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Christus Vivut
Warning Against Idleness (2 Thes 3:7-12)
A reflection on the Second Reading from the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Written by Mr Casimir Douglas
“In the Lord Jesus Christ, we order and call on people of this kind to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat.” (2 Thes 7:12)
This passage from the second of the Pauline Epistles to the people of Thessalonica appears quite direct and to the point regarding the expectations of one living in the genuine Christian communion with others: pull your weight. It is a directive steeped in seemingly logistical, litigious and literal consequence. But it is the verse (2 Thes 7:13) directly following the passage from this Sunday’s Second Reading that gives shape, character, and meaning to the words of St Paul, who himself championed the Spirit before the Law: “Never grow tired of doing what is right.”
Therefore, the exhortation in this Letter to the Thessalonians is not some dry managerial dictum, but call to re-centre oneself in Christ. In his letter to the Phillipans (1:21), St Paul wrote: “To live is Christ”. That is, Christ is alive. Christ is alive and is given life through our active, conscious, and living commitment to the community of faith.
In 2019, Pope Francis released his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit, which translates from Latin as, “Christ is alive”. This communication to the entire people of God, is addressed specifically to young people, and he exhorts them to know and embrace that: “Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!” It seems an obvious and tautological statement. But it is not an expression of the Pontiff’s desire to check in on the mortality status of our young people. Rather, it is a call to action, a call to be fully alive, to live a full life. Renowned theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein, is regarded by the intellectual and scientific communities as the model for how we should understand our world, and our role in it. However, his musings on our purpose in this world stretch far beyond the realms of mathematics and quantum physics and into the quality of life for which we should strive. The following quote is attributed to him: “Only a life lived for others is a life well lived”. And indeed, the living of a full life for the Christian person is centred on service.
Christus Vivit is Pope Francis’ call to the young people of today to live a full life, indeed, a life that is lived in service of others. This sentiment echoes the words of Christ himself, as written by the Gospel writer, John (10:10): “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”. But a full life is not merely a busy one. A full life for our students is one in which they understand their own purpose, one in which they are inspired, one in which they find their spark, and they live their life as an expression of that purpose, and have an understanding of the role in which education and a relationship with God plays in their lives. And our task as leaders, teachers, staff, parents, and friends of the St Thomas More’s Catholic School community, is to model for our young people what it looks like to never grow tired of doing what is right; so that we bring Christ to life through our everyday encounters with them.
Friday 11th November, 2022
Dear Parents and Carers,
SALUTATION
Grace to you and peace.
STM TV: TERM 4 - WEEK 4, 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 4, 2022. This episode is a School Captains Spotlight, which explores the NIJSSA Athletics Carnival, and the Grade 5/6 Cultural Excursion to Paper Beach! We hope you enjoy it!
AM I READY TO BE LOVED?
Our focus Gospel Value for the month of November is JUSTICE. Our Gospel Values: Head, Heart & Hands Framework emphasises for students that they know they need to be helpful, be fair and be caring to genuinely live a life of justice. The call to be helpful, fair and caring does not just describe who we are called to be for others. But who we are called to be for our ourselves. To live with justice is to seek the best outcomes for others and to seek the best outcomes for oneself. That is, we must practice self-acceptance, self-belief, and self-compassion.
The artist, singer and musician, Lizzo, has burst upon the entertainment scene with string of top hits and catchy tunes in the global music industry. But beneath the typical glitz and glamour of her music, lies a powerful message about self-worth, self-confidence and self-love. This is never more true than in her song '2 Be Ready', in which the chorus repeats the mantra - "Am I ready to be loved?" The answer, of course, is yes! We are loved!
At our morning Prayer Assembly in Piazza this Wednesday (9th November), I had the opportunity to play and sing the chorus of the song with the students. The video can be found below!
PRINCIPAL'S MORNING TEA
At our Friday afternoon Assembly last week, several students received a Gospel Value Award for demonstrating the value of EMPATHY. These students attended a special Principal’s Morning Tea in Josephite Hall this Tuesday (8th November).
Myself and the students were treated to a smorgasbord of fruit, and muffins and scrolls, and we each shared what we are grateful for in our lives, which for this group of award nominees included family, friends, school, pets and trees! They also shared their hobbies, interests and dreams, including horses, swimming, dancing, and water skiing!
NIJSSA ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
This past Friday (4th November) over 70 students from our school participated in the NIJSSA Athletics Carnival. The carnival pits the best athletes from each of the local Catholic and Independent School in our region against each other in a day of spirited and friendly competition. And the students could not have asked for better weather for the occasion!
St Thomas More's Catholic School finished 5th in the overall standings of the event. But the measure of success for the day wasn't the number of ribbons or shields that were brought back to our display cabinets, but the pride with which the students represented the school, the passion with which they competed, how they worked together as a team, and well they supported and encouraged their team mates and the students from all other schools.
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Mr Nick Stacey for his tireless work, organisation, and leadership of the school team in the carnival.
I also with to thank and congratulate all the staff, volunteers, and supporters for coming out to cheer on our students!
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
Congratulations to Oliver Garwood and Oliver George for achieving 25 stickers in their Student achievement sticker book.
Today we marked Remembrance Day with a special ceremony at school, and our Captains also represented St Thomas More's at the Launceston Cenotaph commemorations.
Remembrance Day also allows us to remember those who fought and lost their lives during the war and honour their memory. It ensures that we never forget the past and that those who died didn't die in vain.
Lest We Forget.
Last Friday the school athletics team went to compete against nine other schools at the NIJSSA Athletics Carnival. It was a very competitive day with seven records broken throughout the meet. Congratulations to Alexis Harmey who broke the long standing Grade 5 Girls Shot Put record.
The St Thomas More’s team competed with great talent and pride, producing some great results throughout the day. A big highlight was St Thomas More’s winning more of the final relay events than any other school, taking out three of the eight on offer.
Congratulations to all students who represented our school with such pride, you all certainly put in your best efforts and should be very proud of your performances.
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