guarding our treasures

At the end of the first semester and as we are about to start the second in two weeks time I would like to remind us all of the injunction of Christ to guard carefully our treasures lest a thief would come and carry off what we have so painstakingly worked for. Guard well the treasures of our house, of our community.
You will ask, what are these treasures we have to guard so carefully, treasures we have so painstakingly worked for? There are three.
First, guard the treasure of our brotherhood, this new sense of brotherhood.


I am especially encouraged by what I have seen these last few days just before the exams which I have never seen before as clearly. I have seen how you have helped one another in your academics - classmate helping another classmate. In the study hall one can see them silently huddled together almost whispering, a classmate appointed tutor helping another thresh out the complications of algebraic equations or deciphering the difficult formulas of chemistry or decoding the problems posed by physics. In pre-college Latin I can see real joy, everyone in high spirits when an unexpected correct answer comes from a classmate too used to sitting at the back in an arriba abajo, even joyfully offering their seat to him as he goes up the ladder. I know there are people, more advanced in their studies, who are tutoring those who are slow. It must be difficult for them, for those who are way ahead in their studies to stoop down to the level of those who are slow and help them out step by step in lessons that has been too easy and even second nature to them. This is not just about academics - this is about our brotherhood, our ever deepening community life, a community which is an experience of what it is to be a church. It is the attitude developed and engendered by problems both individual and communal that has helped us grow to be more concerned for one another, going the extra mile for the other, as the college would call it. Guard carefully the treasure of our brotherhood, protect each other, support each other, watch each other’s back, bring this attitude with you even when you are no longer here. You are your brother’s keeper. Keep it that way.
Second, guard the treasure of good leadership.
Too many problems stem from the fact that our leaders were not responsible in the past. But who can blame them? After all responsibility can only be engendered by empowerment, by empowering our leaders. And empowerment can only happen when we your formators could fully trust.
We are blessed today by good leaders, functioning leaders, leaders who take seriously the task entrusted to them, respected leaders who knew how to lead by example, who can command because they are respectable. Mark my words: they are respected because they are respectable. One can never demand respect if one is not respectable. For the third year this will be a hard act to follow but with the endearing and sometimes hard push of the prefects hand and their capacity to adjust, to respond in a given situation and innovate as we go along, things will be all right. The thing is we have to guard this treasure, we have to continue what we have started, we have to set the standard for leadership, not contented merely with what is, not contented with the mediocre. So guard this treasure of an empowered, respected and respectable leadership. As a lesson in hindsight now you know why your knees must bleed. Every good thing we want and need has a price tag.
Third, guard the treasure of truthfulness.
There can be no growth in virtue when we live in the lie. There can never be formation in a community of liars. In the college I am happy that I have not come to that point where I have to snoop around and peep on doors and windows so as to catch crime in the act. My trust has not bee broken. I am assured whenever somebody comes to my door conscience stricken because of a violation or a misdemeanour. Discipline must always take its course even in this situation of truthfulness and it has. But the dignity of owning the crime, owning up to the mistake is irreplaceable, and no punishment can ever take that dignity away from him who owned the truth. Let us guard our truthfulness in the presence of one another.
There are many others, countless more, goodness unleashed because of what these three treasures engendered and the values they have inculcated in us. More needs to be done. We had violations on the virtue of honesty - on stealing and cheating.
In the future when we have continued to practice and value these three treasures even these two sins, these two violations on honesty will be things of the past.
Let us guard our treasures. Too many things will be lost if we allow the thief to ransack our community and steal away these new found treasure. We guard them carefully. We guard our treasure of brotherhood, the treasure of respected and respectable leaders, the treasure of living in truthfulness.