‘Who is my neighbour?’  On Sunday, we heard the story of The Good Samaritan, a story Jesus told in response to this question asked by a lawyer (Luke10:25-37).  It is the story of a Samaritan who sees a Jewish traveller who has been beaten and robbed lying on the side of the road that he stops to help.  What is extraordinary about this story is that the Samaritans and Jews had been enemies for many years.  The Good Samaritan did not worry about the injured man’s religion or race; instead he saw someone who was suffering and needed his help.  Our neighbour is whoever we meet and regardless of race or religion, if a fellow human being is suffering, we are called to treat them with the same loving concern and compassion as Jesus would.  As we listen to the story, we realise the key question is not ‘Who is my neighbour?’ rather, ‘to whom can I be a neighbour?

This week at Holy Spirit we value unity.  Unity is a very powerful virtue, and it brings great strength to us as individuals and the greater whole.  When we practice unity, we allow ourselves to feel connected to everything and everyone.  To best describe what that can mean to us as a school community, I would like to share the following from a recent article I was reading:  ‘What is unity?  How is it different than cooperation or tolerance?  With cooperation, we work together to get something done.  Unity is the feeling of being at one and connected with others.  Unity naturally leads to cooperation.  Unity is the feeling of being connected to our family even when we live miles apart.  It is the sorrow we feel when we see someone’s suffering even if they are a total stranger.  When we are united with others, their joy is our joy and their sorrow is our sorrow.  Unlike tolerance, where we try and ‘accept’ differences, with unity, we notice and appreciate the uniqueness and diversity each individual brings to the whole. Although different in many ways, we feel connected.’  This week we pray our students connect with those people near and far to show their appreciation for others and the gifts they share with each other.

Help us tell others about loving our neighbours in tangible and practical ways?

Whenever we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, we are reminded that love of God must always be accompanied by a love for our neighbours.  At Catholic Mission, we are tasked with raising awareness of who those neighbours are, the context in which they live and the challenges they face.  Most importantly, we share how each of us can play a part in transforming lives, through our prayerful and financial support for missionaries operating in those local contexts.  If you would like to help tell the story of these selfless men and women of God, and the difference they are making in the world; if you have a gift for story-telling or public speaking, or if your heart is to help others discern how they can put their faith into action, then Catholic Mission would love to hear from you.  To find out more, please call Tom & Helen Tarttelin on 4726 3253 or email thomas.helen.tarttelin@catholicmission.org.au

Yesterday was the Feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel.  This Feast Day is of great significance to Father John.  Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order.  The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid-13th century.  They built in the midst of their hermitages a chapel which they dedicated to Mary.  They prayed for her protection and her help in contemplative prayer. 

God bless.

Caroline Fuller