Lord Jesus, you have said that your followers must be the light to the world*.
Light propagates itself, dispels darkness.
It sows rays of joy and hope. It is life*giving.
Help those who are to graduate this day, Lord, to be a light to this world,
so that their life radiates your message of love, hope, and joy.
May they be the beacon leading to You those who seek truth.
SALT
You also said, Lord Jesus,
that your disciples must be the salt to this earth.
Salt gives taste to food.
It retards spoilage.
It is also a healing agent.
Lord, may they be the salt
that takes away the blandness in the routine of living,
that prevents the rottenness of hatred and greed from expanding around them,
that brings compassionate healing to anguished souls they encounter.
Lord, help them to be “worth their salt.”
And infuse your “saltiness” in them, so that they do not become “flat” and useless.
LEAVEN
“Be the leaven to the world,” said You to your friends.
Bread, a staple of life, and cakes, always present at celebrations,
would be dull and lifeless without the tiny bit of yeast.
Without it, the dough remains inert, hard.
Elsewhere, You also told us to multiply our talents.
You thus expect that we use the talents you gave us as the leaven to this world.
Teach them, Lord Jesus, that alone they are insignificant,
but mixed with the talents of their brothers and sisters,
They can lift this world out of its insipid mediocrity.
May they be a bit of leaven in the Bread of Life,
and a sign of Your celebration in this life and life eternal.
COMMITMENT
Lord, on this “commencement” day,
let there be a beginning of their life.
In the days of darkness, be their Light,
so that in turn they can radiate your truth and your message of love, hope, and joy.
In the days of blandness and of blahs,
Lord, be their Salt, so that in turn they can fend off the corruption,
the staleness, the mediocrity around them.
In the days when they are flat on their back or fall flat on their face,
Lord, be their Leaven, so that not only can they rise again,
but also raise the downhearted to the celebration of your Love.
And Lord, thank You, for the school years, for the talents they received.
Amen.