Handing Down the Mission - Weekday Homily Video

Oscar Wilde, an Irish wit, poet and dramatist, once said: “Some people cause happiness wherever they go; while others whenever they go.” Letting go is choosing the better part. In life, there are instances when we need to bid goodbye to people and things dear to us for a higher cause.

A song lyric asks, “Why is goodbye the hardest part of speech?” Haven’t we all felt that pit in our stomach when we have to say goodbye to someone we love, whether that is after visiting with family or friends we don’t see often or spending time with a loved one who may soon pass away? 

Jesus Gives us His Mission

In today’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus bids goodbye to his disciples after years of being with them. The disciples were grief-stricken at the departure of the Master. They didn’t seem to understand why He must go. He reassured them that their sorrow would be short-lived and soon would turn into joy.

However, in his absence, Jesus has already prepared them to do even bigger and better things. His words, though challenging, carry a sense of reassurance and hope. They just don’t realize it yet. 

Doesn’t Jesus sound like a parent dropping off a child for the first day of school? Whether kindergarten or college, it can be difficult for kids to transition to a new level of independence and responsibility.

Jesus is reassuring His disciples that He has prepared them for their task and that to grow, they need to forge ahead without Him being physically present. 

Lessons from the Classroom

One of my responsibilities as an educator was to help the children in my school grow into responsible, independent adults. To that end, a senior priest shared the following three pieces of advice with me when I became the principal of the school. They ring particularly true in light of the Gospel passage, as Jesus exemplifies each of them in His relationship with the disciples. 

Walk the Walk

First, he said, begin with the end in mind and have a vision of how and what it's going to turn out at the end. Jesus knew his supremely important role in our salvation and that He needed to equip the disciples to carry out His mission when He was gone. Jesus’s example is a great reminder not to lose focus on the larger goal of raising children with a strong faith that will serve as a grounding force and source of strength in their lives. 

Second, walk the walk. Kids watch everything you do; be an example of what you ask of them.   No one better exemplifies this than Jesus. He provides a prime example of how we should live our lives. We can’t expect our kids to do as we say if we don’t model that behavior ourselves. 

Finally, use every opportunity as a teaching moment. Jesus converted very ordinary instances into teaching moments, such as the image of a farmer or the merchant or using bread and fish, which are pretty mundane items. It’s a wonderful idea to find teachable moments that might otherwise be overlooked, as Jesus always did in His ministry. You never know what will resonate with your child. 

While goodbyes are difficult, let’s follow Jesus’s example from now until whenever our goodbye might be and do our best to pass along lessons to our children and others that will sustain them long after we are gone. 

• Today’s Readings

• Father Boby's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.) 

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