A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to Jesus, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and say to the owner of the house which he enters, “The Master says: Where is my dining room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there.’ The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.

And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’

After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives.

The Gospel of the Lord

Our catholicity is central to our school as we embark upon teaching and learning and life at CRC Sydenham. The Feast of Corpus Christi, traditionally celebrated during Term 2 was celebrated on Wednesday 20 June. Fr John O’Reilly returned to the College to bless the staff and students at the Corpus Christi sculpture. The grand procession, led by the College captains Amelia Nemet and Matthew Martello, accompanied by a bag-pipe player, was a colourful array of flags, incorporating the College, Federation, theme flag along with 40 different country flags. Mass was celebrated in the hall in the round. A special altar, made up of 4 hands and a table top with the theme, Faith = Words + Actions, was built at the beginning by students of the different clusters. The hall, draped in white material, was the backdrop for numerous images depicting the sections of the Mass. In addition, the choir sang beautifully and reminded us of faith, words, actions, especially as they were illuminated within the darkened hall with those words scribed upon their robes. Fr John O’Reilly wore the College chasuble for the first time at the Mass. The feast of Corpus Christi was an opportune moment to pause from teaching and studying and to celebrate the Eucharist as a school before embarking upon the festivities of the rest of the day.

Vince Iannuzzi

Student Reflection

Faith means having complete trust and confidence in a person or desired purpose. It involves being sure in our thoughts, and such confidence informs our words and guides our actions. True faith allows us to be ourselves amidst a myriad of different personalities and responses to what life throws at us. Our words and ultimately reflect our personalities and what truly makes us us. Yet, with just words and nothing else, faith seems incredulous and altogether hollow. When we say things repeatedly, we need to follow up with actions to send the message that we mean what we say. If not, we are not taken seriously and lack credibility. And it is in this, that the two components of words and actions must co-exist to effectively and actively demonstrate our faith in society. This year’s college theme faith = words + action, depicts the ultimate teaching that faith is built upon both words and actions together.

In the first reading from the book of Exodus, we heard about how Moses told the people the commands of the Lord and in reply, they said “We will observe all the commands that the Lord has decreed.” He took the Book of the Covenant, read it to the people, to which they replied “We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.” In the first and second instance, the people expressed in one voice, their willingness to obey; their willingness to act. Likewise, we should be ready to obey, be ready to act and be ready to serve. In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews, we hear about Christ and what he did for the salvation of humanity. While blood of goats and bull calves were brought into the sanctuary by other priests, Jesus brings his own blood and offers himself as the perfect sacrifice to God. By offering his blood, not only is eternal redemption is ensured for humanity but moreover, we are purified from our dead actions and brought to do our own service. He offers his blood in the hope that we will act according to our faith, bringing it to life, taking into consideration James 2:17 which states that our “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead”. As for the holy Gospel according to Mark, Jesus blesses the bread during the Last Supper, saying “This is my body” and after taking the cup, he says “This is my blood”. In a few moments, the bread and wine will be consecrated and each one of us will come up to receive the body and blood of Christ. Each one of us will put into action our faith in receiving the body and blood of Christ. This is our Christian faith in action but it doesn’t stop there. As receivers of Christ, we are called to bring Christ - to radiate Christ through our words and moreover, through our actions. As Jesus stood with the marginalised, as he surrounded himself with the outcasts, as he reached out to the poor and as he cared for the vulnerable, we too, are called to act. As receivers of his body and blood, we are called, not only to profess our faith, but to practice it and bring about the Kingdom of God through our actions.

“Faith = Words + Actions”. It sounds simple enough; a simple equation of adding words and action. Yet, why do we all find it so difficult to live out day by day? Sometimes when we think about the idea of living out a belief – embodying it – we envision the biggest deeds possible. In this way, we become hopeless as to how to even begin.

When looking at our community today, we see that for the majority of us our faith has become only a minor aspect of our lives when it really should be the cornerstone. Ask yourself honestly, when was the last time you prayed sincerely from the bottom your heart? When was the last time you looked up to God and ask Him for His help in desperation? When was the last time you looked up to God and thanked Him for all He has given you? Do we even acknowledge God in our lives anymore? Perhaps in word, yes, but what about in spirit and in truth? In the Bible, God says “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”. In the times we fall and dwell in profound despair, I ask you to stand up again but this time with God beside you. Ask Him to grant you strength, hope, love, wisdom, understanding and His grace for He Himself says “ask and you shall receive” and that He “shall never forsake you”.

And when you feel His amazing presence, His undying love that He showed to us on the cross, don’t just keep it to yourself – share it with everyone around you. Love your neighbour just as God loves us so abundantly. This is where we begin to have trouble and give up; we live lazily. Sometimes random acts of kindness is all it takes. They can mean the entire world to another. A simple smile, a sincere greeting, a small “please” or “thank you” can brighten the day of that person. But also one of the things that God emphasises so much in the Gospel that we can begin with is our God given gifts and talents. Each and everyone of us here has a talent that we can use, put forth and show the world. We emphasise in our school the notion of every student, every pathway, helping us to embrace our gifts, whatever they may be. God calls us to take up these gifts and use them to glorify Him in all we do. When we do this, we become a testament to God’s beautiful love not only through sharing His love but also by becoming a role model for others to see how to live in accordance with God’s will. God tells us to light our lamps and not hide them but put them on a stand to give light to all people. In the same way, when we use our gifts and talents, show them not hide them, we liberate others and give them the hope to do the same.

As believers, God is calling us to seek Him, believe in Him and carry out actions accordingly with our talents and the pure love God has given us. As we do this, without a doubt we now truly become what our school theme proclaims, we become faith built on our words and actions.

Patricia Operana, Tio Alemu, Emmanuel Soriano

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