May 24, 2013 WBAS Topics Prayer, REL Asset - Prayer Card
By: Kathy Hendricks
“Graduations are five minutes of ‘yeah’ and three hours of ‘ho-hum’.” My friend, Cindy’s less-than-enthusiastic description of commencement ceremonies makes a certain amount of sense. There is the great moment of anticipation as we await our graduate’s entrance in the opening procession. Then we sit through the litany of speeches, commendations, and presentations that follow, perking up when our graduate once again comes into view for the awarding of a diploma or special award. When each of my two children graduated from high school and then college, these were the moments I nearly hyper-ventilated as pride, relief, and joy overtook me.
Convocation addresses are a mixed bag. Some inspire, others bore, and a few simply confound. I experienced the latter at a ceremony in which the commencement address was given by a prominent local journalist who had recently lost his job. He used the occasion to lament the decline in newspaper readership, and then to issue a dire warning to the confused graduates about their dubious chances at landing employment. It was a downer, but it did catch everyone’s attention, which is more than can be said about most speeches.
Granted, it’s hard to know what kind of novel spin to place on a commencement address. Most speakers try to inspire and encourage as they exhort new graduates to live their dreams and aspire to greatness. While these are good messages, perhaps it’s also important to remind the newly-graduated to maintain hope in the face of discouragement or disappointment and, above all, to keep believing in the goodness of life. Even then, it’s not likely the speeches will linger long in the minds of those fingering their new degrees. As I recall my own college graduation, I had a far different view of my life than what actually transpired. My education opened doors, to be sure, but it didn’t guarantee anything when it came to the challenges I was to face, both professionally and personally. The latter required faith in Someone greater and more far-sighted than me. It made graduation a true commencement into a future filled with a few ho-hums and a lot of “yeahs”!
- Send a card through your parish youth ministry program to the Seniors who are graduating. Offer them prayers and best wishes from your family or class, and encourage them to hold strongly to their faith in God’s wisdom and guidance.
- Download my Prayer for Graduates and use it in your parish or home.