Our parish grammar school held the 8^th grade graduation ceremony last week in our church. This is the regular practice at St. Joseph of Yorkville School. Rather than use the school auditorium, diplomas are conferred in the house of God to highlight the Catholic nature of our education. Religious formation is the core mission of our school. Academic training in all disciplines is intended to help our students to make the best use of their God given talents and abilities. Prayer is integral to the school. Achievement is valued as a reflection of each student’s effort to serve the Lord by brain power and will power. Hard work at school is an essential way of thanking God for the gift of life and the potential for doing great things in the sight of God that comes with being alive and being close to God.

In the days leading up to graduation there were musical presentations and art shows by the students. And a graduation Mass was celebrated with the whole school present. The graduates thanked God for the gift they had received of being educated at our parish school.

The valedictorian spoke about the exciting and daunting transition she would make from elementary to high school. She looks forward to continuing her academic journey with the Lord at a nearby Catholic high school. As I listened to her speech, I was reminded that life consists of new challenges, which are opportunities to growth in knowledge and virtue. The key to achieving success is to rely on the Lord, and to forge ahead with confidence that the Lord is at our side.

We can all benefit from meditating on how much we do in practice rely on the Lord each day. Do we consciously acknowledge that “every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration”? (James 1:17) Gratitude is the gateway to understanding so much about life. God has blessed us, and he wants us to know that fact. We in turn are called to put those blessings to good use.

Summertime is a great time to draw closer to God. I highly recommend praying more and using your free time to read the Bible, and to meditate upon what you have read.

New beginnings for our 8^th grade graduates are opportunities to see life for what it really is—an adventure in knowing, loving and serving the Lord and our neighbor. For the confident believer, fear of the unknown gives way to a trusting embrace of God’s will precisely in the new circumstances his Providential love has prepared for us. That lesson is not just for high school freshmen. We are all called to set out each day with that same confidence and trust in God.