Conlon Prefect, Jackson Flynn
From Director of Mission, Phil Davis
Conlon House Mass
Last Friday, 19 March 2017, the Conlon House Mass, (which had been postponed from 24th March), was celebrated by College Chaplain Fr Milani. The Readings (1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 and Matthew 5:13-16) mirrored the theme Strength through Diversity – Let Your Light Shine Before Others (Mt 5:16) with Conlon Prefect of Spirituality, Jackson Flynn connecting this message with life at Waverley College in his insightful Reflection.
Other features of this Mass included the Entry Procession, featuring the new Touchstone Banners, the Gospel Procession, which included symbolic lamps and a ‘bushel basket’ and the Communion Reflection Song Burn Bright by Natalie Grant. It was wonderful to have some parents present as well as Br Ken McEwan and Br Brian Murphy. I would like to thank the staff and students responsible for the organisation and specific roles during the Mass. Our House Masses now begin at 8.20 am which gives parents an opportunity to attend. All parents are most welcome. The following comment was made by a parent who attended the Conlon Mass:
Dear Cathy (Ms O’Sullivan-Head of Conlon House)
Thank you, and all the Conlon and Waverley teachers, for the invitation to Mass. It was a privilege to be there. It was so beautiful and meaningful. The amount of work that went into the preparation definitely shone through. The boys spoke and behaved beautifully. I am very proud to be a Waverley parent.
Kind Regards
Maria Backlund (Ash and Finn’s Mum)
The Lacey House Mass is next Friday, 26 May 2017 at 8.20am.
Conlon Prefect of Spirituality Jackson Flynn’s Reflection:
“Strength Through Diversity – Let Your Light Shine in Front of Others”
Diversity.
Four different syllables that work in conjunction with one another to form a word used so often in today’s society.
Today I have been given the task to teach us all, not only the benefits of diversity, but also our role and responsibility to allow each other and ourselves to be diverse. To do this I will be talking about: the importance of diversity, the benefits of expressing our individual diversity and the constructive nature of allowing others to express their own diverse qualities. To correctly articulate my lesson I will be using a range of diverse quotes.
A bouquet consists of different flowers. A car is comprised of different mechanisms. A society is created and maintained by various different and diverse perspectives.
As a school we are expected to reflect public morality; public morality is a belief shared by the majority. Today, public morality encapsulates the belief that the more diverse a society is the safer it becomes. Diverse perspectives give us the opportunity to experience, identify and understand in different manners.
This allows us to create more solutions to various problems by seeing the issues from a different angle, for example, various camera angles reveal a different photograph every time. And in my personal opinion life would be boring if everyone was the same.
If you looked at the front of your booklets you will notice that it says “Let Your Light Shine in front of others” Matthew 5:16. From a symbolic standpoint, it is clear that by allowing light to shine, darkness that would have once prohibited sight, is replaced with truth and vision. Diverse perspectives allow us to uncover the truth because diversity permits us to experience, identify and understand in different manners which, in response, creates different solutions.
Moreover, referring to St Paul’s first letter to the People of Corinth in Greece: “There are a variety of gifts but the same spirit and there are a variety of services but the same Lord” teaches us that each individual has a diverse trait that makes them different from others , therefore, it is pointless to hide your own diversity because none of us is the same. This point is furthered by Brenda Ueland ‘Everybody is talented because everybody who is human has something to express.’
Issues are solved through diversity, and to express our uniqueness we must allow others to express diversity.
Before you is a lantern that is covered by a basket, the point of it being there is to demonstrate that light can only remove darkness if we allow it. By covering the lantern with a basket and preventing its light from shining, the lantern loses purpose.
By preventing others from expressing their diversity, solutions are not found and, therefore, truth and vision are not revealed.
On page 3 of your booklet, it reads “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored. It is no longer good for anything but it’s the thrown out and trampled under foot.” – Matthew 5;13. The scripture supports my argument: that by preventing the expression of diversity, purpose is lost, just like how the taste of salt gives it meaning and without its taste it becomes useless.
Throughout my speech, I have used various diverse sources and methods to address the same lesson and to allow more people to understand the lesson I’m trying to teach. Now I’ll leave you with one more quote, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak.
“Diversity maybe the hardest thing for a society to live with, perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.” – Williams Sleane Coffin Jr.
