From the Director of Mission, Phillip Davies
Last Friday, 23 February 2018, the Brennan House Mass was celebrated by College Chaplain Fr Bernie Thomas ofm. The Gospel (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26), which was acted out by Brennan students, mirrored the message Speak through Action, the theme which our Year 12 Leaders have chosen for 2018. Brennan Prefect of Spirituality, Luca Zanarini connected this theme with life at Waverley College in his Reflection.
Other features of this Mass included the Entry Procession and Gospel Procession, while the Communion Reflection Song, If You’re Out There by John Legend, aptly connected to the idea that actions speak louder than words. I would like to thank the staff and students responsible for their organisation and specific roles during the Mass. I would also like to thank Mr Horrocks, Head of Brennan House, for his assistance, as well as the many parents who attended the Brennan House Mass.
Below is Brennan Prefect of Spirituality, Luca Zanarini’s Reflection:
I am talking to you today to reflect on our vision ‘Speak through Action’ as represented in the First Reading and from our Gospel, and suggest some ideas that you boys can benefit from by following the messages in these stories.
In our first reading, Edmund Rice mentions his desire to help out the struggling boys of Waterford. His wish to help these poor boys wasn’t just a will or a plan but an action he would take in making a difference. Everyone may have a wish or a plan to do something, however, it will not make an influence unless you take action.
As students of Waverley, we are lucky that we have the opportunity to be able to dream big. This may be in many different areas such as schooling and academics, sport or co-curricular activities. We talk about succeeding in these areas however, dreams will remain as dreams unless acted upon.
In our reading of the Gospel, we see the extent of the actions that Jesus goes to, to try and help the child who has ‘passed’. Upon his arrival he tells the crowd that the child is in fact alive, and just sleeping. However, Jesus was made fun of and ridiculed when he said this as the people did not take it seriously or believe in him. This relates to our vision of “speaking through action” by demonstrating that even if people ridicule you for your dreams, if you believe in yourself and take action you can prove the doubters wrong.
Overall, the Scripture readings we just heard link very closely into this year’s vision of “speaking through action.” We do not want you to just tell us about your dreams or plans, we want you to take decisive action and the steps needed to accomplish these things. We see that actions do really speak louder than words and we want you to challenge yourself and your own limitations, so that you may achieve your most ambitious goals and truly make a difference in the same spirit as Edmund Rice and Jesus himself.
