Graduation 2019

S t. John’s Gospel speaks often about the importance of maintaining a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Learning about that, doing that is the purpose of Catholic education – the purpose of the last four years you have spent in Catholic high school.

I want to focus your attention on words spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ himself on the night before he died, what is called by Bible scholars as the “Last Discourse.” If you believe in him, truly believe, these words, his words, should be something you also believe. They are his “last will,” part of his final message at the Last Supper.

People are fascinated by learning a person’s conscious “last words.” I emphasize “conscious” because they are considered to be an effort on the part of the “conscious” person to share what is on his/her mind as life comes to an end, a message to be remembered. What did he or she say? What were his/her last words?

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J une is the time when graduates respond with an ebullient, carefree spirit recognizing the joy-filled completion of 12-plus years of education. It is also the time when a defined tug is experienced on the heartstrings of parents, accentuating the rapid passage of time, the unfolding of new explorations, discoveries and continued soul-searching for their child. It is a time in which school traditions are honored and take on a meaning and a rite of passage, a connection with former alums.

Baccalaureate Masses and graduation exercises exemplify a personal stamp reflecting the individuality and culture of each high school. It may be experienced in the lighting of the alumni candle with family members who salute the same alma mater. It may be reflected in the procession of the 50th anniversary class appearing to be lost in thought recalling their youthful days. Have they really grown up? It is a time for family and friends to become absorbed in the strains and formidable talents of the choir and orchestra. It is a reflective time as former graduates return to deliver commencement speeches accentuated with experience and personal advice. It is a time to remember, to embrace the familiar and to welcome the unfamiliar yet to be experienced.

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