From the APRE’s Desk

Welcome  Community   Hospitality

Last week, I was in the presence of an enthusiastic group of people in leadership from schools throughout the Dioceses of Brisbane, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns. We were all strengthening and deepening our knowledge and understanding of the Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Project in order to help determine how best to support the Catholic Identity in our own school context. I look forward to working alongside our school leadership, staff, students and parents of our school community to help facilitate our continued development.

We honour fathers and father figures ~ Humble of Heart. Strength of Purpose.

Last Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day, a day where we remember and honour those men in our lives who are our fathers, or are as father figures to us: those men who, through their open-heartedness, are people of compassionate mercy, who wisely take the message of the Risen Christ into their hearts, who humbly use their strength of purpose to be co-creators with God and who are courageous peacemakers in our troubled and complex world. Fill their hearts with love, humility, and openness.    We ask this in Jesus’ name.                                                        Amen.

Sunday, 8^th September ~ The Nativity of Mary, 2019

Next Sunday we celebrate the special feast of the birth of Mary. We honour Mary as the person who carried Jesus and gave birth to him, the Son of God. Mary was a faith-filled and loving servant of God who only wanted what God wanted of her. God loved her very much.

Mary was specially chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. She must have had some great qualities for God to choose her. She would have to be very trusting.

When the angel asked her to be the mother of Jesus, she trusted that God would look after her.

• Mary would have been a person of faith.

Mary always had great faith in God and prayed for guidance.

• Mary was a kind and generous person.

When Mary had given birth to Jesus, the shepherds came to see him, and Mary welcomed them with kindness and warmth.

• Mary was a filled with love for Jesus.

When Jesus was lost, she was very worried because she loved him so much.

• Mary was a person who accepted God’s will for her.

Even when Mary didn’t understand what God was asking of her, she accepted God’s will.

• Mary was a strong and courageous person.

When Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem, and later to Egypt, Mary showed strength in mind, body and spirit.

Reflection Text

If Jesus had written poems, one of them could have been this: