Faith & Mission

REFLECTION

My four year old grandson recently looked at me wisely and said “Do you know, Pa, that tears are salty water”. He paused, and then said, 

“They are half water, half salt and half sadness”.

I wonder what my grandson’s lacrimal analysis of the tears shed by our Year 12 students, and their parents, might reveal.

Undoubtedly these will contain a ‘half’ of sadness. The end of schooling is a profound moment of change for all. The sort of change that is a definitive letting go of old certainties and stepping out into an unknown and uncertain future. That ‘death’ and ‘new life’ experience is worthy of a tear or two.

There will also be ‘halves’ of joy and anticipation. Year 12 students are bursting out of the rules, protocols and structures that schools put in place to support them in their journey through childhood and adolescence. This is as it should be. The core aim of schools is to develop children and then adolescents to a point where they are ready to embrace and negotiate the opportunities and challenges of an adult world. Our Year 12 students are ready and the world awaits.

The images of water and salt offer some insight into the world our Year 12s will face. 

Water is essential for life at the same time as being bland and common place. As a metaphor, it reminds us that in our daily lives, we need the ‘essential but mundane’ to grow and thrive. As a grandfather looking back on my life, the essentials that have sustained me are family, friends, faith and learning. What has nourished these four pillars are the countless moments of the everyday and ordinary connections to what really matters in life. 

For its part of this metaphor, salt can be thought of as an irritant. It can be too easy to allow unreflected habits to develop into the careless ‘isms’ that thoughtlessly demean others or damage our environment.  We need the irritant moments that disturb, unsettle and challenge us out of self-centred routines and behaviours.

In his letter to Timothy, St Paul wrote: 

 “For this reason, I am reminding you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give us a timid spirit, but a spirit of power and love and sound judgment.” 

I think that this is a beautiful expression of our hopes for our graduating Year 12 students. 

Year 12 Graduation Mass: Thursday October 13.

The Year 12 Graduation Mass was a beautiful celebration of the talent and spirit of the class of 22.  Over this year, the students have done a great job in taking the spirit of their theme ‘Together in Mercy’ and translating it into practical action.

As the teacher responsible for preparing our College liturgies, it was wonderful to be able to draw on the creativity and talents of these Year 12 students. The Year 12 student leaders did a wonderful job in gathering materials, ideas, prayers and readings for their graduation mass.

The music at the Graduation mass was a highlight and it is a privilege to be able to witness to the dedicated hours of practice and rehearsal that have brought our student musicians and singers to such a talented level of performance.

I would like to thank Ms Morris, Ms Slocombe and Ms Hocking who prepared the music for the Graduation mass. Thanks are due to Mr Stefani from Our Lady Help of Christians parish in East Brunswick for his support of our mass. Thanks are also due to Ms Ruff who prepared the mass booklets. Finally, a special thanks to Fr Peter Varengo who has given so much to the College in his role as College Chaplain. 

Mr Mark Hyland

Director of Faith and Mission