A Graduation Homily for the Class of 2016
St. Therese School, Succasunna, NJ
June 8th, 2016
Sirach 51: 13-19; Philippians 1: 3-11; John 17:11b, 17-24b
Let me begin my homily by first expressing my congratulations to our graduates, St. Therese’s Class of 2016. Congratulations, as well, to your parents, to Mrs. Gargin, and the rest of of the faculty, to Mrs. Hirschfeld, all who got you to this point in your life! Each of you has labored hard, each in your own way, to reach this milestone in your lives which we now seek to commemorate in a fitting way in this liturgy.
He lives in you
He lives in me
He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you
Graduates, do you remember those words. You should. You heard them four weeks ago during your class trip to see the Broadway production of THE LION KING. The words are sung immediately after Rafiki tells Simba:
"I know your father.”
"My father is dead," answers Simba.
"Nope! He's alive. I'll show him to you." The baboon then leads Simba to a pool of clear water. "Look down there."
“That's not my father. That's just my reflection,” Simba says.
Rifiki bids him, “No. Look harder.”
And when Simba looks harder, he sees not his own face staring back at him, but the reflection of Mufasa, his father.
“You see, he lives in you!" says Rafiki.
Simba then hears a familiar voice call his name. He looks up. His father's image appears among the stars.
“You have forgotten who you are . . . Look inside yourself . . . You are more than what you have become" says the apparition . . . "You must take your place in the circle of life. Remember who you are!"
The Gospel that I chose for your graduation mass this morning is from the Last Super Discourses in John’s Gospel. It’s part of Jesus’ farewell address to his Apostles . . . the last things he wanted to tell them . . . the things he wanted them to remember . . . the things he never wanted them to forget. And, in a sense, like Rafiki, Jesus bids them to look at their reflection, to look beyond appearances to see truth. And in his prayer to his Father, he reveals that truth to them: that as his Father is one with him, he is one with them. “YOU IN ME. I IN THEM.”
Graduates, when you look at your reflection, who do you see? All too often we see just ourselves, our physical features, our natural abilities. Sometimes the mirror we look into is like a carnival mirror and what’s reflected back is a false and distorted image of who we are, one that magnifies our inadequacies and our deficiencies. But Jesus tells us that when we look at into the mirror, we, like his Apostles, should see HIM.
- “You in Me. I in Them.” - This is Jesus’ message of good news for us today.
- “You in Me. I in Them.” - You are the reflection of God’s love, his mercy, his goodness, his faithfulness, his purity, his selflessness, his generosity, his kindness, his gentleness.
- “You in Me. I in Them.” - You are the beloved child of God, blessed and called to be the person that you already are in the mind of the One who created you.
- “You in Me. I in Them.” - You are made in the image of God. You were made to be God’s sons and daughters, and when you act from that identity, you act in accord with who you were made to be.
- “You in Me. I in Them.” - You are a child of God and that relationship is primary, secure, unbreakable, and eternal.
What is it for Jesus to be IN us? We can get some idea of it from a popular phrase we use today. We speak of people really "getting into" something, “into” a job, “into” a sport, “into” trouble. To get into something is to make it your own, to intertwine your deepest self with it. With the Father being “in” Jesus and Jesus being “in” us, Jesus promises us that kind of closeness with God. Think of it - God "getting into" you! We're not just talking about a vague influence. We're not speaking about some hazy inspirational strength that one would gain from the memory of Christ and his example on earth. It’s far deeper, far closer, far more mysterious, far more intimate than that.
God is alive in each one of us but sometimes we can be so worried about what the world thinks that we forget that God made us beautiful, in his image, just the way we are meant to be. Sometimes we let the world define us, we let it tell us who we are, who we should be, what we need to have to be happy, and what we need to do to be a success. Sometimes, amid the stresses and busyness of life we forget who we are and therefore we don’t realize what we can be. It’s very hard to be yourself when you have forgotten who you are, and like Simba, sometimes we need to be reminded. Just as Simba was encouraged to take another look to see his father in him, you need to take another look and see the greater one in you - Christ! With Christ living in you, with his ability on your ability, with his wisdom and guidance, you have everything you need to fulfill the plans he has for you. God will be glorified not by what you bring to the table but by what he can do through you.
Most graduation speeches encourage graduates to follow their dreams, their desires, their passions; to go out and make the world the place they want it to be. But today, I challenge you instead to something different – to follow Jesus. Make the world the place he has designed it to be. Follow his dreams, desires, and Passion for you. Make the world a place where Jesus is present and welcomed. Follow Jesus in all things and in all ways and you might just discover a world that can be pretty great, a world that reaches beyond the dreams and desires of what you want, a world that is more than just efficient, creative, technologically advanced, and highly educated. You might just find the world that God and everybody wants - a world filled with Love, Justice, Mercy and Peace.
Isa, Tyler, Dana, Katie, Lucas, Brian, Madison, Albert, Patryk, Sebastian, Michael, Matt, Michael, Skyler, Will, Madeline, Robert, Natalia, and Ethan, you have heard me say that you are my favorite class, and indeed you are. You have heard me say that I love you, and indeed I do. I see your potential . . . I see hope . . . I can see what I see because I KNOW who you are: God’s beloved sons and daughters. Never forget your inherent dignity, your greatness. I see all the things with which God has blessed your life: your personality, your intelligence, your talents, your goodness, your compassion, your faith, your values. Never forget your responsibility to now take all of that to Morris Catholic, Pope John, Seton Hall Prep, and Roxbury, Mount Olive, Morris Hills, and Lenape Valley High Schools. And through your love and compassion, your mercy and generosity, your hope and sincerity, demonstrate WHO you are and WHOSE you are. You never have to feel afraid. Never have to feel lonely. Never have to feel like you go it alone. Never have to feel that you’re not good enough. Never have to feel that you can’t get past your mistakes and failures. For the One who created you, loves you, inspires you and empowers you is within you. He’s as close to you as your mind, your heart, and your soul. Your life as a student of St. Therese’s School is ending, but your lives in Christ continue. Today we send you into the world. May you bless it with your goodness, respect it with your kindness, serve it with your heart, and care for it with your compassion.
He lives in you
He lives in me
He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you
Class of 2016, REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!
