Making Something New

Good morning, class of 2023. You have just heard two readings from the Bible and I am

going to give a short reflection on them. The first reading was about God creating a new thing; the second about Jesus calling new disciples to follow Him. This year, you will be taking a theology class about the Bible and one idea that you will be hearing is this: the Bible is addressed to each of us here today, not just to the original audience two or three thousand years ago.

So, when we hear God saying, “behold, I am making something new” in that first passage, what He is talking about is you! You are becoming something new today, with you choices and with God’s help. You are becoming a high school student and more specifically, a Mercy girl. You are beginning a new journey in your life and a process of becoming a new person.

What is a Mercy girl? I suspect you have already begun to form an idea through your experiences here at this academy and from your encounters with the young women who are our students. I want you to think about a Mercy girl that you have met and who helped you decide to come to school here. What is she like? What qualities does she have? What are some of the things that you like about her that you would like for yourself?

Now, I want you to picture yourself gaining some of those abilities and qualities over the next four years. Imagine what you will look like when you are ready to graduate. In the Gospel reading, Jesus told two fishers to take their boat out into deep waters. If you have ever been out on a boat a long way from the shores, you know that this can be a scary, dangerous thing.

What you are doing now is scary, too. You have maybe been in the same grade school for up to 9 years. You were probably comfortable and happy there. Now you are being called to a new, unfamiliar place. The water is very deep and you can’t see the shore.

Jesus says to you, as he did to his original followers, “Don’t be afraid. I am going to do great things with you. Come and follow me.” You too are called to keep pushing out into the deep and to put your nets out into the waters.

God bless you, new Mercy girls.

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