Making Jesus Real Program

Make Jesus Real (MJR) is a values education resource. MJR is centred on the belief that we are all God’s children and are called to try to be like Jesus Christ in the way we live. We are Jesus’ friends. He calls us into friendship with God and he calls us to imitate his way of living.

MJR values include respect, honesty and trustworthiness, understanding, tolerance and inclusion. They focus on the Gospel values of compassion, justice, humility and forgiveness. These values also encourage students to do their best, treat others fairly, be responsible for their actions, follow principles of moral and ethical conduct and stand up for others against bullying.

MJR takes its focus from the mystery of the resurrection. The Christian Gospels record that Jesus rose from the dead saying, “I will be with you until the end of time” (Matthew 28:20). MJR stresses that Jesus’ Spirit lives in our hearts ‘in the now’. The ‘Spirit of Jesus’ is a scriptural phrasing (Acts 16:7) that begins to engage young people in the mysteries of the Trinity (God is a loving unity of Creator, Saviour and Spirit) and of Christ’s incarnation (God became human in Jesus and God wills that all humans flourish).

MJR @ Corpus Christi College invites students, parents and teachers to be aware of and grateful for God’s loving presence in their daily lives. MJR’s main aim is to get us ‘switched on to God’s presence’ by reflecting on our lives each day to see where God has been in our experiences.

Another focus is not to leave Jesus as merely a person in history, but to emphasise that Jesus Christ is a mystery with us now. We live ‘in the now’ and we will always have ‘the now’. MJR demonstrates a strong connection to many Catholic spiritualties, such as the Ignatian and Franciscan traditions, particularly with aspects such as the imitation of Christ, respect for others and for creation, and reviewing the events in our lives. The Sacrament of the Present Moment is a central theme. Through emphasis on simple and memorable prompts such as WEST (Welcoming, Encouraging, Sorry and Thanks), MJR inspires positivity and gratitude. Welcoming, Encouraging, Sorry and Thanks (WEST) also makes reference to the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation and the Eucharist.