From Archbishop Donoghue

Mass, Dedication and Blessing

Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School

September 12, 2003

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Dear Friends in Christ,

When Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel, and when that messenger of God told her of what was to happen, told her of what might happen, that she could be the Mother of the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who would redeem all mankind, it was up to her to say the word, to freely choose to accept God's Holy Spirit in her womb, and to become the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we know that Mary did accept, and the miracle of the Incarnation took place, the miracle by which God became man, first in the womb of the Virgin Mary as an unborn child, and later, at Bethlehem, as an infant, delivered, and laid in the arms of His mother, like all human children - like every one of us.

But at the moment of her acceptance of God's Spirit in her womb, it is remarkable - and the Gospel of today's Mass tells us of this - it is remarkable that Mary's first thoughts were not of herself. She did not call Joseph and say, "I am pregnant, and I cannot do anything strenuous from this moment on, and everyone must now think of me and my health, for I have become the most important human on earth." No - Mary's holiness also included what we would call perfect humility - she was filled with Christ - the first of any human on earth to be so filled - and like her Son, her will, her feelings were directed outward, in love, in a desire to serve.

And so, her thoughts tuned to her cousin, the elderly Elizabeth, whom the angel had told her was now also expecting. And Mary set out, and journeyed to be with her cousin, to help her in the time of her delivery. And remember - there were no doctors, no hospitals in those days - if a child was to be borne, then only the women of the family were there to help. How grateful Elizabeth must have been, when she saw Mary coming down the road - how relieved. And from her relief and her gratitude, came inspiration - she was given the grace to understand that Mary was not just pregnant as well, but pregnant with the Son of God, the Messiah. The Gospel tells us that when Mary greeted her, the child in Elizabeth 's womb jumped for joy, and she said to Mary: But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" And it is just a moment later, that Mary, filled with a new understanding of these events, utters the magnificent prayer that we have heard today - the prayer that begins with the words "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”

There are so many truths, both visible and hidden in this account from the Gospel of St. Luke, that one can hardly begin to talk about them, before even more are discovered. But there are several things that pertain especially to the event we are celebrating today - the blessing and dedication of the new high school, Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School .

First, there is the obedience of Mary. Obedience is not something that can be forced on someone. Obedience is the loving acceptance of the will of God, but those who want to do His will - acceptance by those who have come to understand that there is no way to go but God's way, no good to pursue but God's good. Obedience is more than bowing down - it is the bowing down to embrace the will of God, as we know it from Jesus in the Gospel ,and as we know it in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that comes through the Church. Mary did not say to the angel: "I will do what you ask as I see fit." She said: "Let it be done to me as you say."

The second thing to notice about this story of Mary's life is that immediately after being filled with the life of God's Son, Mary's thoughts turn to another's needs, to the needs of her cousin Elizabeth. Just so, when any of us is worthily filled with the life of Jesus Christ, then we are compelled by His love to turn to the service of others - to turn to charity, which is love in action.

(I say worthily, because it is possible to receive our Lord unworthily. If we harbor sin in our soul - if we have done what is wrong, if we are doing what is wrong, and we have neither confessed it, or resolved not to do it anymore, then we are not worthy to receive our Lord, and it is unlikely that we will feel anything charitable - instead we will feel self-satisfied - we will feel like we are doing already what is necessary, and let someone else do the rest. But when our souls are healthy, when we have come from the Sacrament of Penance, when we have been made strong by the grace of that wonderful Sacrament to turn from sin, and to turn towards good, then the love of Jesus Christ comes to full bloom in our hearts, and we can do nothing other than to turn towards those in need, and to offer them anything we can, to comfort their situation, and to life them up from their sorrow or distress.)

When Jesus filled the womb of Mary, she hastened to the aid of her cousin. When we are filled with Christ, through His Spirit, or especially by receiving Him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, His love - His love compels us to love others - with joy, and with no restraint.

And the third thing to understand about Mary, and what happens to her in these events of St. Luke's narrative, is what we might call her prescience, or her foresight - and these are special words that really mean, Mary's ability to see her own life in the context of the future. Throughout this magnificent prayer, Mary praises God, not just for what is to be done to and for her, not just for the people of her own generations - she praises God for all that will be done, until the end of time. God's mercy is "from age to age," she proclaims, and for all time, she understands that the mighty will be cast down, the lowly exalted, the rich diminished and the poor filled up, and that these things will be for all the descendants of Abraham, forever. We are the descendants of Abraham, the Father of Faith, and the posterity Mary speaks of, is the posterity we have been born to enjoy, and the posterity, the gift we have been given the responsibility to hand on.

Dear friends, we do not become like Mary because we study her, although it is good to know her, and to know her better by reading the events of her life. We become like Mary, because we say yes to God, and become filled with His Holy Spirit. We become like Mary, because we obey God's will.

And we do not learn to act like Mary, just because we imitate her, although to model our lives on hers will certainly help our efforts. We learn to act like Mary, because we let the life and love of our Lord Jesus Christ grow in us, and turn us towards loving the lives of others around us. We learn to act like Mary, because we let Jesus move us towards charity, towards giving ourselves for others.

And we do not learn to live with the foresight of Mary, because we study the history of our Faith heritage, and make our own predictions for the future. We learn to live with Mary's vision, because we surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit within us, who connects us, not just to the Church of our own time, but to the Church of all generations to come.

Dear friends, it is not an easy thing to plan, to build, to open and run and sustain a school – especially a school dedicated to the truth of the Catholic Faith. It cannot happen, it does not happen, unless the three things we have learned from today's Gospel, and from the example of Mary, come together to make it happen.

How thankful we must be, then, that God has reached down to us, and announced that this new school's time has come. How thankful we must be, that from the many different ideas and concepts and emotions triggered by this desire to have a Catholic high school, God has distilled a unity – a unity of desire, of purpose, and of vision.

And how thankful the whole Church must be, that you have answered the call from God to bring this school into being, and have obeyed – that you have understood the love in your heart that comes from Jesus Christ, love for your children and their well-being, and that you have responded – how thankful we must be, to see this school born, and to know that in its birth, both God and man can rejoice, now, and for many years to come.

May that same Father in Heaven, who spoke to Mary, who brought the love of Christ into the world, now send upon all who will be a part of the life of Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School, His Holy Spirit, that in all its workings, the school and its family may exemplify the best of the Catholic Faith, the Faith that has been given to us by our Lord, the Faith that we strive to live. And may the words of Mary, who watches over us, become now, our daily prayer of thanksgiving, as we join her to say:

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