“’To love and to serve’ we give life’s meaning. In all things we find God’s face. As we spark or fire with passion, we become vessels of God’s grace. ‘To love and to serve’ we’ll grow discerning, for the greater glory of God. Let our young hearts grow in compassion as we love and serve in all things.”
This is the chorus of the newest Ateneo de Iloilo-SMCS graduation and moving-up rites song aptly entitled “To Love and To Serve.” Composed by Music Teacher Renan Flores, this tailor-made piece was inspired by the musician’s “joyful experience in school, most especially with the students.”
“I thought of creating a song to reminisce about the gladness, awe, and wonder of school life in the Ateneo. Also seeing every day the Jesuit mantras embedded on the walls such as Finding God in Things, and Cura Personalis, among others, is enough to inspire me to write down the lyrics and compose the melody of the song.”
With the green light from School President Fr. Joseph Raymund Patrick Sanchez, SJ, this song becomes the default graduation song for our Grade 12 students and moving-up song for our Kinder, Grade 6, and Grade 10 students. Just like the usual, though, a batch may also compose, propose, and/or perform their own song during their rites, if deemed necessary.
“Upon writing the texts of the song, the first concept that came to my mind is to incorporate the core values of the school, something that will remind an Atenean to hold a grip of the very roots of their identity; and that it is a continuous journey to find the beauty of God’s love and to become the beacon of light in a world that needs compassion,” Flores said, adding “it is also inspired by the school’s motto ‘In Omnibus Amare et Servire’ and hymn ‘Amare et Servire’ by Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ.”
According to Flores, the “born out of love” song was “composed with an oddly satisfying chord progression.” He said: “I felt that everything just fell in the right place…I am hoping that the song does not end being sung only on big occasions. I wish that it will ring on every Atenean’s hearts everyday as they take their life’s journey to love and to serve…Furthermore, I hope that this will inspire a ‘battalion’ more students to write songs that glorify God.”
Flores, a former coordinator for a special program for the arts in DepEd La Union, now teaches music in junior high school in the Ateneo. A pianist, vocal coach, composer, and winning choirmaster, he is currently finishing his post-graduate degree in music and has been teaching music in school for six years. His recent achievement was the publication of his two art song compositions by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2019 and 2020. The “To love and to serve” song, to note, was digitally orchestrated by alumnus Joao Amado Solas who teaches music in Ateneo grade school. #/HML
TO LOVE AND TO SERVE LYRICS
Lyrics, Melody, and Rendition by Renan Flores
Orchestrated by Joao Amado Solas
In a world that needs compassion
We ignite a ray of hope
We journey to be persons for others
And share what is good and what’s true
As we desire to give our best
And offer our God-given gifts
We will grow with love and respect
With Christ as our guide in this quest
To love and to serve we give life’s meaning
In all things we find God’s face
As we spark or fire with passion, we become vessels of God’s grace
To love and to serve we’ll grow discerning, for the greater glory of God
Let our young hearts grow in compassion
As we love and serve in all things
As we become aware of life
We will keep our mission alive
To do more without counting the cost
To be generous, to be caring to all
To love and to serve we give life’s meaning
In all things we find God’s face
As we spark or fire with passion, we become vessels of God’s grace
To love and to serve we’ll grow discerning, for the greater glory of God
Let our young hearts grow in compassion
As we love and serve in all things
We will grow as our Lord God has formed us
We will live a culture of faith
We will shine with the name Ateneo
And carry its blue and white
To love and to serve we give life’s meaning
In all things we find God’s face
We shall grow with our hearts discerning
For the greater glory of God
Let our young hearts grow in compassion
As we love and serve in all things
