“I am the bread who came down from heaven,” says Jesus in Sunday’s Gospel. He went on to say that this was the bread of eternal life. What does this mean for us? If we follow God’s commandments to love one another, ‘Eternal life’ is not pie in the sky when we die. It begins now whenever we manage to share God's love and forgiveness with each other. Love is already a sharing in the eternal life of God. Our students are encouraged to respect themselves and do their best in everything they do, not only in schoolwork but in relationships with others in which our school rules expect that they treat everyone with respect and care.

This week at Holy Spirit, we value hospitality, which is about opening one’s home and heart to those who need a place to belong. Hospitality is at the heart of many of the gospel stories. Being kind, generous and welcoming to our friends, family and those we know is easy. It takes courage to welcome or help the stranger by extending hospitality to those in need. This week, we pray that our students recognise the needs of others and be generous toward others, especially those who need help.

Tomorrow is the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross, Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop. Mary Helen MacKillop was born in Fitzroy, Melbourne on January 15, 1842. Together with Fr Tenison Woods, Mary founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph in 1867, an Order dedicated to educating poor children. By 1891, three hundred sisters worked in nine dioceses in Australia and New Zealand. An ordinary Australian woman, yet a woman of heroic holiness, goodness, warmth and determination, Mary died on August 8, 1909. On October 17, 2010, Mary MacKillop, Saint Mary of the Cross, was declared a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI. One of her best-known sayings is ‘Find happiness in making others happy!’

On Friday, our school community will be joined by special guests for our Blessing and Official Opening of L Block and our Library. We will welcome Most Rev. Bishop Tim Harris and Ms Jacqui Francis from Townsville Catholic Education Office for our celebration. We invite our school community to join us for this very special occasion.

Next Thursday, August 15, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast Day  of the Assumption of Our Lady when according to our faith, the Holy Mother, “having completed her course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”.  Although defined as an article of faith by Pope Pius XII just over half a century ago, the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven has been accepted from back to the earliest of Christian times.  The Assumption signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus.  The Feast of the Assumption gives each of us great hope as we contemplate this one facet of the beautiful woman of faith, our Blessed Mother.  Mary moves us by example and prayer to grow in God’s grace, to be receptive to His will, to convert our lives through sacrifice and penance, and seek that everlasting union in the Heavenly Kingdom. 

Father in heaven,
All creation rightly gives you praise,
For all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness

and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen 

God bless.

Caroine Fuller