Catholic Identity & Mission News
Let your Light Shine
A very warm welcome to staff, students, and their families for the 2023 academic year. We have started the year with very mixed emotions. After our summer break, we returned refreshed and energised for the new year but on our Cranbourne Campus, we soon received the tragic news of the death of one of our Year 11 students, Chris Blake Mayhew. I had the privilege and pleasure of teaching Chris when he was in Year 7 and he was a lovely young man, gone too soon, who will be deeply missed at St. Peter’s College. May he rest in peace.
‘Let your light shine’ is our annual theme this year. In the wake of Chris’ death, we are reminded of the precious gift of our lives and Jesus’ encouragement in Matthew’s Gospel that we make our marks on this world with the light given to us by God:
You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.’ (Mt 15:13-16)
Light is one of the most prevalent themes in the Bible. It starts with the first creation story where God’s first command is ‘Let there be light’. The prophet Isaiah foresaw that the new Jerusalem would walk in the ‘light of the Lord’, and Jesus proclaimed, ‘I am the light of the world’. And we can run straight through Revelation where it is written that our new heaven and earth with be illuminated with God’s glory that no sun or moon will be needed to shine its light.
With the confidence of faith, Jesus says to us let YOUR light SHINE! The ‘light’ can be or mean many things: faith, personal attributes, the Holy Spirit within us, our gifts, good works, talents, achievements, positive qualities and so on. But the verse contains a delicate balancing act between doing good works and not being proud or taking the credit. The life of discipleship described in the rest of the sermon should not lead to arrogance but to the conversion of many to ‘your father who is in the heavens.’ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.’
As we start our new year, my hope is that our annual theme will inspire members of our school community to feel encouraged, safe, and free to be their most authentic selves and to let their lights shine. It’s a theme that combined with youth and education is very promising indeed! As we have so recently been reminded, life is precious – may we ‘shine our lights’ in all that we do and in doing so, enliven our College community and give glory to our loving God.
A prayer for our friend and student, Christopher (Chris) Blake Mayhew
Loving God, you who formed Chris, have called him home to you. Comfort those he leaves behind and help all who knew him to always cherish the times and memories they shared.
Grant Chris Eternal Rest, O Lord and may perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.
Amen.
Fiona McKenna
Deputy Principal - Catholic Identity & Mission