From Archbishop Donoghue
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Mass, Blessing of the New School
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Dear Friends in Christ, One of the great mysteries of our Faith is contained in what we call the hidden years of the Lord - those years between His birth, and the time when He appeared on the banks of the Jordan River, to receive Baptism from John, His prophet, and to embark upon the three years of His public life, years which would change the world, and give birth to our beloved Church, which sustains us, and leads us in the ways of salvation. In that entire time, of almost three decades, we hear nothing of our Lord, but one briefly reported incident, when He was twelve years old - the account of a journey to Jerusalem for Passover, and the return to Nazareth, when Joseph and Mary discovered that their son, their little boy, had been left behind. They hurried back, and found Him in the Temple, in the midst of older learned men, discussing the law and the prophets. And those who were listening to this boy Jesus, were amazed at the depth of His learning. Mary, however, who was filled with worry, asked her Son why He had done this thing, stayed behind, and caused her and Joseph such anxiety. But Jesus replied, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" Mary may have been impressed with this response, but it was still time to go home, and that is where He went. But Mary, as she did from the moment of our Lord’s birth, stored in her heart this event, so that when the day of her trial would come, she would remember His words, and know that all of the trouble, all of the anxiety, all of the time spent in caring for Him, and raising Him to be a good man, a man knowledgeable of His faith and His people, were well worth the sacrifice, and well worth the pain which would follow. For He was truly the Son of His Father, and He must do what He was sent to do. This story, dear friends, might be a matter of just a few verses in the Gospel of St. Luke, but the truth they reveal, and their power to move us is immense indeed. And when St. Paul says that we are "being built into a temple for the dwelling of God in spirit," he hits upon the core meaning of the story of the boy Jesus found in the Temple, and reveals to us the core meaning of why we are here tonight. We are here because we all share in the anxiety of Mary the Mother of God - not perhaps for Christ, whose life on the earth has been lived, and whose destiny was realized so long ago in His death and Resurrection - but we share her anxiety for our selves and especially for our children. When Christ was found in the Temple, it becomes evident that He had not spent His youth in learning carpentry, and the skills to learn a living - He had also become learned in the knowledge of His People and His Faith - the Chosen People of God, and the Faith of their covenant. Christ knew their – His – history. He knew of the Divine wisdom contained in the Torah, and in all the writings which had been gathered, and which on every Sabbath, were opened and discussed at the synagogue - He knew of the prophecies of the men touched by God to preach revelation - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, and many more, and their constant belief in the coming of the Messiah, a belief now fulfilled in His Person - He knew the beautiful prayers of King David, written down in the Psalms, prayers which speak the almost unspeakable, the deep desire of mankind to be reunited with God in an everlasting embrace of love - and this boy Jesus knew the laws of His people as well, and understood, that the time of the law's fulfillment was at hand, that the time of Redemption had come, and that the sacrifice called for, was to be the sacrifice of His own life. Our Lord knew all these things, because His mother and foster-father had given Him every opportunity to grow in wisdom and maturity, and to learn all there was to learn, about His people, His culture, His faith, and His own destiny. And now, dear friends, these things that the Lord experienced as He was growing up, in maturity and wisdom – these things become ours to experience, as we grow in maturity and wisdom, and understanding of the Faith He has given us as our own. And we understand, that our children must be given the same gifts, the same Faith - that they must have every opportunity to learn of their history, their culture, and especially the Faith which we have received and which we now wish to pass on to them, for their own sakes, and for the children they will bear. And where do we do this, but in our schools - our schools which are enjoying such a resurgence in life and growth during our time - our schools, which, with our homes, are the only legitimate haven for the protection and formation of our beloved children, places for them to escape the influences we hate to see in our world, but which we must still admit, exist and influence in ways we cannot accept - ways that are in direct opposition to the essence of our Christian faith - ways which promote selfishness over self-sacrifice, ways which encourage self-indulgence over sharing, ways which promote death as a convenience, and scorn those who would accept life, with all its trouble and challenges, because life itself is a sacred and inviolable gift from God. Where can we insure that our children are protected from these failings of our culture and our society - where can we provide them with the goodness and the security which will allow their growth in maturity and wisdom - where are the havens for our children, but here - in our churches, in our schools, and within the embracing arms of those who love them, who protect and guide them – our parents and families and teachers, our priests and sisters, and all who are devoted, according to their own talents, to the welfare of our Catholic children? We have this example, of what Mary and Joseph did for our Lord, to inspire us, an example after which we model our own efforts, and to which we look when we need to recall why what we do is so important. But we have as well, the word of the Lord Himself, to command us - to tell us directly that this is what we must do, if we are to be true to Him, and to the Father who sent Him. "You are the salt of the earth," He declares, and what does this mean? Two properties are given to salt - two powers built into this ubiquitous substance that God included in the make-up of the world we live in. The power to enhance, to bring out the flavor in things - and the power to preserve. And surely, this is what education does, for us, and for the children, who according to the example of Mary and St. Joseph, we serve. For Catholic education makes of our children more than they would be otherwise - it brings out of them, not just an adequacy of talent - but an excellence of talent, just as salt draws forth from the food upon which it is cast, a truer, more perfected flavor. But Catholic education also preserves - it saves for the generations to come, the truths of our Faith, the living practices and customs of our Faith, by making these truths and practices impervious to decay - sealed solid and tight against all the forces which would break them down, and dissolve them into the abyss of history, where so much that is worthless, disintegrates and disappears forever. So when Christ tells us that we are the salt of the earth, and commands us to be the salt of the earth, it is a fulfillment of His will for us, that we devote ourselves to our schools, to the education and formation of our children, and to the building of facilities and programs, where this salt of the Catholic Faith, will be readily available, in copious supply, for our time, and for the generations which will follow us. Dear friends, this is what we have done, what we have accomplished - this is the core meaning of why we are here tonight. We glorify God, in keeping the word of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and we do it all because of the power which stretches over and permeates everything we undertake and accomplish - the power of love - the love which God has shown us by sending the Lord to save us, to teach us how to live, and the love which we show one another His sake. And this is how, we make come true, the beautiful vision of St. Paul - this is how we are joined and grow and are built into a dwelling place for the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts, and who brings forth from our efforts, all good works upon the face of the earth. In the scheme of human history, in the great plan for the universe unfolding as the will of God, perhaps indeed, this building, and all our energies that have gone into bringing it into being, are but a mite, like the precious mite of the widow, given out of what little she had to give, but given with her whole heart – a small rivet of human engineering in a greater structure that spans infinity, and reaches into eternity. But it is a mite, a rivet, well-loved by Christ, for according to His liking, it has been given with the ultimate degree of love in mind, it has been given for our children, and for their welfare. May God, who numbers every hair on our head, look down then, we pray, upon this our work, this our offering, and find it great and pleasing in His sight – and may all who work in this new hall of learning, learn first of all, the duty, the first duty of our Faith – to give back to God the glory that is His due – the glory that is reflected in the best of what we do – the glory that comes to us, freely and without limit, in the love of Jesus Christ which we share, and which we celebrate, now and for ever. Amen. + |