Homily for Youth Center Dedication, Presentation Parish: November 18, 2007

Given by the Most Reverend Stephen E. Blaire at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton.

In our Catholic Faith we hold the conviction that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. Jesus lived completely for God, to do the will of His Father. “Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” He responded to the inquiry of his parents. Jesus is the Word become flesh who emptied himself to become fully human with all the limitations of the human condition except sin. Luke describes Jesus’ human growth in these words: “Jesus, for his part progressed steadily in wisdom, and age and grace before God and men.” There is nothing incompatible between his humanity and his divinity. He is one person, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We can easily conclude then that the more Christian we are the more human we become.

The dedication today of this Youth Center symbolizes your commitment as a parish to the formation and education of our youth in Christ so that they will be transformed in grace and make progress in wisdom, age and grace in the Church and in the world.

Our youth today find themselves in a world preoccupied with the consumer mentality and an inordinate attachment to the independence of the individual: consumerism and individualism. These are two very big obstacles in our culture to the gospel and to growth in Christ.

The consumer mentality says that happiness is found in what you possess: money, power, position. The consumerist sees poverty as a bad thing because it keeps people from enjoying all that they are entitled to possess. Unemployment is bad because one unemployed does not have the wherewithal to buy whatever he or she wants to buy. A lack of education is bad because the uneducated have difficulty in getting ahead in life. The consumerist is essentially utilitarian. Indeed there is some truth in this distorted and myopic expression of culture. But for the Christian, poverty is a destructive condition because it diminishes human dignity by keeping people from that which is basic to living as human beings. Unemployment can do the same. On the positive side, work is a share in the creative energy of God. Education is not just for technical purposes or even just to earn a living, but is for human development and the advance of civilization in accord with the will of God.

Excessive individualism sees the world as revolving around the individual. It is an inordinate attachment to the self. Whatever one wants one should get. Whatever one needs to do to get ahead one needs to do. One is free to do what one pleases, I suppose, as long as one can get away with it or does not hurt others. Although many of the ambitious and competitive do not seem to mind trampling down others to get ahead.

In reality, every human happiness, good or bad, true or illusory, comes to an end. We lose our loved ones in death and we ourselves die. Therefore it is absolutely essential to find meaning in life beyond what we possess and beyond our individual wants. Our Catholic Faith gives us the light we need to determine for what we are going to live. For the Christian the only reality which gives meaning to our human existence is eternal life. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and will come again to judge the living and the dead. God exists and we need courage to make the sacrifices in life which have lasting impact for good. Genuine happiness is found through personal growth in sanctity. St. Francis de Sales used to speak about doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. St. Ignatius used to speak about living for others. Happiness is found in building deep and lasting relationships with others. Happiness is found is building a just society where people stand in a right relationship with God and with one another. It is the way of peace.

The third strategic pastoral goal of our Diocesan Synod states: “We will live our baptism by integrating our faith into our daily lives through purposeful, life-long learning and prayer. This will lead us to deeper engagement with Christ and develop a vibrant, active community of disciples that radiates God’s love, justice and truth to the world.”

This building we are dedicating today for our youth symbolizes in a concrete way our pastoral zeal for supporting their faith development. Congratulations to Presentation Parish and to your Pastor, Msgr. Larry McGovern for this great vision. “Jesus , for his part, progressed steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men.”

Last Update November 26, 2007