SJS

Strive to reach the fullness of Love.

Introduction

Dear Parents:

We are at the end of the school year in which through the Family Bulletin we reflected upon human and Christian values in the family. We are aware that educating in values those not only mean the teaching of behavioral norms but it also requires of us to make them a part of our daily living.

During this month of June which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, “Fire of Love” we will learn about the theological virtue of charity; that love that a person must strive for as the highest and ultimate goal.

A burning furnace lights up the darkness of night and warms the body when cold. The love of Christ has the nature of fire which burns to illuminate the darkness of our hearts and warm the coldness of our selfishness. It burns to consume the impurities of our hearts and give us a new heart similar to His Heart. When Pope Pius IX decreed the Beatification of St. Margaret, he said, “The Heart of Jesus is filled with immense charity, burning in love for the human being and we must venerate it as the seed of Divine Charity”.

Let us give our hearts to Jesus; allow ourselves to be consumed and purified by Him; submerged and cleansed by His infinite mercy so that we may have a pure, tender and loving heart that knows how to love; therefore, knows how to sacrifice.

Message
An ancient Chinese legend tells us about a student who asked his teacher: “What is the difference between heaven and hell?”
The teacher responded, “There is a very small difference, yet it has enormous consequences. Come, I will show you an image of what hell is like". They went into a room where a group of people were seated around a bowl of rice; all were desperately hungry; each was holding a spoon which was submerged into the contents of the bowl;
But, the spoons had such a long handle that it was not possible for them to bring it to their mouth. They felt terrible pain and despair.
“Come” the teacher said after a while, “Now I will show you an image of heaven.” They went into another room, with a bowl of rice just like the other one in the center, a group of people around it and the same kind of spoons... but, everyone was happy and well fed there.

"Why are they so happy here, while in the other room the people are in misery?” the student asked. “Since the spoons have a very long handle, they cannot bring the other end with food up to their own mouth. In the first room they are trapped in their selfishness; but in this room they have learned to help each other”.

The third and most important of the theological virtues is Charity; the Love of God that lives in the heart of all human beings. God is love and through charity we partake of God’s own being; therefore the cause and end goal of the virtue of Charity is in God.

The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy. It demands the practice of good and of fraternal correction; it calls for reciprocity; it does not look for self interest; it is generous; it is friendship and communion.