ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Dear Friends and Collaborators in the teaching mission of our Lord Jesus Christ,

On this joyous occasion I congratulate each of you who celebrates a Jubilee as an educator in our Catholic schools. I speak for all in the Archdiocese in expressing gratitude for your part in providing Catholic education to another generation.

The custom of celebrating jubilees can be traced to the Old Testament. A jubilee was a joyful event, an occasion to honor God by freeing slaves and canceling debts. The tradition continued in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke recounts an episode when Jesus returned to the synagogue of His home town. The Gospel describes how He stood up and read from the book of the Prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" Then Jesus added, "Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing" (Lk 4:18-19, 21). He indicated that the day of salvation had come.

During your years in education, you have encountered the gifted and talented. You have also come upon the afflicted and brokenhearted. You have met those who seek freedom from ignorance, poverty or oppression. As disciples of Jesus, you have continued His work. Another’s success or sorrow became an opportunity for you to act in the name of Christ. By your words and deeds you have brought glad tidings and liberty. You have been instruments of God’s favor.

This jubilee celebration is enhanced by the commemoration of another significant event. Today marks the first anniversary of the death of our beloved Pope John Paul II. With the Spirit of the Lord upon him, he was an extraordinary instrument of God’s favor for the world. His popularity and impact transcended race, nationality, age, gender, religious affiliation or economic status. He had a special concern for the poor and needy, and a unique relationship with young people. We remember him fondly and thank God for the gift of such a loving person, such a loving father and shepherd of the Church.

In our Gospel today we find the request made by some Greeks to the apostle Philip: "We would like to see Jesus.". Moved by great curiosity they wanted to know who Jesus really was. Pope John Paul II, in his last World Youth Day message in 2004, invited young people to imitate those Greeks. He indicated that the search for Jesus is motivated by intellectual curiosity, but above all by an inner urging to find the answer to the question about the meaning of life. He reminded them that Christianity is not simply a doctrine. It is an encounter with God made present in history through the incarnation of the Word of God, the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pope John Paul II spoke of the value of seeking God with the eyes of the flesh through the events of life and in the faces of others. Even more, the Pope advised young people to seek God with the eyes of the soul through prayer and meditation on the word of God. The Pope assured the young people that, if they allowed this desire to emerge, they would have the wonderful experience of encountering the living Jesus.

The Greeks, in search of truth, in their desire to see Jesus, were aided by the apostles. You, our jubilarians, together with our Catholic Schools, continue to serve a similar role in the lives of students. Young people seek the truth. Teaching science, history, mathematics and so forth, nurtures and responds to their intellectual curiosity. By relating these subjects to salvation, you show how Jesus illumines all of life. In so doing, you respond to the deepest longing of young people "to see Jesus."

Students in our Catholic schools are fortunate that their quest for truth takes place within a religious atmosphere. The National Directory for Catechesis teaches that "The Catholic school...is not simply an institution which offers an academic instruction of high quality, but even more important is an effective vehicle of total Christian formation" (no. 230). Catholic schools provide a favorable setting where, daily, young people are afforded the opportunity to hear and live the Gospel, to learn and appreciate the teachings of the Church, to acquire a deep understanding, reverence and love for the Liturgy, to build community, to pray and properly form their consciences, to develop virtue and participate in Christian service. According to Vatican, students are provided "an education by virtue of which their whole lives may be inspired by the spirit of Christ" (Gravissunum Educationis, 8).

The desire to see Jesus is not reserved to the young. It is the longing of all humanity. We discover Jesus in the faces of our brothers and sisters, in the poor, and especially in its Eucharistic presence of the Lord.. We discover Jesus when we give of ourselves in self-sacrificing love. During this Lenten season, we should not be surprised to meet Jesus on the Cross and in the crosses of life. Remember, though, that after the Cross, comes the Resurrection. Death does not have the last word, for love is stronger than death. Jesus accepted death on the Cross, thus making it the source of life and the sign of love. He did so to gain our salvation and to allow us henceforth to take part in his divine life.

A jubilee is a time of joy. Your jubilee, dear Friends, is an occasion of special grace, a day blessed by the Lord. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past, to offer praise and thanksgiving for all that God has done and accomplished in and through you. It is a day to recommit yourselves, as teachers and administrators, to your mission, which is that of Christ and His Church. What a lofty dignity is yours!

There is so much for which to be thankful. Today I express deep gratitude to the parents who have entrusted the education and formation of their children to our Catholic schools. In so doing, they have given us the privilege of sharing a role in which they have the primary and irreplaceable responsibility.

I am grateful for the priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and laity who serve in the educational apostolate. Our schools provide a context in which young people discern God’s call and develop skills that are associated with the fulfillment of that call. Among the many career and vocational opportunities, we pray that those whom God is calling to the priesthood and religious life will respond generously.

I am grateful for the support of the entire Catholic community who by their prayers and financial support enable our schools to accomplish their purpose. With this support, many are able to receive a Catholic education who otherwise might be deprived of it.

In particular, I express gratitude to you our jubilarians for your many years of service to this Archdiocese and to our Catholic schools. We depend upon you to set high academic standards and instill a spirit of faith and values rooted in Christ. You have given generously of your time, talent and treasure to advance the teaching mission of Christ and His Church. You assist parents by providing their children with a solid moral foundation. All who teach in our schools understand that their work is not just a career opportunity; it is a vocation, a response to God’s call to teach and evangelize our youth.

A jubilee is also an opportunity to look forward to a future that offers new possibilities. The future of the world and the Church belongs to the younger generation. We are proud of our students. They are young men and women who contribute to our country, our community, our Church. Christ expects great things from young people, so did Pope John Paul II. He challenged them to put their talents at the service of the proclamation of the Good News. He encouraged them to be friends of Jesus and offer witness so that others might come to see Jesus.

In a short time, Christianity will celebrate the great Feast of Easter. "Go and teach all nations," was the great directive that Jesus gave His apostles after His Resurrection. It is also His last command recorded in Saint Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 28:19-20). I congratulate and thank our jubilarians for their fidelity to the Lord’s command. We entrust them, the students they teach and our Catholic schools to the patronage of Mary, the Seat of Wisdom. Through her maternal intercession, may she aid all who seek "to see Jesus." Amen.