A reading from the Gospel according to John

Transcription

1 Gospel Reading at the 2011 Baccalaureate Mass A reading from the Gospel according to John ALL: Glory to You, Lord (John 17: 17-26) Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth. I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them." The Gospel of the Lord. ALL: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Homily at the 2011 Baccalaureate Mass

2 The distinguished Shakespearean Actor, Sir John Gielgud, once appeared in a television commercial for a notable winery. In the commercial, we see a well-turned-out entourage of art connoisseurs passing through a gallery, stopping to chat with the artists standing at their booths with their paintings. Gielgud and the others arrive at one booth and stop. He notices a large canvas on which there are heavy blotches of paint. He says, Interesting. The young painter says, Would you believe that I did this in only a minute and a half? Gielgud peers at the painting, then looks to the young gentleman, and says, Yes. I would. Whereupon the vintner advertises the preparation and aging of their wines. There does come a point when college preparatory segues to a more self-directed and independent, more specialized, life preparatory stage. A time of readiness, but a time for reflection. St. Paul outlines the importance of unity from diversity. Our National Founders selected the motto, E Pluribus, Unum. From many, one. The Liturgy Committee of your graduating class chose this motto as an apt description of the spirit of your Class of From many backgrounds, experiences, personalities, initial cares one. In the first reading which Alexis has read for us, St. Paul gives us the background in which this unity is needed, and proposes a

3 more perfect way, a culmination of this unity. Paul goes on in the Letter to say that from many gifts there will come one to be shared by all, a deeper Charity. He makes it clear that this Love is to be transcendent, a human reflection of a Love greater than human alone, that comes directly from God. We are to participate in a mysterious, wondrous way, in God s Love for us. We will dwell in this Love; it will shape our lives; like fine wine, we will mature in goodness and in the process we will experience a deeper more abiding happiness. St. John, who wrote our Gospel passage, was quite aware that a search for one ultimate reality from many differences and standpoints, was much on the minds of educated people of his time. He presents Christ as this one beginning and finality, the Alpha and Omega. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God so John wrote in his prologue. We can live in the world, remaining different from one another, never really knowing each another, monads, unrelated parts of a many; or can we converge, find a common point of who and what we are. That you have begun this in your years at Chaminade is what your Liturgy Committee came to, in thinking of a theme for this Baccalaureate, your last formal time to pray together as a

4 graduating class. So we pray today in thanks for this sense of coming together and of being of one heart. The challenge to retain such an attitude does come before you now. A key starting point is Faith. Formation in Faith has been integral in your Chaminade experience, evident everywhere in the culture of our school. As an environment, this will now change fast. But you are well capable of going beyond the slapdash ciphers that will be presented to you as parts of true Art, true Science, Philosophy, Psychology or Religion. We deal today with a pluralistic condition that does not judge qualitatively; where it is all too often politically correct to say things are, which aren t. To call things fine or at least acceptable, that really aren t. Necessary, that are not. True, or good, or beautiful, that really are not. Yours it is going to be, to participate in the tastevin to discern the finer wine. When our Nation s Founders chose, E Pluribus Unum, they presumed a unity in all knowledge and truth, and a potential unity of all peoples. Chaminade Preparatory cannot pretend to have shown you perfectly the better way of Charity that St. Paul says begins with unity out of diversity. But we have tried. And you yourselves have emulated it in one another.

5 In the Gospel from Our Lord s Farewell Discourse, marvelously told from living memory by the youngest Apostle, John, we hear Jesus saying, we are to be a reflection of his own unity with God the Father. This unity with God is the hallmark of the Judeo-Christian messianic tradition, to be able to talk with God to pray, and then love as God loves, in an extended family of Faith. This takes on a special warmth in a Marianist school, with a focus, poetic but real, on the readiness of Mary of Nazareth, to hear the Word of God and follow it, to bring into the world, that One who is now calling us, guiding us. And to us Mary says, Do whatever he tells you. Jesus in turn tells us to become one human family. From many, one. What a wonderful philosophy to take into your college years. We do not find this universally, univocally, in the market place, the public forum, on all library shelves or every nanobyte of cyberspace, or every playing field or every theater or TV script. Nor can we claim that universal caring and charity is the desire or goal, or even the belief of all people. So we discern and embrace communities and circumstances that lead to that mature Omega Point Christians believe is Christ, and all in the Judeo-Christian tradition believe is unity with God. It is to this same effect that we as Americans pledge allegiance to one nation, under God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all. St. Paul makes it

6 clear, we do not lose, but fully realize, our individuality, when we become one in mind and heart, companionship and love. Chaminade Preparatory sees in you, the Class of 2011, a beautiful and united, caring, warm-hearted, affirming and optimistic example of this, as a graduating class. If any of you were to ask us as in the TV commercial, Would you believe that we have spent long hours, many days, retreats, times of all kinds in family, with friends, teachers, coaches and counselors; in studies, games, plays, songs, activities, assemblies, indeed prayer, from Eagle s Nest to Eaglemania in every way growing, maturing, so we could arrive at this point in our lives? We d look toward you, reflect but a moment, and then say very confidently, Yes, we would. Laus Deo.