All year long, the Senior Learning Community has engaged in learning about mission and how we can be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus tasked his disciples to go out, serve others, share the Good News and bring peace to all people.
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
(Luke 10:1-9)
With this in mind, Senior learners decided to create Christmas Mission Boxes to provide hope and joy to people in vulnerable situations in the local community.
It felt good because we were helping others in need.
Our School community very generously donated an abundance of items to share with people doing it tough this Christmas. Learners worked in small groups of 2 and 3 to create handmade gifts, as well as collating donated goods into boxes suitable for a range of children.
The generosity of the St James community continues to astonish! The number of donations we received from the community was remarkable - thank you families. The Senior learners worked so well together to make this all come together in such a short and busy time. They should be extremely proud of their efforts.
The Learning Community created over 70 boxes, full to the brim to share in the spirit of Christmas. We were able to share these boxes with Father John and our parish Vinnies conference to pass onto families in our community.
It was nice to do something for the community.
I was taken back by the volume, as you may have guessed. It was lovely to see the excitement by the children.