Chaplains Corner

 

In our Year 8 Chapel reflection this week, we turned our attention to commemorating All Saints’ Day: a time of Remembrance, Thanksgiving and Hope. It is an occasion for the Church to honour all the saints – known and unknown – and to give thanks for the ways God’s love has been made visible through their lives. We remember not only well-known Christian figures, but also those whose quiet faithfulness may never have received public recognition. Among them may be grandparents, teachers, neighbours, parents, family, mentors etc whose kindness, courage and faith have shaped us.

 

At the heart of All Saints’ Day is the reminder that we belong to a wider community of faith, connected with those who have gone before us. We remember loved ones who have died, treasure the example they have left and find hope in God’s enduring love. Their stories invite us to ask how we, too, might make mercy, courage, and love visible in everyday life.

 

Our Chapel’s stained-glass windows give this remembrance a special place in our School’s story. The first two windows celebrate significant MLC School milestones: the 1980 dedication of the School’s first Chapel, and the 1986 Centenary of MLC School. Together, they hold memories of our community’s history and of lives that remain part of its story. As we commemorate All Saints’ Day, these windows invite us to pause, give thanks for those who have gone before us and consider the legacy of love we hope to leave.

 

We can also embrace the windows as symbols of our calling as Daughters of the Light: just as light shines through coloured glass, God’s love can shine through our different gifts and everyday choices. The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1–12 help us imagine what that light looks like… mercy, a hunger for what is right, and the courage to make peace. The windows need not remain simply a beautiful backdrop to worship; they can prompt us to honour the past by living compassionately in the present.

 

For our students, living as Daughters of the Light represents allowing God’s love to shine through small, faithful choices. It may mean welcoming someone who feels left out, refusing to spread a rumour, checking in on a quiet friend, or bringing kindness into a difficult group chat. It also means speaking up against unfairness and seeking help from a trusted adult when someone is unsafe. We do not need to be perfect to make a difference; we can keep learning, turning towards God and choosing love.

 

As we commemorate All Saints’ Day, we invite our School community to consider: Who has shown us God’s love, and how might we pass that love on? Families might share a memory of someone whose faith and compassion have shaped their lives or choose one way to practise mercy or peacemaking together this week. Remembering the saints is not only about looking back; it is an invitation to live with hope and purpose now!

 

May our Daughters of the Light discover that holiness grows in ordinary life – one act of kindness, one courageous choice and one effort to make peace at a time. As light shines through our Chapel windows, may we remember those who have shaped our community and carry their example forward. With God’s help, our everyday lives can become signs of extraordinary love.

Senior Chaplain