One of the life lessons for which I remain grateful to my parents is precisely that of the importance of gratitude.

This experience of being regularly reminded to say “Thank you” when we were younger is one shared by many of us. What may at first seem a trivial exercise in fostering good manners helped foster in us the sense of the importance of each person, appreciation of what they do for us and an expansive sense of human goodness.

In the broader sense of our spirituality, many wise spiritual guides emphasise the connection between gratitude expressed in regular personal and communal interactions and conscious gratitude towards God for the gift of our humanity, the creation in which we are immersed and God’s unceasing and loving action in our lives. None of this minimalises challenges, suffering and injustices experienced. However, the perspective of gratitude anchors us in the depth of Love which is stronger than all that distresses us.

In that context, with simplicity, I want to take this opportunity at this half-point of the year, to thank our great team at the CRA office for the service of those of us in leadership teams and our religious congregations more broadly. The members of the team led by Anne Walker as National Executive Director are genuinely committed to our well-being as religious institutes and, in so doing, are dedicated to advancing the vitality of the Church in Australia. Certainly, from the point of view of the CRA Council, we are deeply conscious of the many issues in which the CRA staff are engaged on our behalf. On behalf of all of us I express thanks for that ongoing and enthusiastic service.

Fr Peter Jones OSA,

President, Catholic Religious Australia