“May theskdjhfh of hope fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit you may be rich in hope.” – Romans 15:13
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May 13, 2020From Fr. DePalma:
With the pandemic changing most everything about our lives, we cannot forget those who were looking forward to celebrations of their achievements--our high school and college seniors. Now some of our seniors may not be too fazed by not being able to go to a big public graduation ceremony as they are just happy that they have graduated! But even for those who were so greatly looking forward to capping off their years in school with a big ceremony and parties, this is still a rite of passage for our young people. Despite the fact that we are living in a time of social distancing and quarantine, we can all still be very proud of our seniors and of their accomplishments. But let us all offer to our graduates and to all of of young people the opportunity to do a few things.
First, we have to give them the chance if they haven't already done so, to vent their frustration. Yes, it wasn't supposed to be this way. But they still made it, they still graduated, but we have to be able to respect their feelings of frustration and even of anger.
Second, for those seniors, whether in high school or in college, contact us here at LoboCatholic so that we can post your accomplishments and where you might be headed off to college, or for our college grads, what plans you may have for the future. This way we all can honor you and of course keep you all in our prayers.
Third, we need to let all of our seniors know that despite the fact that we don't know for sure what the future holds in store for us, we have to be honest: did we ever really know? So much of life is day by day. But those days add up and take us with God's blessing to where we need to be. We need to make our young people become aware that they are not alone, that they are not only extraordinarily special to us, but that they are infinitely dignified and appreciated in the sight of God. So here is a prayer of blessing for our graduates, and may we all keep them in our thoughts, in our hearts and in our prayers:
Our Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for all who graduate from high school and college this time of the year. You have blessed them during their years in school with wisdom, friendships, and skills. May you continue to challenge them to make this world a better place because of their education, experience and their faith in you.
Help them to look forward to their next steps: continuing in their education or entering the work place. In particular, help those who are looking for employment that they will find a job suitable to their education. Give them faith, peace, confidence and a strong sense of purpose in their next steps and in the upcoming years. Show them how to serve others in effective ways. And may they be always be aware that in everything they do, that they will find fulfillment in doing your will, that you will be with them always, and that you will bring to completion the good work you have begun in them.
Amen.
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