s Primary School to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. Father Paddy Mugavin introduced the day, and Father Bob Irwin left us with a simple message of love.
If anyone wishes to see this, feel free to click on the link below.
Prior to lockdown, we had introduced the Tins for St Vincent de Paul baskets to each homeroom, encouraging students to bring non-perishable food that can be donated. This has begun well, and on our return to onsite learning, I encourage everyone to continue to give.
Mission Fair Day is normally held on the last day of term. On this day, students are encouraged to bring spending money to school, and participate in fair like activities that are organised by homerooms. Each dollar raised on this day is donated to the MSC Missions Office. At this stage we are still hopeful of having a Mission Fair Day to remember, so watch this space.
September 1 marks the start of the Season of Creation. An online reflection will be put together for the day, using photographs that our students and staff have taken of the lovely part of the world we live in. We are encouraged to do our bit for the environment that we live in, as Stewardship of the Earth is an important part of our Catholic social teaching. Keep an eye out for this link or ask your child to show it to you next week.
Upcoming events
- Year 7 Reflection Day TBC
- Mission Fair Day (last Friday of Term 3) TBC
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.
Danny Franc
Director of Faith and Mission.