Mission Report – April 4, 2019

At the end of another busy and over-flowing term, let us not lose sight of the approaching joy of Easter. This year Easter comes at the end of the term break, so in the joy of a holiday it may be easy to forget that we continue in the Season of Lent for a little longer yet. In the solemnity of Lent, let us reflect on our students who find each day a struggle. There is no single pattern of experiences of St Patrick’s College. In fact, for a number of our students, the fact they walk through our gates is their significant achievement. Let us not forget the challenges faced by these brave young men.

Faced with such challenges, these young men have several options. In anger, they could try to bring the system down with their behaviour and resistance to the patterns of school life. In their despair, they could choose to withdraw from the world, risking the joy of this life. Alternatively, they might decide to confront their challenges directly, supported by family, friends and the community of St Patrick’s College.

Easter takes us through the whole range of human experiences. In the Passion of Jesus, we encounter the suffering of the innocent, the corruption of the state and the violence of mob rule. There is the despair of the cross that appears at first to result in the victory of death and evil over the plans of God. These emotions are not foreign to the modern world as we still encounter human selfishness and fear that strikes out in ignorance and malice.

Above all this however, on Easter Sunday, is the Resurrection -“ and we are a community that lives in the light and gift of Christ’s victory over every form of evil and despair.

Christ truly rose again! This certainty of faith is the foundation of our hope. It confirms that Jesus really is the Son of God, that his words are reliable and true, that he has the power to forgive sins, and that he died for us, indeed, for me. Because Christ has risen, he remains present in his Word, in the communion of the Church, in the poor, and the afflicted, in his sacraments, in the priests, and in most especially in the Eucharist: Christ is in you, the hope of glory. (Schönborn, 1995)

In the next two weeks of the term break, in preparation for Easter you might-¦

• Take the time to read the Passion Narrative in the Gospel of Luke
• Spend time contemplating Christ on the Cross, and ask him, in what ways do I show my gratitude for the gift of eternal life?
• Engage with family and friends in the joy that we are united through Christ
• Undertake the great task of forgiveness to resolve a long standing dispute
• Pray for our students who find each day a struggle

And finally, have a grace-filled two weeks and return safely for Term 2.