Mission report – April 17, 2015

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!-

We can all succeed on our -‘good days’ -“ it is what we achieve on our -‘bad days’ that really defines our character. Jesus suffered the worst that the world had to offer in the final days of his earthly ministry. His message of love was rejected, his closest followers abandoned, betrayed and denied him, the legal process convicted him unjustly through corruption and false testimony, and the physical pain he endured was acute and cruel, designed to humiliate him physically, emotionally and spiritually. – In the dark moments of Good Friday it must have appeared to many witnesses that all hope was lost. Even today, traces of the fear and hopelessness of Good Friday still reside in the evils of the world. But the story does not end with evil and death, but Resurrection and eternal life.

In this greatest drama of human history Jesus has won for us eternal life with God. It is up to us to become capable of accepting this incomprehensible gift. Acceptance is not the signing of a contract that we file away, forgotten, until we need it at the end of our days. Acceptance is our heart dedicated to love and service in every moment. Just as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper and prayed for his persecutors whilst on the cross, it is what we make of ourselves on our bad day that is our response to this gift. Not only that, but our love will transform each day so, filled with the active love of God and despite the trials of this world, they all become -‘good days’.-

Our choices and actions create the person we are, and we are always engaged in deciding the person we wish to be. Nothing can take that responsibility from us. Last term, students were invited to forego small pleasures to donate their money to the Project Compassion Appeal and so bring food sustainability to impoverished communities. Our young men were also asked to donate chocolate Easter eggs that were delivered to patients in Ballarat hospitals and hospices by our St Vincent de Paul chapter. Senior students continue to tutor the children of refugees at St Albans. St Patrick’s College assists in two bread runs. These actions not only transform bad days into good days for many -“ they re-create our young men. This is the power of our Easter identity lived in the world. We constantly ask God in our prayers that we may have the courage and wisdom to recognise Jesus’ victory in the reality our lives and so witness the great joy of the Easter victory.-

– Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!-