Homily for High School Graduation Mass - (Jeremiah 29:11-14; Matthew 28:16-20)

Dear graduates, parents, faculty, staff, and friends,

Today marks a significant milestone in your lives. As you sit here in your caps and gowns, you have completed one chapter and stand at the threshold of another. This is a moment of both culmination and commencement—an ending and a beginning.

The words we heard from the prophet Jeremiah speak directly to this moment: "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope" (Jeremiah 29:11, NABRE). These words were spoken to the people of Israel during their exile in Babylon—a time of uncertainty and transition not unlike your own, though certainly different in circumstance.

What profound comfort these words offer! The God who created you, who has walked with you through these formative high school years, already knows the path ahead. Not only does He know it, but He has designed it with your welfare in mind—not for woe, but for hope.

This doesn't mean the path will always be easy. The context of Jeremiah's prophecy is important. God's people were in exile, far from home. Yet even in that difficult circumstance, God promised a future of hope. Similarly, as you move beyond the familiar halls of [Name of School], you may encounter challenges and uncertainties. College decisions, career paths, relationships, and the complexities of adult life await you. But God's promise remains.

The Lord continues in this passage: "When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me" (Jeremiah 29:12-13, NABRE). Here is the key to navigating the future with hope—remaining in relationship with God through prayer, seeking Him with your whole heart.

Your Catholic education has provided you with more than academic knowledge. It has given you the tools to maintain this relationship with God. You've learned to pray, to reflect on Scripture, to participate in the sacraments, and to see the world through the lens of faith. These are gifts that will serve you well as you seek God's plan for your lives.

In our Gospel reading, we hear Jesus' final instructions to His disciples before ascending to heaven: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20, NABRE).

This "Great Commission" applies to you as well. Through your Baptism and Confirmation, you have been called to be Christ's witnesses in the world. Your Catholic education has prepared you for this mission. You have been formed not just academically, but spiritually and morally as well. You have been given the knowledge and skills to make a positive difference in the world as disciples of Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI once told a group of students: "The years you spend in school are not only a preparation for your future professional life; they are also a time in which you prepare for the responsibility of being builders of a better world." This is the deeper purpose of your education—not simply to prepare you for a career, but to prepare you to be builders of God's kingdom on earth.

But notice something important in this Gospel passage. Before Jesus gives the disciples their mission, the text tells us: "When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted" (Matthew 28:17, NABRE). Even after witnessing the resurrected Christ, the disciples had doubts. And yet, Jesus still entrusted them with this great mission.

This should give us all hope. You don't need to have everything figured out. You don't need to be perfect or free from doubt to be used by God. What matters is your willingness to follow Him, even amid uncertainty.

And Jesus makes a crucial promise at the end of this passage: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20, NABRE). As you leave [Name of School], you do not go alone. Christ goes with you. The same Jesus who has been present in the Eucharist, in your prayer, in your service experiences, and in your community will continue to be with you.

The Catholic education you've received has given you a foundation for recognizing Christ's presence in your lives. You've learned to see Him in the sacraments, in Scripture, in the teachings of the Church, and in the faces of those you serve. Carry this awareness with you as you move forward.

Saint John Paul II, who had a special love for young people, said: "It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity." As graduates of a Catholic high school, you have been prepared to resist mediocrity and to strive for greatness—not as the world defines it through wealth, power, or fame, but as Christ defines it through love, service, and fidelity to the truth.

Your parents and families have made sacrifices to provide you with a Catholic education because they understand its value. They have been your first teachers in the faith, and they have entrusted you to this school community to continue that formation. Today, we acknowledge their love and investment in your future.

Your teachers and administrators have dedicated themselves to forming not just your minds, but your hearts and souls as well. They have sought to help you discover not only what you want to do, but who God is calling you to be.

As you prepare to leave this community, I encourage you to:

First, remain connected to the Church. The sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, will be sources of grace and strength as you navigate new challenges.

Second, continue to deepen your knowledge of the faith. The intellectual formation you've received here is just the beginning. As St. Anselm described, faith seeking understanding is a lifelong journey.

Third, find ways to serve others. The Catholic social teaching you've learned calls you to put your faith into action through works of mercy and justice.

Fourth, be courageous witnesses to the truth. Our world needs young Catholics who are willing to stand up for what is right, even when it's difficult.

Finally, trust in God's plan for your lives. Return often to Jeremiah's words: "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you... plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope."

Dear graduates, as you go forth from [Name of School], may you seek God with all your heart. May you embrace the mission to be Christ's disciples in the world. And may you always remember that He is with you always, until the end of the age.

Congratulations, Class of (2027). May God bless you abundantly as you begin this next chapter of your lives.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.