Address to the Friar Society

(Speech!)

Good Morning, Friars

I am very honored and glad to be here. And since I have heard of my acceptance a couple of weeks ago, I’ve had some time to reflect on this society that I have become apart of. According to our website [The Friar Society], friars are “distinguished by their vows of absolute poverty and renunciation of all worldly pleasures.”

From reading that, I have to admit to you all that I have a LONG way to go.

And I realize that the idea of “renunicating all worldly pleasures” may seem a little extreme for us, and I’m not going to try force everyone in hear to take that vow today, but I would like to talk about how worldly pleasures have affected me.

As far as SERVICE, I know that all of us in here have done good deeds for other people. Someone, somewhere, has been positively influenced, whether they know it or not, by our actions, our money, or our time. But despite my record of service, I know that I have a lot of more work to do towards being the best citizen that I can be, the best friar I can be. Even looking back at my work on campus, I can’t help but think of how much more effective I could have been.
So I ask myself:

What stopped me from expanding my tutoring programs to ensure that more high-school students passed the TAKs test?

What stopped me from mentoring more African-American male freshmen who I’ve seen first-hand get discouraged and eventually drop out of college?

What stopped me from taking the National Society of Black Engineers to next level in achieving our organizational mission?

Referring to what Friar Ratliff stated yesterday, the University of Texas has truly opened my eyes. Being at this University has allowed me to become more conscious of many of the worlds issues that have yet to be resolved. And it seems that the more I learn about the state of our community and its history….the more I learn about myself and what I care about.

I’ll have to say that one of the effects of learning such things is that it really matures you and shapes you further into the person you’re ultimately going to be.

Looking at the world, we all know there is a lot of work to be don Poverty, Hunger, Discrimination, etc. We all know this. I know this. But now what?

SO I ask myself:

What makes me turn a deaf ear to these issues I hear about daily?

What makes me disregard issues that I say I care about until a time more convenient for me?

Now I can only speak for myself, but it is those worldly pleasures and selfish motives that impede my drive to help and influence others. Friars resisted all worldly pleasures to allow them to serve the community most effectively.

I want to that Friar.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but the message that I would like to provide today is that as friars, if we’re not going to repudiate our we worldly pleasures, then we at least need to keep in them check. We shouldn’t take our successes and comforts for granted. And I believe that the more often we appreciate and reflect on the “pleasures” we do have, we closer will we move towards the Friar’s vow.

As I said before, I still have a long way to go towards reaches that ideal of humility and consciousness. But for now, I realize that that is the goal I have to achieve to best serve my community.

Friars have always been trusted to set the standard and live up to it daily. I realize that the “renunciation of all worldly pleasures” may seem like quite an overwhelming task to take on for a lifetime, especially in our culture. But I believe it is important for us, as Friars to realize the effect that the “worldly pleasures” have in on the impact service to the community. I realize that if I want to change the world for the better, I’m going to have to change myself.

As the University’s motto stats, “What starts here, changes the world”. Well, the University has done about all the change it can for me, if not, I have quite a month ahead of me, but other wise the rest of the change is up me.

~ by justinfication on November 19, 2008.