This is the Commencement Address given by Ralph Johnston, the Headmaster of The Atonement Academy, to the graduating seniors of the Upper School. Mr. Johnston is a contributor to this blog, but his primary apostolate is in Catholic education. At this time of the year there are innumerable graduation speeches. I want to share this one because it reflects the philosophy and culture of what will be the first Ordinariate school — the first of many such schools, I hope.
Reverend Father, Reverend Deacons, my colleagues, friends and family members, members of the graduating class,
Graduation from high school is a time for celebrating achievement, a time for feeling a sense of release and completion after a lengthy and difficult task, a time for looking forward to new things. It is a time for saying goodbye to friends, and perhaps even a time for contemplating the meaning of life.
There. I just named the top five topics for commencement speeches. This is an important moment in life, and because it is an important moment, it gets reflected upon and talked about quite a bit. And it should. It is traditional to punctuate such an important occasion with ceremonial remarks. In fact, we have already heard two very good examples.
Our Valedictorian, Miss Schumacher, has just given us a most thoughtful and insightful presentation. Characteristically it was a work of great literary sophistication, as we have come to expect from her. Thank you, Miss Schumacher; you continue to enrich the intellectual life of our school even after the last class has ended and the last grade has been recorded.
And, just last night, Father Phillips began our series of commencement remarks, with his homily at the Baccalaureate Mass, reflecting upon the three scripture readings that remind us of the call each of us has as a disciple.
And indeed every one of us — every member of this graduating class, and every individual person — is called as a disciple. The Second Vatican Council described this calling as the Universal Vocation to Holiness. Pope Paul VI believed that this was the most fundamental teaching of the Council. Blessed John Paul preached on it relentlessly during the 25 years he led the Church on earth. I don’t suppose that any member of this graduating class really needs to be reminded of it – except perhaps that any life milestone as significant as graduation demands a reminder.
My dear graduands, you are about to experience one of the greatest occasions of temptation anyone will face in his or her entire lifetime. It’s called college. Our great adversary – your great tempter – has a housing contract in every dorm and in every house on Fraternity Row. It is no exaggeration to say, the devil is present in every classroom. Whatever kind of college you attend — big or small, public or private, right down the street or in a distant place, Catholic or not — temptation will be ever present.
Remember the Universal Vocation to Holiness. Remember that God has personally called you to holiness. Make sure that, while you are in college, you hold on to the most precious thing you possess: eternal life. And beyond that, be an apostle to your classmates and friends when they are tempted. Be a friend to your friends, not to the Evil One.
Now, having reminded you of what you already know lies ahead, I want to review a couple of things that you have learned during your time here at the academy. These reminders will, I hope, be helpful to you in the challenges ahead.
First, ours is a Catholic school. And it is a comprehensively Catholic school. By that I mean, we have provided to you not just catechism classes, but also Christian formation throughout the school day and throughout all of your classes. And, most importantly, through our school the Church has provided to you daily sacraments. You leave here equipped with information and knowledge; with a firm understanding of the faith that will be difficult for any sophist to undermine. (And they will try.) But most importantly, you leave this Catholic school equipped with sacramental grace. In your years at the academy you have, as St. Paul says, “put on the armor of God” through prayer and sacraments. Going forward, as you continue the habit you have formed, of frequently receiving those sacraments to which you are now attached, you will remain in the state of grace that is essential to your successful response to temptation and, ultimately, is essential to your salvation.
Second, and finally — and here my remarks depart from the moral arena and focus on civic and secular affairs — finally, remember in your life as a citizen the liberal education you have acquired here. Recall the linguistic roots of the term Liberal Education. Liberal means free — liber, free — and to the Romans who invented the term, the liberal arts — as opposed to the manual arts — were the things that a free man needed to know in society. You understand, through your studies in History, Economics, Literature, Theology — yes, through your studies in the Liberal Arts — you understand what the experience of mankind has been throughout history. In particular you understand the development in our Western tradition of human rights, civil rights, participative government and economic freedom. Rights of conscience. Inalienable self-evident rights that come to us from God, and cannot be repealed by any earthly ruler.
Today we live in a time of increasing centralization. And we have no assurance that there will always be peace and prosperity.
But, my dear graduands, as Americans, and particularly as Texans, you are heirs to a great tradition of freedom. Hang on to that in your lives as citizens. Just as there is in the physical domain a natural tendency away from order and toward entropy; just as there is in the moral domain a natural tendency away from purity and toward sin; so in the civic domain there is a natural tendency away from liberty and toward tyranny. Remember what you have learned.
Well, that is quite enough direction from me. You have outgrown the need for direction from your former teachers, and that is the last direction I will ever give you. You are ready to graduate. Congratulations.
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UPDATE: Read here about the latest honor given to The Atonement Academy by the Catholic Education Foundation.
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That's a beautiful address. The students of Atonement Academy are truly blessed; I hope my own children will have an opportunity to have such a comprehensive Catholic education. May there be many more schools like it.
In Christ.
Fr. Bill in Los Angeles
A hard hitting address that doesn't shy away from things that the children need to hear.
I too hope that as the Ordinariates form and grow, the schools on this model will multiply with them, for the benefit of all of us. I also hope that in due time the religious, an ingredient closely related both to the spiritual life of the parish and education, will firmly re-establish themselves as well throughout our Church.
Thru the grace of God the standard for the Ordinariates already exists, is exceedingly high, and for those with faith and fortitude will no doubt be met. A city upon a hill cannot be hid – congratulations Father Phillips!