My thoughts and prayers are with all those who will receive their Leaving Certificate results tomorrow. Congratulations and well done on reaching this important milestone in your lives. I am conscious that a day like tomorrow can also be stressful for students, their families and their schools, as so much hope, effort and expectation comes together in a single morning.
It is good to remember that, although important, exam results do not define us in life. What is much more important than how many points we receive, what course we do or even what we do in life, is the kind of person we are. The goodness in our hearts is where the true secret to a life well lived is to be found. Kindness, friendship, courage and generosity will carry us much further in life than any set of results ever could.
I pray that you may be rich in that goodness and that it may continue to grow strong in your hearts. May you have confidence too in the gifts God has given you, including those which no examination can ever measure.
We give particular thanks for our Catholic schools, and for all our teachers, principals, school staff and families who have accompanied and supported our young people throughout these years. Their encouragement, patience and care have been an important part of the journey to this point.
For some, tomorrow will bring great joy and the opening of a door long hoped for. For others, things may work out differently from what they had imagined. There are many roads through life, and sometimes an unexpected one can lead us to possibilities we could never have foreseen.
On this eve of Leaving Certificate Results Day, we might take comfort in the words of Julian of Norwich:
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
May these words give you hope and courage as you look to tomorrow and to the future God places before you.
—
Teachtaireacht ón Easpag Michael Duignan chuig na daltaí a bheidh ag fáil torthaí na hArdteiste
Tá mo smaointe agus mo ghuí le gach duine a bheidh ag fáil torthaí na hArdteiste amárach. Comhghairdeas libh agus maith sibh as an chloch mhíle thábhachtach seo a bhaint amach i bhur saol. Tuigim go maith gur féidir le lá mar amárach brú agus imní a chur ar dhaltaí, ar a muintir agus ar phobal na scoile, agus an oiread dóchais, oibre agus ionchais ag teacht le chéile in aon mhaidin amháin.
Cé go bhfuil tábhacht leis na torthaí, is maith a choinneáil i gcuimhne nach iad a insíonn dúinn cén sórt duine atá ionainn. Tá rudaí i bhfad níos tábhachtaí sa saol ná pointí, cúrsaí nó fiú an obair a dhéanfaidh muid amach anseo. Sa deireadh thiar thall, is é an cineál duine atá ionainn is mó atá i gceist. Is sa mhaitheas atá inár gcroí, sa chineáltas a léiríonn muid do dhaoine eile, sa chairdeas, sa mhisneach agus san fhlaithiúlacht atá rún an tsaoil mhaith le fáil.
Guím go mbeidh an maitheas sin go fairsing ionaibh agus go bhfásfaidh sé libh sna blianta atá romhaibh. Bíodh muinín agaibh freisin as na buaanna atá tugtha ag Dia daoibh -buaanna nach féidir le scrúdú ar bith a mheas.
Tugaimid buíochas ar leith as ár scoileanna Caitliceacha, agus as na múinteoirí, na príomhoidí, foirne na scoileanna agus na teaghlaigh a bhí taobh lenár ndaoine óga i gcaitheamh na mblianta seo. Ba chuid thábhachtach den turas an spreagadh, an fhoighne agus an cúram a thug siad dóibh.
Beidh áthas mór ar chuid agaibh amárach agus osclófar doras a raibh sibh ag súil leis le fada. Do chuid eile, seans go mbeidh rudaí difriúil ón méid a bhí sibh ag súil leis. Tá go leor bealaí tríd an saol, agus uaireanta is é an bealach nach raibh súil againn leis a thugann muid chuig deiseanna nach bhféadfaimis a shamhlú roimh ré.
Ar an oíche roimh Lá Thorthaí na hArdteiste, is féidir linn misneach a fháil i bhfocail Julian of Norwich:
“Beidh gach uile ní go maith, agus beidh gach uile ní go maith, agus beidh gach uile chineál ní go maith.”
Go dtuga na focail sin dóchas agus misneach daoibh agus sibh ag féachaint chun an lae amárach agus chun na todhchaí atá Dia ag cur romhaibh.