The apostles gathered around Jesus,

and told him all that they had done and taught. 

He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place

all by yourselves and rest a while.’ 

As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd;

and he had compassion for them,

because they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:30,34

In last Sunday’s gospel, one of the most powerful metaphors used by the gospel writers appears: that of the shepherd. In the first century a shepherd was totally responsible for the care and protection of the flock, which was a very valuable resource in the Mediterranean world. Without the shepherd, the flock would quickly become lost and would be at risk of all manner of predators, both human and animal.

Year 8 students need shepherds in their lives, but they can be shepherds to others when called upon. The Semester 1 version of the Foreshore program finished at the end of Term 2, and everyone involved participated in caring for the natural world at Mentone beach, including preparing seedlings that the Semester 2group will plant.

In our final Pastoral Lesson of Term 2 on 25 June, Year 8 students gathered to hear from Angelica Pupillo, from an organisation called This Is Your Body, which works to help teens build a joyful relationship with food and their bodies.

Research shows that the desire to lose weight is present in as many as 75% of high school girls, and approximately half of adolescent girls engage in intentional weight loss behaviours such as fasting and self-induced vomiting, and smoking. These disturbing statistics highlight the need for caring shepherds in the life of young people such as parents, teachers, other important adults, and medical professionals. More information about This Is Your Body can be found at: https://www.thisisyourbody.com.au/

As always, we ask for God’s blessing upon all our Year 8 students, and especially upon the shepherds who shelter, guide and teach them.

Bill Fitzsimons

Year 8 Level Leader