PRINCIPALS REPORT
In last Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus calls out hypocrisy, when people strictly follow religious rituals but neglect moral principles.
“Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;" (Mark 7:6)
This story challenges us to examine our own lives. Are we more focused on following outward rules or appearances while ignoring the deeper call to justice, love, and compassion? Jesus isn't condemning rituals, but rather emphasising that they must be accompanied by genuine goodness. His words urge us to go beyond mere external acts and look at the state of our hearts and actions.
It’s easy to be caught up in the appearance of doing the right thing—whether by saying the right words or being seen in the right places. But Jesus calls us to a higher standard. He challenges us to reflect on whether we are living out the values of love, mercy, and justice in our daily interactions, and not just doing the "right" things for appearances’ sake. His message reminds us to align our actions with a true heart for what is good.
This is a challenge to each and every person, myself especially in leading a Catholic School that has to enforce rules, and one worth reflecting on regularly.
Who do your children look up to?
It was a great privilege to attend a leadership workshop with our aspiring College Captains for 2025. An activity that was completed involved students reflecting on the people they look up to as leaders and the qualities they saw in these people. It is common for students to name a range of public figures, politicians, movie stars and sport stars. I was quite moved when each group reported back that they all talked about their parents and their teachers as the role models they look up to. They talked about the selflessness, care and kindness shown as key qualities amongst many others. I thought that this was important to share because in the busyness of life as teachers and parents, we can forget just how important we can be to our chidlren and students as role models. Your impact is likely far greater than you will ever know.