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HOMILY: GRADUATION MASS 2010
‘God is love, and encouraged, whether in the classroom, the lab,
And anyone who lives in love lives in God, the debaing hall, on the stage, in the chapel, on the
And God lives in him or her.’ sports ield, on retreat, on placements, on trips and
St. John projects, by those who have become your friends on
the staf. Take ime this evening to appreciate what
Six years ago we gathered in this chapel for your irst they have tried to teach you. That love too has been
Mass in Gonzaga. Six years ago we started work on an experience of God.
a project that reaches its compleion this evening. God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives in
Six years ago we challenged you to become the God, and God lives in him or her. You have lived in
community that is now the class of 2010. Tonight you love over the last six years, indeed throughout your
complete the journey; tonight we pause for a moment life. You have lived in a community that has accepted
to appreciate what you have achieved; and tonight we you, nurtured you, challenged you and encouraged
ofer you the next great challenge. you. And you in your turn have contributed to that
The challenge we ofer can be summed up in the community; you have loved us as much as we have
college moto: ‘Semper, et ubique, idelis’. We want loved you. You have helped to make us what we are;
you to be, always and everywhere faithful to this we are grateful, and we salute you.
community; always and everywhere faithful to the God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives in
values you have lived here; always and everywhere God, and God lives in him or her. Now you must move
faithful to love; always and everywhere faithful to God. on. Our challenge to you this evening to go on living
God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives as you have learned to live here. You have learned
in God, and God lives in him or her. The French the creaive power of community; bring it with you
writer Francois Mauriac once wrote that: ‘We are wherever you go; build it in every group you join.
all moulded and remoulded by those who have Jesus Christ’s message of love has never been
loved us, and though that love may pass, we remain, more urgently needed than it is in today’s world. You
nonetheless, their work. No love, no friendship, can have experienced its power in this community. This
ever cross the path of our desiny, without leaving is our greatest git to you; let it be your greatest git
some mark on it forever’. to others. It is not a message that can be captured in
You are who you are today because of those who doctrine or law. It is, rather, the simple realisaion of
have loved you and those who love you now. Your the value and dignity of every individual human being
irst experience of love was in your family. Take a few and our ability to release their creaive power.
moments tonight to appreciate the love you may so Let me draw these few relecions to a close with
oten take for granted, the uncondiional love you a inal quotaion. This one, from Shakespeare’s
receive from your parents. That love is an experience ‘Hamlet’, is one with which you will be familiar.
of God. Polonius, in bidding farewell to his son, Laertes,
Over the last six years you have loved and been ofers him some advice. Though we may not admire
loved by your peers in the group with which you now Polonius very much, these few words ofer us one of
sit; you have been the greatest single force in forming Shakespeare’s great pearls of wisdom. They are our
one-another. Your friends in paricular have made challenge to you:
you what you are through their love, acceptance, ‘This above all: to thine own self be true,
challenge, and encouragement. And you have made And it must follow, as the night the day,
your unique contribuion to making them the young Thou canst not then be false to any man.
men they now are. Take ime tonight to celebrate that Farewell: my blessing season this in thee.’
love. That love too is an experience of God.
Over the last six years you have been challenged Fr Kennedy O’Brien, S.J.
‘God is love, and encouraged, whether in the classroom, the lab,
And anyone who lives in love lives in God, the debaing hall, on the stage, in the chapel, on the
And God lives in him or her.’ sports ield, on retreat, on placements, on trips and
St. John projects, by those who have become your friends on
the staf. Take ime this evening to appreciate what
Six years ago we gathered in this chapel for your irst they have tried to teach you. That love too has been
Mass in Gonzaga. Six years ago we started work on an experience of God.
a project that reaches its compleion this evening. God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives in
Six years ago we challenged you to become the God, and God lives in him or her. You have lived in
community that is now the class of 2010. Tonight you love over the last six years, indeed throughout your
complete the journey; tonight we pause for a moment life. You have lived in a community that has accepted
to appreciate what you have achieved; and tonight we you, nurtured you, challenged you and encouraged
ofer you the next great challenge. you. And you in your turn have contributed to that
The challenge we ofer can be summed up in the community; you have loved us as much as we have
college moto: ‘Semper, et ubique, idelis’. We want loved you. You have helped to make us what we are;
you to be, always and everywhere faithful to this we are grateful, and we salute you.
community; always and everywhere faithful to the God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives in
values you have lived here; always and everywhere God, and God lives in him or her. Now you must move
faithful to love; always and everywhere faithful to God. on. Our challenge to you this evening to go on living
God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives as you have learned to live here. You have learned
in God, and God lives in him or her. The French the creaive power of community; bring it with you
writer Francois Mauriac once wrote that: ‘We are wherever you go; build it in every group you join.
all moulded and remoulded by those who have Jesus Christ’s message of love has never been
loved us, and though that love may pass, we remain, more urgently needed than it is in today’s world. You
nonetheless, their work. No love, no friendship, can have experienced its power in this community. This
ever cross the path of our desiny, without leaving is our greatest git to you; let it be your greatest git
some mark on it forever’. to others. It is not a message that can be captured in
You are who you are today because of those who doctrine or law. It is, rather, the simple realisaion of
have loved you and those who love you now. Your the value and dignity of every individual human being
irst experience of love was in your family. Take a few and our ability to release their creaive power.
moments tonight to appreciate the love you may so Let me draw these few relecions to a close with
oten take for granted, the uncondiional love you a inal quotaion. This one, from Shakespeare’s
receive from your parents. That love is an experience ‘Hamlet’, is one with which you will be familiar.
of God. Polonius, in bidding farewell to his son, Laertes,
Over the last six years you have loved and been ofers him some advice. Though we may not admire
loved by your peers in the group with which you now Polonius very much, these few words ofer us one of
sit; you have been the greatest single force in forming Shakespeare’s great pearls of wisdom. They are our
one-another. Your friends in paricular have made challenge to you:
you what you are through their love, acceptance, ‘This above all: to thine own self be true,
challenge, and encouragement. And you have made And it must follow, as the night the day,
your unique contribuion to making them the young Thou canst not then be false to any man.
men they now are. Take ime tonight to celebrate that Farewell: my blessing season this in thee.’
love. That love too is an experience of God.
Over the last six years you have been challenged Fr Kennedy O’Brien, S.J.
