JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN
15 responsible human beings and good citizens , I would have fulfilled my role as this ‘ elder brother ’.”
When asked about what kind of person he hopes his students will become , he emphasises good character as an important trait . ‘ I certainly want them to do well in their studies because they need to get a good job so they can look after their families . But also the character of a person is very important to me ; the sense of honesty , integrity and resilience . Also , my wish is for every student who goes through our schools to be a man or woman who looks after others , it would be great to see our Lasallians giving back to the needy in society later on in life . I think that would be a good test for our Lasallian formation that we give them .’
In Singapore and around the world , the number of Lasallian brothers is dwindling . This , however , does not faze Brother Nicholas as much as one might expect it to . ‘ There are two things I need to raise here . Firstly , we have many good teachers in our schools , we call them Lasallian educators , and they carry on the mission of our founder . Because there are so few brothers , really the work of LaSalle continues in the work of our educators and they are very important . At the same time , we need to have more brothers , we ought to try harder to invite more young men to join us as brothers . And I want to repeat that this vocation as a brother is very fulfilling , it is a gift that God has given us and you ’ ll never regret it . For our partners , it ’ s also a vocation for them to carry on the work of LaSalle as lay teachers . So while it ’ s true that the number of brothers in world has fallen , the work in schools and education centres around the world has increased so God is doing something . But , yes , we do need more brothers , and you should consider , Gregory .’
I offered a nervous chuckle and quickly changed the subject .
Many readers , especially young men who are considering religious life , would be curious to know what a day in the life of a Lasallian brother is like . Brother Nicholas was happy to take us through his usual routine . ‘ In our community here , we have morning prayer at 5:30 am , followed by meditation . Then we attend the morning weekday mass at Holy Family Church at 6:15 am . We come back by about 7:00 am , then I join the boys here at 7:05 am for a short prayer . Then the school day runs until about 5:00 pm when we have our evening prayer and meal , we discuss about the day ’ s events , I sleep at about 10:30 pm and the next day comes along .’
Despite this seemingly mundane routine , Brother was quick to assure me that his days never feel as dull as they sound . ‘ I find great meaning in being a brother and being in the classroom with the students . Especially when the old boys come back and you see how they ’ ve grown and matured so much and you wonder , “ Did I really have a role in their growing up ?” We ’ ve done just a small part for them and they turn out to be such fine young men . This gives you a great sense of fulfilment and I thank God for this , each student is so unique and special in God ’ s eyes . Of course some days it can be tiring when there is a difficult day in class , students being difficult or things not going according to plan , there are ups and downs . But having brothers in the community for help and support is something I really appreciate . In the evening , when we share our day ’ s events , it really helps and I always feel supported by the brothers in the community .’
Sitting next to Brother Nicholas , one cannot doubt that there is truth in what he says . He exudes a sense of calmness and fulfilment that you would not expect from someone who lives their life surrounded by secondary school boys . And yet , Brother Nicholas Seet exists as a testament to the strength of God he so often references .
... we need to have more brothers , we ought to try harder to invite more young men to join us as brothers . And I want to repeat that this vocation as a brother is very fulfilling , it is a gift that God has given us and you ’ ll never regret it .
Facing page : Bro Nicholas Seet
This page ( bottom ): Brothers John Fernando , Nicholas Seet , Collin Wee , Kelvin Tan , Thomas Lavin , Gregory Thomas , Kennedy , Paul Ho , Edmundo Fernandez , Lawrence Humphrey and Jason Blaikie