St Mark

House Feast Day – 25 April

“Omnia possibilia credenti”
Everything is possible for one who believes.   (Mark 9:23)

Our faith and belief in God is reflected in the belief in ourselves. In St Mark House we believe that we can achieve our God given potential and our faith helps us do this. We remove the term ‘I can’t’ from our mindset and replace it with ‘I can’t yet’. It is our mission to help young people overcome the barriers and challenges that are placed in front of them so that they can become better people and learners. As members of St Mark House we ask our young people to follow the two most important commandments. When following these commandments, we lead a life that cares for others and, by doing so, we are showing our love for God. We encourage our students to lead a life, both in and out of school, that demonstrates their commitment to loving God through their actions. Our community is enriched by people that put their heart, soul, mind and strength into their life, into their education and most importantly, into their relationship with God.

 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  (Mark 12:30 - 31)

 A message to all in St Mark House

 
Fr Gregory Knowles

Orville - a large, green, duck - is devoid of all self-belief when he sings:

I wish I could fly
Way up to the sky
But I can't...

I wish I could see
What folks see in me
But I can't...

I wish that I had
A mummy and dad
But I don't...

I often pretend
My sadness will end
But it won't...

The other birds laugh
And say that I'm daft
And I am...

They tease me a lot
And call me a clot
And I am...

Etc!...

(Lyrics by Bobby Crush 1982)

When Jesus tells his followers that everything is possible for the one who believes, he isn't telling you, as we might tell Orville, to pull yourself together, have a bit of faith in yourself, and all your dreams will come true. 

No, Jesus urges his followers to have faith in him, in what he can do, and most importantly in what he wants us to do in life. When Jesus says these words (Mk 9:24a), he cures a young man who had been seriously and incurably ill since childhood; when Jesus demands that people have faith in him and when the boy's father chooses to have faith in Jesus, the boy is restored to full health.

Let's reduce the boy's miraculous healing to a maths equation:

a situation + what Jesus wants + our faith + our prayer + our chosen action = result

If we are sure about what Jesus wants and trust him to guide us, we will make successful choices.

And how can we be sure about what Jesus wants? Well, St Mark's Gospel is full of Jesus' teachings: always, always, always care about sick people and aid them; help bad people to be better human beings; have a kind, honest heart; be generous with your possessions, money, and time towards the poor and needy; forgive; never be ashamed of your love for Jesus, even when it is difficult, embarrassing, or dangerous; and have faith that all these things will lead you to heaven. 

Jesus often gives special commands to Christians. SBSJ College is blessed with many faith backgrounds amongst our students, staff, workers, and visitors and Jesus also offers simple rules for all human beings. As you take up that challenge, remember Jesus' promise: 

“Omnia possibilia credenti”
Everything is possible for one who believes. 

Staff Information and Contact Details

The House manager is the member of staff you should contact if you have a query/question regarding your child. The House Manager can liaise on your behalf with other staff to answer your query or solve your problem.

Ignis
Tel: 01274 941970

Ardor
Tel: 01274 941975
Email: mark@sbsj.co.uk

To report a student absence, please call, text or email using the details below:

Tel: 01274 941900
Email: absence@sbsj.co.uk