From Archbishop Donoghue

Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic School
October 11, 1995
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My dear young friends,

I'm happy to be here with you today, and before I talk about some serious things with you today, I want you to know that I really appreciate your invitation, and I also am very thankful to Sr. Dawn and to all your teachers, who have helped you make this a very special occasion.

Later we will be blessing all the new work areas and special things that have been added to your school this year, and which I hope you all are excited about using.

You know, anything we can do to make St. John Neumann School a better school is well worth our efforts and our money. Your parents are very aware of this - that is why we are able to count on their support, and that is why they are so dedicated to sending you here rather than to some other school. They believe, and your teachers and school officials believe, and I believe, that there are few things we can do that are any more important than helping you not only to get a good, sound education, but also making sure that you learn about religion, about the Church of which we are members, and about the important role that you, tomorrow's grown-ups, will play in the world of the future. After all, twenty or thirty years from now, you all will be in charge - not me, not Sr. Dawn, and probably not your parents. That's the way it is - time passes, people get old, and the young take over doing things their parents used to do.

Now for some people, this is a scary thing - so many young people nowadays don't really seem interested in the future, or learning all the things they need to learn in order to be tomorrow's leaders and tomorrow's teachers - many young people lose the vision they have of tomorrow, and they become lost in today - you know what I mean - and what is very sad, is that many of these youngsters, and probably some of them are your friends - many of them might not even live long enough to amount to anything - the world can be a dangerous place, particularly if you are not careful to do the right things and to avoid the bad things.

And this is the serious thing I want to talk with you about just a little - the importance you will play, not only in becoming the leaders of tomorrow, but also as the ones who will lead other people back to doing right things and to living a good and unselfish life.

In the Gospel, Jesus says to His followers: "You are the salt of the earth." Now that seems like a very strange things to say - you are the salt of the earth.

What could He mean - you are the salt of the earth"? What do you think He means? Does He mean we are like the salt that we have in our kitchens and on our tables? After all, salt is very common - you can find it almost anywhere - under mountains, in the desert - why, the sea is full of it, as anyone who ever has accidentally swallowed a mouthful of seawater knows - salt is everywhere - so what can Jesus mean when He says, "You are the salt of the earth"?

Well, I think He means two things, and they are very important meanings, or else He would not have said it.

First, as any good cook will tell you, salt may be common and ordinary, but what it can do for food is amazing. It can make things that seem to have no taste, taste very good. It can make things that were dry become juicy. And some foods, if you pack them in salt, will last for a very long time.

So - now we begin to see why when Jesus says a simple thing like, "You are the salt of the earth," He really is saying something that has many meanings, and every meaning is important for us. And this is what Jesus is saying to us:

Be like salt, which on its own, doesn't mean much, but when it is mixed with other things it works miracles. Be like that - when you are with your friends, be good to one another, and not mean or cruel, because then everyone will have a good time - and others, who might be lonely or sacred, will also want to be friends because they will see you being happy, and they will want to be happy too. And Jesus also says: Just like salt draws the juices out of food, you should draw what is good out of the people you meet, the people you go to school with, and the people you love, like your best friends and your family. And like salt preserves things and prevents them from going bad, you do the same. Take care of one another, watch out for one another's safety, and help each other to do good things and to become good people, instead of bad.

And then, boys and girls, Jesus says a very great thing to us. He says, "If you will do this - if you will be good and do what I would do, no matter how hard, and no matter how many people tell you to do something else, then you will become like a light in the world - you will become like the sun shining on the trees and the flowers - your faith, what you believe and how you act, will make other people think, will make other people want to be better, because they will be drawn to the light that shines in you, and they will want to have that light, too. These are the reasons why Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world."

I think I have probably talked long enough now, and so I will stop, but just this last word - as we continue our Mass today, I want you to know that I will be praying for you all, and for your families and you teachers. And I ask you in return to do me the same kindness - to pray for me, so that I may continue to do all the work that an Archbishop has to do, and so that I may do it well. And finally, let us ask God to protect us and keep us safe, so that we may continue to enjoy one another's friendship, here at St. John Neumann School, and wherever else life may lead us. And we ask for these things, as we ask for everything, in Jesus' name. Amen.

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