To the family and friends of St Edmund’s College,
Last Sunday the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of Christ the King – the last day of the ordinary cycle of the liturgical year.
“So you are a king then?” said Pilate. “It is you who say it” answered Jesus. “Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice” (John 18, 33-37).
Br Julian McDonald, a Christian Brother and a member of the Christian Brothers leadership team, describes the Feast of Christ the King in this way, “… the feast of Christ the King is a celebration of integrity rather than one of kingship, authority, power and personal prominence. To most of us, kings and queens belong to the world of fairy tales. The queens and kings of our day are little more than figureheads, people invited to add dignity and gravity to political and civil events where ordinary people like to see pomp and pageantry. Jesus had little interest in either of those. However, he did make it clear that personal integrity was the defining quality of authenticity in his life and in the lives of anyone who would make a claim to being one of his followers. We all stand tall, we are all queen or king in our own lives whenever we live with integrity and witness to the truth.
The reign of Jesus Christ was not built on political, tyrannical or economic power. Neither was it about restoring the fortunes of a nation that had lost its independence to the power of Rome. It was, rather, a culture of respect and acceptance for all, built on the values of equality, justice and compassion. It was founded on the vision that all people, created in the image of God, belong to the one great community of humankind. Despite our failure to live up to our full potential and to appreciate the love that God has for each of us, God became one of us in the person of Jesus to lift us up to be like him, living lives of love and loving those around us into living and loving true to themselves”.
I was recently reading a Vatican commentary on Christ the King. The commentary focused on the need to assess our commitment to Christ the King today. We need to make this assessment as individuals, as members of a family and a community and as members of our secular society. We belong to his Kingdom of Christ only when we try to walk with him, when we try to live our lives fully in the spirit of the Gospel and when that Gospel spirit penetrates every facet of our living. If Christ is really King of our lives, he must be King of every part of our lives. Are we reflecting each day that Christ will give us the right words to say to the people we meet that day, words that will make us his true ambassadors? Does our home life as well as the way we conduct ourselves with our friends come under the Kingship of Jesus? Or do we try to please ourselves rather than him?
Edmund Rice answered the call to put Christ at the centre of his life – to devote his work and life to those who were stripped of their voice, their rights and their freedom. He chose to make Christ his light and dedicate his works to provide an education to those children in Waterford who were denied the right to learn and in turn denied the right to set themselves on a path of work and security.
We are also called to be a people who reach out to embrace the enemy and the stranger, a people who are called to glory in diversity, a people who will endlessly forgive, a people who will reach out in compassion to the poor and to the marginalised sectors of our society, a people who will support one another in prayer, a people who will realise that we are called not to be served, but to serve. On the Feast of Christ the King and as members of a Catholic school community, let us set ourselves the challenge to give Christ central place in our lives and promise to follow his commandment of love by sharing this love, “Love one another as I have loved you.” By doing this, we attempt to live out the College motto, Christus Lux Mea (Christ is my Light) in a genuine and authentic manner.
Loving God,
you chose to restore all things in Christ your Son,
Move our hearts, in the love of Christ, to care for all you have made,
especially for all who need our help.
Make us worthy stewards of the gifts you have given,
as we generously give ourselves for the sake of the kingdom
where he lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our Hearts, forever.
As we enter the last few weeks of the year and with examination season having started for some of our older students, it is too easy for our boys to become a little lackadaisical in their appearance – especially with their uniform and hair. I would ask all parents to support us in making the last few weeks of the year just as important as the rest of the year in our determination that the boys should always look their best. Please do not send your child to school thinking it is satisfactory that he has no tie or the wrong shoes or the incorrect bag. These matters need rectifying as if it is the first day of the year. I am disappointed with the carelessness in appearance with a small number of boys, but strongly congratulate the majority of our boys who are still very conscious of doing the right thing.
A reminder to our community about a few events coming up to which you are all warmly invited: We have our annual Christmas Concert on Tuesday 4 December, in the Br Wallace Hall commencing at 6.00 pm, with a sausage sizzle before the event commencing at 5.30 pm. Please come along to this great event and help us end the year and begin Advent in suitable style!
I also invite our parents and community members to the Presentation Ceremonies on the last day of school, Tuesday 11 December, also in the Hall. The Junior School Presentation Ceremony begins at 9.15am (concluding at 10.30 am). On this occasion award recipients for each class will be recognised, along with other major awards including sportsman of the year, a music award and improvement awards for each class. All Year 6 students will receive a Graduation Certificate. Parents are more than welcome to have their sons leave with them after the Ceremony.
The High School Presentation Ceremony (for Years 7 – 11) begins at 11.00 am on the same day (concluding at 1.00 pm), and again parents are welcome to have their sons leave with them at the conclusion of the ceremony. I would encourage as many parents as possible to join us for these very important events.
Christus Lux Mea
Joe Zavone (College Principal)