Principal's Report
Creator God,
How extraordinary is Your “ordinary time.” How uncommon is the commonplace in Your Kingdom. The mundane is made miraculous, full of holy opportunities.
The smallest joy a jubilee.
We humbly ask that You continue to bless us with all we need for the living of these days—these wondrous ordinary days—that our everyday lives may be gifted to experience the vitality of Christian community, to share Your message of hope, reaching out to the poor and hurting, and bringing glory and honour to You, our God.
Amen
Dear Parents/Carers,
I trust that the extra days of the recent long weekend gave your family an opportunity to engage in some quality connections with one another. It is apparent at school that there are a variety of winter illnesses being spread amongst students and staff. Hopefully your family is staying safe and well during this time.
The prayer that I have included above speaks of 'ordinary time' and asks God to bless us with what we need to use this time well. In liturgical terms, 'ordinary time' is that period of weeks in which the church is putting its energy into the many stories of Jesus that sit outside the significant events of Christmas and Easter. As we know, these stories are rich with messages for how we can best serve God and be in relationship with Him, by being in relationship with others. The times of Christmas and Easter help us focus on specific aspects of the divinity of Jesus; however, Ordinary Time allows us to also see the humanity of Jesus in a way which connects with our ordinary days.
In the secular world, too, we can see the 'ordinary times' of life as, on the face of it, not being of significance. It is the big events or celebrations that sometimes capture the headlines, the most resourcing or have greater perceived value added to them. However, all of us spend more time in the 'ordinariness of life' and so it is important that we see this as of great significance. I heard a football coach interviewed recently who commented on the importance they place on their team in focussing on every game each week, rather than be looking too far ahead to finals games. We hear statements like that a lot, and when we stop and think about it, if a team gets it right week in, week out, then they have a better chance of being able to participate in any championship games.
I pray that the 'ordinary times' of your life are gifted with many blessings, no matter how seemingly small. At school, we value strongly value the little, everyday things that happen with our students to support their growth in faith, learning and wellbeing. It will be the accumulation of these 'small' blessings that will bring to fruition life-giving connections with those who are most important, and bring the joy of the Gospel to ourselves and others.
Wishing you a safe and blessed week,
Principal