Parable Red

Our Charism

Charism is a pure gift of God, freely given to members of the Christian community to enable them to live the gospel of Jesus in a particular way that brings faith, life and culture into harmony.

Benedictine spirituality is such a gift, having grown from the charism and insight of the 6th century monk, St Benedict, into a rich and wise tradition which inspired the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and continues to enliven all members of Good Samaritan Education in their service of the Gospel.

Centred on Jesus Christ,
the charism of Good Samaritan Education is to seek God together.
We believe that it is through commitment to each other,
in communio,
that we go to God (Rule of Benedict, 72:12),
our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love
(RB Prologue 49). 

Enriched and inspired by
the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37)
the Rule of Benedict
and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan,
the mission of Good Samaritan Education 
is to sustain and nurture communities of learning
in the Catholic tradition. 

Good Samaritan Education draws inspiration and guidance from the Rule of St Benedict, a wisdom text from the 6th century which provides universal and fundamental insights into human life and community.  Adaptable and realistic in its understanding of who people are, and who they can become, Benedict’s Rule offers a timeless spirituality, illuminated by the face of Christ and grounded in the scriptures, particularly the Gospel.  

Benedictine spirituality serves as a guide for communal living of the Gospel in a socially responsible way and as a pathway for personal spiritual development. It is a source of transformation for a humanity that continues to question its purpose and identity in the midst of life’s struggle to live together with dignity and in peace and unity.  It calls for connectedness and emphasises an attitude of heart and mind required to meet the challenges that we face daily in responding to stewardship, relationships, authority, community, balance, work, simplicity, prayer, and the human condition. Essentially, it shows us a way of life that connects us with God, with others and with our inmost selves.

The intersection of the Benedictine tradition with the life, ministry and culture of Good Samaritan Education impels us to be a  community of welcome and compassion, a sign of hope in our hungry world in response to the Gospel question, “Who is my neighbour?” (Lk 10:29)

Good Samaritan Education’s rich Benedictine heritage draws on ancient wisdom for a modern world. The essential values of Good Samaritan Benedictine Education are:  (click on each value below to read more)

The call to love and support others, impelled by the love of Christ above all things, is first and foremost a response to God’s astonishing love for humankind, a love revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Passion for God and compassion for the other is central to our witness to the Gospel and at the heart of mission.

Prayer is the heartbeat of Benedictine spirituality cultivating awareness of God’s presence in every aspect of human life and in all creation.  Participation in the liturgy, lectio divina, and personal prayer brings us into contact with the God-life in and around us.  It opens us to the movement of the Spirit at work in the here and now inviting us to dig down to the place where our deepest yearning and God’s deepest yearning are the same.

Stability is essentially commitment to a continuing search for God together in a particular way of life, day in and day out, in good times and in bad. It is the action of staying put, remaining steadfast and faithful to the reality of this place, as God’s gift to us. Stability meets life head-on and persistently sticks with a situation, with people, and with God.

Conversatio is simply commitment to a pattern of living that faces the demands of human growth and change. It is a lifelong process that requires perseverance, trust and love and a letting go of self-centred preoccupations. It means being willing to be transformed in every part of one’s life so that God’s very image becomes palpable and transparent

Obedience is a commitment to listening to all of life and responding with love and compassion to what is required of us. To ‘obey’ is firstly a call to hear and respond to the voice of God that speaks to us in the ordinary circumstances of daily life. Listening “with the ear of the heart” (RB, Prologue 1) is the stance of all who seek wisdom. It carries the responsibility of listening to one another with compassion, working to understand and anticipate the needs of others, and acting to serve those needs, which may be different than our own.

Discipline is the focusing of energy on what matters most in all areas of life. Benedictine life is built around a fundamental discipline of prayer, work and relationships which seeks to create harmony, wholeness and balance in our lives. Discipline seeks to free people to take delight in God’s presence within the self, the community and the world. 

Humility is the basis for right relationships. It is about being grounded in one’s humanity and accepting of one’s place in the universe and knowing who we are before God.  Humility seeks authentic knowledge of self in relation to God, others and creation; recognises limitations without losing hope, and accepts and rejoices in the giftedness of self and others.

Stewardship holds all things – the earth and all its goods – as sacred and not to be neglected. It is a fundamental revering of all of creation in its beauty and proper use, recognising it as a gift from God to be used ethically and responsibly for the common good.  Stewardship is about caring for people as well as resources and it extends to everything and everyone.

Hospitality is the openness to the other as the person of Christ in our midst. It is about acceptance of others and creating a space that is welcoming of diversity and difference where each can be transformed by one another on a common journey. In the process of hospitality, we have a prototype for all our responsibilities toward others.  A blessing accompanies both the offering and the receiving of hospitality. 

Community is the basis of human relationships and is about selfless participation in the wellbeing of all through mutual service and the fostering of the common good. A Benedictine community exists to give witness to Christ and is about embracing a shared life and common vision that ensures there is a place for everyone. In community we work out our connectedness to God, to one another and to ourselves.

The aim of Benedictine life is to find peace. It is our legacy, our mandate and our mission and we must pursue it and work for it. We live peace by being at peace with one another, being at peace within ourselves, being at peace in the community, and at peace with what we are asked to do and with those with whom we work and live. There can be no peace in the world unless there is justice for everyone, especially the vulnerable and the marginalised.