“If we walk in the light, as he is the light, we have fellowship with one another.” 1 John 1:7
To the family and friends of St Edmund’s College,
My wife and I are both Ministers of the Word at our parish, that is, we are fortunate enough to participate in proclaiming the Word of God by reading at some of our parish Masses. Last Sunday found me in one of those wonderful situations where I was proclaiming one of my most favourite passages from the New Testament, Paul’s Second Letter to the Ephesians. Here is the passage from last Sunday (a reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians, 2: 4-10):
“God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.
This was to show us for all ages to come, through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus, how infinitely he is in grace. Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit. We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he has meant us to live it”.
Paul’s letter is written to the Gentiles from Ephesus. Paul wrote this letter to encourage Gentile believers and to make it clear that Jews and Gentiles have been brought together as part of one body in Christ. Paul reminds the Ephesians of God’s amazing love and mercy for us who are sinners – he speaks of God’s infinite grace. Grace is the undeserved, endless, beautiful gift given to us by God to live a new life, “to live the good life from the beginning as he meant us to live it”. At this time of Lent, Paul’s words provide us with a wonderful opportunity to recalibrate or reboot our lives as we move closer towards the Passion of the Christ.
For those who are in danger of losing their way, Paul reminds us of the astounding truth at the centre of our faith, that God’s free gift to a lost world is new life in Christ and that this new life is God’s ‘work of art’. To be described as God’s work of art gives me a great sense of responsibility and duty, just as staff at an art gallery have a great sense of responsibility and duty to care for their works of art. We each have our part to play in the realisation of this work of art, this great design of God, and we do this in one very simple way – by faith. Everything we do and say emerges from our faith. We live in Christ through faith; everything else stems from that faith – good works, good actions and good words are important, but they are meaningless without our faith. Faith is at the very core of our relationship with Jesus Christ through God and our relationship with one another. This message reinvigorates and energises our faith as we journey towards Holy Week.
Year of St Joseph and Feast Day
This coming Friday, March 19, is the feast day of Saint Joseph. This feast day takes on special significance this year as it is the Year of Saint Joseph. With the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Pope has proclaimed 2021 to be a “Year of Saint Joseph”. In the Apostolic Letter, Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.
The feast day of Saint Joseph is always a special day for me, as there is a lovely story behind my mother deciding to call me Joseph (far too long to recount here!). As I have done every year, I will mark the feast day with a special gift for those boys in the College whose name is a derivation of Joseph.
Student Spotlight
Marianos Nikolis (Year 8, Clancy) is currently in Qatar competing in the Asia Talent Cup, a prestigious superbike championship event. To get to Qatar, Marianos won the Oceania Junior Cup (part of the Australian Superbike Championships) – he beat 25 competitors in the 12 to 16 year division. The Asia Talent Cup will see riders from around the Asia Pacific region compete in 3 rounds in Qatar, followed by rounds in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Both the Oceania Junior Cup and the Asia Talent Cup are “Road to MotoGP” events. Marianos is a talented and elite sportsperson in his field, and we are very proud of his great achievements so far. Whilst he is at the top of his field, Marianos has maintained a beautiful sense of modesty. We wish him luck as he journeys his way through the Asia Talent Cup.
Cultural Clothes Day / Project Compassion
Wednesday 31 March sees the College community celebrate Cultural Clothes Day, a great opportunity for students to celebrate their national background and culture by wearing clothes on the day that best represents their background. I’ll be wearing my Italian football supporters jacket on that day! The day also recognises our support of Project Compassion and Caritas, and all money raised on the day will be in support of Project Compassion.
There is a great video on our Facebook page highlighting some members of our community sharing their stories of their background. I would encourage you to watch this if you have not already seen it. It is a great encapsulation of the exciting diversity we have here at St Edmund’s.
Information Night for 2022 Enrolments
We will be hosting an Information Evening on Tuesday 30 March at 6pm for all 2022 prospective families. The Information Evening accompanies our Experience Eddies Program and our Open Day by providing important background about the College as well as explaining the structures available to support both parents and students. The evening will include presentations from myself and Mr. David Kelly (Assistant Principal, Junior School), other members of the College Leadership Team as well as current parents and students. There will also be the opportunity for a question and answer session during the evening. We expect that all parents and carers who are considering enrolling their son at St Edmund’s will attend the Information Evening on Tuesday 30 March.
If you are aware of families who are thinking of enrolling their son at St Edmund’s next year, please ask them to look at our Facebook page for further details or direct them to this link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2022-parent-information-evening-tickets-145346979729
Loving God,
Who through your Word
reconcile the human race to yourself in a wonderful way,
grant, we pray,
that with prompt devotion and eager faith,
the Christian people may hasten
toward the solemn celebrations to come.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever
Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea