Last week the Director of Schools shared with all staff a message of Hope. It was a beautifully written piece that reminded us of what is important and the value of our faith, connection and family. I would like to share an excerpt with you today and I hope you are able to connect with it as much as I did.

At this time, more than ever, we need to co-create hopefulness with others. Hope is really about looking ahead – a long way ahead. Our work in Catholic education is about the daily challenge of keeping hope alive. In an age when faith can be fragile, when COVID-19 has engulfed our lives, how do we patiently keep hope alive?

A little while ago, Pope Francis provided us with a guide, On Hope, about how we can work at keeping hope alive and remain hopeful in daily life. I will take some liberties, but this is my summary.

Pope Francis said, believe that wherever God has planted you is exactly where you are meant to be at this moment. Trust in your place in the world at this particular moment. Begin with trust.

He said the great enemy of hope is not out there somewhere but inside each of us. Don’t give in to hopelessness – don’t make room for bitter or dark thoughts. Resist the temptation to despair because despair is the real enemy of faith.

Further to this, put your emotional and spiritual energies into the most noble and beautiful of ambitions. And surely there is no greater or noble ambition than writing on the very spirit of human beings through the noble work we do in Catholic education. Let us not be ruled by cynicism or pessimism, but aim high for the best of things. Concentrate on the great virtues of faith, hope and love.

Pope Francis said, you can’t hope alone. Maintain a connection with community. Don’t fall victim to desolation and never believe that our struggles are “useless” or “pointless”. God never disappoints us and God desires that the seed he planted in everyone will flourish. 

He said, when life gets hard, and you have fallen, get up. Never stay down. Get up and let people help you to your feet. And here is a great bit of advice, don’t brood too long when you have made a mistake because it will only let you lose heart.

Finally, he said, if you feel empty and demoralised, “ask the Holy Spirit to replenish the void”.  And the best way to do this, to fill the void, is to turn outwards towards others in the community in gestures of kindness, compassion, peace and reconciliation. Stop looking at yourself but rather look towards others.

So, in summary, this is what I think Pope Francis said:

• Trust you are where you are meant to be in this moment

• Don’t give in to bitterness and despair

• Concentrate on faith, hope and love

• Maintain a connection to a community of hope – a nested purpose of individual and collective hopefulness

• Have faith that God wants you to flourish

• Don’t brood self-indulgently

• Attend to the whisperings of the spirit in your heart by turning towards others

Keeping hope alive takes patience: patience with ourselves, with others and with God. We need plenty of patience at the moment dealing with this pandemic because patience is the mother of hope.

And remember

These circumstances will change

This situation shall pass

Let us all go and co-create hopefulness with others.

God Bless,

Belinda Hughes - Principal