HOMILY ST THERESE’S YEAR 6 GRADUATION LITURGY
MONDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2024
Mt 5.13-16 Gal 5. 13-26?
I am sure there’s much to be thankful for, particularly in terms of friendships formed and happy times together, with the ups and downs of life that have gone with that too, at school, home and elsewhere.
David has shared with me some of the highlights of this last year, of which there are too many to mention, but your support for Vinnies, and the Christmas Appeal fundraising are worth highlighting, and your time with Preps as Buddies, along with various other celebrations, and of course, sporting activities, which have all gone to making a vibrant and happy community of not just learning, but of service to the broader community as well.
Catholic education gives you a good base for understanding the Gospel message of Jesus as a very positive and fulfilling way of living life well and happily. We surely know that a life based on selfishness and greed, with a determination to not let others get in our way is not a happy one. Jesus reminds us of the need to love others, in all the dimensions of that word, which can mean so many things.
We start with family, where we can easily take the sacrifices our parents and carers make, in providing us with a nurturing environment, security, comfort and encouragement, giving us a good start in achieving our potential. Then there is friendship, developed over our years of growth and development.
This time of year in Advent, John the Baptist gets a bit of profile. He stars in the 1971 musical Godspell, blowing his horn, entering out of the darkness, and singing his memorable song: “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”! highlighting the relevance importance of the life and message of Jesus.
Now John he gives some practical instructions about how to prepare the way of the Lord, in down to earth terms about caring for others, ahead of the arrival of Jesus, who goes on to emphasise much the same things. Concern for others, not just oneself is where it starts, not that we don’t have our own needs and a right to think of ourselves, but to look beyond ourselves, concerned that others get a ‘fair go’, as we might say, as well.
This is where today’s Gospel, with the down to earth examples of salt and light Jesus uses, (you’ll learn more about them if you do chemistry and physics!), remind us of the need to lead by example and let our lights shine, in using our gifts and talents for the benefit of others, as people of service. You have provided great leadership this year as our senior students. Next year, it’s an interesting change, back to being the junior students in secondary school, but it’s time to move on!
Salt was used as a preservative back then, when refrigeration was not even thought of, and it added flavour to food, so it reflects our call to be enthusiastic people in enjoying life and doing your best, as you’ve done pretty well this year, in making such a positive contribution to life at St Therese’s over your up to 7 years here. Where did it go?
And as for light, there was no electricity way back there, so when the sun set, the candles and lanterns came out, so life could go on after dark. Our symbol of the Easter candle is a reminder of a call to live in the light and love of Jesus and to share it, to choose to do good and make this world a better place, by continuing on as his followers and friends.
Also, we hear Paul encouraging the Christian community in Galatia, and so you and me, to be happy, in the way we take the message of Jesus to heart and share his love with others, again in practical ways of compassion and service, accepting diversity, working through our differences with respect and offering forgiveness when things have gone wrong, not taking each other for granted, and being grateful for life and love and friendship.
The fruits of the Spirit are simple and clear, as you learned prior to Confirmation, challenged to produce those fruits as “love, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. This pretty much sums up Jesus’ basic message of living life well, and so finding happiness and fulfilment as we face life’s challenges, with a little help from or friends along the way.
And now, as for your own experiences, the way you’ve come through those 2 difficult and challenging years of COVID in 2020 and 2021 has demonstrated that you. and we all, can adapt to new situations and engage with others in different ways than we were used to before.
Growth in life and nature is such a wonderful thing, and we can almost take it for granted, but it keeps happening, as the seasons change and come and go, as we keep growing and changing and learning too. Jesus keeps telling us to open our eyes and ears to the wonderful world around us, to appreciate it, give thanks for it, and to look after it.
Now my story for our theme today, “I Knew You Could: A Book for All the Stops in Your Life” (by Craig Dorfman and Cristina Ong), about the wide diversity in ourselvcs, our personalities and our talents, there to be drawn out in each of us, which is what education is all about, and makes us who we are.
Meanwhile, let’s be grateful for life, love, family, friends, school, teachers and support staff, sport, music, dance, and whatever else we are up to and involved in, as we celebrate together, with those mixed feelings of looking forward and back, while enjoying the present.
A Happy and safe Christmas and New Year in 2025 to all.
john hannon 16th December 2024