“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”
President JF Kennedy’s inaugural address, 20 January 1961.
All the world’s great religions emphasise the importance of helping those who lack the necessities of life, that is to say those in need of food, clothing and shelter. In this country, in the Middle Ages, the poor and destitute might find themselves looked after by religious orders of monks and nuns – at least until Henry VIII dissolved monastic foundations in 1536, resulting in an epidemic of Tudor vagrancy. St Matthew recounts in Chapter 25 that, at the Last Judgment, individuals will be judged by their acts of mercy and kindness towards each other: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me. Our Lord is very clear that having faith is not enough for salvation: faith must also be manifested in good deeds. What one does in this life will determine the destination of the soul in the next. Michaelangelo’s depiction of The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel is both awe-inspiring and sobering, contrasting as it does the bliss of paradise, enjoyed by the elect, against the damned, who are shown being led across the Stix to the fires of Hades.
I am delighted to say that there is a very strong tradition of alms-giving at St Anthony’s, motivated, I would say, out of compassion, because the boys really do care about their ‘neighbour’. A theme often repeated in my annual address to Year 8 Leavers is that a life worth living is a life of service. I suppose it is part of the journey into adulthood that one comes to see the act of giving as more enriching than it is to receive. These ideas were brought into sharp relief at this morning’s Senior House assembly, when the boys were addressed by a representative from The Passage, a charity which exists to help the plight of the homeless. The Passage takes its Vincentian values from the teachings of St Vincent de Paul, a social reformer who co-founded the Daughters of Charity in 1633. Vincent believed in action rather than words and in hands-on service to vulnerable people. Boys, especially from Years 3 and 4, seemed keen to get involved in a ‘Reindeer Run’ this November as a way of raising money for The Passage. Oscar, the Charities Lead, also spoke to the boys about the foodbank at Sacred Heart Church in Quex Road, which the school has supported for some years. Dry food stuffs such as pasta and biscuits as well as canned food would be most welcome; donations can be left with Juliette in the Junior House.
I would also like to urge families to buy tickets for the St Anthony’s Gala Ball to be held at UCS on Friday 10th October. This lavish Black-Tie event is an opportunity for the community to come together in order to raise donations for the St Anthony’s Bursary Fund. Bursaries enable boys with great potential to avail of a wonderful education here at St Anthony’s, one that is truly transformative. They would not be able to do so without the financial support provided by the school and the GSCT. The Fund is now more-or-less depleted, with every penny raised being spent on families in need. Please be as generous as possible in helping this valuable cause.
