SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #15 - May 23rd, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

[Pompeii]

One Thing, Jesus Christ.
SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #15 - May 23rd, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

Editor’s Note: Fr. Ben Daghir preached this homily to the student body at DuBois Central Catholic on May 18, 2023, during the last Mass of the academic year. Fr. Daghir related this last homily of the year to the first homily from August 24, 2022. The homily focuses on excellence and sainthood. 

Article:
This is our last school Mass for the 2022-2023 academic year. I’d like to take a moment and connect the first homily of the year with our Feast of the Ascension today. There is a clear connection between the two: we are called to greater heights. This means that Jesus demands sainthood and we are built for Heaven. 

In today’s feast, we celebrate Jesus ascending into Heaven. It’s an upward movement toward the heights. The Christian life is oriented toward Heaven. Now, let’s reflect back on the first homily to kick off the school year.

On August 24, 2022, I preached on the Gospel phrase “You will see greater things.” I mentioned that Jesus Christ constantly calls us beyond our comfort zones to greater adventure. Jesus always raises the bar. Jesus does not settle for mediocrity. Jesus demands excellence. Only then will we see “greater things.” 

I then directed our attention during that first homily to our school mascot, the cardinal. I asked, “How do you get a cardinal to fly?” The answer, of course, is to break its branch. Our cardinal mascot is clearly not perching on a branch. Instead, the cardinal is in flight. A cardinal is not built to sit on a branch just as you are not built for mediocrity. The cardinal is soaring to new heights. The cardinal is on a mission. The image of our mascot gives us a clear message: we are not built for mediocrity but rather for excellence. In the Christian life, we call this sainthood. 

To our seniors, who were the people that challenged you this year to leave the branch of mediocrity and enter into the realm of excellence? Was it a teacher or a coach? Was it a classmate or a teammate? Was it a priest or a principal? Identify moments during this past year in which your branch was broken and you began to soar toward greater heights. Be grateful for these challenging moments. 

I promise you that no one will have higher expectations for you than Jesus Christ. He knows you. He knows your gifts and talents. He has a plan for you. Just as He ascended into Heaven, He desires for you to ascend to Heaven. He wants you to raise the bar and to leave your comfort zone. 

The world will appear to set the bar high for you but that bar will fade away over time. The worldly bar will neither satisfy your deepest longings nor reach your greatest dreams. The Catholic Church, which continues the mission of Jesus Christ, will always demand the most out of you. It’s the Church that will always challenge you to excellence, to sainthood. 

To our seniors and all of our DuBois Central Catholic students, know that Jesus Christ has high expectations for you. Allow Him to make you a saint. 

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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.