“Now , indeed I know you are a person from God!”
Last Friday was the last day of school for 2012-2013. On Friday, 5/31/2013 our eighth graders graduated from, for most, 9 years of education at St. Brendan’s. As they reflected upon their time here, they were full of gratitude for the education and athletic achievements allowed from the experience. They were full of gratitude for their parents, their teachers and each other. As I sat there with Archbishop Niederauer, Principal Carol Grewal and Father Dan, Pastor, watching and hearing their remarks, I felt as though I was sitting in the wrong place. I felt that I should have been with the grateful graduates who so clearly articulated their feelings of achievement and gratitude at their matriculation through St. Brendan School. I am certain these remarks will have been echoed by our school-children as they close out the 2012-2013 school year.
When we are invited to an undertaking, we are at first full of hope and concern. As we are in the middle of the project, our confidence builds and we become increasingly confident as we encounter hurdles and best them and continue to progress. Such is not only the way of school, but it is the way of life. Imagine the people present for our First Reading and Gospel- invited to believe and follow God as they literally saw the dead raised to new life. Perhaps spiritually, we are not confident. But we do have core values. We begin with where we are, just as our school children have done. What gifts we possess quickly become evident as we try to build upon them with learning efforts. What challenges us and requires more work than perhaps our peers, also becomes evident. We are then faced with a choice-the first is to accept our gifts with grace and accept our weaknesses as well with the resolve to put in needed extra work. The alternative is to stay in our rut and trumpet our victories while bemoaning our failures. The latter is the way of the world where responsibility is not embraced.
We are called to victory over our weaknesses, over worldly allure by our faith. Believing in God and living the sacramental life will relieve us and enliven us with spiritual life and belief as it did the characters present in our Scripture readings today. Just as at graduation there are proud people who love us glad for the effort that allowed achievement for our graduates and school-children, we are called to do so in faith. From the proud and loving looks of parents, one could not determine grades achieved, but I saw pride in the trying.
Personally, I relate to this call to believe. I am being called to serve another parish but doing so involves cost, the greatest is that of leaving the people I have come to love deeply as if you were all of my own blood, the people of St. Brendan parish. To those I must leave, you will never leave my heart and my prayer for you is to embrace my replacement just as you did me. For it was in that act of Christian love that my belief in Christ was edified. I know that you and your families are all people through whom God works. I know indeed that “You are persons from God!” May God bless you always, wherever your travels take you!
Fr. Mike
