Religious Dimension
Our Gospel Challenge this week is to: Say Yes!
When Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” one might think Jesus is giving the disciples some sort of ultimatum (Jn 14: 15). If you love me, you will keep my commands. We must remember, however, that Jesus does not force us to do anything. Rather, Jesus continually offers an invitation to follow him. With this, Jesus’ words sound much more like a simple statement of fact. The disciples will keep Jesus’ commandments because of their love for Jesus. Similarly, we will keep the commandments of Jesus because we love Jesus. There is no force or threat behind these words. That is not how God operates.
The love that Jesus describes is much more than an emotion. In Jesus, love requires self-gift. When we are called to love, we are called to offer ourselves. This love requires personal investment and sacrifice, things that are not always easy. Part of self-giving love is saying yes even when we would rather not. We are called to say yes dozens of times each day. How do we respond? What are some of the things God invites us to say yes to today? These yeses are not necessarily complicated, and can be as simple as spending time with a friend or helping a younger student with her home learning. What can we say yes to today? Be courageous and grow in Christ with each yes you proclaim.
Family Week 2020
‘Building Connections in the Spirit of Hope’
By Kerrie-Anne Porreca, Educational Officer, Catholic Leadership and Governance
‘Families are society’s most important building block. Strong families equate to strong communities because they embody caring for others, connectedness with people, and providing hope, support and comfort’ (Babington 2020).
Family Week is an opportunity for families and school communities to engage in special prayer, reflection, discussion and activities relating to the most important institution – the family. CatholicCare runs from 15 to 21 May.
The family, which is founded and given life by love, is a community of persons. Without love the family cannot live, grow and perfect itself.
What is important in my life?
What is important in our family life?’
The way faith is lived at home ‘will become substantive’ in a way that it was not before.
The family – the 'domestic church', is indeed playing a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping things calm on the homefront and embracing this family time together as precious.
The Spirit of Hope
This year’s Family Week theme is ‘Building Connections in the Spirit of Hope’, and hope is a powerful and transformative idea. It has a focus of providing hope for vulnerable families, while building the rich, broad and meaningful connections that promote resilience in families and the community.
The Catholic Church seeks to support and encourage every family to become what it was intended to be from the beginning – a community of life and love.
Activities and resources are available from the CatholicCare website for use at home and at school to help children, young people and their families come together, build on their connections and celebrate the role of family.
Laudato Si' Week
Five years ago, Pope Francis published his environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home. One of the ideas that emerged from this landmark document was ‘integral ecology’. The image below explores what this means, and why it’s so important to the way Catholics understand our relationship to God, each other and creation, connected.” Pope Francis has invited Catholics all around the world to reflect, pray and join to take action during this week.
St John's Parish Website
Please remember that Fr Dispin is recording his Sunday masses and they are on the parish website. So too are many other resources that may assist you Spiritually during this time of isolation. https://stjohnsmitcham.com.au/
Monica O'Shannassy
moshannassy@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.ay