Year of Mercy Reflection

Friday, Jan. 08, 2016

 

[After Andrew met and talked at length with Jesus,] he found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah.”… Then he took Simon to Jesus. (John 1:41-42)

John’s Gospel mentions Andrew three times. On each occasion, Andrew introduces someone to Jesus. In today’s reading, it is Simon Peter. On another occasion, it is a boy with five loaves and two fish, and later, a company of Greeks. 

Andrew’s practice of introducing people to Jesus invites me to ask myself: “How am I sharing my faith in Jesus with others – especially my own family, friends, school, and community? What is one way I might do this more conscientiously than I have been doing?”

Being part of the Church, we are all called to share our faith. As the faith leader of St. Joseph Catholic High School, I have made it a mission to share my faith through strengthening our identity as a Catholic school. I feel the charisms of St. Joseph are a great place to start. Saint Joseph Schools are known for their strong community bonds, which is a wonderful thing to be known for, but St. Joseph offers much for our school to build from: immense faith, strong nurturing, and hope. In addition, he is the ultimate father figure, a hard worker, and a simple honest man. When thinking about all of these gifts, I see the enormous potential ahead and the opportunity in front of us is awesome!

A reporter once asked Mother Teresa, “What’s wrong with the Church today?” Mother Teresa responded, “You and I, sir; we are what’s wrong with the Church, for we are the Church.”

We must define ourselves as the Church because the people are at the heart of the Church. We must be conscientious of our words and actions and how we spread the faith, and we have to be deliberate!

Clay Jones

Principal, St. Joseph Catholic High School