What better way than to celebrate Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year
with taking a selfie with Pope
Francis?
The evening was definitely a fishy
scavenger hunt as the Jesus Fish led us around Newman House. Our activity brought
out both the crazy and creative sides of our members as we embarked on a
journey to find Pope Francis and Father Raymond and take selfies with them.
Taking awkward family pictures, and showing crazy facial expressions on a
roller coaster were just some of the highlights of the photo scavenger hunt.
Let’s not forget about the photo in a photo in a photo in a photo in a photo…? Photoception.
The scavenger hunt reminded us about the persecution of Christians in
the early Church. Early Christians used the Jesus Fish, Ichthys, as a secret symbol of Christianity. This Greek word is an
acronym that translates directly into English as “Jesus Christ, God’s Son,
Saviour”. A series of the fish symbols were used to point Christians toward
underground Churches when they were illegal in the early Church.
We looked at the persecution of Christians and of the Holy Catholic
Church, which is still very evident in our world today. We also reflected on
the persecution and struggles we face as Christians and as messengers of Christ
in our growingly secular society. Our discussion brought up excellent
strategies that may make our duty as Christians much easier: expanding our
personal knowledge on the faith, spreading the Good News together in groups
such as QCCC, and most importantly through prayer.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). With this
very teaching Jesus leaves us, let us now go out and be fishers of men!
