Graduation

THE STORY is told about a little kid who hated Math, and wrote thus: “Dear Math, please grow up soon, and solve your own problems!”

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In today’s Gospel (Jn. 11, 1-45) Jesus raises up Lazarus from the dead and declares thus: “I am the Resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”  The Resurrection may not solve our worldly problems but the reality and the promise of the Resurrection will give us the strength and the hope to solve whatever problems.

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The meaning and value of the Resurrection are best illustrated by that story of a boy crossing a wobbly hanging bridge. What gives him courage to go on is the sight of Jesus at the other end, holding the ropes and waiting for him.

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Note that in our illustration above, the Lord does not do the walking for the boy. All of us will have to walk our walk in our journey, but the assurance has been given to us by the Risen Lord that He will be with us in our journey in order to bring us to our final destination where He Himself sits at the throne at the right hand of the Father.

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Jesus had friends. Lazarus was one of them.  He also helped close family friends. We remember today and pray for all people whom we journey with in this life, living or dead, present or absent, the good ones and the bad. At opportune times in our lives, God sends people to accompany us on the road. Some stay on together, some stray apart, but our hope is that we will all meet again because of the Resurrection, in that final, grand homecoming and reunion.

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“Someday, we will forget the hurt, the reason we cried, and who caused us pain. We will finally realize that the secret of being free is not revenge, but letting things unfold in their own way and time. After all, what matters is not the first, but the last chapter of our lives which shows how well we ran the race.” As we approach Holy Week may we be filled with the spirit of true conversion and expectant hope. It is never too late to change, and it is never too early to love.

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Let us look into our hearts today and see the good that must be resuscitated in our lives, and the bad that must be disposed of. At any point of our lives, we can change for the better. Indeed, there is no sinner without a future, there is no saint without a past.

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As the saying goes: “Never say die!” Whatever illness or weakness there is, it need not end in death! Jesus tells us today: “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, and that the Son of Man be glorified in it.” Whatever suffering there is can be an offering. Whatever failure there is can be an opportunity to rise up, become a better person, and move on.

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When we face any illness or weakness, the best attitude is that of gratitude. It is precisely the hope of the Resurrection that enables us to say “YES!” to life with all its sham, storms, pains and broken dreams. If we can accept life, with a Creator, and accept death with a Savior, then there is no reason to lose hope or to fear.

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It is graduation time once again. Congratulations to the graduates and to those who helped them graduate. Let us all be reminded of that final graduation in heaven, where the good will be rewarded, and the evildoers will be punished. May we all pass our tests in this world and graduate into eternity.

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A very touching graduation ceremony was that of 12-year-old Princess May Joy Villanueva who graduated salutatorian in her grade school class just hours after the remains of her mother arrived in the country from China, where the latter was executed on March 30 for drug trafficking. Indeed, a grain of wheat falls and dies, and bears much fruit.

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In her graduation speech at the Tubar Elementary School in Jones, Isabela, Princess in tears said: “We will study hard to attain our dreams. This is the best thing we can do to repay our parents who have been working hard for us. Let us be strong despite the trials and struggles we face in our lives.”  Brave words, meaningful words we all need to reflect on as we move on in life.

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Find time to look up the obituary page today and do not just read but also pray for the people mentioned there. Yes, let us pray for them, and ask them too to pray for us, believing in the “communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting.” Amen!

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, be with me as I move on, and help me make it to the final graduation in heaven. Amen.