I am excited to announce the school theme for our St. Thomas More Collegiate Faith and Learning community for the next 18 months (2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years) is Live Jesus in Our Hearts Forever! If you are an alumnus of STMC, this is a prayer that may not be familiar to you. Around 1996, the time that Blessed Edmund Rice was beatified, Edmund Rice schools began deliberately using the prayer “Live Jesus in Our Hearts Forever!” as a way of reminding us of the unique charism of Blessed Edmund Rice. Simple yet profound, this phrase has been the spiritual heartbeat of the Christian Brothers and has united Edmund Rice Christian Brother schools worldwide in faith, community, and mission.
Mr. Joe Adams
Principal
What does Live Jesus in Our Hearts Forever Mean?
This prayer originates from St. John Baptist de La Salle, and for almost 200 years, this simple prayer has been echoed throughout classrooms, chapels, and assemblies. Live Jesus in Our Hearts Forever is a sacred invocation that marks both the beginning and the conclusion of our prayer. More than a simple phrase, it is a call to action, a guiding principle that shapes the way we learn, live, and serve.
LIVE
To live is to be dynamic, awaken to purpose, and fully engage in faith and mission. When we pray, “Live Jesus in Our Hearts Forever,” we are not merely reciting words; we are inviting Jesus to take root in our lives, to transform us, and to be present in all that we do. Jesus himself declared, “I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance” (John 10:10). This life we have been gifted is not passive; it is an active, continuous journey toward grace and goodness.
JESUS
The very name, Jesus, brings us into a relationship with the one who walked among us, who shared in our human experiences, who knew our struggles and triumphs, our pain and joy. To call upon His name is to remember that He is both fully divine and fully human, that He is with us in every moment of our lives. He is not a distant figure of history; Jesus is alive in our hearts, shaping our thoughts, our actions, and our relationships.
IN OUR HEARTS
This phrase speaks to the depth of our commitment. The heart is the seat of all love, the core of our being, the place from which our compassion, mercy, and faith flow. When we invite Jesus into our hearts, it is more than an acknowledgment of belief; we are offering him the very essence of who we are. As members of the STMC community, we strive to be Christ-like in our service to others, to touch the hearts of others as Blessed Edmund Rice urged his followers to do. We are all in this together, a community bound by faith and love.
FOREVER
This is a promise that transcends time. It is not just for today, nor just for our years at St. Thomas More Collegiate, but for a lifetime and beyond. Unlike a simple Amen, which signals the end of a prayer, Forever reminds us that our connection to Christ is unending. It propels us forward, inspiring us to carry our faith beyond these walls, into our families, our communities, and the world.
Each time we say Live Jesus in Our Hearts Forever, we reaffirm our commitment to our mission to learn, lead, and serve. We are reminded that Jesus is with us in our studies, our service, our friendships, our challenges, and our triumphs. We are called to be his presence in the world, to bring light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, and love where there is need.
Our Journey Together
As we embark on this journey, the next 18 months will be filled with activities and initiatives that bring us together with opportunities for reflection, education, and growth. The first initiative tied to our theme of Live Jesus in Our Hearts Forever is our 8 week Lenten Journey where we will celebrate the dignity and sanctity of all life.
Over the next 18 months, let us make this prayer more than a tradition—let us make it our way of life. Let us open our hearts to Jesus, allowing him to guide our actions and shape our futures. And as we conclude each prayer, each class, each gathering, let us do so knowing that Jesus remains with us always—today, tomorrow, and forever.
Live Jesus in Our Hearts… Forever!
