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Graduation Liturgy Friday 28 th May 2021
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“That all may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)
gh g r adu ates of the clas s o f 2 0 2 1 Adeoyin Molayooluwa Adewunmi Ghayah Alshatti Maryam Naser Ben-Butain Hwa Mabel Bleakley Dilara Meryan Boss Laura Marie Cabrey Cayetana de Rocafort Castañedo Alma Shanahor Galatz Fred Ultima Marie Duval-Koenig Kate Dyball Mariam Eapen Kathleen Emma Fairweather Junainah Hansraj Lisa Ichikawa Sahana Kannuswamy Iyer Haewon Jung Mebuki Kanda Iman Kanouté Fay Kubba Marguerite Yuet Y. Lau Shi Yuan Chloe Law Alysse Skye Macfarlane Alexandra Viktoria Miller Maria Laura Molinari Aimée Sarah Newton Simisola Claudia-anne Orotope-Paul Theaya Palanee Sarah Pourkhajani Vitalina Prokopovich Lucía Riegé Patricia Román Sanz Georgia Olivia Rose Maryam Samaya Sadig Asuka Sakamaki Anissa Dorothea Seeger-Husain Hyun Joh Seong Laura Olivia Snell Sophia Solovieva Ani Maria Strecker Yuman Tang Moeka Yagi Suzy Marie-Fleur Yao Zalifah Azz Zahraa binti Zulkifli -1-
gh welcome Our liturgy today is a thanksgiving for all that the Class of 2021 has given and received during their time here at Marymount. It should also be a reminder to those that graduate and move to the next stage of their life journey, that the Marymount community will always carry you in their hearts and prayers. During our Liturgy, we will sing the favourite hymns of the Class of 2021 and hear passages from the New Testament that remind us that we are made and loved by God. We will also hear some beautiful prayers of thanksgiving written and read by students in their mother tongue—a celebration of our international family. We gather this day, to acknowledge a threshold moment—a thin place between what’s been and what’s to be—between what’s been studied, learned, and accomplished and all the more there is to study and learn and do. It is so very good to mark growth in celebration, and then so very good as well, to celebrate having further to grow—to note a mile-marker on the longer way and to take joy both in the distance travelled and the distance yet ahead. Bless this liminal time and space and those who stand on thresholds looking back and looking ahead. May it be with a sense of both gratitude and anticipation. May it be with an awareness of how we grow as a whole person throughout our life; our minds, bodies, spirits, and emotions. And may it be with a profound sense of what it means to place our way, our journey; where we’ve been and where we’re going, within the way of Jesus. Emma Burke, Director of Spiritual Life
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gh ENTRANCE HYMN: ‘Children of the Light’
We are children, children of the light. We are shining in the darkness of the night. Hope for this world, joy through all the land, Touch the heart of everyone, take everybody’s hand. Come and gather round the flame, Share the light in his name. We are children of the light. As the wind blows where it will, spread the news to everyone. There’s still plenty of time, for we have just begun. We are children, children of the light. We are shining in the darkness of the night. Hope for this world, joy through all the land, Touch the heart of everyone, take everybody’s hand.
Join the song of all the earth, We’ve a dream, a dream to share And a promise of re-rebirth Let the earth feel the warmth of his love here in our hearts We’ve still many a dream and promises to keep. We are children, children of the light. We are shining in the darkness of the night. Hope for this world, joy through all the land, Touch the heart of everyone, take everybody’s hand. By Andy Park
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gh OPENING PRAYER
Read by Aimée Sarah Newton
Our Father, God, how wonderful are the works of Your hands. As we gather here today to celebrate a step forward into new places with new people and new experiences, let us not forget the blessings that follow behind us. We give thanks for this school, which has given us a safe place to learn and a strong foundation to build upon as we take this next step into Your world. We give thanks to our teachers, who have so richly loved and cared for us. We give thanks to our families, who have cheered us on to the finish line and stood by our sides through the many bumps in the road. On this day especially, we thank You for the friends that we have found among our classmates. For all the jokes that we will laugh about in years to come, for the hardships and tears we have endured together side by side, and for Your Love which has been made evident through the relationships we will carry with us beyond these walls. Let us love each other fearlessly and seek Your will earnestly all the days of our lives. In your name we pray, Amen. LITURGY OF THE WORD FIRST READING
Read by Iman Kanouté
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (1Cor 13:1-13) If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. -4-
gh gh Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
PSALM 97
Led by Lucía Riegé
Rejoice, you just in the Lord The Lord is king, let earth rejoice Let all the coastlands be glad. Cloud and darkness are his raiment; His throne, justice and right. Rejoice, you just in the Lord The mountains melt like wax Before the Lord of all the earth. The skies proclaim his justice; All peoples see his glory. Rejoice, you just in the Lord Light shines forth for the just And joy for the upright of heart. Rejoice, you just in the Lord; Give glory to his holy name. Rejoice, you just in the Lord
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gh gh GOSPEL READING
Read by Adeoyin Molayooluwa Adewunmi
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark (4:35-41) That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown? He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
HOMILY: Rev Deacon Alex Burke
‘Landslide’ perfomed by Laura Marie Cabrey and Ani Maria Strecker OFFERTORY
Led by Zalifah Azz Zahraa binti Zulkifli
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PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
MARYMOUNT LONDON SCHOOL
Dear Lord, we thank you for the continuous support and love that you have given us during our time here at Marymount. We are grateful for the guidance and nurturing support that our teachers have given us during our time here. We are thankful for the opportunity to study in a school founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. Lord, we ask you to help continue to guide the vision of our school towards the goal of the RSHM and to remind us of our mission “That all may have life” in our everyday lives. We pray, Lord, that you will guide us through our challenges and help us flourish in the next stage of our lives. Amen. Written and read by Hwa Mabel Bleakley and Laura Olivia Snell FAMILY
Dear Lord, we want to thank our friends and families for the guidance and support they have given us over the last two invigorating years at Marymount. Thank you for allowing us to embark on this captivating journey - a journey which has provided us with an outstanding and exceptional education as well as opening the doors and paving the way into our exciting futures. Loving God, we pray for a prosperous future with never ending opportunities and experiences to enable us to blossom and flourish. We pray that you protect our astounding families, and we hope to have the strength and power necessary to commence the upcoming stages of the forthcoming chapter in our lives. Amen. Written by Junainah Hansraj and Sarah Pourkhajani Read in German by Sarah Pourkhajani
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gh gh TEACHERS
Lord, we pray for the teachers at Marymount London. Thank you for their dedication and strength in the classroom. We give thanks for their service and guidance for the next generation. Father, let our teachers share in your wisdom. Prepare their hearts to welcome all their students and their families with love. May we, as students and families, show our teachers love and respect. We ask you to bless each teacher with tolerance and patience as they help their students, particularly those who experience difficulties and challenges. Lord, we pray that all teachers will have the courage to say what needs to be said and to use your strength to energise them. Enable them to have the energy to meet various challenges and remain inspired by their vocation to teach. Lord, we ask you to use your wisdom to inspire all teachers so that they can make good judgments when guiding and helping others. Fill them with your peace, so that they won’t be overwhelmed when stress and anxiety come. Fill them with joy so that they remain passionate about the subjects they teach. They are shaping the future in a million small but extremely important ways every day. We are very grateful for the learning talent they share with all children. Bless them, Lord, and help them to see that their loyalty will always affect the vision of future generations. We ask for all this in the wonderful name of Jesus, your son. Amen. Written by Haewon Jung and Yuman Tang Read by Haewon Jung in Korean BOARDING COMMUNITY AND HOUSEPARENTS
Lord, we thank you for giving us the opportunity to live in this international boarding community that continues to be one of love and spirit. We pray that you support us on our journey beyond this school and continue to guide us towards our future aspirations. Lord, we thank you for blessing us with those who take care of us and love us, particularly our Houseparents. We are thankful for this community we have created together; one full of support and love. We pray that the boarding community continues to prosper into this community of life. Amen. Written and read by Zalifah Azz Zahraa binti Zulkifli in Bahasa Malay -8-
gh THE GIFT OF LEARNING
Dear Lord, we thank you for the privilege of learning, which allows us to love our neighbors and bless the world. We are grateful for our parents, teachers, friends, and many others in our life, who have always been there for us and ensured we would make it all the way to today. May each of us graduate and commence our new journey today, with the dedication towards studies and the pride in our success. We pray that we can live with our whole heart wherever we spend our time after leaving Marymount. We thank you as we look back at the memories we will cherish. We thank you as we look forward to the times ahead. Amen. Written and read by Hyun Joh Seong in Korean COURAGE AND FRIENDSHIP
Dear God, we pray that we will be strong and courageous as you lead our way through life. Equip us for every purpose and journey you have in store, so that we will live as mighty warriors in this life for your purposes. We pray that when we encounter various struggles and difficult times, when we experience loss and things don’t go our way, you will teach us greater perseverance through it all. We pray that you will guide us through our next stages in life bringing happiness and friendships to us. Amen. Written by Sophia Solovieva and Anissa Dorothea Seeger-Husain Translated and read in Chinese by Shi Yuan Chloe Law
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gh gh PERSEVERANCE
Dear Lord, thank you for blessing us with the gift of perseverance. This gift has served us well throughout our Marymount journey. We have been able to seek the advantages in every challenge we have faced. Through the gift of your love, we have weathered even the most formidable obstacles before us. We have turned towards each other for strength and solace, even in the face of perceived failure. You have inflamed our hearts and enlivened our minds with the passion and dedication of our studies that will last us a lifetime. May God who brought us into this world carry us through the completion of our studies and guide us through whatever we go through next. Let us face our futures with the courage to move through our difficulties with grace. Lord, help us to lean on you for the strength we need. When we are distracted by life’s many stresses, remind us that all hardships can be overcome with the willingness to learn, improve and be thankful for what we have. You have taught us that failure brings us wisdom to see the world with fresh eyes and approach the future with open hearts. May the Spirit of God forever be in our presence and guide us towards making honourable decisions and being kind to others. Lord, we ask you to bless the Marymount graduates of the Class of 2021. Read by Laura Marie Cabrey in Spanish, Ani Maria Strecker in Armenian, and Mariam Eapen in English INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS
Dear God, we thank you for blessing us with the opportunity of flourishing alongside the Marymount goal of ‘unity through diversity’. It has enabled us to enrich our experiences culturally and academically, allowing us to learn from and teach each other more about the world we live in. Written and read by Kathleen Emma Fairweather and Alexandra Viktoria Miller
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gh FRIENDSHIPS
Dear Lord, we thank you for the friendships we have fostered during our years at Marymount. Through the laughter and tears, our friends have been a constant pillar of support and have motivated us to be our best selves. We cherish the life-long memories we have made and are thankful to have gone through our high school journey with these wonderful people. We pray that we will continue to grow in our friendships after our high school journey ends and that we will carry the legacy of what those friendships have brought us. We thank you for the opportunity to experience what it is like to be a part of this wonderful community and hope that the strong bonds we’ve formed will only strengthen with time. We ask that our past, present and future friendships allow us to grow in character, spirit and faith and that we are able to continue on our life journey cherishing the relationships we form. Written by Iman Kanouté and Sahana Kannuswamy Iyer Read by Sahana Kannuswamy Iyer in Hindi THE FUTURE
Loving Lord, You are our hope and our strength in time of trouble. You are our ever present help in this difficult world, and Lord, I know that You hold the future in the palm of Your hands and I trust You. Thank You, that You are always there to provide for my needs and to protect me from the storms of life. I pray that no matter what the future holds, that You will remain there beside me. I know Lord, that no matter how difficult things become in this world that You have promised never to leave me nor forsake me, but I also know that in this world we will have tribulation and trials, and I pray that You will be with me through all that I face in the future. You are my hope and You are my strength. You have promised that no matter how difficult life becomes, Your grace is sufficient for all my needs. Help me to rely on You no matter what problems and difficulties arise, for my hope is in You. Amen. Written by Maryam Samaya Sadig and Vitalina Prokopovich Read by Vitalina Prokopovich in Russian - 11 -
gh JOURNEY TO ADULTHOOD
Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him. Dear Lord, thank you for helping us grow into strong, wisdom filled women and please allow us to expand our knowledge so that our transition into adulthood is smooth and graceful. We pray that your favour is upon us, and as we mature, allow us to grow in faith, love and understanding. We pray that you will protect us in everything we do as we navigate adulthood and help us to find our true calling. Amen. Written by Simisola Claudia-anne Orotope-Paul and Suzy Yao Read by Suzy Yao SUMMER
Lord, we thank you for the long summer break ahead. We are grateful for the opportunity this gives us to reconnect and spend time with our families as well as have the time to rejuvenate ourselves and rest properly before we begin a new chapter of our lives. May we find tranquillity and relaxation under the warmth of the sun. We pray for those who don’t have the chance to pause and step away from the busyness and stress of everyday life. Amen. Written by Kate Dyball, Theaya Palanee and Marguerite Yuet Y. Lau Read by Kate Dyball
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gh gh BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES
Dear God, We thank you for all the blessings that you have poured out upon us We are grateful for: The opportunity to learn in Marymount London, The opportunity to foster trust with the people around us, We are grateful for: Our friends who we can share laughter with, Our families who have supported us Our teachers who have led us through difficult times We are grateful for: A community filled with love and compassion We are grateful for all of these things that should not be taken for granted. Help us to become a people who are thankful and a blessing to others. Amen. Written and read in Japanese by Lisa Ichikawa, Mebuki Kanda, Asuka Sakamaki and Moeka Yagi UNIVERSITY LIFE
God, I know that you are the lord of everything and that you have a lot of power; as we graduate from our school, in which we have grown and learnt, give us the strength to finish and begin the new stage that we so eagerly await. I develop my life towards a new path: university. We beseach you, Lord, fill this experience with wisdom, celebration, study, freedom and new opportunities. Today, I ask you for me and all of mine peace and joy, and above all, that you continue with us every day, establishing a lifelong love of learning. Amen. Written and read in Spanish by Maria Laura Molinari and Patricia Román Sanz
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gh gh LOVE AND ENCOURAGEMENT
Lord, we thank you for the families you have provided us with. We thank you for giving us supportive parents who have been able to put us through school. We thank you that during these hard past two years you have given us families to surround us in love and encourage us to do our best. Lord, we pray that as we move on to this next stage in our lives, you bless our families for all the love and care they have provided us with. Lord, we ask you to help us give back to our families and support them when they need us. Amen. Written by Lucía Riegé, Adeoyin Molayooluwa Adewunmi and Alysse Skye Macfarlane Read by Lucía Riegé in French THANKS FOR KEY WORKERS, CARERS AND NHS STAFF
Dear Lord, We pray and give thanks for the NHS staff and all the key workers that have helped us during this Covid-19 pandemic. Although it has affected our IB experience, we are grateful for all the dedication and hard work of the community. We pray for their health and wellbeing. Lord, give resilience to all who are caring for the sick. May you strengthen them with your grace and sustain them in times of need. Lord hear us. French: Seigneur écoute nous Spanish: Escúchanos Señor Afrikaans: Liewe Vader hoor ons Arabic: Response: Lord graciously hear us. Written and read by Fay Kubba, Cayetana de Rocafort Castañedo, Georgia Olivia Rose, and Alma Shanahor Galatz Fred Ultima Marie Duval-Koenig
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gh gh ‘For Good’ performed by Kathleen Emma Fairweather and Alexandra Viktoria Miller REFLECTION
Read by Mariam Eapen BLESS THE SPACE BETWEEN US.
“Blessed be the mind that dreamed the day the blueprint of your life would begin to glow on earth, illuminating all the faces and voices that would arrive to invite your soul to growth. Praised be your father and mother, who loved you before you were, and trusted to call you here with no idea who you would be. Blessed be those who have loved you into becoming who you were meant to be, blessed be those who have crossed your life with dark gifts of hurt and loss that have helped to school your mind in the art of disappointment. When desolation surrounded you, blessed be those who looked for you and found you, their kind hands urgent to open a blue window in the gray wall formed around you. Blessed be the gifts you never notice, your health, eyes to behold the world, thoughts to countenance the unknown, memory to harvest vanished days, your heart to feel the world’s waves, your breath to breathe the nourishment of distance made intimate by earth. On this day may you open the gift of solitude in order to receive your soul; enter the generosity of silence to hear your hidden heart; know the serenity of stillness to be enfolded anew by the miracle of your being.” (John O’Donohue) ‘Seal Lullaby’ by Eric Whitacre - performed by the Grade 12 Choristers FINAL BLESSING
May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be confident knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us. (Peace within – St Theresa of Avila) Rev Deacon Alex Burke - 15 -
gh FINAL HYMN
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before O my soul I’ll worship Your Holy name
For my heart to find
The sun comes up It’s a new day dawning It’s time to sing Your song again Whatever may pass And whatever lies before me Let me be singing When the evening comes Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before O my soul I’ll worship Your Holy name You’re rich in love And You’re slow to anger Your name is great And Your heart is kind For all Your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before O my soul I’ll worship Your Holy name And on that day When my strength is failing The end draws near And my time has come Still my soul will Sing Your praise unending Ten thousand years And then forevermore Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before O my soul I’ll worship Your Holy name Sing like never before O my soul I’ll worship Your Holy name
© 2011 Thankyou Music
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George Road, Kingston upon Thames KT2 7PE United Kingdom
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