Blessing of Graduates

Let us unite our hearts in prayerand entrust to the hands of the Lordthose who will be graduated tomorrow.

May God who began this good work in youcarry it through to completion,enabling you to use your talents to the fullest.

May God give you the grace to make wise choicesand to be faithful to your commitments,always confident in the support of those who love you.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers,half-truths, and superficial relationships,so that you will live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice,oppression, and exploitation of people,so that you will work for justice, equality, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those whosuffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,so that you will reach out your handto comfort them and change their pain into joy.

May God bless you with the foolishness to thinkthat you can make a difference in the world,so that you will do the thingswhich others tell you cannot be done.

May your integrity be a gift to the worldand may the Spirit of God be with you always.

- Fr. Michael Graham SJ, Offered at Baccalaureate Mass at Xavier University 2015