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May 17, 2008
Belmont Abbey College
Baccalaureate Mass
Isaiah, 61:1-3; 6, 8-9.
1 Corinthians 12:4-13
Matthew 5:1-12
Bishop Burbidge gives Abbey community a homily worth remembering.
Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh was given an honorary degree at the Abbey’s 130th Commencement exercises this year and served as celebrant and homilist for the Baccalaureate Mass.
At this time of year, graduates hear much advice and receive many suggestions regarding how they can go forth and transform the world. Yet, there is no need to complicate the matter. Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, in his address to young adults during his recent historic pastoral visit to the United States, spoke clearly to you and to all graduates on how you, ever dependent on God, can have the greatest impact. He asked you to remember that “You are Christ’s disciples today” and challenged you to “Shine His light upon your great city and beyond; to show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you and to tell others about the truth that sets you free.” As you go forth, dear graduates, remember especially to “take courage” because, as the Lord promised, the Spirit of God will be with you until the end of time. The Holy Father also reminds you that you will only be able to transform the world if you “Stay in the hands of Jesus and give Him yours.” I ask you, dear graduates, to embrace these words in a special way.
With great joy I congratulate you who are graduating, your parents, relatives and friends. I also congratulate the monastic community, the college administration and faculty and all who have nurtured your education and formation in the Gospel during your years here. And I give praise to Almighty God, who has blessed you in so many ways. I pray that you might now be inspired by that same God to enter into a life of joy-filled service to others, along the path given each of you by God, and for which you have been preparing in these college years.
As the Bishop of Raleigh and a native son of Pennsylvania, I come to this holy ground with special gratitude and anticipation. For here are buried your pioneers, the founding fathers of this abbey and college, who came from the first Benedictine monastery in the United States, Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in order to establish a priory in 1876. And ever since, this vibrant community of religious and intellectual life has been marvelously intertwined with the story of Catholicism in North Carolina and the life of the Diocese of Raleigh, founded in 1924. I am honored to be here among you.
What a blessing to have such a college in this state—both Catholic and Benedictine! I am sure that the quality of monastic community life, evident here in the prayerful life and work of the monks, has been a powerful inspiration for you. I am confident you have learned how to live in community, to work together, to pray and to stay in the hands of Jesus. As you move forward on your life’s journey, show the world that He is the reason for the hope that resonates within you, because His love is one that never fails you, never disappoints you and attains for you what you cannot provide for yourself. I offer you three suggestions that will help you to shine forth this hope and love: (1) Remain men and women of prayer and dare not rely on your own resources. You will continue to experience a world which is noisy and chaotic. It is essential that you allow some time each day for silence in your life so that you may hear the whisper of the Lord lovingly and gently guiding you on the right path. (2) Continue to find your strength in the presence of Jesus Christ, most especially in Word and Sacrament, and reject the empty promises and destructive forces the world offers. (3) Tell the world about the Truth that sets you free. Live according to the Lord’s commands and ways and never be ashamed to profess and to practice your holy Catholic faith. The Truth is Christ Jesus, the Word made flesh. The Truth is not a set of rules or an imposition. Rather, the Truth is that which makes you free to live in peace with God, self and one another.
In just a few weeks, I will have the privilege of ordaining two men to the Priesthood. A very powerful moment of the ceremony occurs when the two to be ordained will prostrate themselves on the floor as the community prays for them. In this profound gesture, the men demonstrate their recognition that they belong totally to Christ and rely completely on His saving help. Dear graduates, be men and women of prayer who find your strength in God and live according to God’s Truth. In the silence of your hearts today, bow before the Lord Jesus, and renew your commitment to stay in His hands!
During your years of study, I also hope that you have learned, by the example imparted here, what it means to be Catholic. This college is noted for its dedication to the ideal of the late Pope John Paul II, who called on Catholic colleges to serve “from the heart of the church.” This means to be inspired in all aspects of our lives by the ideals of the Gospel and to reflect together on the treasury of human knowledge in the light of our Catholic faith. As a result of that commitment, we are able to live a life of service to the Church and to the larger human community. That is what it means to show the Light of Christ to the city where you will live and work and even beyond!
This ideal is intended, of course, as an incarnation of the Beatitudes, just proclaimed in the Gospel for this Mass. Together, the disciples and others who accompanied them heard the voice of the Lord Jesus crying out, blessed are the poor in spirit, the sorrowing, the lowly, those who hunger and thirst for holiness, the merciful, the single-hearted, and the peace-makers. Blessed also are those who are insulted and persecuted for the sake of the truth…because their reward in heaven will be great. If the degree program and the entirety of your experience on this campus prepared you to live the Beatitudes, then the college -- and your lives -- can be counted successful.
This is, of course, a rather alien way of thinking in this world. Success is judged rather differently in a culture where Jesus is not Lord. In such a culture, the idolatry of greed and egotism undermine the kind of unity of which the Holy Spirit is the author, as proclaimed by St. Paul in today’s Second Reading. Where the Holy Spirit leads us to proclaim, by word and example, the Lordship of Jesus, our gifts are used as instruments of service for the building up of the whole body—the Body of Christ. Rather than using our gifts only for self-glorification and self-satisfaction, faithful disciples of Jesus Christ endeavor to place all that we have received, including our intellectual gifts, at the service of the Gospel, and so, for the sake of the common good. This is what it means “to give your hands to Jesus.” For then, you become a channel of hope for others, and grow in your hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ—the ultimate reward we all seek.
Yes, graduation exercises necessarily are privileged moments and wonderful opportunities to encourage graduates to go forth, to transform the world and to help improve the lives of others and the entire community. I hope and pray you have these goals. However, for these goals to be realistic, you must always remember that you can only accomplish them when you reflect a profound reverence for the sacredness of all human life and a deep respect for the dignity of each and every person. Then, you will be attentive to the needs of the most vulnerable, especially those who cannot protect themselves and those whom others may even fail to notice. If you truly reverence human life, you will be convinced that no goal, project, program or agenda is ever more important than the compassion and outreach we extend to another person.
Kindly allow me to share a personal story to illustrate these points. My father retired a few years ago. He thoroughly enjoyed his work as a banker. Thus, we were all worried about how he was going to handle the spare time he would have in retirement. He found a unique hobby. Every afternoon around 3pm, he would drive to the local Catholic High school with his lawn chair. He would sit on top of the hill and watch the various athletic activities. He especially enjoyed watching the football team and practices. In fact, he became their favorite fan. The coaches and players came to know him and affectionately referred to him as “Pop.” One year they even gave him the “Sportsman of the Year Award.”
Prior to the past season, my father suffered a serious illness that prevented him from attending any of the practices and games. However, thank God, right before the championship game, he found strength to go to one of the practices and sat once again on top of the hill. Obviously, it was an intense time on the field as the coaches and players prepared for the most important game of the year. All of a sudden, the head coach noticed my father. The coach blew the whistle and stopped the practice. Then, one by one, each player and coach went to the top of the hill and shook my father’s hand. At the end of the line were the captains, who presented my father with a game ball signed by all the players.
When I called home that evening, my mother could not believe the difference in my father. She said, “I have not seen him smile this way in a long time. He is like a new man.” This was all the result of individuals who realized what was truly important in life. In the midst of practicing for an important game, they understood the need to stop, to notice, to reach out and to encourage. I am convinced that on that particular day, the coach taught by example the most important lesson his players needed and one they would never forget.
Graduates, as you go forth to reach goals and set the world on fire, there will be many activities and obligations that will consume and distract you. Always remember the need “to notice the person on the hill” and respond to daily opportunities to change the life of one person at a time, simply by taking time to encourage and to demonstrate that you care. In such a way, you “give your hands to Jesus.” In doing so, you show His Light to others, that Light which alone transforms the world.
“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me…to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and release to prisoners.” These words of the prophet Isaiah are not reserved for those who are ordained. They are to be used as well for the graduate of a college that is both Catholic and Benedictine! May God give you the grace to use the experiences, lessons, knowledge and gifts you have received and developed these past years for the common good of this culture and society and for a life of hope-filled and loving service.
At this Eucharist, as we give thanks for the Lord’s abundant blessings which have led to this special and joyful day, we pray especially for you as you begin this new and exciting moment in your life. May you always remember that you are Christ’s disciples today. May you shine His Light upon your city and beyond; show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you and tell others about the Truth that sets you free. You can be assured that you will effectively respond to these challenges if you promise today and always to stay in the hands of Jesus and give Him yours. Take courage. The Spirit of God is with you until the end of time!
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