Christian re-creation, beatitude and freedom

Christian re-creation, beatitude and freedom The search for happiness Every human being wants to be happy. Everyone wants happiness that is lasting; everyone seeks to be truly content with his/her lot in life. This desire for true happiness is the basis for people’s motivations and actions. It is because they want to achieve true happiness that they set their primary life-goals. In society today, there are many different ideas about what brings true happiness. This is why there is such variety in what people consider to be important primary life-goals. Some seek wealth, for example, believing that true happiness can be found in material possessions and money. Others seek social status, believing that they will grow happier as they win greater popularity and respect. Others again are ambitious, believing that happiness will grow with success in their work, their position or use of their power. One problem shared by all with life-goals such as these is that they are measuring happiness by criteria that are outside themselves, and happiness can only come from within them. Such goals fail to appreciate that the human heart is too large to be satisfied with money, status or ambition. As a result, many who are wealthy tend to want greater wealth, the popular want greater popularity and the ambitious set even higher goals. Not everyone, however, sees such goals as valid primary life-goals. Many instead see as their primary life-goals such things as the well-being of their families, service to others and committed marriage relationships. They may seek money and career advancement as only a means to help them achieve these primary life-goals. One basic difference between those in this group and those seeking greater wealth, status and success is that their primary life-goals are person-oriented. To the extent that they succeed in their goals, they will find other people responding to them, returning love and appreciation. Over time, people's experiences have shown that these things are more satisfying to the human heart. However, though bringing truer happiness than wealth, status and ambition, there is a problem with person-oriented life-goals. People die, so there is a limit to how long they can give love and appreciation. Also, people can change, and relationships can die over time. Of the two groups of people, who are most likely to experience the greater freedom in life? It will be argued that those who are person-oriented in their lives are more likely to experience freedom because there is less chance of them being driven by desires that will lead them to deny the freedom of others. The search for happiness can undermine freedom The human desire for happiness motivates people’s behaviour and affects their freedom. It can even undermine freedom. A young person who thinks that happiness will grow with peer acceptance, for example, can find it increasingly difficult not to conform to group expectations. As a result, she or he may find it hard to avoid going along with the crowd. Their freedom to choose is lessened when what the crowd wants to do is not right — for example, take drugs. The desire for wealth has taken away the freedom of many to respect what belongs to others. They have stolen, committed fraud, dishonoured contracts, cheated and embezzled. Similarly, the desire for status has led many to ‘put down’ others, to lie, to compromise moral principles and to break political promises. Ambition, too, can take away people’s freedom. Instead of living ideals related to respect for others, they can manipulate others for personal ends, exploit people and treat anyone who stands in their way ruthlessly. Even the desire for good relationships can undermine human freedom. It can lead people to violate their conscience rather than risk a relationship, and fear saying ‘no’. Perhaps we can think of media examples of ways that people behave that reveal their primary life-goals. This does not mean that a person is fully aware of their life-goal at the time of the behaviour — for example, a thief may not realise that he or she believes happiness will be found in possessions. True happiness requires a lasting primary goal True happiness can never be found in things that pass — nor can it be found in people. Rather, it can be found only in what is permanent and can never be lost. This means that it can be found only in God. God alone does not pass or die. Also, God alone can fill the needs of the human heart. As the great early Christian thinker, St Augustine, expressed it: Our hearts are made for you, O Lord, and cannot rest until they rest in you. Indeed, God created the needs of the human heart so that people would be drawn through these needs into intimate relationships with their Creator. This is particularly true of the human desire for lasting happiness [Catechism 1718]: This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw men (and women) to the One who alone can fulfil it… The happiness that comes from intimacy with God, being truly satisfying to the human heart and everlasting, is different from any other. As a result, it is described with a different word — beatitude. If heaven is the happiness that comes from eternal union with God, beatitude is to experience a little of heaven on earth [Catechism 1721 and 1722]: Beatitude makes us ‘partakers of the divine nature’ and of eternal life. Such beatitude surpasses (human) understanding and powers. It comes from an entirely free gift of God: whence it is called supernatural, as is the grace that disposes men (and women) to enter into the divine joy. Because beatitude leads to greater oneness with God, it also leads to greater personal freedom, for it is God’s power that truly frees. As this oneness grows, believers find themselves gradually freed from sin, temptation, guilt, overpowering emotions, attitudes and habits that otherwise will lead them to violate their consciences, their ideals and what they believe to be right. Christians promote beatitude Jesus told his followers to love others. As a result, Christians want all people to experience ‘beatitude’, for to love someone means wanting them to enjoy true happiness. To fulfil the command by Jesus to love, Christians seek to promote awareness of God in their society. They do so especially by their own example of worship. They also do whatever they can to encourage others to learn the Gospel of Jesus — ‘Gospel’ meaning ‘goodness’. Yet they do so, knowing that many today do not believe in God or religion. As a result, they cannot experience ‘beatitude’, for they are not allowing God to give them this gift.

The role of the Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry)

It is the role of the Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) to nurture the spiritual life of the members of the College. Spirituality is understood to be “our way of being in the world before God” (Harris, p.103). At Kolbe we have a particular form of Christian spirituality that is both Catholic and Kolbe.

Dimensions of the Role

Maria Harris identifies the five curriculum areas in the life of the Church:

• Koinonia – the curriculum of community
• Leiturgia – the curriculum of prayer
• Didache – the curriculum of teaching
• Kerygma – the curriculum of proclamation
• Diakonia – the curriculum of service

These aspects of the life of the Church are dimensions of its mission to evangelise. Their purpose is the fashioning of the People of God. Campus Ministry is about the same; it is a reflection of God’s creative educational intent as we learn about it in the world around us and in his Word. Each dimension describes an aspect of the life of the College and carries with it a set of tasks that constitute the work of the Deputy Principal (Campus Ministry).

Koinonia – the curriculum of community

The word koinonia means “partnership” and it refers to the spiritual fellowship of the community of faith. It is the first form of religious life that the College receives from the Church. Theologically, the people who comprise the College have been created in the image of God who is proclaimed to be a trinity of divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:

• nurture faith in Christ as the head and heart of the College community; to encourage members of the community to live in accordance with the goodness in people, the virtues befitting discipleship.
• ensure that the Catholic faith tradition to which the College belongs is made present and celebrated through its signs and symbols.
• organise opportunities for structured reflection on the college mission statement as the formal expression of the common desire for community.
• assist the House Coordinators in developing students’ understanding of and appreciation for the charisms of their House patrons.
• promote experiential learning opportunities that contribute to the formation of the conscience of the College community.
• foster awareness of the eschatological dimension of College as a Christian community, particularly through the celebration of the liturgy.
• through the use of various forms of media to support the development of publications that promote the College as a faith community.
• develop ways of drawing the College community into the parish communities, eg,, Altitude, World Youth Day.
• undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to the College as a faith community.

Leiturgia – the curriculum of prayer

The second form of religious life that the College receives from the Church is its vocation to worship and to pray. The word “liturgy” which means “the work of the people” comes from the Greek word leiturgia meaning “public service”. The English word is used to refer to the Church worshipping as a body. Along with this cultic aspect, it also incorporates the forms of personal prayer of the members of the College.

The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:

• encourage staff, students and their families to engage in personal and communal prayer in their daily lives.
• develop and maintain a Pastoral Care Prayer File to be used by the Pastoral Care groups.
• ensure that there is a roster for weekly briefing prayers.
• maintain the development of the communal Friday morning prayer based on the forthcoming Sunday Gospel reading.
• ensure that all students and staff are familiar with and can use various forms of personal and public or communal prayer.
• facilitate in the College community a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the place of the liturgical seasons in the life of every Christian.
• encourage members of the College community to use the Chapel and the Japanese Garden for personal and communal prayer.
• initiate and maintain a schedule of weekly Masses that will be celebrated in the Chapel and prepared by Pastoral Care groups.
• oversee the development of a liturgical music ministry that incorporates the concept of ensembles drawn from the Houses.
• assist the Religious Education Coordinator in the training of senior students as special ministers of the Eucharist.
• facilitate the incorporation of music, drama and movement in the major liturgical celebrations held at the College.
• develop and maintain a programme of visits by ensembles to local parishes to participate in parish Masses.
• oversee the development of the role of Liturgy Captain and the formation of a Chapel Committee.
• undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to liturgical celebration.

Didache – the curriculum of teaching

The word didache relates to teaching. It is used in the Gospels to describe the work of Jesus and his role and status as a teacher. Teaching has been part of the work of the Church from its birth at Pentecost. In the present, as in the past, the word refers to the body of knowledge that is communicated through the curriculum of the College and also to the processes that are used.
In keeping with its mandate, the College seeks the integration of culture and faith as well as the integration of faith and life. By doing so, the didache embraces all aspects of teaching and learning. Through instruction in its various forms and through study, the didache incorporates all that is related to evangelisation.

The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:

• encourage and support the structured reflection on the Catholic nature of the curriculum.
• facilitate analysis of the curriculum in the light of the Gospels.
• foster the inculturation of the Gospel message.
• look after Accreditation and make sure that records are maintained.
• coordinate the involvement of the College in the pre-service teaching programmes conducted by the universities.
• organise Staff Retreats.
• assist the Religious Education Coordinator with the development of the Religious Education programme.
• develop an approach to retreats for students that is consistent with the principles of catechesis outlined in the General Directory for Catechesis.
• undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to didache.

Kerygma – the curriculum of proclamation

Kerygma is a hallowed part of the Christian tradition. Based on the Greek notion of the act of proclamation, entrusted to a herald, kerygma has always been taken to be what is proclaimed and the act of proclaiming. Each day, the College proclaims that God became human in Jesus and that God also is enfleshed in the words proclaimed about this amazing presence in the world. God’s word becomes incarnated in those who have faith in God. Those who form the College community have the opportunity to be the subjects who speak the word, the mediators who reveal God’s presence and the listeners who hear God’s word.

The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will

• ensure that opportunities are provided for members of the College community to understand and appreciate that God speaks through them.
• provide opportunities designed to help staff and students appreciate the importance of silence in the work of remembering, hallowing and blessing.
• encourage and assist staff and students to plan and initiate social justice initiatives as part of the life of the College.
• undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to the proclamation of the coming of God’s rule.

Diakonia – the curriculum of service

The first Christians used the Greek word diakonia to refer to the many ways they ministered to others, particularly to the poor and the sick. They even used the word to describe the actions of Jesus as he ministered to those in need. Harris (p. 104) identifies the curriculum task associated with diakonia as “remembering and re-integrating compassionate service” as a core activity of the Christian community. At the heart of service is the appreciation for the grace and gift of each life.

The Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) will:

• coordinate the implementation, development and maintenance of KolbeCare, the College service learning programme that will operate at each year level.
• assist the Religious Education Coordinator in the development of components of the Religious Education programme that support KolbeCare.
• maintain contact with service organisations and groups in the wider community and facilitate the entry of students into the work of such organisations and groups.
• actively support staff and students who seek to involve themselves and others in opportunities to serve the needy in the wider community, eg, the involvement of the College with the Winter Appeal and Christmas Appeal run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, with the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal, with donating blood, and with the groups supported by the Houses.
• undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to the service of others in the College community and the wider community.

The Life of St Maximilian Kolbe

In the mid-eighties of last century, a group of concerned Catholics in the Rockingham area formed a committee for the purpose of lobbying the Catholic Education Commission to establish a Catholic secondary school in their area. Fr Finbar Walsh, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Rockingham, recommended that the proposed school be named after the newly canonised saint Maximilian Kolbe. He was inspired by the man’s faith and his devotion to Mary; it was his hope that those who attended the school would also be inspired by his example to embrace their faith with greater fervour. So, who is St Maximilian Kolbe?

The following outline of the life of St Maximilian Kolbe has been compiled from:
Ricciardi, Antonio (1982). St Maximilian Kolbe: apostle of our difficult age. Boston: Pauline Books & Media.

1894
Raymond Kolbe was born on January 8th in Zdunska-Wola, Poland. His parents were Jules and Marie Kolbe. They lived in rented accommodation and operated a weaving business. Raymond had an older brother named Francis. His younger brother was Joseph. Valentine died as an infant and the youngest, Anthony, died at the age of four.

His parents moved the family to Pabience, a nearby village where the rented a small house and continued their weaving business. They also opened a small shop and rented three vegetable gardens.

1904
Raymond had a vision of Mary who presented him with two crowns, one red and the other white. She asked him which one he wanted. He chose both crowns.

1907
Francis and Raymond entered the Franciscan Order and attended the minor seminary in Lwow. Joseph followed a few years later.

1910
On September 4th, Raymond received the religious habit of a Franciscan Friar and chose Maximilian as his religious name.

1911
On September 5th, he made his simple profession, vowing himself to the practice of the virtues of poverty, chastity and obedience, according to the rule of St Francis and the Constitutions of the Friars Minor Conventual, a branch of the Franciscan Order.

1912
Friar Maximilian was sent to Rome to study theology ad philosophy.

1914
On All Saints Day, Friar Maximilian made his solemn profession and added the name of Mary to his religious name: Friar Maximilian Mary Kolbe.

1917
On January 20th, the 75th anniversary of the apparition of Mary to Alphonse Ratisbonne in the Church of S. Andrea della Fratte in Rome, Friar Maximilian was inspired to found the Militia Immaculatae, or Knights of the Immaculata movement, and to choose the Miraculous Medal as the shield and insignia of the Knights.

1918
On April 28th, the feast of St Paul of the Cross, Friar Maximilian Kolbe was ordained a priest. He was one of a hundred men ordained in Rome on that day.

1919
Fr Maximilian was granted his doctorate in philosophy and his doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. On July 23rd, he left for Poland.

He taught theology and philosphy at the Franciscan Seminary in Krakow and established the first Marian "focus groups" there.

1920
On August 11th, he was admitted to a sanatorium in Zakopane where he was treated for tuberculosis.

1922
He returned to Krakow and published the first edition of The Knight of the Immaculata. This became the monthly publication of the Militia Immaculata (MI).

1926
On September 19th, he returned to the sanatorium for convalescence and remained there until April 13th, 1927.

1927
Having purchased a printing press, Fr Maximilian published two monthly magazines: The Knight, which was the official publication of the MI; and The Seraphic Flame, which was the official magazine of the Third Order of St Francis. The Knight had a circulation of 60,000 copies. Fr Maximilian had 17 friars working with him. In Poland, there were 126,000 members in the MI.

In November, Fr Maximilian moved his printing works to Niepokalanow (City of the Immaculata) near the town of Teresin. He had started out in 1922 with one suitcase. When he moved to Niepokalanow, it took 8 railcars to transport the publishing house he had established.

1929
Two houses of formation were established at Niepokalanow, one for Franciscan Brothers and another for those wanting to be ordained to the priesthood in the Franciscan Order. Fr Maximilian was in charge of the formation of those who entered the Order and studied at Niepokalanow.

1930
On February 26th, Fr Maximilian and 4 Brothers set out for Japan to establish another City of the Immaculata. They landed at Nagasaki on April 24th.
Fr Maximilian wrote The Knight in Latin and his students translated it into Japanese. The first edition of The Knight in Japanese was published on May 24th. It was called Seibo No Kishi.



1931
On May 16th, the Japanese City of the Immaculata, known as Mugenzai No Sono, was opened. It was built on the slope of Mount Hikosan, in Hongochi, a suburb of Nagasaki.

1932
Fr Maximilian went to India to investigate the possibility of establishing the MI there. The political situation in Europe prevented its establishment even though he had support from his Order and from the Church in India. In 1981, two friars from Malta set up Nirmalaram ("Garden of the Immaculata") in the town of Chotty in India.

1933
The monthly circulation of Seibo No Kishi reached 50,000 copies.
Fr Maximilian returned to Poland for the General Chapter of the Franciscan Order. He returned to Japan to continue the work of the MI in that country.

1936
On May 28th, Fr Maximilian returned to Poland to participate in the Franciscan Provincial Chapter. He was elected to the position of "Guardian of Niepokalanow" and never returned to Japan. The community grew in size under his leadership. By 1939, there were 762 Franciscans living and working there.

1939
On September 1st, Germany invaded Poland. The German army advanced on Warsaw. Niepokalanow is situated about 40 kms out of Warsaw and it was surrounded by the invading army.

On September 5th, Fr Maximilian sent most of his community away from Niepokalanow and maintained the property with the help of 50 Brothers and 5 priests. They took care of the sick and the many refugees who sought sanctuary within its walls.

On September 12th, the German army occupied Niepokalanow.

On September 19th, all, except for two friars, were deported to the concentration camp at Amtitz in Germany.

On November 9th, they were transferred to Ostrzewrow in Poland.

On December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, they were released and allowed to return to Niepokalanow. Gradually, many of the Brothers returned to the community and its numbers rose to about 300 members.

1940
Niepokalanow became home to 2000 men expelle from Posnania and 1500 Jews who took refuge there.

On November 20th, the German Propaganda Office and the Gestapo gave Fr Maximilian permission to start publishing The Knight again. Only one issue came off the press.

1941
On February 17th, Fr Maximilian was arrested and taken to Pawiak prison in Warsaw.
On May 28th, he was transported to Auschwitz.

In July, he was moved to the hospital in the camp because he had been diagnosed with a lung infection and bronchitis.

At the end of July, he was discharged from the hospital and moved to Block 14.















On August 3rd, a prisoner escaped from Block 14 and the Commandant decided to punish the other prisoners by selecting ten men from the Block to be executed. One of the condemned men was Francis Gajowniczek, a sergeant in the Polish army. He had a wife and young family. Gajowniczek pleaded for his life. Fr Maximilian volunteered to take his place. The ten men, including Fr Maximilian, were stripped of their clothes and placed in a small cell without food or water. They were starved to death.

On August 14th, the eve of the Feast of the Assumption, only 4 men, including Fr Maximilian, remained alive. The director of the hospital at Auschwitz, injected carbolic acid into their veins and they died. Fr Maximilian's body was cremated in one of the ovens that burned day and night in Auschwitz.

1960
The cause for the beatification of Fr Maximilian Kolbe was officially opened in Rome on March 16th.

1971
On October 17th, he was beatified.

1982
On October 10th, Pope John Paul II canonised Fr Maximilian and proclaimed him a saint of the Church. His feast day is celebrated on August 14th.

A Teacher Review Model

The following model is based on the view that in a Catholic school all teaching is part of the process of evangelisation which is the mission of the Church. Every member of the staff of a Catholic school engages in evangelisation through the roles they play in the school.

Use of root metaphors in theology

The way in which each person works characterises a particular paradigm and its root metaphor. If you want to do some reading in this area, then visit the following e-source: http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/mwt/dictionary/mwt_themes_909_mcfague.htm

In 1988, Sallie McFague’s book Models of God was published. Chapter Two is titled Metaphorical Theology. The link above is to an article about her book and her understanding of the role root metaphors in theology.

Why take this path? Because teaching in a Catholic school is “evangelical,” then at some point in the process of reflection, we must think theologically. If we don’t, then our thoughts will be irrelevant.

Part of the theological reflection involves the use of root metaphors. For some time I have been advocating the use of organic root metaphors as opposed to those that are implied by some of the language that is used, such as “appraisal”, “formative evaluation” and “summative evaluation”.

Use of the Review of Life method

My reflection is based on the Review of Life method which was developed by Cardinal Joseph Cardijn when he was a young priest in Belgium, early in the twentieth century. If you want to read a summary of his method, read the following .pdf file released by the YCS movement (Young Christian Students) in Australia:
http://www.aycs.org.au/files/wwb.pdf

I have included this document because it provides an insight into a way of thinking about Catholic education. The Review of Life with its three steps of SEE-JUDGE-ACT has been enshrined in Catholic Social teaching. To learn more about this, visit the following site. The article that you will read was published in Eureka Street, a magazine published by the Jesuits. The Jesuit influence should be strong in our school (Loyola and Xavier Houses are named after two great Jesuits, St Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits and his friend, St Francis Xavier).
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3055

The Examen of Consciousness

The third influence in this proposal is taken from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola. He taught his followers to use the “Examen of Consciousness.”

Here are two sites worth visiting to learn about the examen. The first, from a Catholic high school in the USA, presents a summary of the five steps of the examen:
http://www.stxavier.org/s/106/stxavier.aspx?sid=106&gid=1&pgid=973

This second site is much more detailed. It comes from a popular catechetical e-resource known as Catholic Update:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0303.asp

My first contact with the examen came when I was helping to write the early drafts of the RE Guidelines in the mid-eighties of last century (Wow!). We developed an examination of conscience model based on the examen. It was largely a positive approach to examining one’s conscience. It had two significant characteristics: first, the examination of conscience is a form of prayer, ie, dialogue with God; second, it is a prayer of thanksgiving for the good that we do.

Some suggested review questions

What are you passionate about in your teaching?

Campus Ministry and Nurturing Charisms

One aspect of the role of the ADP (Ministry) involves the curriculum of community (koinonia) and it is in this context that I reflect on the task of nurturing charisms. But first, a word or three about words.

The word charism means a God-given talent or power. It came into the English language in the seventeenth century through ecclesiastical Latin from Greek. The original meaning of the word is "grace." The word grace means a gift freely given by God. Someone taught me a long time ago that grace is sharing in the very life of God.

The word koinonia means “partnership” and it refers to the spiritual fellowship of the community of faith. It is the first form of religious life that the College receives from the Church. Theologically, the people who comprise the College have been created in the image of God who is proclaimed to be a trinity of divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

There is a sense of gratitude about the presence of charisms in the life of a community, both on the part of those who exercise charism and those who benefit from others' charisms. The spirit of thankfulness is a response to God's love and mercy active in the presence and work of the person who exercises their gifts and talents in service of the community.

In the previous blog, I described the koinonia tasks of the Assistant Deputy Principal (Ministry) in the following way:

• nurture faith in Christ as the head and heart of the College community; to encourage members of the community to live in accordance with the goodness in people, the virtues befitting discipleship.
• ensure that the Catholic faith tradition to which the College belongs is made present and celebrated through its signs and symbols.
• organise opportunities for structured reflection on the college mission statement as the formal expression of the common desire for community.
• assist the Heads of House in developing students’ understanding of and appreciation for the charisms of their House patrons.
• promote experiential learning opportunities that contribute to the formation of the conscience of the College community.
• foster awareness of the eschatological dimension of College as a Christian community, particularly through the celebration of the liturgy.
• through the use of various forms of media to support the development of publications that promote the College as a faith community.
• develop ways of drawing the College community into the parish communities, eg, Altitude, World Youth Day, an Arts ministry team that enhances liturgical worship in the parishes, youth groups that interface with parish youth groups.
• undertake whatever tasks the Principal determines that relate to the College as a faith community.

Those who serve their community make use of their charisms. There are many talents and gifts operative in the life of any community.

Charism

What is “charism”? Is it the same as “charisma”? Occasionally, we come across people who have charisma. I have met a few teachers who were charismatic. Students were drawn to them like iron filings to a magnet. Most of us have to work hard to achieve success, however, charismatic people seem to exert little effort to gain greater results. Their “megastar” status can be quite unnerving.

The word charisma is defined as a “compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.” It is the plural form of charism which has come into the English language from a Greek word meaning “grace”. A charism is a gift that is given freely. Usually, it is inferred that the gift is divinely given. The word charisma means “giftedness,” that is, possessing many gifts or talents, hence the “megastar” status of charismatic people.

St Paul is credited with having been the first writer to use the word “charism” in a religious and christian context. For instance, in his first letter to the Christians in Corinth, a Greek city, he wrote:

There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve. And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do. (1 Cor. 12, 4-6)

When St Paul used the word “charism” he usually meant two things. First, he used it to refer to the gift of Christian life given in Baptism. Second, he meant a specific gift given by God to individuals or groups so that they could serve the community and build up the Kingdom of God. It is this latter meaning that is of interest to us now.

In the Catholic Church there are many religious orders, congregations and institutes. Each of these religious families has received from the Spirit through its founder a particular charism to achieve a specific mission in the Church. It's worth the time and effort it takes to explore some of the statements made by a few of these families in order to understand the concept of "charism" so that it can then be applied to St Maximilian Kolbe and then the school that has his name. One site worth visiting is that of the Sisters of St Francis. On their homepage, they have the following statement about their charism:

We, the Sisters of St. Francis of Savannah, Missouri, believe that the Holy Spirit has gifted us and continually blesses us with a charism in the service of the Church. We identify this charism as A JOYFUL SIMPLE SPIRIT, FOUNDED ON A PRAYERFUL DEPENDENCE ON GOD, WHICH FREES US TO WITNESS GOD'S LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE IN GENEROUS, HOSPITABLE RESPONSE TO THEIR NEEDS.

We share this value as a community. It has been handed down to us from Father Sebastian Schwarz and Mother Franziska Wimmer. It was especially manifested through Mother Pia Feichtenschlager, whose guidance established our community in the United States and whose living example served to call forth and to form the expression of our charism in the American Province.

If we analyse their statement, we arrive at a set of core values:

• joyful, simple spirit
• prayerful dependence on God
• giving witness to God's love
• generously providing hospitality to those in need
• living in community

The Sisters believe that these values are needed so that God's Kingdom can be established and maintained on earth. Moreover, they believe that these values are consistent with the mission of the Church as it was given by Jesus.

If these values identify the charism of their community, what makes it different from other religious communities in the Church? What is the charism of St Maximilian Kolbe? To what extent do we share in his charism?

Charisms are recognised in the actions of those to whom charisms are given. The Sisters of St Francis would be recognised by the qualities listed above. What are the qualities that identify us as members of a College named after St Maximilian Kolbe?

The College crest displays the motto: Courage, Faith, Excellence. These words suggest the qualities we hope to develop in ourselves and also instil in our students. Are they the charisms of our school?

Discerning the Charisms of Kolbe's House Patrons

Kolbe is proud of its vertical pastoral care programme. The school is divided into six Houses. Each House is made up of students from Year 7 to Year 12 and staff. Each House is named after a saint (or one-day-to-be saint). It has always been my dream that each House would contribute something significant to the life of the school that was drawn from the charisms of the House patrons.
What follows are some readings and websites to visit that hopefully will help to identify the charisms of each House patron.

Chisholm

The following link takes you to a short biography of Caroline Chisholm. The writer identifies Caroline Chisholm's charisms. The article is followed by a string of messages from people who have visited the site. Hopefully, you will gain some insights into this amazing woman's gifts and how people benefited from her generosity and commitment.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/asop/people/caroline_chisholm.shtml


Loyola
The following website gives some insights into the charisms of St Ignatius and how his followers have used the charisms of the Order he founded to engage in Catholic education.


http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/st-ignatius-of-loyola-100.php






MacKillop
The Sisters of St Joseph (the "Brown Joeys") provide us with some understanding of the charisms of their foundress, St Mary of the Cross. She is Australia's first canonised saint and her canonisation was celebrated in Rome and around the world on Sunday, 17 October, 2010.


www.faithdoingjustice.com.au/docs/Editorial1010.pdf



Rice
Blessed Edmund Rice is the founder of the Congregation of Christian Brothers. This short history of his life gives us some clues about the gifts with which he was blessed and which he used to help the poor in and around Waterford.
http://www.ercrs.com.au/dloads/cms/A%20short%20biography%20of%20Blessed%20Edmund%20Rice.pdf


Teresa
Blessed Mother Teresa lived an amazing life. This brief biography does not do justice to its richness, but it does help us to understand a little about her giftedness and her faith in God strengthened her when there seemed little hope for those whom she served.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1907


Xavier
St Francis Xavier was a good friend of St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He joined Ignatius in his plan to establish a group of men who would dedicate their lives to bringing God's message to the world. To gain an insight into the charism of St Francis Xavier, visit the following website:

http://www.biographybase.com/biography/xavier_francis.html