A
teaching colleague died recently after a lengthy illness. During his Requiem,
his sister read from Paul’s letter to Timothy (4:6 – 8):
My
life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me
to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the
finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of
righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give
to me on that Day; and not only to me but all those who have longed for his
Appearing.
The
reading was apt, for it expressed so clearly, so consummately, the person of
faith he was. I asked myself if these words could be said about me as a summary
of my life. I decided I had some way to go. There is much I have yet to learn,
to commit my life to, not least of which is to avoid exalting myself before my
God and others of the gifts I have been given, and the good I do for others.
‘The man who humbles himself will be exalted,’ writes Luke (18:14). I must
learn humility. I must learn to be ‘at right’ with those with whom I work,
those in my family and those with whom I worship.
How
will you be eulogised? What will be said of you? Will you be acknowledged as a
loving spouse and parent? a kind and compassionate friend? a steadfast
workmate? a courageous advocate of social justice? a person of integrity and
faith? Will the person they describe be the person you were in life or an
idealised version of the same you? If you want to make a difference in the
world, what are you waiting for? If you want to be a better parent or human
being, what is stopping you from doing so today?
There
is no magic wand that will change me or you, unless I take control of who I am
and what I want to be. A person of prayer? of fidelity? of love? I already
possess the potential, what I next need to do is gather the will to make it
happen. So, make it happen today.
Peter
Douglas
HEAD
OF SCHOOLS, NORTH
Simon Cobiac's and Matt Kean's principal
appointments
The Director advised TCEO and school staffs on Friday:
We wish to congratulate Simon Cobiac on his appointment as Principal of
Blackfriars Priory School in Adelaide commencing in January 2017. Simon has given great service to St Patrick's College over many
years, and indeed on a wider scale to Catholic Education Tasmania. We have
enjoyed the friendships forged and have benefited very much from Simon's
professional expertise across many areas.
We also wish to congratulate Matt Kean on his appointment to his first principalship. He has been appointed Principal of Holy Spirit School, Lavington, located in Albury, NSW. Matt has been a significant contributor to Catholic education in Tasmania in his roles as AP L&T and more recently as an Education Officer within the Catholic Education Office.
We extend to Simon, Matt and their families our prayers and best wishes as they enter the next stage of their professional careers. There will be of course a number of opportunities to farewell both Simon and Matt before the end of the 2016 academic year.
The moon is full tonight
an illustration for sheet music,
an image in Matthew Arnold
glimmering on the English Channel,
or a ghost over a smoldering battlefield
in one of the history plays.
It's as full as it was
in that poem by Coleridge
where he carries his year-old son
into the orchard behind the cottage
and turns the baby's face to the sky
to see for the first time
the earth's bright companion,
something amazing to make his crying seem small.
And if you wanted to follow this example,
tonight would be the night
to carry some tiny creature outside
and introduce him to the moon.
And if your house has no child,
you can always gather into your arms
the sleeping infant of yourself,
as I have done tonight,
and carry him outdoors,
all limp in his tattered blanket,
making sure to steady his lolling head
with the palm of your hand.
And while the wind ruffles the pear trees
in the corner of the orchard
and dark roses wave against a stone wall,
you can turn him on your shoulder
and walk in circles on the lawn
drunk with the light.
You can lift him up into the sky,
your eyes nearly as wide as his,
as the moon climbs high into the night.
~ Billy Collins ~
New poster of Mary MacKillop and Julian
Laminated prints are available from MacKillop Place Gift Shop North Sydney - 02 8912 4894 or mmp.shop@sosj.org.au
Peter's Whereabouts for the next two weeks:
Upcoming Events:
No comments:
Post a Comment