We are nourished for a purpose

We are nourished for a purpose

The word covenant in a biblical sense reflects the unconditional promise of faithfulness and love between God and humanity. 

I am delighted to be teaching a wonderful Year 11 Studies of Religion class who are studying Judaism at the moment. One of the core elements of this study is for them to understand the significance of the covenant especially how it impacts and is lived out among Jewish believers in their everyday lives. This special relationship between God and his people, this promise of faithfulness and compassion is one that Christians also enjoy in a particularly heightened way through the enfleshment of that covenant in the person of Jesus.  

Last weekend many young people celebrated their First Holy Communion and I am attending a celebration this weekend with one of the children of one of my staff. It is a well-timed celebration coinciding with the feast of the body and blood of Christ – Corpus Christi.

Each time we receive communion, we believe that the intimacy of the covenant, that personal and unfailing relationship between God and ourselves is renewed and nourished.  

We are nourished for a purpose. We are challenged to live our lives in this relationship with God every day in and through our everyday encounters with others. 

Fr Brian Glesson cp writes:

“Communion with Him is essentially defective and even an empty sham, if we ignore or neglect Him in our poor, needy, and struggling sisters and brothers…”.

He further quotes St John Chrysostom who said: 

“…Do you wish to honour the body of Christ?  Do not ignore him when he is naked. Do you not pay him homage in the temple clad in silk, only then to neglect him outside where he is cold and ill-clad?. He who said “This is my body”, is the same one who said ,”You saw me hungry and gave me no food” and  “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers and (sisters) you did also to me”…” 

“The Eucharist then,” writes Fr Glesson cp , “…means that we are people called and sent out on a mission… to reach out to others… (and) that the special meaning of the Eucharist, but one that is too often overlooked or neglected, is that it is about “going out to make a better world…” .

Our Jewish brothers and sisters call this Tikkun Olam, “to repair the world”, and to restore it to its original relational wholeness  – Holiness by another name. 

There are and will be many whom you know who will need your support today.

There are also many others whom you do not know who also need your faith to be active in word and deed, like the Sri Lankan family who has been held in detention on Christmas Island since 2019. I am confident that not one family in our Ursuline school would want this to continue for these children and their parents. It would not be what we would want for ANY child or family. 

What should our response be? 

I would ask you to consider signing the petition to free this family.

Our Wonder Women 

Elsewhere in this newsletter, you will find a report about our most recent spectacular celebrating Wonder Women across history. 

My thanks to the many staff who prepared the girls and who supported them as they rehearsed, to those staff who were in the background in hospitality, in marketing, in welcoming visitors to the College. I am a very blessed Principal to have so many staff who want to be part of this wonderful celebration with our girls. 

My special thanks of course to each and every girl who participated and those who came to support their friends. This is what builds College spirit and your cheering and joyfulness was inspiring. 

These girls did not settle for Good, they strove and achieved Greatness.

And thank you to the many grandparents, parents and carers, brothers and sisters who came along on two packed nights. I am sure that you were delighted by the fantastic skills and talents demonstrated in song, in dance and in music. 

Well done to all involved! 

I wonder how we will top that in 2022?  

Mary Leask 
Principal