Give up pessimism \u2013 become an optimist.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up harsh judgments \u2013 think kindly thoughts.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up worry \u2013 trust Divine Providence.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up discouragement \u2013 be full of hope.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up bitterness \u2013 turn to forgiveness.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up hatred \u2013 return good for evil.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up negativism \u2013 be positive.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up anger \u2013 be more patient.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up pettiness \u2013 become mature.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up gloom \u2013 enjoy the beauty that is all around you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up jealousy \u2013 pray for trust.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up gossiping \u2013 control your tongue.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up sin \u2013 turn to virtue.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Give up giving up \u2013 hang in there!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n What is Harmony Day and why do we celebrate it? Let\u2019s begin with looking at the various meanings of the word \u2018Harmony\u2019.<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHarmony is the sound of things that go together well – people singing in harmony are singing different notes that together produce a richer and more expressive sound. Best friends should be in harmony most of the time if they want to stay best buds and recognise that the way they combine their differences are an essential part of their relationship.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cHarmony is a noun that describes an agreement, such as in feeling, sound, look, feel, or smell. It\u2019s necessary for roommates to be able to live in harmony in a small space, or they\u2019re in for a wake-up call.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cIn music, harmony is a pleasing combination and progression of chords. Notes that don’t go together make you wince because our ears do not enjoy disharmony.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cHarmony of something is the way in which its parts are combined into a pleasant arrangement\u2026 If people are living in harmony with each other, they are living together peacefully, and accepting and tolerating their differences rather than fighting or arguing\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Last week there was media coverage of an incident where various groups holding differing viewpoints came face to face. As each group sought to stand up for its respective beliefs and rights, their lack of respect and tolerance for difference produced ugly scenes. Disharmony on a large scale that the press was only too happy to publicise and which diminished everybody that was involved.<\/span><\/p>\n In the incident that was reported upon last week, the love, kindness, forgiveness, compassion, acceptance and inclusivity were largely absent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Harmony Day at Domremy always focuses on learning to respect and honour the diversity that exists within our College community, so that we can teach, learn and live in harmony, a harmony that nurtures our effectiveness as students and teachers and that allows us to more fully express our Christian values in our life.<\/span><\/p>\n On Harmony Day, the College was adorned in bright orange, (the colour we now associate with Harmony Day) and the students and teachers proudly wore ribbons to say that we support living harmoniously, that we respect each other\u2019s opinions and beliefs, and that diversity also exists and is welcome within each of our classes, sporting and co curricular groups, friendship and social groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We benefit from our diversity and from respecting it. As a simple example, diversity has given us access to the joys of different foods and languages. At a deeper level, if we can accept the richness that different cultures offer and learn to respect the different strengths and talents of each unique person that we meet, we will build a more loving, more nurturing and more Holy community.<\/span><\/p>\n At today\u2019s Harmony Week Assembly, we prayed the Hail Mary in different languages and were reminded in the Gospel that Jesus commanded us to love one another as he has loved us. Who can ever meet this challenge? Pope Francis urges us to ask ourselves, \u2018Have I insulted anyone today?\u2019 and \u2018When do I close my heart to another with an insult?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n Clearly <\/span>\u2018harmony\u2019<\/i><\/b> should not be restricted to just one day or one week a year. The real challenge for all of us lies in how we live harmoniously once the orange ribbons are not in front of us, or when we see or hear people doing and saying things that\u00a0 can prompt us to anger and then beyond into disrespectful behaviour and even violence. How do we, as a community, keep the ideal of <\/span>harmony<\/i><\/b> alive, day in day out, week after week and even, year after year? How do we really become a community living in harmony with each other, living together peacefully accepting of all views, opinions, and beliefs? How do we advocate for rights and beliefs of all, regardless of our preference for our own rights and beliefs?<\/span><\/p>\n But we don\u2019t stop with that recognition of our failure. We take the decision to be better, to try to be more respectful, to live more harmoniously so that we can build our community.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Harmony Week should remind us of the beautiful quote from Genesis that we are, each one of us:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026made in the image and likeness of God\u2026\u201d which Jesus reaffirmed in His great commandment to \u201c\u2026love one another\u2026\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n So, looking back, God\u2019s vision was that all of humankind would live in harmony since time began, a vision spoiled by sin. As Christians, many of us choose to wear crosses around our neck or other religious jewellery or icons as a sign of our faith; but our faith is a demanding faith. It is not a \u2018Sunday Church\u2019 faith only; it is not a \u2018take Communion on Holy Days\u2019 faith only. We must live our faith by our daily actions, small and large. When I disrespect another person, I am disrespecting the God within them, and I should apologise and try to be better. This is not a sign of weakness. Rather, this is a sign of strength, born of a desire to emulate our Lord and live in harmony with our brothers and sisters.<\/span><\/p>\n This is a real challenge and as a community of sinners, as a church of sinners, we admit that we are not there yet; but that we must continue to try our best and, with the Lord\u2019s grace, to grow as a harmonious community and to really live Harmony Week each week, each day of the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d1dfwahqlx324v.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/58\/2023\/03\/images.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\nCelebrating Harmony Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Australia and Domremy celebrate Harmony Day annually on 21 March. Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone, the theme this year being that <\/span>Everyone Belongs<\/i><\/b>. This belief has deep theological roots in as much as we are taught as Christians that <\/span>every <\/i><\/b>person carries within them the image and likeness of God, that <\/span>every<\/i><\/b> person is a brother or sister of Jesus, just as we are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>I strongly believe that after the conclusion of Harmony Week, we must recognise how often we fall short of our ideal of living harmoniously. Whilst I do not wish to generalise, I am aware that a few students still choose to be disrespectful to others in a variety of ways. At today\u2019s Assembly, I spoke of how this can occur and the many forms that such disrespect can be played out. I touched on the issue of bullying and the many forms of bullying which really can cause harm. For example, when students use technology to share degrading pictures or hurtful comments about each other or the College. At times we also come across a few\u00a0 parents who may be angry and may momentarily forget how to speak respectfully to a teacher or support staff member. I acknowledge that as a Principal, or as a College, we sometimes get it wrong too.<\/span><\/p>\n