Reflection: Year 12 Special Character Leaders

Year 12 Retreat

“Let’s work together so that vulnerable communities are supported before, during and after emergencies happen”. Caritas promotes authentic human development. This means the development of the whole person. It provides for their economic, cultural, political, social and spiritual well-being.

On the 8th of May, Year 12 participated in the Caritas challenge. This challenge is all about fundraising and standing in solidarity for those who are less fortunate. We live, move, stop and sweat. We slept in cardboard boxes, ate only rice, walked for an hour and listened to many guest speakers talk about real-life examples of people who live like this. They reminded us that every statistic has a face, a family, and a future. This wasn’t just an overnight retreat, it was a call to action. As we continue through this term, we are encouraged to carry the lessons of compassion, empathy, and justice with us. We are reminded to not only be aware of those living in less than ideal conditions, but also to be active in finding ways to support them, advocate for them, and stand in solidarity with them. Let us pray.

Let us pray for the hungry, poor and neglected all over the world, that their cries for equality may inspire acts of compassion and mercy among those who have been given so much.

Let us pray for the health of women, children, and families around the world, especially for an end to maternal and child mortality, for those families that give up so much to support themselves and pray that they find peace and stability and have faith in the building of healthy families and that all God’s people may be empowered to look out for those in need.

Let us pray for an end to the waste of Earth's resources, for access to such resources to be shared equally among all people, and for communities and nations to find nourishment and peace in the food and water God has given us.

Let us pray for all people who already enjoy the abundance of creation and the blessings of prosperity, that they may be empowered to support the needs of the poor and afflicted, and that the peace and equality of the world may flourish and grow.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Cole Skipper and Leah Olsen (Year 12 Special Character Leaders)