iServi News | 7 February 2020 | Term 1, Week 2
San Clemente students gathered on Tuesday 11 February to give thanks for the gift of each other and to celebrate our Priory community.
We began the day with a special Priory mass dedicated to two of our Servite saints – Saint Clement and Blessed Joachim. During our mass, San Clemente students were encouraged to be people who are willing to take extra steps to ensure justice and harmony with others as they journey through life.
We explored the inspirational life of Blessed Joachim and the charity for our Priory, the Emmanuel Centre. We hope to develop a strong association with the Emmanuel Centre over the years to come.
Our Year 12 Priory Captains, Jesse and Claudia, coordinated the Year 12 student cohort as they prepared our shared lunch. Many thanks to our senior students for their efforts in providing servant leadership and hospitality for our younger students.
San Clemente Priory
Priory Feast Day of San Clemente in honour of Blessed Joachim of Siena
On Tuesday 11 February we celebrated the Holy Eucharist for the feast day of San Clemente. San Clemente Priory is named after the cathedral dedicated to Saint Clement in the city of Siena. Established during the first century of the existence of the Servite Order, it is one of the oldest communities of friars outside Florence. Blessed Joachim is one of the prominent Servites who lived and worked in Siena.
“The Life of Blessed Joachim presents the life of a friar who is imbued with devotion to Mary. It is a devotion which is lived out in humility and obedience, constant prayer, profound sharing in the suffering of others, and an affectionate and delicate communion with the brothers of the community” (source: Legenda B. Joachim of Siena).
Blessed Joachim is known as compassionate friar, offering special support for those who are suffering. To understand the sufferings of other people, we should not give only sympathy but also empathy. Putting our feet in the shoes of those who are suffering or facing challenges in life.
We don’t need to become an expert of compassion before we can practice and apply it in our lives. By simply showing support to our loved ones, to our classmates, friends and every person we encounter each day, we can help one another if we try to understand what each of us is feeling.
Our Gospel last Sunday included some great messages about compassion. We are called, as followers of Christ, to become salt of the Earth and light of the world. Our mission in this world is like the purpose of the salt and light. We give flavour to the lives of the other people by giving them importance and not ourselves. When we use salt as flavouring for our food, it dissolves but makes the food delicious. When light is used, it does not gain something for itself but produces light for others so that they can see the way.
The life of Blessed Joachim is a perfect example of becoming salt of the Earth and light of the world. Compassion will lead us to give up our selfishness and put love and faith into action.
Fr Ruben Cardona
College Chaplain
