In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus telling the parable of the rich man who decided to build bigger and better barns because he had had a bountiful harvest and  could not fit all the crops into his barns to be stored.  If he had been a kind and generous man, he could have used the extra food to make life easier for those in need.  Money and riches may not make us rich in the eyes of God. 

This week at Holy Spirit we value excellence.  Excellence often refers to greatness, the very best.  Achieving excellence is a very difficult thing to do at times.  It is a quality that people really appreciate, because it is so hard to find.  Striving for excellence is trying to do our best at whatever task we set our minds to do.  At Holy Spirit, staff are always looking for ways to help students achieve excellence.  This week, during Catholic Education Week, we pray that our students draw upon their many skills and show excellence in a given area.

Yesterday, July 26th, was the day to remember the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  While they are not mentioned in the Gospels, tradition holds, on the grounds of very old testimonies, that Saints Joachim and Ann were the father and mother of Mary, the Mother of God.

Catholic Education Week is a lovely time to reflect on the importance of being in one of the 313 Catholic Schools in Queensland with their distinctive mission and ethos.  It is a great opportunity to look at what makes Holy Spirit a great school.  Yesterday, our Term 3 school captains, Abbie and Kaden, attended the Catholic Education Week Mass at the Cathedral.  Josivel from Year 6 also represented our school as an altar server.  It was celebrated with schools from across the Diocese and presided by Bishop Tim.

Loving God, You are with us always.

Bless us as we travel on our journey.

Bless our minds so that we may think of you.

Bless our eyes so that we may see the good things in our lives.

Bless our ears so that we may hear your Word and truly live it.

Bless our hands so that we may be willing to help and support others.

Bless our feet so that we may be willing to walk in another’s shoes.

Bless our hearts so that we may know your love and show it others.

Amen

God bless.

Caroline Fuller