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My dear brothers and sisters, as we come for this mass we recognize this is not only the
opening of our Catholic schools it's the opening of a whole new academic and pastoral year.
And so it's so appropriate that we come to church. We come to mass for the beginning
of this new chapter in our lives. This mass and our reflection on the opening of the Catholic
schools reminds us that what Jesus commanded the Apostles to do, what he commissioned them
to undertake, he extends to you and to me. We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind the work of faith and your
labor of love, and endurance in hope of the Lord Jesus Christ, before God our Father.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the father,
and of the son, and of the holy spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. For the children entrusted
into our schools, that they may learn to know and love the Lord. And experience his presence
everyday in his classrooms. We pray. What Catholic education brings to our young people,
those entrusted to our care, is the perspective of faith. We should see ourselves, as those
first disciples did, as they came away from that great commissioning, filled with zeal,
filled with energy, filled with enthusiasm, to us has been entrusted the telling of the
story to those who so eagerly wait to hear it. Our faith is the inspiration for the wholesome
school culture that encourages academic achievement, self-discipline, personal integrity, and moral
values. We're the voice saying to these young people, entrusted to our care, look to Jesus
Christ. We lift up the image of Jesus, his message, his gospel, his kingdom, and we come
to this mass today for the grace to do that. May this new academic year then be a time
of joy for all of you, excitement for your students. Enthusiasm for all who are involved
in the great enterprise of Catholic education. Because Jesus himself has guaranteed us "I
will be with you. Go out and tell them,let them know, that there is a better way".