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REFLECTIONS AND NOTES EASTER 2004

To download a pdf of the Teachers Notes, right click here, and "Download File As ..." or "Save File As ...

Making connections
Faith and community

Teacher notes page 2-3
Making space for God
Northern landing
Seeds of hope
A star returns to earth

Principal reflections prepared by Chris Gleeson SJ
For the school assembly
For parents and the newsletter
Story
A prayer

Making connections: faith and community

Easter this year will be a time when many families gather, and others go away on holiday. It reflects the first Easter when the scattered disciples gathered again to form the seeds of a new community. In this issue of Australian Catholics, we look at the way in which faith draws communities together as it did at Easter.

The joy of the first Easter community came through pain. We are reminded of the disciples’ pain and perplexity by the story of James Murphy whose personal journey found him choosing between football and the kind of community to which his faith led him.

In the time after Easter, the disciples spent much time together doing ordinary things like fishing and eating. When Jesus appeared to them, he showed the glory in these ordinary things. In this edition we are reminded of the importance of good food and of coming together to pray and to build a Christian community.

Our experience of the church is richest when it is an experience of a welcoming community. When the Tasmanian refugee group welcomes newcomers, they follow the example of Jesus who welcomed his disciples to a new life. We also hear from people who at Easter have completed their journey to baptism at Easter. They remark on how welcoming they have found their parish communities.

These stories make us think about the church, which is not a building but which makes buildings. In cathedrals we find space to meet an expansive and hospitable God. Jesus’ hospitality to his disciples at Easter also explains why it is so inadequate to think of the church in political terms as a democracy, a monarchy or a dictatorship. We are members of Christ’s body, united in him.
Easter is a time of paradox. It may seem odd that the Easter community came out of Jesus’ life and death on the cross. But the way in which we find community is equally odd. We often shape our communities, not by settling down, but by moving. Louise Crowe and her family found a community by leaving the city for Daly River.

We wish you a happy Easter. We hope that this edition of Australian Catholics will help you find other connections between Christ’s rising and the communities you are part of.

Andy Hamilton SJ

FOR THE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip. You don’t actually have to answer the questions. Just read them straight through, and you’ll get the point.

  1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
  2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
  3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
  4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
  5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor
    and actress.
  6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.

Yet the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:

  1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
  2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
  3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
  4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
  5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
  6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
    Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care about you and about life.

MAKING SPACE FOR GOD
page 14 of Australian Catholics

There are two articles in this edition of Australian Catholics about cathedrals and their place in our worship of God. The first is about a new cathedral and the second about two old ones. In the first, the architect is our guide; in the second, it is a priest who has resided in the two cities of Melbourne and Sydney. The old European cathedrals were built over several centuries by, we are told, artisans and workers who gave their services gratis, labouring for the glory of God. The cathedral was designed not only to show the greatness of God, but also it was a way of educating people who were illiterate and had little or no access to religious education or knowledge of the Latin in which religious services were conducted. Thus the paintings, the sculptures, the stained glass windows and the symbols on and around the altar told them the story of their faith.

  1. Students might like to read both articles and jot down in their journals what the two authors, the architect and the priest, consider to be the purpose of a cathedral in modern society.
  2. Tom Riemer sj, in the final paragraph of his article writes: ‘I still believe that what makes us Christians is not the splendour of our buildings but our desire and our striving to live according to the two great commandments of love. I now appreciate, paradoxically, that these buildings make that truth clear for all.’ How does he explain this paradox?
  3. In your opinion, do large cathedrals have a place in the modern church?
  4. A follow-up activity might be that the students make a study of their own parish church, and present it to the class in the form of a project.

NORTHERN LANDING
page 18 of Australian Catholics

Easter, the principal feast in the Christian calendar is a time of joy and optimism, a time when we celebrate the great mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Easter coincides with the birth of spring in the northern hemisphere, which underlines the promise of new life proclaimed by the liturgical celebration and yet we in this southern hemisphere land are not without our own symbols of newness, fertility and abundance springing up unexpectedly in the midst of a desert. Louise Crowe, in her article Northern Landing writes: ‘We would drive along stretches of dirt roads through the bush and then come upon lush waterholes covered in waterlilies, or creeks full of fish, turtles and birdlife.’

Students might like to read Louise Crowe’s article Northern Landing and share some stories of family outings and holidays, focusing on the sense of renewal that a break from the ordinary and humdrum routine can bring.

  1. What were some of the thoughts that came to Louise Crowe’s mind as she and her family travelled towards their new life?
  2. How did she feel about this new enterprise?
  3. What problems did she anticipate as they neared the end of their journey?
  4. What were some of the adjustments she had to make in order to fit into her new environment?
  5. We usually think that asking questions is a good thing; why did her new friends advise her to be less active in the process of getting to know her new country?
  6. What does the necessity to slow down tell us about Louise and also about the lifestyle of the people at Daly River?
  7. What were the most precious things she gained from her years with the Nauiyu people?
  8. Describe the ceremony of greeting that they experienced whenever they entered new country?
  9. This ceremony implies a particular relationship with the land and its people: what was it and how does it differ from how city dwellers view their property?

Students might choose a symbol to represent some change that they anticipate in their lives and share it with a friend in the class.

Pictured left: Darcy, Kael, Dom and Ngali having fun at Daly river.

SEEDS OF HOPE
page 24 of Australian Catholics

Uganda is a fertile country that has been destroyed by war, exploitation and mismanagement. The Ugandan people are now struggling to pull their lives together and to rebuild their country. Seeds of Hope by Margaret Rice tells us how Caritas is helping to re-establish farmers who were either put off their lands by invading soldiers or who fled in anticipation of their arrival.

FOR PARENTS
& THE NEWSLETTER

Children learn what they live.
If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, He learns to find love in the world.

(The non-inclusive language indicates that this reflection comes from an older source.)Quoted in Christopher Gleeson SJ, A Canopy of Stars, David Lovell Publishing, 2003, p.28: Reflection: Pointing the finger = condemning the world

In the article From Africa to Love, Jessica Gadd gives us some insight into the horrors of trying to live a normal, productive life, caring for one’s family in the midst of war and devastation. Fortunately Fartun was able to come to Tasmania where she found shelter, love and welcome from Coby Vautin and her group until she could finally say with confidence that Australia was ‘a beautiful place where she would feel safe.’

These two stories represent two different ways of helping people recover from the effects of war. One is by welcoming people obliged to flee from their land and providing practical aid to enable them to settle peacefully in a new country; the other by aiding farmers who have been able to return to their farms to set up a more prosperous and enduring livelihood for their families.

Students could be divided into six groups in order to prepare a presentation for the class. Here are some suggested topics and activities:

  • A presentation of the material in the article From Africa to Love.
  • A presentation of the material in the article Seeds of Hope. This might include statistical charts and maps.
  • A short history of the work of Project Compassion, including some examples of finished projects.
  • A listing and information about places, projects and organisations within the school area whose work is to help newcomers settle into their new country.
  • A role play, well rehearsed and with a written outline of the incident when Geoffrey Mumbere (pictured above) and his family were forced to leave their farm during a rebel raid. Or, Fartun and family spend their first night in their Australian home. This role play should include conversation.

A STAR RETURNS TO EARTH
page 6 of Australian Catholics

When reading the story about James Murphy (pictured right) it is difficult not to be impressed by the integrity of the young, erstwhile footballer. To be tempted by the promise of riches and glamour that a place in an AFL team offers and still to be able to walk away from it shows remarkable strength of character. To make this decision required clear awareness and understanding not only of his values, but also of his own heart.

Here is a young man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself.
While he was still a young man the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, and that was his coat. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the kings who ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that One Solitary Life.

Students might like to read this article and then jot down some answers to the following questions in their journals.

  1. What are his fondest memories of Fiji?
  2. Why did he decide to play football for the seconds rather than the firsts in his final year at school?
  3. He found the football club he was looking for in the North Brunswick D4 Amateurs; why was this?
  4. Which AFL club did he choose and why?
  5. What was it about the players and the club that made James leave?
  6. Who or what helped him make this decision?
  7. Write a reference for James Murphy, recommending him for a job as a social worker.
  8. Write a prayer in which you ask God to help you maintain your own personal integrity.

A PRAYER
A blessing of one another

May we be blessed with gratitude
For the gift of another new day of life.
May we be blessed with love,
Love for God and for all people.
May we be blessed with hope;
The possibility of growth in each moment.
May we be blessed with compassion
For all of creation and for our deep connection.
May we be blessed with generosity
In all that shall be asked of us this day.
May we be blessed with laughter;
The joy that will refresh our hearts.
May we be blessed with patience
In the difficult challenges that may arise.
And may all who hear the Word of God be blessed forever.
Amen

    
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