Catholic Schools Week Mass Homily

The following is a video and excerpted text of Archbishop Allen Vigneron۪s homily at the annual Catholic Schools Week Mass, which took place Feb. 4, 2016, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. More than 600 students of Catholic schools from throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit were in attendance.

Disciple is another word for Student. And before Jesus sent [his disciples] out, he gave them instructions. He taught them. He helped them think about and practice, and probably achieve, the skills they needed for what came next. He Equipped them for their mission. And so if we notice that is true about Jesus and his students, Jesus the teacher and his disciples, we have a very important insight into your schools. Into St. Patrick School. Into St. Joan School. Into Holy Redeemer School. Into Christ the King School. Into all of your schools. That what goes on there is a continuation of the life of Christ and the work of Christ. In your school, your priests, your principals, your chaplains, your teachers, stand in the place of and kind of impersonate in some sense Jesus, to equip you for your mission. Because all of you have a mission.

God created you from all eternity He knew you would come to be and He would make you come to be. He knew your name. And not just who you are, but what He would ask you, call you, to accomplish. And it۪s with this conviction that we go about this great work of education in the life of the Church. []

Perhaps you۪ve never asked yourself, why does the Church have schools? The fire department doesn۪t run schools. The post office doesn۪t have a school. Why do we do it? We could just close them and have you all go somewhere else. You wouldn۪t become illiterate.

It۪s a big deal for us. And it۪s a big deal, because you are big deals to God. God has given each of you a mission, something to accomplish. It wasn۪t just the 12 Apostles, the 12 disciples, who were sent on a mission. You have a mission from Jesus. I don۪t know exactly what it is. I know the kind of thing it will be. And I, your priests, your parishes, your communities we have a responsibility to get you ready to do it. To equip you for what lies ahead. That۪s what this is about.

Now, yes, it۪s a mission like lots of other kids in our community. You have a mission to be a good citizen; to be able to take care of yourself; to establish a family, most of you; to have a job; not to be a burden to others, but in fact to contribute. In that way our schools are like all the others but not totally. Because we know, Jesus has taught us, we belong to Jesus. This is what it means to be his disciple that the fulfillment of this task is a way to be a leaven in the world. It۪s about transforming the world. So if you go into communication, or if you become a lawyer, or doctor, or school teacher some of you, I hope, will be priests and sisters and brothers you do these things to change the world. To reshape it into what God wants it to look like. From a mess, into paradise. That۪s your mission. Wherever you go. It۪s very, very important.

God could do this in lots of different ways. But somehow he loves you so much, that He has decided, He has willed, to make you His partners in bringing the world back into His arms. That۪s your mission. And in doing this, you are being sent into the world as evangelists, to proclaim Jesus to people, to say to people especially by how you live but in what you say, that knowing Jesus Christ is the best thing that۪s ever happened to you, and sharing Jesus Christ and His good news and His way of life with other people is the best thing you can do for them. That۪s what we are about because of this great mission. God wants his world back. And if you don۪t do your part, He won۪t get it. Or he۪ll find another way. Maybe he has a plan B. But God shouldn۪t have to depend on plan B. He should be able to depend on you, on plan A. So that۪s why we۪re here today.