On 9th November, 2022, Rev. Father Jean Bosco NTIRENGANYA, the headmaster of IFAK has officiated the opening of the school year 2022-2023 at IFAK DON BOSCO. The opening of the school year was preceded by a Holy Mass, which gathered IFAK teaching community and the students. It was a Mass dedicated to the Holy Spirit, the heavenly gift we have received and guides us in everything.
The sermon of the day was referred to the Holy Gospel from Luke 19, 45-48, which shows how Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things and what he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” Father Jean Bosco said that Jesus most of times used symbolic language which may have different meanings. “For us the temple Jesus said as sound in that Gospel means our body. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we destroy it with our bad deeds.” He said.
Father Jean Bosco added that when starting the new academic year we ask the Holy Spirit to come on us and help us to live what in will. But he said that all depends on our choices. “There are times that we make bad choices and are led by evil spirits, instead of being guided by the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit you become a good man, a polite person, a loving person, a person who lives well with others, a person who is flexible, and God continues to find his image in us, ” he added.
Father Jean Bosco also told the students that God pours on us his Holy Spirit so that he may put in us his knowledge. It is he, the Holy Spirit, who inspires teachers what they must teach students and he added that their role is to help God to build his temple of inside students. “Therefore the successful student we need in this new academic year is the one who cooperates with what teachers shall do for him, physically, mentally and emotionally.” Father added.
Trying to explain what that means for students, Father said that the fabric that someone buys, is a shapeless item. When the tailor is going to sew it, he cuts it and gives it the shape and the size he wants, and then he gathers the pieces of clothes he has been cutting and sews them, the result is a beautiful dress.
“You see, when the tailor is cutting, the fabric can say: ‘What are you doing?’ and you could say that the cloth was destroyed. But when the tailor has finished his/her work, you find that he/she made a very beautiful shirt for example.
The same happens in education. Students are required to be like that fabric. It requires us to sacrifice: pain of abstaining yourself from some of the unnecessary things that you feel you loved, and accept what they show you. It hurts, but it’s good for you. It is painful, one can compare it to cutting a cloth, but it will be put together and the result will be a beautiful garment.
You can’t achieve anything without making sacrifices. Success comes after sacrifice. No pain no gain.
Recall that this academic year started on 26 September 2022. In his welcome message, IFAK director Rev. Father Jean Bosco NTIRENGANYA welcomed the students and teachers and offered them a message found in the book of Job 1:6-22 .
In it he underlined 4 important things: to be courageous, to be honest, to fear God and to avoid and run away from evil,
He challenged them saying that all the opportunities to study and achieve success are at their disposal, that they must accept the most of them in a spirit of cooperation.
