This homily was delivered at the Grade 8 Thanksgiving Mass on 20 March 2013.
This is my third graduation homily in a row, so I’m in serious danger of boring myself, so I thought I’d start today by playing a little game with all of you. It’s called “Stand if it’s you. Sit if it’s not.” In other words: If the statement applies to you, stand up. If it doesn’t, remain seated.
This homily was delivered at the Thanksgiving Mass for the Grade 7 students on 19 March 2013.
St. Joseph, whose feast we celebrate today, was a man of few words. For such an important person, we have no idea what he actually said. He left no writing, and the two gospel authors who mention him–Matthew and Luke–do not quote him at all. As a result, we know very little about him besides his trade, his family tree, and of course, his relationship to Mary and Jesus.
But if we ever found ourselves in the situations he found himself in, I think we would have more than a mouthful! Just think:
He found Mary to be with child, and he was sure the child did not belong to him. And then an angel asked him in a dream to marry her anyway. When they went to Bethlehem and it was time for Mary to give birth to the so-called Son of the Most High, they couldn’t even find any decent room!
This homily was delivered at the High School Graduation Mass for XS 2013 on 18 March 2013.
For the past twelve years, each time I deliver the homily during a Graduation Mass, I have always secretly felt like an unofficial graduation speaker because when you think about it, the homily is really my last chance as the School Director to address the seniors and to give them some parting words of wisdom before we send them off to the world.