From the Chaplains
Pilgrimage
This week’s reflection is a message from our Yr 12 chapel captain, Kathie Ong. Kathie has been serving on the chapel team since she was 11 years old, Phoebe Paleologos also by her side, has served since she was 9 years old. Today at our Yr 12 Farewell Chapel, Kathie reflected on Jesus’ Great Commission (below) and gave a beautiful message on pilgrimage. Seeing life as a pilgrimage, she encouraged her fellow students to continue to live out their faith and Pymble values as they journey into new chapters in their lives.
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, but they doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 24: 16-20.
The word pilgrimage means a journey of discovery, whether personal, spiritual, or religious. And honestly, that might just sum up what we’re doing right now.
We all know that in just eight days, we’ll be moving on from this stage of our lives.
For Year 11, congratulations, you guys are almost the leaders of the school.
Year 12, as much as the word graduation only has 4 syllables, we still have to get through 8 assemblies between now and then (two for each day left wow).
But before we do all that, let’s take a moment to look back on how far we’ve come.
For many of us, the first time we stepped into the chapel was during Year 7 orientation.
Then came COVID. Suddenly, chapel was online. Singing hymns through a screen wasn’t quite the same.
Then we came back. And for the first time, we got to sing together properly. Loudly. Questionably in tune, not really in time, but together.
Then Lorenzo and Punam left. And we all cried. Then Cass and Danielle became the newest Revs. And we all cried again (of joy this time)
And now… here we are. The Senior School of 2025.
So, what have we learnt from our time in chapel?
- Try not to sit under the spot where the birds sit, you know what I mean
- Shine Jesus Shine is the best song
- We might come from different faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs but we are still one big family.
And in this family, there have been ups and downs. But there’s no one else we would have rather shared it with. We’ve found happiness here even if, let’s be honest, some of us are also looking forward to running away from it all for a bit of peace.
As we move through life, we’re grateful for everything we’ve shared as the Senior School of 2025. We all move on to new things, but we will remember where we’ve come from.
And as today’s reading reminds us: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We will always have each other. As the school song says we are stuck in the unending chain especially as Year 12 are now part of the ESU but it’s proof that the power of connection stays with us through the adventures that lie ahead.
Prayer for the Class of 2025
Lord, as the Class of 2025 have grown together over the past six years, we thank You for the gift of friendship and the sense of family we have found in the Pymble community.
We pray that this family always remains connected, supporting one another in love and unity no matter where life takes us.
Lord, as we have faced tough times together from COVID to the trials, and now the HSC, through ontological crisis and mountains of work we pray that we will continue to find strength, courage, and comfort in one another through all challenges, big and small.
As we prepare to leave school and begin the next chapter of our lives, we pray that the values we have learnt here care courage integrity respect and responsibility travel with us, shaping the people we become and the communities we become part of.
As we celebrate the friendships and memories that have brought us so much joy, we pray that our Pymble sisters will always know how much we have cherished their love over the years and we pray that these bonds will remain a source of laughter, support, and warmth in the years ahead. As we step into an unknown future, we pray that we will continue to encourage one another in faith, hope, and love, remaining always a light in the world.
