ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Praised be Jesus Christ! Now and Forever!

I welcome you, the graduates of the Church Ministry Institute: sixty-five lay men and women who come from forty-six parishes representing the six vicariates of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. I welcome your pastors, teachers, mentors, families and friends. Today we celebrate your completion of three years of formation in theological studies, spiritual development and pastoral skills. Your graduation from the Church Ministry Institute marks an important milestone in your faith journey, and we are very proud of you.

In his recent visit to Washington, D.C., our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, offered these words to Catholic Educators: “All the Church’s activities stem from her awareness that she is the bearer of a message which has its origin in God himself: in his goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal himself and to make known the hidden purpose of his will (cf. Eph 1:9; Dei Verbum, 2). God’s desire to make himself known, and the innate desire of all human beings to know the truth, provides the context for human inquiry into the meaning of life. This unique encounter is sustained within our Christian community: the one who seeks the truth becomes the one who lives by faith (cf. Fides et Ratio, 31). It can be described as a move from “I” to “we”, leading the individual to be numbered among God’s people.”

It is by these words that your vital role within the Church should be defined. All of you have spent three years working to gain a greater knowledge of the truth, a truth proclaimed in Sacred Scripture, the tradition of the Church and in Church teaching—a truth that guides us to know, love and serve our God without reservation. Through this knowledge, we become aware that we the baptized are numbered among God’s people and are called to proclaim the Good News by our words and deeds.

We hear today in the first reading how, despite his imprisonment, Saint Paul received all who came to him and “proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:31). Paul was so convinced that Jesus is our hope and our salvation that not even imprisonment and chains could impede his proclamation of the Good News. It is with the conviction of Saint Paul that you, the new graduates of the Church Ministry Institute, are being sent forth to engage in the work of evangelization, an evangelization that offers encouragement and support to those who have never heard the Good News of Jesus, as well as to those who have already accepted it, have been baptized and are endeavoring to conform their lives to it.

As you go forth today to take up your various roles in your parishes, you may encounter various obstacles that often seem difficult to overcome. Perhaps you will encounter apathy, you may feel inadequate, or you may struggle with balancing your time between family, work and parish commitments. These difficulties can provide both a challenge and an opportunity to turn to God in prayer for guidance on how best to proceed. Take comfort, dear friends, as did Saint Paul, in knowing that everything is possible with the love and support of Jesus, the Jesus who accompanies us every moment of our lives.

In our Gospel reading today, from the end of Saint John’s Gospel, we see how Saint Peter is invited by Jesus to follow Him. Jesus sends Peter forth to shepherd the community of believers. It is so important to understand that this role of Peter’s is one built upon love and willingness to give one’s life in witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. As you go forth to work within your parishes, you must remain open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and work with selfless love. You may be asked to carry out simple ordinary tasks or to serve your parish in a role of leadership, but know that God is with you in whatever work you are assigned. Always remember that the Lord Jesus has a plan for each of you as you work in partnership with Him and His Church. Working together for the common good, we must proclaim God’s unconditional love made manifest in the living Jesus Christ.

As graduates of the Church Ministry Institute, you have spent three years of your life walking a very special journey of enlightenment. I commend you for your hard work and effort in developing your knowledge and understanding of our Catholic faith. I trust that this experience has helped you to grow in your relationship with the Lord Jesus and, therefore, has prepared you for continued service in the Church. Our faith community and, indeed society as a whole, need your goodness, your talents and your faithfulness to the truth so that the message of God’s love may enter the world more fully. Your graduation from the Church Ministry Institute is cause for rejoicing in the Church of Philadelphia.

Today is also an important day for your parishes and your families, for they have encouraged and supported you through these last three years. I extend my heartfelt thanks to them for their support, as well as to the Institute’s administrators, teachers and mentors who have helped prepare you to take your place in the Church and to make a difference in the world. I am grateful to them for their service to you and to the faithful of the Archdiocese.

Remember that you have been called by the Lord to come to know Him more fully. You are also being called to use what you have learned to assist others in coming to know and love Jesus more deeply. Dear friends: keep this calling present in every aspect of your daily life. Keep it alive through your daily prayer, especially when participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Whether you assist in the parish setting, with RCIA, as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion or at your job: be one who seeks the truth, lives by faith and proclaims a message of hope and charity in all that you do and say. May Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word, obtain for you from her Son, grace, peace and joy. Amen.