May 8, 2005

A time of commencement

New graduates—the recipients of untold love and sacrifice—look to the future.

It’s graduation time once again. Invitations are arriving, and families and friends are making plans to celebrate these special events. Once upon a time the soon-to-be-graduate was born, surrounded by hopes, prayers, and desires for a lifetime filled with possibilities and opportunities. Parents anticipate the birth of a child and subsequently observe each mark and movement as the baby grows and develops. Small observations are noted in books and memories over the years as special keepsakes of shared time, life, and love.

As much as each individual means to and can possibly be loved by any single person or family, God’s love for each unique human being surpasses comprehension. God wills the creation of each person, perhaps from his original creation of all things. He chooses a couple, the time and place, and the genetics for the conception and birth of this special individual. He gives each person special talents and abilities. One can only wonder what plans and purpose God has in mind for this person. How will he discover and use his talents and abilities? What will be her vocation or career calling? What will pique her interest or spark his dreams? What contributions will each person make to family life, the church, the community, or the world over a lifetime?

Graduation certainly recognizes academic achievement. As importantly, it reflects the character and integrity of the graduate, developed with personal values, priorities, and the work ethic. Investments of time, effort, and finances and the personal sacrifice of the graduate, the family, and others are honored at graduation. Many people share in helping a person discover talents and abilities, giving encouragement to his or her interests and dreams. Love surrounds each graduate, shared and expressed in many forms. The graduate’s response is to note, to seek, to compare, to reflect, and to express what love is and means.

Graduates look to the future. Each graduation completes another stage of development or accomplishment. As one stage is completed, another begins. For some, graduation marks the time to leave family and the comfort of familiar lifestyles to forge ahead alone, stretching one’s independence to enter a new phase of purpose and direction in living. Such a person will reflect on much from the past and will miss and be missed by family and friends.

Parents face graduation with tremendous nostalgia for the wonderful years shared with their precious children. We feel a charge of responsibility and care for a child over a period of years. We also realize that God gives us a child to share with him but not to keep. Each year is preparation for the time we must part to move in new and different directions. Seeds are planted to become nurtured both individually and through the influence of others in different places, times, experiences, and expressions. All too soon we realize it is time to let children go so they may continue to grow.

Graduation marks an occasion when faith, prayer, and modeled example provide the foundation for future endeavors. Faith brings solace as prayers express heartfelt sentiments and as hope and trust are placed in God for the care of each special loved one. God’s steady presence through good, bad, joyful, sad, lonely, and discerning times is available through a relationship with him.

Stewardship is celebrated at graduation, focused and expressed over time by many different people. God, graduates, parents, families, friends, clergy, teachers, neighbors, acquaintances, and more share the day. Graduations invite us to gather, rejoicing and celebrating the presence and gifts of God and others in life. We honor graduates, celebrate their achievements and development, anticipate their future, and express our love for who they are and what they mean to us.

Go with God, graduates. Take and use your gifts, dream your dreams, and soar like eagles into the future. Remember always that you are so very much loved!

Suzanne Erpenbach is the director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development.