66. The Soul
In this edition of The Soul we explore the concept of commitment. In the Mission space, this is a daily choice to allow ourselves to be open and led by the Spirit. The Mission of Catholic Education in The Diocese of Lismore is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to journey together while remaining focused, firm in faith and strong in resolve; especially when the task feels overwhelming and the fruits of our work intangible.
This fortnightly edition also features Laudato Si Week (May 22- 29) and National Sorry Day (May 26). Both the care of our Common Home and Reconciliation with our First Nations people is complex, nuanced work that may seem slow and arduous. We have a long way to go, but we have made progress and need to remain committed to restoring our relationship with the Earth and our First Nations People, who continue to experience intergenerational trauma and socio-economic disadvantage.
Our vocation as Catholic Teachers asks a lot of us. We are the face of the Church. We are called to be people of hope and joy who understand our Catholic Traditions and share the mysteries of the Kingdom of God with our students, who struggle to make meaning of our faith in a world often in conflict with the Gospel message.
As schools, we strive to remain calm and nurturing in the face of the many challenges life confronts us with. This is made even harder when society suggests that schools should take on more responsibility for fixing the problems of the world.
Like our students, we may be tempted by instant gratification and can become weary when we sacrifice and give so much of ourselves without any clear sign that our efforts are prevailing or resulting in positive change.
Some of the greatest saints in our Church have had this same crisis of faith. In spite of all her sacrifice and suffering for God, Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) spent over 40 years of her life without feeling any sense of God’s presence.
The fact that one of the greatest saints of our time, who relied on being in communion with the Spirit to guide her work, felt so alone and disconnected from God gives us much dissonance, but also great inspiration and hope. Our lifelong Spiritual journey is spiced with swings, roundabouts and U-turns. The gravitas of our vocational calling means we need to remain focused and committed.
So let us celebrate the wins, big and small, with our colleagues. Let us share our stories, struggles, and jokes over a cup of tea or coffee. Let us walk the marathon side by side and lean on one another so that we can remain connected, united and faithfully committed to our Mission of Catholic Education.
We may not readily see the result of our work, but as the prayer attributed to Oscar Romero so beautifully puts it; “We are prophets of a future not of our own.”
“Human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself.” (LS 66).
These relationships have been challenged, broken and questioned since the floods across the Lismore Diocese, which have left many with nothing but the clothes they were standing in. These relationships continue to be challenged but are all paramount in the recovery as we seek to listen to both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor……
Read more here.
- Formed in Prayer is a reflection on the forthcoming Sunday Gospel developed by the Catholic Leaders Formation Network (CLFN).
-
New Eve (Proclaim Lismore Wildfire) - What is the greatest commitment of all time? Mary’s ‘yes’ to God. Wildfire’s fresh, contemporary Marian hymn ‘New Eve’ explores that through Mary’s simple commitment to become the mother of Jesus, she has also become our Mother and intercessor. This beautiful ballad tells the story of Mary as she is transformed from a humble servant to the Queen of Heaven. ‘New Eve’ will be available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube at the end of this week!
- Walking Free (Micah Tyler) - “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:3). True reconciliation leads to true freedom. Let us see God beside us as we journey through Sorry Week.
-
Build My Life (Pat Barret) - In our prayers, we commit ourselves to build our lives through Jesus’ love, hope and mercy.
-
Declaring Glory (The Porter’s Gate) - May we continue to declare God’s glory as we celebrate Laudato Si this week.
AccessEAP: More Than a Phone Counselling Service
AccessEAP provides our system with short term and solution based counselling. A session can be booked in a variety of ways:
- Phone: 1800 818 728.
- Online once you have created a login.
- AccessEAP App. AccessMyEAP.
The AccessEAP website has a variety of fact sheets that may be worth exploring. These can be accessed through the Employee Login.
Resources available to help support self-care practices include:
- Meditation Recordings
- Wellbeing Postcards - fact sheets cover topics such as ‘10 Steps to Resiliency’ that could be used individually or shared with staff.
- Wellbeing in Focus Calendar - could help with planning monthly activities around the areas that may be of particular importance to you. Or they could be shared with staff.
- Resource Library with over 100 fact sheets on a variety of topics.
Talking To Your GP: A Great Place to Start
The ‘Let’s Talk’ podcast series covers mental health issues in rural and regional Australia.
Episode 1 discusses why General Practitioners (GPs) can be the most important person for those struggling with mental health.
While the stigma around mental health is improving, wanting to be self-reliant in times of distress can stop us all reaching out for help. Talking to a General Practitioner (GP) is a good place to start when looking for help and advice about mental health. They’re trained to assist with both mental and physical health problems and can advise where to find help and support. This fact sheet may help with planning a first appointment.
Laudato Si Week (May 22-29) is a great opportunity to share with our families the commitment we are all called to have as Christians to the wise stewardship of God’s gift of creation. Caritas has created an excellent resource that is easy to share with your parent community and provides a collection of nature-based activities for the whole family. These activities seek to encourage a shared sense of awe and contemplation about nature, leading to a renewed sense of commitment and action towards the protection of the planet and its people.
- From St Joseph’s Laurieton’s Facebook page - “WATCH THIS VIDEO: The joy in the school today was palpable! We know how terrific our kids are but to watch them sing and dance and play with so much excitement over the last two days… well this can only be explained with a video!”
- Everything you need to know about the Uluru Statement from the Heart is now available in an interactive and authoritative form for all Australians. Learn all about the Uluru Dialogue, the First Nations community leaders who carry the mandate of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and are involved in education and advocacy for a constitutionally protected voice.
- A recent edition of the Catholic Teacher took a deep dive into the Catholic relationship to the environment. As Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ writes, 'discussion of the environment can be a turn off. The topic is vast and complicated, and it raises high passions'. We want to support you unpacking this topic in the classroom by featuring some activities and ideas for teachers, as well as links to resources for teachers that explore the relationship between catholics and the environment.
- Caring for Creation in Catholic Schools - AC+ members are invited to join us for an online Q&A session on caring for creation in Catholic Schools with Sr Elizabeth Young RSM and Alice Carwardine. Register for the Zoom meeting and post your questions ahead of the session here.
All staff in Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Lismore receive The Soul by email. The link in these emails can be forwarded and shared with family and friends. Alternatively, use this form to subscribe as an additional reader to The Soul mailing list.