53. The Soul

The celebration of Father’s Day this weekend provides us with the opportunity to remember and honour the men who gave us life. Through whatever means of connection is available to us this Sunday, let’s remember to acknowledge our fathers in a prayer of gratitude.

Rarely in history has there been a time when connection has been so important to the health and well-being of our community. Social connection, which is known to lower anxiety and depression, can help us regulate our emotions and lead to higher self-esteem and empathy. 

But how do we navigate this space when this connection is not so readily available? As we begin the Season of Creation today, we view our connection with the land and our Creator through the beautiful concept of Dadirri - deep listening. This inner quiet, still awareness, waiting – is available to everyone. In this short video, Senior Australian of the Year Dr Mirriam-Rose Ungunmerr gives us an experience of this deeply spiritual practice.

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time | Year B

Mark 7:31-37

Online Mass Links

• Bishop Greg Homeming - During this time of stay at home orders our attention now turns again to alternative ways to keep the Lord’s day sacred while focussing on the value and importance of prayer in our lives. Bishop Greg’s Mass on Sunday morning can be watched live or in our own time. In the first edition of the Soul in March 2020, we noted that the first of Bishop Greg’s Masses during lockdown had attracted 2000 views. These Masses have continued to be made available ever since and in the last 3 weeks have seen 24000 viewers each week! We are blessed to have Bishop Greg as our Shepherd.

Prayer for Spiritual Communion

During this time of lockdown we can experience spiritual communion through this simple prayer:

• Oasis (Kalley) - God will give us rest whenever we are weary and loaded with burdens. 

• Blessed Assurance (Celtic Worship) - This modern revamp of an old classic hymn will inspire you to praise God all the day long.

• Talking to Jesus (Elevation Worship) - Talking to God is like talking to that friend that you might not talk to every day but once the conversation begins, it’s like it was yesterday.

• Spiritual Communion Music - A beautiful playlist of classic Communion hymns you can pray with when receiving Spiritual Communion.

One of the aims of The Soul is to support staff wellbeing. Working from home and homeschooling can be challenging. For some, it is hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Consider reaching out and talking to someone if this sounds like you.

Free and confidential counselling is available through AccessEAP - an organisation designed to create thriving workplaces that promote, recognise and effectively manage the mental health of every employee. 

Freecall - 1800 81 87 28 or visit the website Access EAP.

To support the safety of staff while working from home, a series of recordings with the CSO Injury Management Coordinator, Anthony Thompson (Dr. Osteopathic Medicine), is available. This week’s first episode is on Working from home.

This session will:  

1. 1. Provide some tips around risk identification and management.
   2. Explain how to maximise the ergonomics and safety of your home workspace.
   3. Provide stress management tips during working from home/lockdown.
   4. Generic stretches for desk-bound workers.

School Facebook pages are flourishing even more during the lockdown. This vital connection between the school and home has become even more important during blended learning. With school book week parades on hold at the moment, Facebook has provided a great alternative. Check out these samples from some of our schools:

• St Joseph’s Primary Maclean have been introducing staff and had a virtual bookweek.
• St Agnes’ Primary School is renowned for its engaging and interactive posts promoting mental health and ideas for home learning.

Early Stage 1 & 2  |  Stage 2   |  Stage 3  |  Secondary   |  Whole School

The Student Station produced resources for teachers during blended learning in 2020. The resources shared each week in The Soul, are a sample of the resources available on the Home Learning Site. 

• The Season of Creation invites us to our place of ‘oikos’. Here are 5 things we need to know to understand oikos better.

• Abraham’s Tent - Abraham’s Tent was more than a home for Sarah and Abraham’s immediate family. The tent, or oikos, became a symbol of solidarity for those on the margins, the homeless, refugees and the outcast of society. Pitching a tent with Abraham’s view may present a different perspective into hospitality to the stranger. 

• Butterfly House - Free access during lockdown. Great resources from Andrew Chinn and his team to celebrate this week and next with online learning.

• My Dear Young Friends - A journey that connects the Sunday Gospel with everyday life for young people.

• September Saints - Each day, we have the opportunity to celebrate the lives of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for Jesus. This week we have two amazing Saints to learn about; St Gregory the Great and St Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

• How do we make time for prayer in the midst of a busy day? We offer three simple prayers that you can pray each day to help you find God in your everyday life.

• Praying With Children is a CSO subscription available to all Primary Schools within the Diocese of Lismore. Identified contacts within each school receive emails containing resources with all available weeks found on the index page.