Renewing the promise

A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to preside at the Mass that was celebrated today with teachers, staff members and all those who have been entrusted with the great privilege of passing on their faith in Jesus Christ to children in the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board.

Homily for the Mass

Celebrated with teachers and staff

Of the Huron-Superior District Catholic School Board

Saint Mary’s College, Sault Ste. Marie

September 29, 2017

As a young child, I lived in Sault Ste. Marie.  I attended elementary school at Sister Mary Clare and High School at the original Saint Mary’s College on Saint George’s Avenue.  Those years are only distant memories now, but the formation that I received has left me with an enduring sense of gratitude for the wisdom that was imparted during those formative years by such faith-filled teachers.

I am thankful to Sister Pat Carter, CSJ for her kind invitation to be here today and for the opportunity to share a few thoughts in the context of this Eucharistic celebration.  The theme that has been chosen for this gathering – and the theme of this entire scholastic year - is Renewing the Promise.  I must admit that when I first heard this theme about a month ago, I couldn’t help wondering: which promise is being renewed?

My teachers taught me to be curious, so I did some research.  A promise is a declaration that something will or will not be done, an assurance on which expectation can be based, an assurance, an indication of what may be expected ... and the verb to renew means to begin again, to restore to a former state, as if new again ... so we might say that there is something of which we have been assured, something that we can expect and this assurance is being restored or renewed.  In order to understand what this promise is, we need only look at the readings that have been chosen for this morning’s Mass.

Allow me to set the scene.  Saint Peter was the disciple who Jesus had chosen to lead his Church: You are Peter (Rock) and upon this rock, I will build my Church (Mt 16:8), Emboldened by this vote of confidence, Peter was filled with bravado.  In fact, on the very night when Jesus was arrested, Peter assured him: Even if all others should fall away from you, I will never fall away (Mt 26:33).  However, despite the outward appearance of confidence, Peter’s conviction wasn’t as steadfast as he may have thought.  When he saw his hero arrested and tried, I’m sure that he thought the same fate might be his if he were to admit having been one of Jesus’ followers.  Three times that night, Peter denied knowing Jesus (Mt 26:69-75).

Fast forward to Pentecost, the day on which the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of flames, and we see a very different Peter.  He who was once timid and afraid to speak about his faith was now strengthened by the gift of the Spirit and able to stand before the people in Jerusalem speaking with a newfound confidence about the truth that Jesus had taught.  You can hear the authority resounding in his voice: Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this, but listen carefully to what I say.  Peter then explained in great detail how the prophecies foretold by the prophets had been fulfilled in Jesus.  The conclusion of his speech must have echoed in the ears of his hearers: ... the Lord and Christ whom God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified (Acts 2:36).

This was a major Aha! moment for those people who were standing around.  We have all witnessed such moments in the lives of the students we are privileged to accompany.  Perhaps we have experienced a few such moments ourselves, when a certain truth that has eluded us is all of a sudden made clear to us.

The scriptures tell us that hearing Peter’s words, all those who were present were cut to the heart (Acts 2:37).  In that very moment, they realized that Jesus had been wrongly accused, and as though wrapped with guilt, they turned to Peter and asked: What are we to do?  We who have been given the great privilege to mold the minds and hearts of children – the promise of our future – need also to be cut to the heart if we have been unaware of the great gift of hope that Jesus came to share with us.

The good news is that it is not too late.  Jesus is still renewing the promise in each one of us: a promise of eternal life in heaven where we will know the fullness of joy in his presence.  This promise is for you and for me, for each one of us, for our children, for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God is calling to himself (Acts 2:39).

This is the good news of our faith.  It fills us with great joy, the joy that was echoed in the song of praise offered by Zechariah.  We heard this song in the gospel passage for this Mass.  Can you imagine, just for a moment, how different our schools would be if our students were to witness such joy on our faces, if they were to be convinced that our hearts overflow with such exceeding jubilation, if they were to hear us sing out with every fibre of our being as Zechariah did?

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel!He has come to his people and set them free (Lk 2:68).

Today, we are being given a great opportunity: Jesus is renewing the promise he made to us – to show us the way to the Father.  Are we willing to accept this gift and to share it joyfully with the children in our classrooms, with the parents who knock at our doors, with all those we meet?  May it be so!