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‘Living Stones’
On Divisions in the Corinthian Church (1 Cor 3:9-17)
A reflection on the Second Reading from the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Year C)
Written by Mr Casimir Douglas
“The Temple of God is sacred. You are that temple.” (1 Cor 3:17)
Next Wednesday 9th November, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. This feast day marks the dedication of the Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour in Rome, by Pope Sylvester I in 324CE, as the Seat of the Bishop of Rome. Rendering it the cathedral of the Pope (as the Bishop of Rome).
The ancient and sacred building (no longer the Seat of the Bishop of Rome) is now known as the Archbasilica of St John Lateran and was renamed after the eponymous Saint whose family donated the property to the Church upon which the Archbasilica was built. Pope Benedict XVI wrote that by honouring its dedication in the Liturgical Calendar that the universal Church celebrates communion with the Holy See of Peter, and it stands as a symbol of the Papacy. However, the 265th Pope, clarified that whilst the architectural beauty and order of church buildings is intended to glorify God, the real treasure of the Church is the temple built of “living stones - the faithful - moulded by the Holy Spirit”.
One could be forgiven for thinking that Jesus was not terribly fond of ornate and grandiose architecture, what with all the dialogue in the Gospels of the destruction of the temple. In the Gospel of Matthew (24:1-2), as Jesus and His Disciples are just leaving the Davidic Temple, the Disciples stopped Him to point out the incredible features of the exquisite and powerful architecture. But rather than joining in their fawning of the beauty of the Temple, Jesus responds to them by gesturing at the temple and speaking: “You see all these things, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down”. But this was not some insight into a Fawkesian plot to demolish the Temple building; instead Christ was teaching His Disciples that in order for God's mission, the Kingdom of God, to flourish, that new societal, cultural, and spiritual structures will need to be built:
“Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved” (Matt 9:17).
The new wine, which is the Word of God, the Gospel, and the way of Christ, has been poured into the world; as symbolised in the outpouring at the tip of the Spear of Destiny at Calvary, and our task is to create the new wineskins for it to be preserved. And we, as students, staff, parents, carers, and friends of St Thomas More’s Catholic School are so fortunate to belong to, and have a role in furthering this enterprise through the endeavour of Catholic education. To create new wineskins is to provide the opportunity, the space, the programs, the structures, the curriculum, the people, the environment, and the relationships to support our students to grow into the best person they can be. If we are to reweave the fabric of society to enable human person to flourish and thrive, Catholic education is the loom. For the St Thomas More’s Catholic School community, we are called to be living stones in the building of the Kingdom of God; that is, to create a school community of inclusion, welcome, hospitality, table fellowship, justice, empathy, growth, grace and love.
Friday 4th November, 2022
The Cosmatesque Apse of The Papal Cathedra
Jacopo Torriti, Archbasilica of St John Lateran, 19th Century CE
Dear Parents and Carers,
SALUTATION
Grace to you and peace.
STM TV: TERM 4 - WEEK 3, 2022
STM TV is our school's weekly episodic YouTube show designed to share the key learning experiences of nominated students each week to engage our parents and the broader community in the learning journey of our school.
Please find below the episode for Term 4 - Week 3, 2022, which explores our soft plastics Scarecrow, Plastema, and the Year 3/4 Schools Basketball Tournament! We hope you enjoy it!
GOSPEL VALUE AWARDS: EMPATHY
The following students received a Gospel Value Award during the School Assembly as nominated by their class teacher for exemplifying the Gospel value of JUSTIC this week:
LAUNCESTON SCHOOLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
This past weekend our Grade 3/4 students participated in the Launceston Schools Basketball Tournament. Many months of training have been poured into the preparation for this tournament, which represent the first competitive games for many of our students in these age groups.
I had the opportunity to watch a number of games over the weekend as they were played at a range of different venues, including Elphin Sports Centre and the Silverdome.
Our students represented the school with pride, gave their very best, and were exhausted at the end of the tournament! The students were supportive of their team mates and maintained a positive attitude even when teh results weren't going their way. There were some outstanding performances full of fire and energy. Myself, the staff, their coaches, parent, and peers could not be any more proud of their efforts. A special mention too for our Grade 3/4 Division 1 Girls team who have qualified for the State Finals in Hobart!
I wish to express my sincere gratitude again to Mrs Natalie Zegveld her tireless work, hours upon hours of preparation, and her commitment to supporting our students' love of this sport, and of our school.
I also wish to thank and congratulate all the volunteers, coaches, and supporters for coming out to guide, lead, and cheer on our students; without your support this wouldn't be possible!
CYBER SAFETY
On Thursday 17th November, Senior Constable Annabel Shegog of the Northern Community Policing Services and the Australian Federal Police will be speaking to our Year 5/6 students on the topic of cyber safety and digital citizenship.
Our young people are digital natives. Technology is an ingrained and ubiquitous experience of growing up in the 21st Century. Supporting our young people to navigate to become responsible, ethical and healthy users of technology is the preoccupation and priority of parents and educators alike. This requires a continued emphasis on cyber safety and digital citizenship at home and school to enable students to reflect on their engagement in the digital space. It is not the technology that presents the risk; rather it is the user of the technology that creates the risk. Therefore, it is critical that all parents, staff and students of the school community are armed with the necessary information and knowledge to ensure that our young people are safe and positive online.
In my five years as Deputy Principal at St Patrick's College, I was responsible for the development of the Cyber Safety policy, and the student and parent education programs. Through these various educational programs, we aimed to inform the community on a range of matters in the realm of cyber safety including; cyber bullying & harassment; sexting; managing your digital footprint and online reputation; being respectful and responsible online; the presence of sexual predators online; managing your social media security settings to maximise security; and the importance of speaking up to a trusted adult if you are aware of potential cyber safety issue.
I also had the opportunity to present at the National Cyber Safety Education Conference in Sydney in 2018 to share the College's approach to the cyber saefty education and management. Additionally, I was able to invest in attracting and engaging with nationally renowened speakers and experts on cyber safety to present to the parent community, run workshops with staff, and educate the student cohort. This includes Susan McLean, Jonny Shannon, and Dr Kristy Goodwin (whose visit, of course, the St Thomas More's Catholic School community was able to piggyback on).
With the year coming to an end, and Christmas on the horizon bringing with a season of increased busyness, the temptation is there to increase the number of hours our children use devices or even purchase them new devices. And so, I offer an additional thought: please consider investing in the people, literature, and wisdom available to support your child's safe engagement in the digital space. Please visit the websites below for further information.
Susan McLean - https://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/
Jonny Shannon - https://www.jonnyshannon.com/
Dr Kristy Goodwin - https://drkristygoodwin.com/
FINAL GREETING
May the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
God bless,
Mr Casimir Douglas
Principal
On Tuesday 1 November, Tasmanian author Nic Gill visited STM. Nic is an environmental scientist, author and conservation dog handler. She writes for both children and adults and her award-winning books Animal Eco-Warriors and Poo, Spew and Other Gross Things Animals Do are very popular items in the STM library. Nic worked with a group of Grade 3/4 students and talked to us about her work and her writing. She showed us why good writers are like good detection dogs. They need to be curious, know what they are looking for and be able to sit and stay! We are very grateful to CBCA Tasmania for providing us with this opportunity to learn from a most enthusiastic author!
Rebecca Thomas
Librarian
We congratulate Isabelle White and Felix Hilliard for reaching 25 stickers in their Achievement booklet.
Alexis Harmey, Milla Johnston & George Johnston spent the weekend in Hobart representing St THomas More's at the state all Schools Track and Field Championships.
Is your child planning on entering the STM Wearable Arts Competition? There are 17 days left to get your costume ready!
Post Disco and Glow Night
Late last term the P&F held the annual Disco family fun night in the Josephite Hall.
This year we also introduced the sale of glow items and Eftpos payments.
Thank you to everyone who came along and joined the event.
The P&F are delighted to announce that over $3,300 profit was raised on the night,
which will enable the P&F to continue to offer extra support and opportunities to
the STM students and school community next year.