2020 has been an odd year and so I welcome the students of the Saint Mary School class of 2020 who finally have their 8th grade graduation today as well as their families and friends who are able to join us. When it became apparent that holding graduation at the normally scheduled time was impossible the decision was made to hold this graduation on August 15th with the hope that we could be past our hardships. Despite that hope we must still practice social distancing and our graduation has been pushed outside due to the size of this class, but thankfully your graduation ceremony will still be able to take place.
August 15th was chosen for it is on August 15th that the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. This is a fitting day for we are a Marian parish and school and this is a Marian celebration. It is also fitting because our Blessed Mother is assumed into Heaven as each of you move on from this stage in your life to the next. Hopefully, as you move on from this school each of you will continue to foster devotion to the Blessed Mother. Devotion to her always leads us back to her Son, Jesus Christ.
Our reading from the Prophet Isaiah reminded that “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” Thus I must remind that each of you have a home in the Church. At your baptism you where greeted by the priest at the doors of the church and brought into the church. This serves as a reminder that through the waters of baptism you who were once outside of the church were received into the church. So too the church is a place a refuge for each of you, but sadly many allow themself to become too busy to enter into these hallowed walls.
We must realize that our life its full of transition. One day you are pre-k and before you know it you are in 8th grade. From here you move onto high school and before you know it you will be making the transition to college. Your parents may be filled with fear at this thought of your eventual growing up and independence, but it will indeed come. No matter the transition and change that we are to make let us never leave behind the church and all that she teaches us. Each of you have been provided an education in not just any school, but in a Catholic school. You have been taught not only run of the mill things such as mathematics and science, but about morality and thus to the pursuit of virtue in your daily life.
As you leave behind this school please remember the importance that God plays in our life. It is my hope that each of you will continue to learn which includes investing yourself in the Catholic faith. Make sure to never become too busy to enter into prayer and please make sure to attend Mass each and every week. As you depart from here your life will be filled with many joys, but there will also be struggles. In the midst of these joys and hardships again remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah: “my house shall be called a house of prayer.”
