By Fr David Gibbons, Centre for Catholic Formation, Archdiocese of Southwark

First Reading: Isaiah predicts the coming of the Messiah – who will be of the line of David (which is what “from the stock of Jesse” means) -and lists the gifts he will have. These gifts are remarkably similar to six of the seven-fold gifts of the Spirit. He will also bring in an age of peace. Note to readers: the sc in ‘scion’ is pronounced as in ‘scientist’. 

The Psalm is one of the psalms known as royal psalms, and continues the First Reading’s foretelling of the Messiah, who will be king and saviour.

Characteristically, in the Second Reading St Paul suggests a practical outcome of our belief in Christ, namely that we should treat each other as Christ has treated us. In this way will glory be given to God.

Gospel: the great Advent figure of St John the Baptist appears. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets, preaching repentance and dressing like Elijah. He is also the first New Testament saint, preparing a way for Christ. Like the Baptist we too should prepare a way for Christ, both for Him to come into our own lives and also for other people to receive the good news of Christ.

On Monday we observe the Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mass Readings emphasise the role of Mary, mother of the Saviour, in the history of our salvation.

Thought for Advent 2

For me, I only really became fully involved in my faith as I got into S4 or so, I always went to mass, and followed all the saints feast days etc, but I never really understood what my faith was all about.

However, I  learned, in school and through the Parish, and I must say, that learning about my faith and what I believe has possibly been one of the most rewarding things I have done, as I use it all the time now, when I need guidance, help and support, and I think that every school pupil needs that guidance.

One of the best, most moving experiences of my life was at the start of summer going on a youth pilgrimage to Lourdes, with the Diocese of Paisley. When Mr Bradshaw first asked me if I would consider going to Lourdes, my initial reaction was the same as most 16 year olds, “Of course not, why would I want to do that?” however I went home and thought about it, and I went, and I can safely say that I’m so glad I did.

The pilgrimage involved a group of 40 or so young people, who didn’t all know each other, travelling for 30+ hours on a bus to the north of France. And I must say that, as horrific as the bus journey sounds, it bonded us as a group, you can’t spend 30 hours beside someone and not get to know them. I also learned that some people going where on their 4^th pilgrimage despite being just 19 years old, that some people had been when they were younger with family members or with their parish.

When we arrived in Lourdes, the first thing we did, was put on our kilts and go down to the domain. It was miraculous to see, just one week after the horrible floods that hit Lourdes, almost everything was pristine and open to the public. The only thing that wasn’t in a useable state was the underground basilica which is very understandable. However, the quick timescale of improvements demonstrates the remarkable nature of humanity and peoples willingness to help at a time of great need.

Seeing and experiencing Lourdes is certainly something which sticks with someone, going in the baths, leading the torchlight procession, the stations of the cross are all things which will never leave me. The immensity of the place, the history behind every aspect and the beauty of it all is something which I will never truly grasp.

I also felt that it was a great experience in tending to the sick pilgrims who showed nothing but gratitude for that which we were doing. And it was humbling to see people, who no matter how ill or tired they are, still have strength and faith , and faith that the lord will look after them and care for them at all times. This strength and trust in the lord, for me, was truly inspiring. It was a very humbling experience to be able to help those who despite so much hardship were able to see everything as a positive and be so grateful for their life. That was especially touching and inspiring me.

In addition, the kindness and openness of all the youths have allowed us to form friendships for life, I mean, there is something to be said when people will wake up and entire bus load of people just to sing happy birthday in the French countryside as the clock strikes midnight. Baring in mind, you’ve only known them 12 hours.

Lourdes was easily the best experience of my life, it showed me, that no matter what, God will support you and you should trust in him as he never leaves you. Also it reaffirmed my faith in the catholic community, the way that they can unite so easily, brother and sister alike, in the presence of God the Father.

In addition to attending Lourdes, I also had the privilege of attending Scotlands Rio WYD. At first I was sceptical, as I think everyone involved was, as this was something that had never been done before so I was unsure of what to expect, though I must add that I was flattered to be able to represent St Ninians at such a special event. It truly was a remarkable experience to experience mass in a way that incorporates both music, hand clapping, and dancing. It was also great to learn about faith and be in an environment of people who were in the same stage of faith development as myself. I feel like this really opened my eyes to the different cultures of the world and illustrated to me that faith and Catholicism is universal, which sometimes I’ll admit, I forget. This was a great experience to broaden my views on Catholicism and that Catholic Church and to connect with my faith on a whole new level that wasn’t necessarily just praying whilst sitting at a pew in a church. It was embracing life and faith and finding new personal ways of developing our own prayers whilst feeling close to god and others and it truly did reaffirm my faith in the safety of the catholic church for when our generation become its future.

 And so the definition of faith is simple; “Faith is confidence or trust in a person or entity”. This is what we are shown each and every day whilst at St Ninian’s. We are shown Gods path for us and his belief in us to be the best person we can be, something which our head master, teachers, support staff and peers encourage us to be each and every day, whilst recognising that we have support from God at all times and that faith is the light at the end of what can sometimes be testing times, especially for young people at school who are growing up.

Hello, my name is Katie and I am in 5^th year. St. Ninian’s High School has provided me with many opportunities to develop and strengthen my faith which I would like to share with you today. When I was in third year, I participated in a retreat led by Craig Lodge in the oratory. The retreat consisted of singing hymns, a drama performance and general discussion about the Catholic faith. They explained to us who they were and what they did and welcomed us to one of the youth retreats they were leading in Dalmally. Me and a couple of my friends decided to go, I was so intrigued by what they had said before that I wanted to hear more. That weekend in Dalmally was life changing, for the first time I felt that I had really encountered Jesus, I was so happy. When I came back I couldn’t help but smile! I had never felt so comfortable in my own skin and I knew from then on how important your faith is and that is that’s why it plays such a major role in my life and probably why I am here speaking to you today.

Another faith opportunity that the school provided to us was a NET retreat. This was led just before the summer holidays this year. The NET team consisted of people from Canada, America, England, Ireland and even a formal pupil of the school. They weren’t at all forceful but instead invited us to participate and I can gladly say that the majority of the year group opened their hearts to the message they had to share. The thing that I will take most from the day was the number of pupils that took the opportunity of going to confession and the many people that came out feeling inspired to build a relationship with God. It was amazing which is why I was so excited to hear that we were getting a NET team working in our school community and St. Joseph’s parish this year. I have so much respect for the team, they came into our high school to simply share their love of God, which I don’t think would be the easiest of things to do. Another thing I have noticed about the team is that they are so enthusiastic to participate in many other school events like the Halloween disco and the talent show. The team have organised a youth group for pupils between S3 – S6 which takes place in St. Joseph’s church hall after six o’clock mass. The turnout was unbelievable, you could tell by the teams faces that they didn’t quite expect those numbers and it showed me that there are many young people whose faith is very important to them. I think we are so very lucky to have them with us and I know that their work over the next year will make a big impact on the school’s faith life.

This summer I was also privileged enough to put my faith into action by being a helper in the Paisley of Diocese Lourdes pilgrimage. I with another fifteen pupils of St.Ninian’s joined a further thirty young people from around the Diocese. We took part in assisting pilgrims to different places in the town and I myself was even lucky enough to enter the baths – this being the most surreal moment of my life. The young people were asked to wear kilts whilst on duty, at first I wasn’t so keen but when we walked about the town, we attracted so much attention. We felt like celebrities. People from all around the world kept coming up to us saying how amazing Scotland’s youth were and we felt proud. I am hoping to go back to Lourdes next year as it was such an enjoyable experience and I am incredibly grateful to those who made it happen.

Going forward after this year of faith, I would ask you to look to the example set by our new pope. When Pope Francis chose his name, people were surprised, no pope had ever chosen it before however the people in Argentina weren’t surprised. Pope Francis had worked in the slums with the poorest of the poor. St Francis of Assisi was a man of love, faith and compassion and is an example of an individual who truly put his faith into action. Pope Francis wants us to try like him to aspire to be like such a man. Put your faith into action every day in every way. Thank you.

Good Morning,

I’m Mhairi Finnigan from 4^th year ,and I am going to talk about faith in St. Ninian’s and how the school helps to promote faith using different methods, such as: morning mass and various faith groups for example: The Life Group, The Worship Group and The Chaplaincy Support Group. This year the school also helped raise awareness of the Year of Faith to the pupils.

Pope Benedict XVI said:

“What the world is in particular need of today, is the credible witness of people, enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end.”

Pope Benedict XVI is telling us that God has opened a door of faith to each one of us and wants us to enter a deeper relationship with him. This is our opportunity to turn to God. During the Year of Faith, St. Ninian’s offered Eucharistic Adoration every Friday from 12:20 until 1pm. Morning mass is also celebrated every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 8:20, and everyday during Lent and Advent.

Symbols of our faith can be spotted throughout our school constantly reminding us that our faith forms part of our daily routine. There are crucifixes in every classroom and our day begins with a morning prayer. We also have 2 periods of R.E a week. Sixth year students have the opportunity to become Extra- Ordinary Ministers through the support and guidance of the school. Our school provides opportunities for all pupils at every level of the school to deepen their faith, for example: the school also offers 6^th year students the chance to take part in religious vocations such as the Rome trip and the Lasallian project. First year students are given the opportunity to vist Carfin and 2^nd years are able to visit St. Ninain’s cave in Whithorn and celebrate mass to mark this special occasion. Every child is welcome to visit the oratory at any time; some 4^th and 5^th year students visit the oratory to say a quiet prayer before exams. Last Advent, St. Ninain’s helped to raise money for more than 20 charities in Scotland. Our lower school pupils handed in backpacks for Mary’s Meals and will begin to help the charity Mothers Care India. This charity provides support to mothers who struggle to provide necessities for their families. Mothers Care is Glasgow biased and brings hope to disadvantaged children.

I am a member of the Life Group and we meet every Friday lunchtime and discuss ways of raising money to provide layettes and funding for Pro Life. Our first and second year students are now donating baby items to the group which will form part of the overall layette. This is what is known as our Advent Appeal which is one of the many fundraising events we have throughout the year.

Our school’s chaplaincy support group is run by approximately 40 teachers, who give up their free time to assist our school chaplain and provide occasions for prayer and reflection. The worship group meet every Thursday after school in our oratory where pupils come together in prayer.

Our pupils are given the opportunity to use their talents to serve God, some use their musical talents whether singing or playing an instrument at mass, others are given the chance to read and others have the opportunity to serve God on the altar. We are also encouraged to use the talents God gave us to represent the school, those blessed with sporting talents can represent the school whether playing: football, netball, golf or hockey. We also have an annual sports day where our pupils can celebrate their talent. For the more artistically talented, they have a chance to use their talents in various events through the year: musicians practise every Tuesday night and have events coming up later this February, artist who are currently holding a photography exhibition and produce a calendar every year contain their work and budding actors who are all heavily involved on these wonderful occasions.

We would be unable to develop and use our talents to the fullest without the support and guidance of every teacher in St. Ninain’s- who willingly gives up their time to help us. I am very grateful and thankful for the opportunities given to me by the school to celebrate my faith every day. Without doubt our school helps us to live, enlightened in mind and heart and empowers us to open the hearts and mind of those we meet as we progress through life.

Thank you for listening.

Good morning Your Grace, my name is Mark McGuigan and I am in sixth year and I would like to talk about three aspects of the Catholic faith within St Ninian’s High School – the Caritas award, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and the schools participation in the Year of Faith.

In our school, there are currently 24 people who are taking part in the Pope Benedict IV Caritas Award. The three aspects of this award – Learning, Reflection and Witness – are part and parcel of everyday life in our school.

For example, there are several opportunities for learning which are incorporated in the Caritas Award. By reading Scripture and Gospel Teachings and listening to teachers, members of various religious orders and leaders of the Catholic Church, we are encouraged to take forward the key messages presented and incorporate them into our daily life. We attend meetings and actively seek out more knowledge of our faith from books and by listening to the words of the Pope. In this way, we are constantly developing a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Catholic.

This naturally leads onto Witness. Within our school the Caritas members lead and actively encourage all other members of our community to engage in activities such as Reading at Mass, Buddying, Mentoring, Eucharistic Adoration and Community Placement.

The members of the Caritas group and I have reflected on the cyclical mature of the work involved in this award. We are constantly reflecting and learning from events we engage in to help us make a more positive contribution in further activities and we strive to carry what we have learned with us after school.

This is not however, unique to the Caritas group. We have learned throughout our time at ST Ninian’s in RE and PSHE classes and from examples set by staff and senior pupils of the school. We have always been encouraged to reflect on what we have learned in assemblies, lessons, services and masses. And we have acted on our faith witness both in school and our local parishes with participation in diocesan activities, community placements, fundraising for charity and by speaking to others in our school community. The ethos and values of St Ninian’s have always had a clear focus on these characteristics of our faith. What we do now in the Caritas Group is simply more structured and formalised. This school is a place where the Caritas award is actively lived out on a daily basis by everyone. The second area I would like to speak about is the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion within our school. I, along with 145 others, were commissioned at our inaugural mass in August. We regularly assist with morning masses in school, and at holy days of obligation. This is a clear example of Witnessing our faith and provides excellent role models for younger students.

Finally, as we have reached the end of the Year of Faith we have reflected on the participation of St Ninian’s in this extraordinary year for our Church. This year, we have engaged in many activities, for example, Youth to Lourdes, the Year of Faith mass at Motherwell Cathedral, pilgrimage to St Ninian’s Cave and Scotland’s Rio for World Youth Day. This year has also given a focus for all students to engage with faith within our school and projects such as Lourdes, Lasallion and Ghana. It has provided a perfect vehicle for our school to further develop the three aspects of our Catholic faith – learning, reflection and witness.

We were honoured to have Archbishop Tartaglia celebrate our Morning Mass on Thursday 5 December 2013.  After this he met with a group of pupils for breakfast and a question and answer session.  Details of this will appear on here shortly.