Religious Education

Please see below an extract from the Burnie/ Wynyard Parish Bulletin written by Fr Jessie

For Jesus, the concept is straightforward to understand but difficult to live out: He calls us to walk the narrow paths. This is the key the Lord gives us-only by entering through the narrow gate can we reach heaven. It is on the way of the Cross that we encounter the deepest experience of God. 

We all bear different crosses in our daily lives. Sainthood is not something we wait to achieve only in heaven; even here on earth, we encounter countless experiences along the narrow way. We do not need to be formally declared saints to reach eternal life, for in our midst, we witness living saints every day. 

What makes someone a saint? It is not necessarily through grand gestures or perfect acts of charity but through performing every action with love. As Mother Teresa said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." This, truly, is sainthood. 

We see modern saints carrying extraordinary burdens with grace. There are parents who, despite significant struggles with their children or in marriage, continue to share smiles. We witness parishioners confined to their beds by illness who nonetheless place their trust in God. Some, having little themselves, still share what little they possess, even down to their last coin. 

Children care for vulnerable parents despite the demands of their own families and careers. A homeless person gives their last meal to a stranger. Someone with terminal cancer reaches out to comfort another patient battling the same pain and discomfort. 

In all these moments, the narrow way is lived, and sainthood is revealed through acts of selfless love.