“VIRTUS ET LABOR” / VIRTUE AND LABOUR
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“The School Emblem is a fine piece of art in itself and speaks volumes to anyone who looks at it attentively. ‘Virtus et Labor‘ our motto and watchword is at the top of the emblem, and as our gaze gets focused on these words, we realise their power, so rich and limitless in their meaning. The colour and hue of the emblem is beautifully blended with Blue and Gold: overcome the blues of life and conquer its golden heights.
The SCHOOL SONG is a poem written to explain the Philosophy and meaning of the school emblem. Virtue takes precedence over work, discipline takes a leap ahead of Labour and Achievement. ‘Virtue is the theme of praise.‘ Labour without virtue is dead, but virtue coupled with labour is Gold. ‘The Blue and the Gold shall be our pride‘. At the lower half of the emblem we see the beehive built on rocks, which represents the School, a HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
The bees are the Past and Present Students; some are moving in while others are moving out… ‘Old Boys and new, we do fashion so tightly, enduring links of one long chain.‘ Montfort is journeying through time, in the ‘life that is fleeting‘. Montfort is represented as the beehive on the picturesque Shevroy hills, interlaced with streams, rocks, and rare fauna and flora. It is not just a place where the children grow merely in size, nor even in knowledge, but in inquisitiveness, independence, courage, confidence, resourcefulness, resilience, patience, competence and understanding.
The Star above the beehive represents ‘WISDOM’ in all its manifold dimensions that guide us from Above: ‘Shedding His Light on our way’, and with ‘Heaven for our Guide.‘ It also represents Christ the Saviour who is a lamp in our steps and a light on our path, challenging every Montfortian to rise and sparkle like stars in heaven, shining eternally with limitless energy, to achieve and to accomplish, bringing light and life to our fellowmen living ‘far and wide’.
The two letters D + S with a cross in the middle stand for ‘Dieu Seul’ in French and are the watch words of our patron St. Montfort. It means GOD ALONE. Montfort considered God as the ultimate end of all our ‘being’ and all our ‘living’. “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already present in man.” This perfection can be realized only in as much as we pursue HIM, the God who eludes our discoveries within the boundaries of mere human knowledge. Beyond the bookish lessons, text books and examinations, we have to discover GOD who ALONE can awaken and enlighten us. Without Him, all our learning and knowledge will be of no worth.
The Cross in our Emblem reminds us of the sufferings, struggles and difficulties we have to face in order to achieve success and wholeness. The vicissitudes of life are opportunities to achieve: the self sacrificing bees toil hard, searching ‘far and wide‘, to sweeten the lives of others.
The floral garland around the protecting shield points to the reward and the crown of glory that awaits every Montfortian who runs the race with perseverance. There is much more in the emblem left to be still discovered by each Montfortian. May GOD ALONE be our Light and our Guide!
