At present we are in the season of Easter. When I was in Year 7 I was asked to play keyboard at an Easter Mass.

Every year since then – except for a few – I have been involved with music ministry at Easter. This year however, for the first time in my life, I was unable to attend Mass at Easter.

Coronavirus has meant all religions in virtually every country have not been able to hold community rituals. Christian churches are empty; Sabbath prayer in synagogues has not taken place; Muslims have been unable to visit the Ka’ba in Mecca where the Hajj is held every year.

But in recent years in Australian society, many have been saying that religion should be private and not impact on the community. But religion is not about a person and God… it is about God and people. And it is for this reason that gathering as a community is essential for people of faith.

Community is also important for sport. I think only horse racing has continued in Australia in recent weeks. Even with rugby league starting back up soon – it just won’t be the same without the crowds attending. I have tried to think of a sport that does not involve other people – I thought maybe weightlifting – but even weightlifters during competition rely on the encouragement of a crowd.

And education… if online learning was the best way to educate, we would do it forever – but education and schools need community – education is not just about the individual – while we are starting to come back – education will not be at its best until we can have sports carnivals – musicals – excursions – camps – reflection days – Foundation Day.

Jesus knew that community was important. He spoke about agape – a special type of love which is about service to others – he knew this is what brings fulfilment to the individual and also builds up the community - which he referred to as the kingdom of God here on earth. Jesus recognised the dignity of each person and the rights they had - each one of us has rights – but these rights are only possible when others take on the responsibility to ensure they are being met – even our basic rights as individuals need community.

I believe coronavirus has reminded humanity that we need each other – we need community – and that we need to do more to build up our communities. Here at St Johns we can do this by actively living the school values – all of the values directly or indirectly lead to a stronger and more cohesive community… which benefits each one of us as individuals. If we want a better school community we need to actively love, show compassion, promote justice through our actions, be hospitable, be compassionate when interacting with others, and develop our own spirituality while respecting the spirituality of others.

PARISH UPDATE

Under the latest advice it appears that the churches in the parish will be open on and after May 30.

There will however be strict guidelines on attendance numbers, social distancing and hygiene practices.

When details are determined they will be available on the parish website and facebook page. 

 Click here to access Nowra Parish

Click here to access this week's Nowra Parish Bulletin

Click here to access Nowra Parish Facebook Page

Mr David Comensoli

Religious Education Coordinator