June 22, 2012

Reflection on the Spirit of the Sacred Heart June 22, 2012

"Duc in altum - Put out into the deep." After Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."   Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets."   When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. ...    When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. From the gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 5, verses 4 - 11

For Reflection...     And where is "the deep" for all of us? We know that it is a dark and scary place, as it was for Simon Peter. He and his brothers had truly labored all night and caught nothing, but they had, like so many of us, remained safely close to shore, in a sheltered harbor, unwilling to venture into the deep waters where sudden storms and tumultuous waves put their livelihoods and, in fact, their lives at risk.    The "deep" is a place of war, pestilence, famine, and death; a place of suffering, and above all, a place of fear and uncertainty. And even when we hear the words of Jesus, "Do not be afraid," without a deep faith - one of the goals of Sacred Heart education - it will be difficult, if not impossible, to find the courage to venture into that place, much less to struggle against it.  Excerpt from a graduation address given by Dr. Robert Bérard to the first graduating class from Fountain Academy, Halifax, Nova Scotia on June 12, 2010    (http://www.rscjinternational.org/en/home/projects-with-young-people/2910-canada-fountain-academy-of-the-sacred-heart-halifax.html)   Photograph by Miyako Namikawa, rscj, Japan  http://media.rscjinternational.org/general/whoweare/creativespace/resources/0507Miyako/0507Miyako11.jpg