“Let us show this love in our acts, bearing with one another, forgiving and forgetting.”
(St Mary Of the Cross MacKillop, 1890)
As a Catholic school and as part of our identity as a Catholic school, we follow the charism of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph. When we talk about St Mary’s Charism, we are actually referring to the characteristics or actions of Mary that attract us to her and that inspire us to be like her. Therefore, each year since 2002, we have had an annual College theme, based on a quote from Mary that has given us an insight into the person she was, capturing her amazing sense of faith and emphasising her vision for the Sisters of St Joseph and for all of us, who have adopted her charism.
We have a selection of six quotes that are linked to our College Vision and Mission through the values of Community, Faith and Excellence. Two of the six quotes are directly related to each of the three values and so we are able to develop understanding and meaning of our College values through our learning and discovery of each the yearly themes.
This year, our College theme, “Let us show this love in our acts, bearing with one another, forgiving and forgetting”, which St Mary said in 1890, is extremely powerful and linked closely to our College Value of Community. By showing a Christ-like love in our acts, by bearing with one another during difficult or tense times and being truly willing to fully forgive each other for our indiscretions or wrong doings, we can enliven our sense of Community, recognising the dignity of all and ensuring we are building mutual respect for all.
This theme urges us to act with love towards each other. It is calling us to show respect, courtesy, care, kindness and support in all our relationships and daily dealings with one another. St Mary also reminds us here that we need to bear with each other and that there will be times when we might feel annoyed or let down by our family, colleagues or peers; or that we may just seem to clash with some others at work or school; or that we might not necessarily agree with a friend’s point of view or behaviour. When these moments occur, we need to be patient, tolerant and compassionate towards one another. We need to stick tight and not give up on each other.
It is interesting that Mary also highlights in her words, “… forgiving and forgetting.” Often, we are willing to forgive but we can’t actually forget. True forgiveness actually involves this difficult aspect of forgetting and letting it go completely and being able to move forward in renewed and strengthened relationships.
Jesus demonstrated an amazing example of true forgiveness when he fully forgave those who tortured and crucified him. “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Can you imagine what it would be like to have your skin torn to shreds by a whip, made to wear a crown of thorns, have nails hit through your limbs and left to hang on a cross until you eventually die? Jesus endured all that and yet, he still found it in his heart to forgive them. Could you? Forgiving and forgetting is clearly a difficult task but that is what Jesus and St Mary are asking of us.
We all know that talk is cheap and that actions speak much louder than words and so too, did St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. She actioned her love, dedicating her life to God and the Church and striving to ensure the dignity of those in most need. At crucial times, when some of the other Sisters would let her down, she was able to bear with them to ensure the cohesiveness of their Order was maintained. “I excuse you and with all a mother’s heart, I forgive you. And as I freely forgive and wish to forget, so do I entreat you my dearly loved ones, to forgive from your heart any Sister who has pained you” (St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, 1890). She also forgave willingly, the Bishops and the Priest who mistreated her and played major parts in her ex-communication from the Church. “I forgive him. I forgive all who had any part in these matters” (St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, 1871). Clearly, St Mary was a living and very active example of her beautiful words to us all.
Our 2022 College Banner depicts a collaboration of hands releasing acts of love throughout our College community, which has been inspired by the words of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The hands are different in size, shape and colour indicating that individually, we are each called to share in the collaborative spirit, to work together and empower the spread of God’s love.
Morphed into the College Crest is St Mary, who is focused on the highlighted value of Community. This signals to us that not only is the Charism of St Mary and the Sisters of St Joseph central in shaping the values of our College community but that the value of community is also a central focus of her Charism. As such, we hope our banner will remind us daily of the challenge that St Mary has set for us this year.
And so we pray…
Lord,
We thank you for giving us St Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s
beautiful words, “Let us show your love in our acts, bearing with one another, forgiving and forgetting” as our theme throughout 2022.
Help us to be mindful that there will be times when we may have to bear with others who cause challenges or difficulties for us. Instil within us the tolerance,patience and compassion to do so.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of holding grudges and refusing to forgive those who wrong us. May St Mary’s life and example inspire us to truly forgive those who wrong us and to let go of any past hurts they may have caused.
We ask you Lord Jesus to gift us with the spirit of your love which will empower our acts towards one another and build a College community that values and recognises the dignity of all people and encourages a sense of mutual respect.
Amen.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop … Pray for us
St Joseph … Pray for us
And may we always remember … To pray for one another.