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Dear Families,
Starting the day off with an All School Mass is always such a highlight for me. Witnessing and hearing the kids singing, lectoring and preparing the altar, are all so special. Being together as a community of faith in the congregation is powerful. While together we work to make what we feel in our hearts, be heard from the rooftops, the spirit is alive and well all the same. To see the kids sincerely wish peace to their peers, find the songs on the song sheets, and walk side by side with their schoolmates of all different ages, with joy in their hearts and smiles on their faces, is something I am grateful to witness as a Catholic school leader. When we, together say “Amen”, we affirm what we believe as Catholics, and solidify the lessons that we teach through Catholic education. Yes, I believe. Yes, I find God to be reliable. Yes, I am sure that there is something beyond me. Yes, I am called. Yes, I know that God is beside me, just as the song today said “when I’m in trouble and I don’t know what to do, be with me Lord”. On God, I can rely. Amen.
At the end of the month, we will celebrate Catholic Schools’ Week. A time, when as a nation, we gather together to share what makes Catholic education valuable, why it matters, why it is reliable, why it is so much more than just school, but a community, a way of life, a gift. We affirm that it is special and worth the investment. We believe in it as a community. Isn’t that why all of us are here, because we believe in the qualities and values received through a Catholic education, Catholic by faith, or not? I know that’s why I am. Please take a moment to read more about Catholic Schools’ Week and below, and the ways that you can prepare. We of course are always seeking volunteers and have ways for you to each be involved and to say yes, and affirm OLG. We invite you to share our community with a special guest for each child on Special Persons’ Day (see information below and from the FCE last week). Thank you for letting us know who your child’s person is with your classroom teacher by Monday, January 22nd.
Thank you for walking beside us, for choosing OLG each day. We are surrounded by ways we can say “Amen” each day, and give thanks in our hearts or from the rooftops. Catholic or not, we can share the many ways that we are called to be church; to be people for others, to be in communion and in relationship and recognize God all around us, and in one another. Please look below at our newest section in the newsletter (or should I say returning section), a place of prayer for our community members and people we hold dear. As a community, as people of faith, this week, I personally ask you to hold the Beza family in your prayers. You can read more below about their need for prayers and support. Tonight, I ask as a community we hold them in our hearts and in our thoughts, and wrap them in love wherever you are. One of the most beautiful and important things about our community is that we walk together, and find ways to welcome God into our midst, through one another. Our community is brimming with people to pray for in need and thanksgiving. Let us do so sincerely and in unity, ending today as we began it, in prayer, together. Amen.
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