Graduation Time

We are at that time of the year where graduations are taking place. Young people in college, high school, 8th grade are moving on their educational endeavors or putting their learning to use in the work force. This is also a special time for those seminarians who have completed their seminary training and will be ordained as priests as the summer moves forward. The Diocese of Salina will ordain two men this coming Saturday. This past Monday evening, St. John Catholic School in Hanover had their Eighth Grade Promotion. This weekend, Washington High School and Hanover High School will have their graduation ceremonies. To begin, our Catholic students will attend Mass as a class on Sunday. Much has been accomplished by our young people! They have completed their education in one area and will begin anew elsewhere. However, their Catholic faith is not completed. As I told the 8th Graders on Monday evening, since it was the Feast of Saint Matthias, you are now witnesses of the Lord's resurrection and His working in our lives. We never graduate from living our Catholic faith. That is the beautiful gift that sustains us throughout our lives. Above all, I told them to make attendance at Mass an important part of their spiritual lives and to pray daily, several times a day in fact. In line with the Vine and the branches, we need to stay connected to the True Vine who is Jesus Christ. As branches, the Lord is relying on us to continue the mission entrusted to us and we will bear much fruit. Hopefully our young people are listening because they are not only our future leaders in society and the Church, but they are the Church of today. Our young people have a very important role to play and we need to give them our encouragement and prayerful support. We ask God to bless our young people and bless our graduates as they begin a new chapter in their lives. Always remember, the foundation has been poured to live your faith and you continue to build upon that structure each day. May our graduates be those people who stay close to the Vine of Christ, be witnesses of the Lord's resurrection, and be those faithful, dedicated disciples that will bear much fruit. God Bless You!!!