Called to Serve
The College Mercy value students and staff will focus on during 2022 is Service.Â
Service means that we respond to those in need to improve the community within our Catholic Mercy context. This suggests a fraternity of companionship between everyone in our community and those in society.
Catherine McAuley’s words, ‘We should be like shining lamps giving light to all around us,’ sums up exactly how we ought to act as a Mercy community.Â
The Face of Service
Essential to being a person of Mercy is our commitment to serving people in need. The act of service allows our hearts to be moved by the very thing that touches God.Â
In John 13:15, Jesus sets an example for us to follow. After washing His disciple’s feet, which was an act of love and humility, He encouraged them to do the same.
Radical Love
This year, as we once more navigate the pandemic, we are especially called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. As a Mercy community, we must be particularly cognisant of the ever-growing needs in our own and the wider community. While there is always the temptation to operate in a spirit of selfish ambition, we must counter such conceit by considering others more significant than ourselves. The key is to be a person for others. Such radical love is rare and takes courage!
Gifted and Called
Each of us has been blessed with beautiful gifts from God to be used in the service of others. Everything we do should be done in a way that will bring honour to God and enhance the life of another.Â
Jesus and Catherine have given us a wonderful example of Christian service. May their model inspire and motivate us to discern the people and places that call for our merciful response.Â
Let us pray for courage to address the systems and structures that perpetuate the various forms of poverty in the world, and may the intercession of Mary, our mother, aid us as we strive to give loving service to others.Â
God BlessÂ
Jilly Landers | Director of Mission
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
