CCSJ Chair Leela Ramdeen and the students of St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando, with the International Women’s Day mural they created on March 8.
Today’s Gospel (Matthew 17:1-8 – The Transfiguration) is particularly instructive. As Catholics, we believe that Jesus is God’s Son, “the Beloved” who enjoys God’s favour. The challenge for us, though, is to do as God told Peter, James and his brother John: “Listen to Him.”
Note Jesus’ response when he saw these three disciples with their faces on the ground – lying in fear at the sound of God’s voice. We too must feel Jesus’ gentle touch, particularly during Lent, as He urges us to: “Stand up, do not be afraid.” How many of you sang the lyrics of Machel’s song, “Ah come out tuh live mih life”? I urge you to come out and live your life as true followers of Christ. Do not be afraid!
Take heed of the words in today’s Second Reading (Second Timothy 1:8-10): “…never be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord.” God “has saved us and called us to be holy.” Remember, we can do nothing without God’s grace, but as this reading tells us, God’s grace “has already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News…”
Do not be afraid to proclaim the Good News. Indeed, ensure that every aspect of your life is permeated by the Good News. On March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD), a number of women gathered in the Band Stand, Harris Promenade, San Fernando, to proclaim the Good News that God wants us to be holy, virtuous women.
CCSJ partnered with Msgr Christian Pereira, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and St Joseph’s Convent (SJC), San Fernando, to observe IWD with an interactive mural and chalk art session, led by Mmes Deborah Hutchinson and Sabrina Sinanan, art teachers at SJC and Coordinators of the UNESCO Club at the school. Msgr Christian, Mrs Jennifer Manwaring, Acting Principal, and Miss Debra East, Captain of the Girl Guides at SJC, also participated in the event.
I would like to ‘big up’ the following SJC students who joined in the session and produced a colourful mural with chalk. Thank you Leslee, Britny, Sherrissa, Jaishree, Silina, Antonia, Shardha, E’Lissa, Chenelle, Anaiya, Kirsten and your younger sister, Kathlyn, who also hopes to attend SJC.
At school, the students have been focusing on Proverbs 31, e.g. the virtuous woman is one who:
20: holds out her hand to the poor, she opens her arms to the needy.
25: she is clothed in strength and dignity…
26: when she opens her mouth, she does so wisely; on her tongue is kindly instruction.
31: …let her works tell her praises at the city gates.
My advice to them on how they could inspire change applies to each of us.( See below or CCSJ’s website for full presentation.) Change begins with each of us. And, as the writer Jean Paul Richter said: “Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good; try to use ordinary situations.”
To be a change agent:
– Live by the tenets of your faith – be an example, a mentor, and role model that others will wish to emulate. Let your Christian values guide you in your decision-making. Let your light shine in all your endeavours.
– Let people know you and be inspired by you because of your works.
– Anchor yourself in prayer. We can do nothing without God’s grace, so we need to pray constantly for God’s grace. Pray for personal conversion and for conversion of hearts generally – that God’s children will do His will, and that we will use our God-given talents to build the common good.
– Demonstrate your love for God and neighbour in tangible ways: little things count – show that you care about others. Practise random acts of kindness every day. All that we have is GIFT from God, so share what you have with others. Walk with the 2 feet of Christian service: works of mercy and works of social action. It is not enough to do charitable works; we must strive to remove the root causes of injustice.
– help to strengthen/transform your own family life.
– play a part in parish life.
– Encourage others, e.g. your peers, to do good and avoid evil. We have a duty to lead others to live holy, virtuous lives.
– Challenge people to do better/to live better, e.g. to care for the environment, to reach out to those in need.
– Use the parables in scripture to tell stories that will inspire others, e.g. the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son.
