Season 1 with its 8 episodes has seen <<The Chosen>> rise up to international acclaim, being the first Netflix style depiction of the Life and Times of Jesus. Usually, Jesus depictions can put you off because they are preachy and seem fake. This one left me in tears. It’s absolutely brilliantly put together and takes you right to the heart of the group of very different people, from very different circumstances, who were chosen by the Rabbi Yeshuah Meschiach (Jesus the Messiah) to “follow him.” It’s real, it’s raw, surprisingly joyful, beautiful and full of hope. For people who might be familiar with the Gospel stories or might never have heard them, it does not really matter as the angle is fresh and I found myself feeling like I was learning things I thought I understood all over again.

The director Dallas Jenkins, who had dropped a film career after his first Hollywood film bombed, found himself putting <<The Chosen>> together, starting with a short film for his local Church which ended up snowballing into a crowdfunding project that drew in a record $10 million for an 8 episode series! The quality of the project follows, out of the inspired gratitude of the director. Dallas explains that spiritually he gave God “loaves and fishes” and God “fed the 5,000” by providing everything that was needed for the project, with the phrase he sums up having heard from the LORD in his prayer “I do impossible maths.”

As we approach the season of our Sacramental programme in the school, all of our pupils have been invited to receive any sacraments that they may not have received, with Bishop Paul coming October 18th to help minister for this. The sacrament will be received at the parish, in union with pupils from St Pat’s. Let us pray that LORD chooses many of our young people as his own, to form them as His disciples. Let us pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our whole school community.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.